South Africa: Water shortages in Gauteng amid pump station explosion The City of Ekurhuleni has warned residents and businesses in various parts of the metro of water supply interruptions after a Rand Water pump exploded on Sunday. On Monday, the Gauteng water utility said its Palmiet Booster Pumping Station was on Sunday rendered inoperable after three medium voltage motors, which are used to run the pumps, exploded. The cause of the explosion is still unknown and a root cause analysis is currently being investigated. The repairs to the damaged infrastructure are also currently being done on an emergency basis, Rand Water said in a statement. As of Monday, the pump station was running at 55% of its normal daily capacity. The incident resulted in the depletion of reservoir levels within the Palmiet System. Therefore, some areas in the Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane metros will be affected. The details of affected suburbs, as well as the contingency measures, will be communicated further by the relevant municipalities. Rand Water said it is working around the clock to conduct repairs and restore normal supply. The estimated time to full restoration is unknown. Rand Water will communicate same once the full assessment has been conducted, the utility said. On Tuesday, Ekurhuleni revealed that Thembisa, Clayville, Serengeti and surrounding areas were affected in the metro. Affected areas also include: Clayville Extension 45, 71, 80; Serengeti; Ililaba; Umthambeka; Emoyeni; Igqagqa; Emfihlweni; parts of Emangweni and Ixiweni; Esselen Park extensions and Friendship Town. Ekurhuleni said its technicians will monitor the supply to Phomolong, Midstream Estate and high-lying areas of Germiston and Bedfordview. In the interim, roving water tankers were to be dispatched to the affected areas. The City of Ekurhuleni wishes to apologise for the inconvenience caused and reminds customers to keep their taps closed for the duration of the interruption. In Johannesburg, affected areas included all suburbs of Midrand, as well as South Hills Towers, which covers Oakdene, Linmeyer, Risana, Rosettenville, Tulisa Park and Klipriviersberg. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-07-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hong Kong: Election body members named Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced today she has appointed Chief Secretary John Lee as the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee (CERC) Chairperson and Elsie Leung, Rita Fan and Prof Lawrence Lau as the committees non-official members. Making the announcement ahead of the Executive Council meeting, Mrs Lam said she has appointed the CERC chairperson, three official members and three non-official members under the Chief Executive Election Ordinance. Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang, Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui and Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung are the official members appointed. Regarding the non-official members appointed, Mrs Lam said they are all patriots who protect national sovereignty, security and development interests, respect and uphold the fundamental system of the country and the constitutional order of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and make every effort to maintain the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. She is grateful for their acceptance of being appointed CERC members who will assist in assessing and validating the eligibility of candidates in the Election Committee, the Chief Executive and Legislative Council elections, thereby providing an institutional safeguard for the implementation of "patriots administering Hong Kong", she added. In accordance with the assessment made by the Polices National Security Department, the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR will decide whether a candidate complies with the legal requirements and conditions for upholding the Basic Law and bearing allegiance to Hong Kong, and issue an opinion to the CERC for those who do not comply with the legal requirements and conditions. The Government will publish the appointments in the gazette on July 9. This story has been published on: 2021-07-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hong Kong: Travel bubble resumption underway (To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.) Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said the Government is working closely with Singapore to revive the air travel bubble arrangement between the two places. Now that Singapores (COVID-19) situation has stabilised, we certainly will revive the earlier scheme that we have devised. I understand that Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau has been discussing with his Singaporean counterpart recently on when and how we could commence the air travel bubble arrangement with Singapore, said Mrs Lam ahead of the July 6 Executive Council meeting. Noting that Singapore is going to implement a new anti-epidemic strategy, she said the Government will study whether it will affect the arrangements. COVID-19 vaccination is another factor to be taken in account, she said. Now that Singapore also has a very high vaccination rate, so another factor that we need to consider, on top of what we have agreed on previously, is whether both sides should require vaccination as a condition for participating in the air travel bubble. The Government is keen on resuming the air travel bubble with Singapore because of the close contacts with each other, she added. The two governments are very friendly and the situation is very stable on both sides. So this is something that we will be working very closely on. This story has been published on: 2021-07-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Four drug dealers nabbed in Bethlehem This story has been published on: 2021-07-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa has recorded 12 513 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed infections to 2 075 409. This increase represents a 31.6% positivity rate, which is higher than yesterday (30.2%), the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said on Monday. [read more: https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-af... See more South Africa: North West communities urged to ignore Mahikeng Total Shutdown call This story has been published on: 2021-07-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa has recorded 12 513 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed infections to 2 075 409. This increase represents a 31.6% positivity rate, which is higher than yesterday (30.2%), the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said on Monday. [read more: https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-af... See more Science on a shoestring "Long, thin, and cool as hell" was how parasitologist Thomas Platt described the new genus and species of trematode (Baracktrema obamai) he named in honor of the 44th USA president and his 5th cousin, Barack Obama. That discovery marked the end of his career. How he got there is the story Small Science tells in this part-personal and part-scientific memoir. Impatience saved his life at the age of 15, and quick reflexes saved his hands from mutilation in an industrial accident as a young adult. Dr. Platt's choice to spend his life in a liberal arts setting was forged by his experience as a student-athlete at Hiram College (OH). His life was shaped by three factors: the parasites (that chose him), the love and support of Kathy, his wife of 48-years, and the decision not to pursue grant money (except once). SMALL SCIENCE, the title of the book, is also the ethos of Platt's approach to the study of parasites both personally and guiding the young women at Saint Mary's College in South Bend, Indiana, in their required research projects during his 28-year career. He traveled extensively in search of new species of parasitic worms, from neighboring Costa Rica to the far-flung reaches of Australia and Malaysia. His love of turtles and their parasites led to the discovery of 30 new species, 11 new genera, and international recognition. The book provides perspectives on the places and people encountered along the way, details of interactions with wildlife, and interesting and accessible insights into parasite behavior in the external environment and with their hosts. Supervising 78 student research projects resulted in 15 students contributing to 12 publications in national and international journals. The chapter "In Defense of Parasites" (where the book began) explores the questions: Why do parasites exist? What are they good for? Why can't we get rid of them? Platt provides the reader with an introduction to the organisms that formed the basis for his life's work. Subsequent chapters track his navigation of undergraduate and graduate school, a career in higher education, and the research that "kept him busy and off the street!" The road to academic success was not initially smooth. Faced with a brutal tenure rejection at the start of his career, Platt was told that "You are not the type of person we want to invest in for the next 30 years." A short detour into the business world and back to academe took some surprising turns. SMALL SCIENCE will appeal to college/university faculty and students, particularly those with an interest in undergraduate research. Many potential readers are familiar with the uproar surrounding the naming of a parasite in honor of President Obama (Baracktrema obamai) and should find the author's personal account of his 15-minutes of fame amusing and enlightening. Finally, readers interested in the workings of higher education and scientific investigation - and are intrigued by the parasites they never want to encounter outside the pages of a book will be treated to an illuminating and enjoyable story. When asked about the impetus for Small Science, Platt shared, "I didn't start out to write a book, just an essay. One essay led to another, and I realized I was telling a story I had never read - a career of research with undergraduates, with no money, and only your creativity and patience as the path to success. Thousands of my brother and sister faculty work in similar conditions and succeed in introducing the next generation of students to the beauty of scientific investigation." Liberal Arts colleges are the incubators for future research scientists. The dedicated faculty at these institutions shape and guide beginning students in learning how to conduct research and present their results. Their story has never been told - until now. SMALL SCIENCE: Baracktrema obamai and Other Stories of a Life in Parasitology & Higher Education retails for US$28 / 25 (paperback) and US$58 / 50 (hardcover) and is also available in electronic formats. To order or know more about the book, or to read endorsements and reviews for the work, visit http://www. worldscientific. com/ worldscibooks/ 10. 1142/ 12339 . ### About the Author Dr Thomas R Platt is Professor Emeritus at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA, where he was Chair of the Department of Biology from 2001-2008. He is the author of more than 70 publications on parasitology and taxonomy, and the discoverer of 30 new species. He named one of the last parasites he discovered before retiring Baracktrema obamai, after then-USA President Barack Obama, who is his fifth cousin, twice-removed. He holds a PhD in Zoology from the University of Alberta, Canada. About World Scientific Publishing Co. World Scientific Publishing is a leading international independent publisher of books and journals for the scholarly, research and professional communities. World Scientific collaborates with prestigious organisations like the Nobel Foundation and US National Academies Press to bring high quality academic and professional content to researchers and academics worldwide. The company publishes about 600 books and over 140 journals in various fields annually. To find out more about World Scientific, please visit http://www. worldscientific. com . For more information, contact Amanda at heyun@wspc.com. This story has been published on: 2021-07-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. At UTA, Joe Cloud has helped build a supercomputer and developed robots for space Joe Cloud, a computer science and engineering doctoral student at The University of Texas at Arlington, has earned a graduate fellowship from Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, for the 2021-22 academic year. He will receive a stipend of $10,000 in support of his graduate work. Cloud is in the second year of his doctoral program in computer engineering. He works with UTA Assistant Professor William Beksi in the Robotic Vision Laboratory on robotic learning for space and industrial robots. They are working jointly with researchers at the UTA Research Institute to develop learning-based methods for safe robot trajectory generation and motion planning. Cloud earned his Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering from UTA in 2019. His first foray into research came as a freshman, when he helped Amir Farbin, associate professor of physics, build a supercomputer. As a sophomore, he began working in Professor Fillia Makedon's Heracleia Lab in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, writing code to control robotic arms and teaching them to perform tasks. The summer before his senior year, he was the lead intern on a project at NASA's Langley Research Center to integrate a new instrument to a mobile robot for outdoor testing. That internship led to a position in NASA's Pathways co-op program, where he developed robotic algorithms for a project aimed at establishing a sustainable colony on the moon. "On behalf of the Computer Science and Engineering Department, I congratulate Joe on this honor and thank him for his hard work and excellence in his academic pursuits that have brought visibility and pride to UTA," said Hong Jiang, Nedderman Professor and Chair of the Computer Science and Engineering Department. "I also want to acknowledge his faculty mentors, Drs. Fillia Makedon and William Beksi, who have spotted his talent and ably guided him for so many years." Tau Beta Pi Fellowships are awarded for high scholarship, campus leadership and service, and the promise of future contributions to the engineering profession. They are highly competitive, with only 28 awarded out of 336 applicants this year. Cloud is the seventh recipient from UTA in the 88 years of the fellowship's history. The last Tau Beta Pi Fellowship awarded to a UTA computer science and engineering student was to G. Michael Youngblood in 2002, and the last student from the University to win one was MD Banjamin Sarder, in the Industrial, Manufacturing and Systems Engineering Department, in 2007. ### Tau Beta Pi is the world's largest engineering society, providing more financial assistance to engineering students than any other. Membership represents the highest honor to be obtained by an engineering student and is awarded based on high scholarship and exemplary character. - Written by Jeremy Agor, College of Engineering This story has been published on: 2021-07-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. RTHK: Thousands protest in Georgia over anti-LGBTQ violence Thousands rallied on Tuesday in the Georgian capital Tbilisi to denounce attacks on the LGBTQ community that shocked the Caucasus nation and forced activists to cancel a planned Pride march. Pride events are still controversial in the conservative country where the powerful Orthodox Church has previously clashed with Western-leaning governments over progressive social issues. On Monday, LGBTQ activists called off a planned Pride march as protesters assaulted activists and journalists and skirmished with police hours after the prime minister denounced the event. Hundreds of anti-LGBTQ protesters including activists from a small pro-Russian party removed a European Union flag outside parliament and attacked dozens of journalists covering events at several locations. Many were hospitalised with bruises and fractures. On Tuesday evening, several thousand demonstrators gathered outside parliament to denounce the violence that shocked the pro-Western country and sparked condemnation from the United States and the EU. Many at the silent demonstration waved EU and rainbow flags. Police cordoned off the area to protect demonstrators from some 200 anti-LGBTQ activists who staged a counter-rally nearby and tried to break through police barriers. "We can't tolerate in this country any form of violence targeting minorities," said demonstrator 48-year-old art historian Lili Chumburidze. "Homophobia doesn't belong to the 21st century." Another demonstrator, 20-year-old student Lasha Bigvava, said: "We are here to tell the government that human rights must be ensured for everyone." Prime Minister Irakli Garabishvili has faced strong criticism from the opposition and rights activists after he spoke out against holding the Pride march, describing it as "unacceptable for a large segment of Georgian society". Pride organiser Giorgi Tabagari said he suspected "the country's secret service coordinated the attacks" on Monday. Critics have accused the ruling Georgian Dream party government of tacitly supporting homophobic and nationalist groups. These groups are seen as supporters of the ruling party and have staged protests against pro-Western opposition parties. Georgia decriminalised homosexuality in 2000 and adopted anti-discrimination laws in 2006 and 2014. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2021-07-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Into the third funding phase with a boost for growth The German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig has succeeded in its application for further funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG). On Tuesday, the Joint Committee of the DFG approved support for iDiv in the third funding phase with around 11.5 million euros annually. This represents an increase of 26 percent over the second funding phase. Even after DFG funding ends, probably in 2024, backing for iDiv as a multipolar university centre for biodiversity research with Central German roots and global purview is to be continued by its host institutions and federal states, along with the support of other funders such as the state of Germany. The German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig has been researching global biodiversity change since its establishment in 2012. Close to 300 people now work at the DFG research centre, many in the new building at the Alte Messe in Leipzig, completed in 2020. In addition, the more than 100 member groups of this scientific network conduct research at locations and facilities in Halle, Jena and Leipzig. According to the most recent report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), up to one million species are threatened with extinction. iDiv aims to assess this global crisis, research its consequences and show ways in which we can sustainably manage biodiversity. The tools of the biodiversity researchers range from satellites to smartphone apps, and from DNA sequencers and high-performance computers to construction cranes. In just the nine-year period since iDiv was founded, research platforms such as the Leipzig Canopy Crane, the iDiv Ecotron, and virtual data platforms have also been set up and networked with one another, mainly in Central Germany. This distinctive infrastructure supports the uniqueness of the centre: the integration of various disciplines and expertise to answer urgent societal questions. The research centre has, at the same time, earned an outstanding international reputation. This prominence is based on, among other things, sDiv; the iDiv Synthesis Centre for Biodiversity Sciences. So far, over 1000 scientists from 60 countries have travelled to Leipzig for a wide range of projects in order to answer scientific questions in new ways. Also contributing to the reputation of the research centre is its graduate school, with almost 80 doctoral researchers. This will be expanded to include a programme for postdoctoral researchers in the new funding phase. In March, international reviewers, on behalf of the DFG, recognised the high quality of iDiv's work and made a recommendation for further funding. This was acknowledged by the DFG Joint Committee, with iDiv's requested funding amount subsequently being made available without any reduction. With this, the DFG research centre is able to take advantage of a further boost in growth and moves with increased strength into the crucial third funding phase. Basic funding from the DFG will end in 2024 and a new funding model will come into operation. The Ministers of Science of the states of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony have already set the course for this with the policy statement they signed in July 2019. The institutions contributing as partners to the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) are and will remain Leipzig University, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, in cooperation with the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ). In addition, several Leibniz and Max Planck Institutes are involved as cooperation partners. Everyone involved in iDiv was delighted with the DFG's decision. Here are a few of the reactions: Prof Dr Christian Wirth: iDiv Speaker, Research group head at Leipzig University, Fellow of the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry "The DFG's decision is an overwhelming vote of confidence. We'll use the funds to further intensify our efforts. Our planet is becoming increasingly depleted, and species are irretrievably lost day after day, so we're working under time pressure on strategies that will enable us to protect and sustainably manage biodiversity. We're grateful that we have the full support of the DFG and that of our partners in the three Central German states for this important task." Prof Dr Tiffany M Knight: iDiv Speaker, Research group head at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) "The feedback we received from the reviewers acknowledges our efforts during the past years. We have created an environment where researchers with different expertise can interact and inspire each other. I enjoy not only having a great consortium of colleagues from the region, but also the ability to synthesize biodiversity knowledge with colleagues from all around the world. I am grateful that the DFG enables us to continue our work in the years to come." Prof Dr Walter Rosenthal: Chair of the iDiv Board of Trustees, President of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena "The German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) has turned Halle, Jena and Leipzig into shining spots on the map of research into globally crucial issues of the future. The three universities, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and other non-university partners are combining their expertise with great commitment in order to understand biodiversity in all its facets and thus combat the dramatic loss of biodiversity. An international panel of experts has once again confirmed the network's internationally highly recognised cutting-edge research, which is the basis of the funding. The universities of Halle, Jena and Leipzig and the UFZ, which form the core of iDiv, have already decided, like the federal states, to ensure the continuation of the national centre of excellence for biodiversity after the end of the DFG funding beyond 2024." Prof Dr Armin Willingmann: Minister for Economic Affairs, Science and Digitalisation for the state of Saxony-Anhalt "Continued funding by the DFG is proof of the high quality of research at iDiv. The centre also has a strong impact on its participating universities and partner institutions. An interdisciplinary network for biodiversity research has grown at the University of Halle, and a corresponding master's programme will start there from the winter semester of 2021. Biodiversity research is increasingly becoming a scientific discipline in its own right. This is linked to an important message: Anyone who wants to solve Earth's environmental problems can do more than demonstrate 'for future' on Fridays; they can also study in Halle, Jena or Leipzig with world-leading scientists to help shape our future. To make this offer even more attractive, the state of Saxony-Anhalt is supporting the corresponding focus and profile development at the University of Halle during the third funding period with an additional total of four million euros." Wolfgang Tiefensee: Thuringian State Minister of Economy, Science and Digital Society "Even in the midst of the pandemic, we must not forget that there are other major challenges that we also have to address with intensive research. Species extinction is one such challenge. We are very proud that the cross-state research centre iDiv has developed so well and that, after a rigorous review, the DFG is also providing funding for a third period. Thuringia is committed to securing the structures which have been established for after this final DFG funding period ends. The Thuringian share for this has already been included in the state budget." Sebastian Gemkow: Saxon State Minister of Science, Culture and Tourism "The global change in biodiversity presents huge challenges to society, not only regionally but also worldwide. Since 2012, iDiv has developed into an internationally visible beacon of biodiversity research, whose scientists are working on solutions to these urgent problems. As the reviewers also highlighted as exemplary, I see iDiv's success as confirmation that important contributions to the existential issue of achieving biodiversity can be made with successful prioritisation of focus, a strong consortium - of the three universities and non-university partners - and intelligent research policy interaction. The state of Saxony has invested a lot of money in the construction of the new research building and the research greenhouse at iDiv's central location in Leipzig. The clear vote of the reviewers and today's decision by the DFG to continue funding iDiv for a final phase as a DFG research centre, which I'm very happy about, are both confirmation and motivation for us to ensure iDiv's permanency and to support its development." ### This story has been published on: 2021-07-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Bacterial survival kit to endure in soil However, the majority of these organisms are believed to be in a state a state of 'dormancy' due to environmental stress, such as nutrient-poor conditions. An international team of scientists led by Dagmar Woebken and Stephanie A. Eichorst from the University of Vienna investigated how acidobacteria, which are widespread in soils, can survive under adverse conditions. Two recent studies published in The ISME Journal and mSystems describe these survival strategies. The living conditions that microorganisms encounter in soils are unpredictable and challenging. Nutrients and oxygen are frequently scarce for long periods. Acidobacteria manage to defy these extreme conditions. They are found in an astonishing diversity in soils worldwide. "Since they are this widespread, we assume that Acidobacteria play a central role for the microbial community and thus also for the ecological balance in soils," explains Stephanie A. Eichorst, microbiologist at the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (CMESS) at the University of Vienna. In a multi-year research project, a team around Eichorst and her colleague Dagmar Woebken, supported by international colleagues, have investigated the success strategies of these soil microbes. Acidobacteria 'breathing-in' low amounts of oxygen with unexpected enzymes In their most recent study now published in mSystems, the researchers show that acidobacteria are surprisingly efficient in extracting energy from oxygen. In experiments, the microbiologists from the Universities of Vienna, Cadiz (Spain) and Aarhus (Denmark) and from the Joint Microbiome Facility - a joint venture of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna - were able to demonstrate that the soil bacteria can use so-called low-affinity terminal oxidases to 'breathe' the smallest amounts of oxygen. Terminal oxidases are used for the generation of energy, which can be low-affinity (using higher concentrations of O2) or high-affinity enzymes (using low concentrations of O2). "Until now, it has been assumed that microorganisms need enzymes with a high affinity for oxygen in order to be able to breathe in environments with the lowest oxygen content," Daniela Trojan, first author of the study, reports. "In contrast, our experiments surprisingly showed that they can also use low-affinity enzymes for this purpose." As low-oxygen habitats are widely distributed on Earth, these findings have implications for other systems. Acidobacteria scavenge atmospheric hydrogen to survive periods of starvation The researchers have already deciphered a second survival strategy of these successful soil bacteria. A previous analysis - published in The ISME Journal - explored the ability of Acidobacteria to oxidize dihydrogen (H2), an atmospheric gas, at extremely low concentrations. "This is a mechanism that can be used to generate energy to survive periods of carbon limitation, i.e., nutrient shortage," explains Dagmar Woebken, who in a project funded by the European Research Council focuses on survival strategies in soil microorganisms. Surprisingly, it turns out that members of the Acidobacteria are the second most abundant group of microorganisms having this ability across different soils - a key finding in this study. In collaboration with other scientists from the University of Vienna and Monash University (Australia), the researchers were able to confirm this finding with acidobacterial strains in the lab. "Our data support the growing evidence that trace gases, such as hydrogen, are used as energy source for bacterial persistence," summarized Andrew Giguere, one of the co-first authors of the study. Combining different methods for a more complete view and new insights For both studies, the research team used an ambitious combination of several approaches to investigate a diverse, but challenging environment - soil and representative organisms from soil. In doing so, they were able to obtain a clearer picture about the flexibility and mechanisms soil microorganisms use to survive stressful conditions. "With just one approach, our findings would have been different. Rather the combination of these approaches, available both here at the University and with our collaboration partners, allowed to us to reach beyond our assumptions," says Eichorst. "Specifically, we found that acidobacteria can use low-affinity enzymes for respiration at low oxygen, which was surprising as it deviates from what one reads in the textbooks," recounts Woebken. As such, both advocate for combining molecular-based analyses with classical microbiology to address research questions. This way, it is possible to dig even deeper into the lifestyles of soil bacteria; and with this knowledge, it is possible to understand how the biodiversity of microorganisms in the soil is maintained. ### Publication in mSystems: "Microaerobic lifestyle at nanomolar O2 concentrations mediated by low-affinity terminal oxidases in abundant soil bacteria." Daniela Trojan, Emilio Garcia-Robledo, Dimitri V. Meier, Bela Hausmann, Niels Peter Revsbech, Stephanie A. Eichorst, Dagmar Woebken. mSystems (2021), DOI: 10.1128/mSystems.00250-21 Publication in The ISME Journal: "Acidobacteria are active and abundant members of diverse atmospheric H2-oxidizing communities detected in temperate soils." Andrew T. Giguere*, Stephanie A. Eichorst*, Dimitri V. Meier, Craig W. Herbold, Andreas Richter, Chris Greening & Dagmar Woebken. The ISME Journal (2021), 15: 363-376. *co-first authors. DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00750-8. Epub 2020 Oct 6. This story has been published on: 2021-07-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. RTHK: Iran endangering nuclear talks, say European powers European powers expressed "grave concern" on Tuesday over Iran's latest move to enrich uranium in its nuclear programme, saying the step endangered talks in Vienna aimed at reviving a 2015 accord seeking to resolve the crisis. "With its latest steps, Iran is threatening a successful outcome to the Vienna talks despite the progress achieved in six rounds of negotiations to date," the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany said in a statement. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Tuesday that Iran intended to enrich uranium to 20 percent, in the latest sign the talks based in Vienna could be stalling. An IAEA statement said Tehran had told the agency that it would be sending the enriched uranium to its research and development laboratory at the fuel production plant in Isfahan. The aim would be to make fuel for a research reactor, the agency added. The three European ministers called it a "serious violation" of Iran's commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal. "Iran has no credible civilian need for uranium metal R&D and production, which are a key step in the development of a nuclear weapon," they added. The latest move takes Iran a step closer to developing materials that could be used to make a nuclear weapon, although Tehran insists it is only interesting in the technology to fulfil its energy needs. Iran has gradually moved away from the terms of the deal it signed with world powers in 2015. Former president Donald Trump pulled the US out of the deal in 2018. The talks in Vienna are aimed at bringing the United States under new President Joe Biden back into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Biden has expressed readiness if conditions are met by Iran. But the talks in Vienna to try to revive the JCPOA, which began in April, have not moved forward in recent weeks. With Ebrahim Raisi, a new hardline president, due to take office in Iran on August 3 and succeed the more moderate Hassan Rouhani, it is also not clear what will happen when they do. "This further step in Iran's escalation of its nuclear violations is all the more concerning at a time when no date has been set for the continuation of the negotiations in Vienna on a return to the JCPOA," said the ministers. Iran should "without delay" return to the negotiations in Vienna with a view to bringing them to "a swift conclusion", they warned. "We have repeatedly stressed that time is on no-one's side," they said. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2021-07-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Eight new studies to investigate COVID-19 variants of concern in Canada OTTAWA, July 6, 2021 - Eight new research projects are getting underway in Canada to investigate COVID-19 variants of concern (VOCs) and variants of interest (VOIs). These research projects span from investigating the social factors that may protect Indigenous peoples - or increase their vulnerability to - COVID-19 and VOCs, to the creation of a Canadian Wastewater Surveillance Database. All are being funded by CoVaRR-Net, or Coronavirus Variants Rapid Response Network, a network of interdisciplinary researchers from institutions across the country created to address the potential threat of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. CoVaRR-Net was created with a $9 million grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and this first set of research projects represents an approximate investment of $1.2 million. "CoVaRR-Net's goal is to rapidly answer critical and immediate questions regarding variants, such as their increased transmissibility, likelihood to cause severe cases of COVID-19, and resistance to vaccines," explains Dr. Marc-Andre Langlois, Professor at the University of Ottawa and CoVaRR-Net Executive Director. "Our aim is to be a reliable source of evidence-based information. The findings from the experts in our network and their teams will provide decision makers in Canada, but also abroad, with guidance regarding drug therapy, vaccine effectiveness, and other public health strategies." A Glance at the Funded Research Projects "We know Indigenous populations in Canada and the United States have been disproportionally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of VOCs is continually evolving," says Dr. Kimberly Huyser, Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, Indigenous Engagement, Development, and Research Pillar Lead for CoVaRR-Net, as well as project lead. "This project will not only investigate the social factors that may protect Indigenous peoples - or make them more vulnerable to - COVID-19 and VOCs, but we will also curate data to understand Indigenous experiences and views of the pandemic and identify areas of concern for Indigenous peoples in Canada regarding variants." Given that wastewater can act as a key early monitoring system for virus spread and detect new variants (the virus can be detected in human waste 3-7 days before outbreaks are recognized), three of the newly funded projects involve wastewater and will: "CoVaRR-Net has nearly completed its set-up, after being funded only three months ago, and we aim to be a resource for Canadians and for researchers," states Dr. Langlois. "For the public, our goal is to be a leading source of trusted information on variants, and these eight projects will give us more information to share. Community outreach & engagement as well as health equity and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion guide our Network's operations and we're focussed on ensuring the science and CoVaRR-Net's work is accessible to the public." For Canadian researchers, CoVaRR-Net aims to create mechanisms, such as a national biobank, a data sharing platform, and material sharing agreements to allow them to share physical research resources, data, and knowledge. "The goal there is to make it easier and faster for researchers to get what they need to study variants in Canada, in order to accelerate research... and findings," adds Dr. Langlois. ### About CoVaRR-Net CoVaRR-Net (Coronavirus Variants Rapid Response Network) was created with a $9 million investment by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research at the end of March 2021 as part of the Government of Canada's Variants of Concern Strategy. It is a network of interdisciplinary researchers from institutions across the country to address the potential threat of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Its mandate is to coordinate, facilitate and accelerate rapid response research throughout Canada regarding variants, such as their increased transmissibility, likelihood to cause severe cases of COVID-19, and resistance to vaccines. They work collaboratively with federal and provincial public health decision makers and laboratories, as well as other national and international bodies in an effort to reduce virus transmission and keep Canadians safe. The Network is laying the foundations to evolve into a Pandemic Preparedness Network that will foster close ties, collaborations, and relationships with public health laboratories and industry -- because everyone's contribution is critical during a pandemic. For more information visit https:/ / covarrnet. ca This story has been published on: 2021-07-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. ACR co-authors amicus brief in support of North Dakota regulating PBM industry ATLANTA -- The Alliance for Transparent & Affordable Prescriptions (ATAP), the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), and American Pharmacies filed an amicus brief with the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in support of North Dakota's efforts to regulate practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) v. Wehbi. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is a founding member of the coalition and played an active role in developing the brief. "We hope this brief will support North Dakota's arguments and preserve this critical legislation that significantly curbs some of the most egregious practices that pharmacy benefit managers use to increase their profits at the expense of patients," said Dr. Angus Worthing, a practicing rheumatologist and the ACR's representative on ATAP's Executive Committee. "Formulary tiers should be based on efficacy and not which manufacturer pays the highest rebates and fees to the PBM. This approach reduces patient access, while the discounts are retained by the PBM and not passed on to patients and plans." The amicus brief addresses the role of PBMs in the drug supply chain and the egregious nature of some PBM practices. North Dakota's legislation addresses some of these practices, such as banning gag clause provisions that restrict what pharmacists can tell patients and preventing PBMs from charging a copay that is more than the cost of the drug--spread pricing. The amicus brief also explains how states can exercise regulatory power to curb PBM practices following the U.S. Supreme Court December 2020 decision in Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA). The Rutledge case originated from a PCMA challenge to an Arkansas law that prohibited PBMs from reimbursing local pharmacies at a lower rate than what the pharmacies pay to fill prescriptions. PCMA argued that the law violated the preemption clause in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). While the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with PCMA, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Arkansas. It held that state regulations that might impact costs in ERISA plans do not violate the preemption clause. When PCMA v. Wehbi was first presented to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, the court also sided with the PCMA. The Supreme Court vacated the decision and remanded it back to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals with instructions to reconsider in light of the decision made in Rutledge v. PCMA. "The 8th Circuit should follow the Supreme Court's lead and reaffirm that States retain their traditional power to address harms inflicted by improper PBM practices in local markets," said Dr. Worthing. The amicus brief filed by ATAP, COA, and American Pharmacies can be read in its entirety here. A ruling is not expected until the Spring of 2022. ### About the American College of Rheumatology Founded in 1934, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is a not-for-profit, professional association committed to advancing the specialty of rheumatology that serves over 7,700 physicians, health professionals, and scientists worldwide. In doing so, the ACR offers education, research, advocacy and practice management support to help its members continue their innovative work and provide quality patient care. Rheumatology professionals are experts in the diagnosis, management and treatment of more than 100 different types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases. For more information, visit http://www. rheumatology. org . This story has been published on: 2021-07-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. UK HealthCare, partners receive prestigious CDC grant to improve stroke care in Kentucky LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 24, 2021) -- UK HealthCare, UofL Health, the Kentucky Department for Public Health's Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program (KHDSP), and other state partners have been awarded the prestigious Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program Grant by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This $1.8 million grant aims to optimize both stroke prevention among those at high risk as well as improve the care and outcomes for stroke patients throughout Kentucky. The grant will be spread out over three years and will allow the coordination and expansion of existing efforts to improve stroke-related health outcomes. Kentucky health care systems and community providers will work together to implement comprehensive stroke systems for those at high risk for stroke and those who have had a stroke. "This award could not come at a better time, because Kentucky has among the highest rates of stroke-related deaths in the country," said Dr. Larry B. Goldstein, chairman of the University of Kentucky Department of Neurology and co-director of the Kentucky Neuroscience Institute. "Over 2,000 Kentuckians die from stroke or stroke-related complications each year. Health behaviors and conditions that contribute to stroke are present at high rates in Kentucky with contributions from smoking, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, excessive alcohol use, and physical inactivity. Although there are several existing stroke programs in Kentucky, we are excited that this project will coordinate and expand upon these efforts to improve stroke outcomes for Kentuckians." Goldstein, who is also the principal investigator for the grant project, says the Coverdell award will also allow them to specifically target areas of the Commonwealth that are disproportionately affected by stroke, such as the Appalachian counties. The mortality rate due to stroke in that region is 14% higher than the national average and 8% higher than the rest of the state. KHDSP and the Stroke Encounter Quality Improvement Project (SEQIP) have made significant strides over the last 10 years improving stroke systems of care in the Commonwealth and growing access to stroke care by increasing the number of certified stroke centers in the state, increasing delivery of acute stroke treatments that can reverse or minimize stroke deficits, and sharing best practices to help facilitate care delivery during hospitalization and after discharge. In a similar fashion, the UK/Norton Healthcare Stroke Care Network (SCN) works with area hospitals to provide clinical guidance and oversight to providers with the goal of ensuring stroke patients receive the right treatment at the right time. This grant will coordinate and expand these existing efforts in Kentucky to improve stroke-related health outcomes by working with Kentucky health care systems and community providers to implement comprehensive stroke systems for those at high risk for stroke and those who have had a stroke. "This award validates the voluntary efforts of stroke center personnel, EMS representatives, community partners, KHDSP staff and colleagues in public health, as well as all other stakeholders who have worked tirelessly, across geopolitical boundaries, in a collaborative effort since SEQIP's inception in 2009 to advance stroke systems of care in our state," said Kari Moore, chair of SEQIP and project co-investigator. "We are excited to continue to build upon these efforts supported by the Coverdell award." "The Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program will allow expansion of our statewide efforts to serve rural and underserved citizens of the Commonwealth, to reduce disparities, and monitor our progress," said Dr. Kerri S. Remmel, chair of the University of Louisville Department of Neurology and co-chair of the KHDSP Task Force. "The program will facilitate continuous quality improvement in the full continuum of care from the moment a patient has a stroke through their emergency services, hospitalization, and rehabilitation to their outpatient preventive care. We are extremely enthusiastic about collaborating with our partners in the Coverdell Program to improve stroke systems of care in Kentucky." As part of the Coverdell initiative, the Kentucky Stroke Improvement Cooperative (KSIC) will be created to provide leadership for improving the quality of stroke care in the Commonwealth. Building from the KHDSP Task Force and SEQIP, the UK and UofL Stroke Programs, and the SCN, this group will lead the collaborative effort to transform Kentucky's stroke care and outcomes by improving health approaches and practices. This will be accomplished by utilizing collaborative workgroups to turn knowledge into behavior change and to increase the use of evidence-based guidelines for health systems change. KSIC will accomplish its purpose by: Increasing public awareness of stroke and related issues in the community. Identifying and eliminating disparities that affect the health outcomes of Kentuckians. Providing education about stroke and its management. Serving as a link between the community and stroke care and supportive resources. Utilizing data to prioritize coalition goals and activities. Increasing diversity of its members. The KSIC will be a catalyst for enhancing activities of other organizations promoting the health and well-being of all Kentuckians at risk, having and living with the effects of stroke. "There has been a lot of great work across the Commonwealth to improve the care of stroke patients," said Brent McKune, managing director of the UK HealthCare Kentucky Regional Extension Center and project co-investigator. "The Coverdell funding gives us the opportunity to provide a coordinated effort to provide support and improve processes to ensure a high quality of care." Since its inception in 2005, the Coverdell Program has funded programs to ensure that all Americans receive the highest quality stroke care, a leading cause of death and long-term disability, by supporting coordinated stroke systems of care. Joining nine other states currently funded by the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program, Kentucky's program will: Increase access and participation in the statewide Kentucky Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force from the current 38 hospitals to help close the gap in stroke care for high-burden populations. In addition to focusing on hospitals, the project will expand participation to encompass the community, primary care clinics, EMS, rehabilitation centers and long-term care facilities. Expand coordination between existing programs including the Kentucky Stroke Encounter Quality Improvement Project, the statewide UK/Norton Healthcare Stroke Care Network, and the 36 certified Stroke Centers in Kentucky. Increase access, understanding, utilization and compliance with evidence-based performance measures of the American Heart Association's Get With the Guidelines Stroke Program. Expand existing systems of care to coordinate and extend access to rural and underserved populations. Increase the dissemination of evidence-based guidelines for improvement of hypertension, obesity and diabetes control, which are the leading risk factors for stroke disproportionately affecting high-burden populations. Reduce stroke disparities and deaths over the long term and improve outcomes throughout Kentucky with a focus on Appalachia and underserved communities at highest risk. "We look forward to this exciting work and hope to lead the way in improving stroke-related care for the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky," Goldstein said. This project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $600,000 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government. The University of Kentucky is increasingly the first choice for students, faculty and staff to pursue their passions and their professional goals. In the last two years, Forbes has named UK among the best employers for diversity, and INSIGHT into Diversity recognized us as a Diversity Champion four years running. UK is ranked among the top 30 campuses in the nation for LGBTQ* inclusion and safety. UK has been judged a "Great College to Work for" three years in a row, and UK is among only 22 universities in the country on Forbes' list of "America's Best Employers." We are ranked among the top 10 percent of public institutions for research expenditures -- a tangible symbol of our breadth and depth as a university focused on discovery that changes lives and communities. And our patients know and appreciate the fact that UK HealthCare has been named the state's top hospital for five straight years. Accolades and honors are great. But they are more important for what they represent: the idea that creating a community of belonging and commitment to excellence is how we honor our mission to be not simply the University of Kentucky, but the University for Kentucky. ### This story has been published on: 2021-07-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Researchers use multivalent gold nanoparticles to develop efficient molecular probe Cells play a precise game of telephone, sending messages to each other that trigger actions further on. With clear signaling, the cells achieve their goals. In disease, however, the signals break up and result in confused messaging and unintended consequences. To help parse out these signals and how they function in health -- and go awry in disease -- scientists tag proteins with labels they can follow as the proteins interact with the molecular world around them. The challenge is figuring out which proteins to label in the first place. Now, a team led by researchers from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) has developed a new approach to identifying and tagging the specific proteins. They published their results on June 1 in Angewandte Chemie, a journal of the German Chemical Society. "We are interested in exploring protein receptors of certain carbohydrate molecules that are involved in mediating cell signaling, particularly in cancer cells," said paper author Kaori Sakurai, associate professor in the Department of Biotechnology and Life Science at TUAT. The carbohydrate molecules, called ligands, are typically expressed on the surface of cells and are known to dynamically form complexes with protein receptors to coordinate complicated cellular functions. However, Sakurai said, the proteins responsible for binding the carbohydrates have been difficult to identify because they bond so weakly with the molecules. The researchers designed a new type of carbohydrate probe that would not only link to the molecules, but tightly bind to them. "We used gold nanoparticles as a scaffold to attach both carbohydrate ligands and electrophiles -- a chemical that loves to react with other molecules -- in a multivalent fashion," Sakurai said. "This way, we were able to greatly increase binding affinity and reaction efficiency toward carbohydrate-binding proteins." The researchers applied the designed probes to cell lysate, a fluid containing the innards of broken-apart cells. "The probes quickly found the target carbohydrate-binding proteins, triggering the electrophilic groups to react with electron-donating amino acid residues on nearby proteins," Sakurai said. "This resulted in proteins firmly cross-linked to the gold nanoparticles' surface, making it easy to subsequently analyze their identities." The team evaluated several electrophilic groups to identify the most efficient type for labeling their target proteins. "We found that a particular electrophilic group called aryl sulfonyl fluoride is best suited for affinity labeling of carbohydrate-binding proteins," said co-author Nanako Suto, a graduate student in the Department of Biotechnology and Life Science of TUAT. "However, they have rarely been used to identify target proteins, presumably because they would non-selectively react with various other, undesired proteins." However, the scale of aryl sulfonyl fluoride use appears to mitigate the issue. "The non-selectivity isn't a problem if aryl sulfonyl fluoride is used at very low concentrations, at the range of the nanoscale," said co-author Shione Kamoshita, also a graduate student in the Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, TUAT. The gold nanoparticle scaffolding displays many copies of the electrophilic group, which keeps aryl sulfonyl fluoride's local concentration high on the nanoparticle surface but restrains them from the general cell system and reacting to undesired proteins. With the high concentration at the nano-level, some copies of electrophilic groups can efficiently react with target proteins. "Through this process, we were able to achieve highly efficient and selective affinity labeling of carbohydrate-binding proteins in cell lysate," Sakurai said. "We will apply the new method in target identification of several cancer-related carbohydrate ligands and investigate their function in cancer development. In parallel, we aim to explore the general utility of this new probe design for various other bioactive small molecules, so that we can accelerate the elucidation of their mechanisms." ### Dr. Shoichi Hosoya, Institute of Research, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, also contributed to this paper. The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science supported this research. For more information about the Sakurai laboratory, please visit http://web. tuat. ac. jp/ ~sakurai/ Original publication: "Exploration of the reactivity of multivalent electrophiles for affinity labeling: sulfonyl fluoride as a highly efficient and selective label" Nanako Suto, Shione Kamoshita, Shoichi Hosoya and Kaori Sakurai Angewandte Chemie International Edition https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1002/ anie. 202104347 About Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT): TUAT is a distinguished university in Japan dedicated to science and technology. TUAT focuses on agriculture and engineering that form the foundation of industry, and promotes education and research fields that incorporate them. Boasting a history of over 140 years since our founding in 1874, TUAT continues to boldly take on new challenges and steadily promote fields. With high ethics, TUAT fulfills social responsibility in the capacity of transmitting science and technology information towards the construction of a sustainable society where both human beings and nature can thrive in a symbiotic relationship. For more information, please visit http://www. tuat. ac. jp/ en/ . Contact: Kaori Sakurai, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Biotechnology and Life Science Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan sakuraik@cc.tuat.ac.jp This story has been published on: 2021-07-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese autonomous driving technology developer MINIEYE recently completed its Series D1 funding, which was led by CICC ALPHA and Dongfeng Asset Management Co. Ltd., and also involves such existing shareholders as Harvest Investments and Vision Plus Capital, the company announced on Tuesday via its WeChat account. The amount of the money raised is still yet to be unveiled. In October 2020, the startup announced the completion of its C funding round with 270 million yuan ($41.801 million) nabbed. This financing round was supported by investors including Harvest Investments, Oriental Fortune Capital, Vision Plus Capital, Huaqin Technology, Shanshan Venture Capital, NavInfo, and KCH Capital Management Group. MINIEYE's in-cabin sensing technology; photo credit: MINIEYE Founded in 2014, MINIEYE is dedicated to providing AI-enabled sensing solutions for autonomous vehicles. It is working on customizing ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) solutions according to clients' demands. Based on real road analysis, MINIEYE's self-developed visual sensing system is able to precisely detect free space and various traffic objects, including vehicles, pedestrians, lanes, traffic lights and sighs. By combining neural-network -based visual sensing and sensor fusion, its in-cabin sensing technology is able to analyze the conditions and behaviors of passengers and drivers through monitoring eyelid, gazing direction, movement of head and body, and in-cabin objects. MINIEYE has teamed up with such automakers as Dongfeng Motor, Geely Commercial Vehicles Group, SAIC Motor, BYD, JAC Group, Sinotruck, and Jiangxi Isuzu. The money raised in the D1 funding round will be mainly used to strengthen MINIEYE's capabilities of technology development, volume production and cost control, Liu Guoqing, founder and CEO of the startup, said in response to a request from a local media. He also revealed MINIEYE delivered roughly 230,000 units of ADAS device in the first half of 2021, representing a 245% year-over-year hike. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Leapmotor recently unveiled the new product roll-out plan it set for the year of 2022 to 2024. According to the schedule, the Chinese EV startup plans to launch two or three all-new and refreshed models per year, which encompass sedans, SUVs, and MPVs. Specifically, the company intends to release in 2022 the AWD (all-wheel drive) and the REEV (range-extended electric vehicle) versions of the C11, a facelift and the version for export of the T03, and the C01, an all-new full-electric sedan. The C12s all-electric version (5-/6-seater) and the fire new compact SUV A11 are expected for launch in 2023. Moreover, the C02 sedan, the C13s REEV and BEV (battery electric vehicle) versions, and the C21 range-extended MPV will be rolled out in 2024. Leapmotor C11; photo credit: Leapmotor For the first half of this year, Leapmotor put the S01 Kuwan (meaning coolplay) two-door coupe and the T03 400 Shuxiang (meaning comfort and enjoyment) version onto the market in early February and late June respectively. Besides, the presale of its third mass-produced model, the C11, kicked off on Jan. 1. Zhu Jiangming, founder and chairman of Leapmotor, said in an internal letter that the company is ambitious to crack the top 3 Chinese EV startups in 2023 and obtain 10% share of domestic new energy vehicle market in 2025. The startup expects more hotter-selling models to help it achieve the goal. Leapmotor's new car deliveries reached 3,941 units last month, rocketing 893% year on year, while growing 23% month on month. By the end of June 2021, the startup's cumulative deliveries amounted to 21,744 units. The automaker saw its monthly order volume climb 9% from the previous month to 4,107 units in June, which resulted in a total of 21,515 units in year-to-date orders. More than 90,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine due to arrive on July 7 Pfizer/BioNTechs first consignment containing more than 90,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine known as Comirnaty is due to arrive at Vietnams Noi Bai International Airport on July 7, a health official revealed on July 5. Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for emergency use in Vietnam. (Photo: Reuters) The Ministry of Health is completing procedures to receive the first consignment of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on July 7, said Nguyen Nam Lien, head of the Finance and Planning under the Ministry of Health. Nam also disclosed that Pfizer is set to deliver approximately 3 million more doses in the third quarter and 27-28 million more doses in the fourth quarter of the year. In May 2021 the Ministry of Health completed negotiations and inked a deal to purchase 31 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech. A month later it approved Comirnaty for emergency use in Vietnam. Comirnaty is a vaccine for preventing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in people aged 12 years and older. It contains a molecule called messenger RNA (mRNA) with instructions for producing a protein from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The vaccine has been approved the World Health Organisation and used widely in the United States and many European countries. Tech innovation, green energy crucial for carbon neutrality in China's paper-making industry People's Daily Online) 13:59, July 05, 2021 Chinas paper-making industry, one of the first eight sectors included in carbon trading in the country, is looking to optimize energy structure and promote green development, particularly through technological innovation. A worker makes paper at a paper production company in Chishui City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 16, 2020. (Xinhua/Yang Ying) At present, China's paper-making industry mainly relies on the heat generated by coal, natural gas and other fossil energy for pulp and paper production. Fossil fuel accounts for about 80 percent of the purchased energy, while biomass energy accounts for less than 20 percent of the total. Meanwhile, the per capita paper consumption in China is currently only about half of that in developed countries, according to data released by the China Paper Association. It is estimated that by 2035, the per capita paper consumption in China will stand between 120kg and 130kg, while the supply volume still needs to be increased by 50 million to 70 million tons prior to 2035. China's paper-making industry "faces unprecedented challenges" in achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, disclosed Zhao Wei, secretary general of the China Paper Association. Zhao pointed out that the sector needs to make redoubled efforts to adjust the industrial and raw material structure, improve productivity, energy efficiency and production technology, reduce the use of fossil fuel, and boost the proportion of green and biomass energy. If these measures can be implemented properly, the carbon emissions of paper related industries can peak in 2030, and the energy consumption per unit product can be further reduced by 2 to 3 percentage points on the basis of the 7 percent reduction plan in the next five years, added Zhao. Some paper manufactures have already taken actions with this goal in mind. APP-China, a pulp and paper manufacturing company in China, plans to reduce emissions by 30 percent by 2030. Some of the things the company is doing to reach this target include gradually replacing fossil fuels such as coal with biomass energy, improving the reuse rate of water and reducing water consumption through technological innovation and equipment improvement. "Achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality is far more challenging than other environment-related protection tasks. In addition to the top-level design of the country and the positive actions of all parties, we need to reach the goal through technological innovation and advanced technology," said Sun Xiaohua, chairman of the China Environmental Protection Federation. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Space tech, food tech to join CES 2022 for first time 17:02, July 05, 2021 By Wei Deng ( People's Daily Online The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announced on June 30 in Arlington (VA) that CES 2022 will introduce two new categories for the show space tech and food tech. Exhibitors will showcase innovations driving these industries and leaders will speak about the advances and the global impact of these evolving sectors. Every year, CES showcases the latest innovations from legacy and emerging technology sectors and everything in between, said Karen Chupka, executive vice president, CES at Consumer Technology Association. Technology is propelling the space and food industries to new heights and CES is the perfect platform to showcase this growth and bring together our industry. Technology is advancing opportunities for space exploration and space living conditions. These advancements are creating new communications services and opening up opportunities for new applications in biology, human health and more. Sierra Space, a subsidiary of the Sierra Nevada Corporation, will showcase their latest innovations in space transportation the Dream Chaser spaceplane. Advances in food technology will also be on display in Las Vegas. The category will address agriculture, ingredient innovation, meal kits and deliveries, nutrition, plant-based proteins, traceability, sustainability, vertical farming and more. Grov Technologies, Impossible Foods and John Deere will be returning exhibitors. CES 2022, the worlds most influential technology event, will return to Las Vegas next year, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announced on June 28. Following an all-digital CES 2021, CES will head back to Las Vegas Jan. 5-8, 2022, with Media Days taking place Jan. 3-4, 2022. According to CTA, some 1,000 companies have committed to showcasing their most innovative technologies in Las Vegas and companies are continuing to sign up. Attendees can expect to see global brands including Amazon, AMD, AT&T, Daimler AG, Google, Hyundai, IBM, Intel, Lenovo, LG Electronics, Panasonic, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics and Sony. Companies including Indy Autonomous Challenge and Sierra Space (a subsidiary of Sierra Nevada Corporation) are planning to make a Las Vegas debut in 2022. Eureka Park will return with startups representing countries around the world, including large delegations from France, Italy, the Netherlands and South Korea. Were thrilled to return to Las Vegas home to CES for more than 40 years and look forward to seeing many new and returning faces, said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA. Hundreds of executives have told us how much they need CES to meet new and existing customers, find partners, reach media and discover innovation. Digital audiences will also experience the spirit of the live event in Las Vegas. The CES anchor desk, which debuted at CES 2021, will travel to Las Vegas and connect the digital audience with exhibitors, conference sessions, keynotes and product announcements from the live event. New content will also be added once CES departs Las Vegas, enabling attendees and exhibitors to continue connecting and exploring. Our customers are enthusiastic about returning to a live event in Las Vegas, said Karen Chupka. Global brands and startups have shared that plans are already well underway and are committed to sharing the magic of an in-person CES with even more people from around the world. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Shenzhou-12 astronauts use new-generation spacesuits for first spacewalk mission People's Daily Online) 17:18, July 05, 2021 Chinas Shenzhou-12 spaceship crew completed all its scheduled tasks after extravehicular activities (EVAs), and astronauts Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo returned to the space station core module Tianhe on July 4, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). The countrys first EVAs during the construction of the country's space station were a complete success, the CMSA announced. Screen image taken at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 4, 2021 shows a Chinese astronaut conducting extravehicular activities (EVAs) out of the space station core module Tianhe. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) The spacewalk also saw the first use of Chinas new-generation homemade spacesuits feitian, which means flying to space, helping the high-stakes feat to achieve success. The spacesuit functions like a mini manned spacecraft that ensures the safety of the astronauts and allows them to work outside the space station, according to Zhang Wanxin, an expert of the China Astronaut Research and Training Center. Zhang added that it is a one-size-fits-all spacesuit, as it can be adjusted to fit each astronaut. The spacesuits are an upgrade to the suits used previously on the Shenzhou-7 mission in 2008, which featured a landmark spacewalk. Significant technological improvements have been made to the new spacesuits compared to the previous Shenzhou-7 ones, Zhang said, explaining that the center redesigned the spacesuits structure, and extended the length of time they can be used for. As they have better mobility, the spacesuits can better protect the astronauts and are easier to maintain, Zhang explained. China also tailored in-cabin spacesuits for astronauts that feature oxygen supply, ventilation and communication systems, Zhang noted. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Xi calls for expanding consensus, cooperation with Europe in virtual summit with French, German leaders Xinhua) 07:59, July 06, 2021 Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a virtual summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing, capital of China, July 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday held a virtual summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing, calling on China and Europe to expand consensus and cooperation for the two sides to play an important role in properly responding to global challenges. Noting the persisting severe situation of COVID-19 globally and the uncertain prospect of economic recovery, Xi said the world more than ever needs mutual respect and close collaboration, rather than suspicion, antagonism or zero-sum game. Xi urged the two sides to uphold correct mutual cognition. Over the past 100 years, the Communist Party of China has led the Chinese people in opening up a development path suited to China's national realities that has won universal support of the Chinese people, Xi said, adding China has been committed to the common values of humanity including peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom. China and Europe have engaged in cooperation based on the principles of mutual respect and seeking common ground while shelving differences, Xi said, adding the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership is where the greatest common denominators converge. "We should uphold this spirit, view each other's differences in a correct way, rationally handle divergences, and ensure ties between the two sides move forward," said Xi. He went on to call for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation for win-win results. Xi said China is willing to convene the 23rd China-EU leaders' meeting with the European side at an early date, conduct high-level dialogues in strategic, trade, cultural, digital and climate sectors, and advance mutual recognition and protection of products listed in the China-EU agreement on geographical indicators to deliver more tangible benefits to the people. In the context of the COVID-19 prevention and control, Xi said the two sides should keep optimizing "fast tracks" for personnel exchanges. As China is firmly committed to further opening up, Xi expressed the hope the European side can provide just, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises in accordance with market principles. He also urged safeguarding the real multilateralism. The international system with the United Nations (UN) at its core and the basic norms governing international relations based on the UN Charter must be upheld, and global issues should be addressed via consultations of all parties in a reasonably calm manner, he said. Xi said China is ready to work with Europe to ensure positive outcomes at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), and the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. He also called on the two sides to jointly steer the reform of the World Trade Organization in a correct direction, and offer mutual support in ensuring a successful Beijing Winter Olympics and Paris Olympics. Xi called for building a major-country relationship that is generally stable and balanced. "What China craves for most is to develop itself rather than replace others," said Xi, noting the Belt and Road Initiative put forward by China is to create more opportunities for common development. Xi said China is ready to enhance dialogue and cooperation with all parties, at the same time, it will firmly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests. "We hope the European side can play a more positive role in global affairs, genuinely demonstrate strategic independence, and jointly safeguard world peace, stability, development and prosperity," added Xi. The leaders of the three countries also exchanged views on African issues. President Xi pointed out that Africa is the region most concentrated with developing countries, facing the most difficult tasks of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and achieving economic recovery, it is also the continent with the greatest development potentials. Xi said China has provided and is currently providing vaccines to more than 40 African countries and the African Union Commission, and actively supports Africa in enhancing its vaccine production capacity. China has signed debt relief agreements or reached debt relief consensus with 19 African countries, and has participated constructively in sustainable development plans such as the Great Green Wall in Africa, the Chinese president said. Xi expressed the hope that Europe could increase its support and assistance to Africa, provide more vaccines to African countries in urgent need, and help Africa cope with debt pressure and realize economic recovery and green and low-carbon development at an early date. China welcomes France and Germany to join the Initiative on Partnership for Africa's Development, which was jointly launched by China and African countries, and carry out trilateral, four-party or multi-party cooperation, Xi added. French President Emmanuel Macron said over the past few decades, China has made great achievements in its development. France is committed to promoting cooperation with China in a practical manner, supports the conclusion of the EU-China investment agreement and the strengthening of cultural exchanges, and welcomes Chinese companies to invest in France, he said. Macron said France stands ready to maintain communication with China on issues such as the World Trade Organization reform, climate change and biodiversity protection. He expressed the hope that the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming and the 7th International Union for Conservation of Nature's World Conservation Congress in Marseilles will both be a success. France appreciates China's important role in ensuring equitable access to vaccines for developing countries, and is willing to strengthen cooperation with China, he said, adding that France highly values China's efforts to implement the debt service suspension initiative launched by the G20, and is ready to strengthen coordination with China on financing and education issues in Africa. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it is very important for the leaders of Germany, France and China to maintain exchanges, and that Germany stands ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China on promoting fair production and distribution of vaccines, and on restoring personnel and trade exchanges. Noting that the EU-China relationship is very important, she said the two sides share consensus on many issues and can cooperate in many areas, and that they should respect each other and reduce differences through enhanced dialogue. Germany supports the convening of the 23rd EU-China leaders' meeting at an early date, and hopes that the EU-China investment agreement will be approved as soon as possible, Merkel said. Germany hopes to strengthen cooperation on international affairs with China and is willing to maintain communication with China on climate change, biodiversity and Africa's response to the pandemic, she said, adding Germany will actively look into the possibility of joining the Initiative on Partnership for Africa's Development. The leaders also exchanged views on issues including the Iran Nuclear issue, Afghanistan and Myanmar. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Xi signs order to confer honorary title on Xinjiang anti-terrorist squadron Xinhua) 08:03, July 06, 2021 Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), presents an honorary flag to representatives of a special-operations squadron of the People's Armed Police Force's unit in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and poses for a group photo with them at a ceremony held by the CMC in Beijing, capital of China, July 5, 2021. The squadron from Xinjiang was given the title "Anti-Terrorist Sharp Knife Squadron" for its outstanding performance in fighting terrorism. (Xinhua/Li Gang) BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), has signed an order to commend an armed police anti-terrorist squadron from Xinjiang. The special-operations squadron of the People's Armed Police Force's unit in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was given the title "Anti-Terrorist Sharp Knife Squadron" for its outstanding performance in fighting terrorism. At a ceremony held by the CMC in Beijing Monday, Xi presented an honorary flag to representatives of the squadron. Xu Qiliang, CMC vice chairman, read Xi's order of commendation at the ceremony, which was presided over by CMC vice chairman Zhang Youxia. The order asked the entire armed forces to learn from the squadron, consolidate the political foundation of firmly obeying the Party's orders and following the Party's lead, develop a strong ability to defeat enemies, foster bravery, promote the revolutionary spirit, and fearlessly charge ahead despite the difficulties. The CMC urged all service members to spare no effort in building the people's army into a world-class military in all respects. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) U.S. partisan bickering hinders fight against surging gun violence Xinhua) 08:16, July 06, 2021 -- As the country scrambles to contain COVID-19 with a rising death toll, a disturbing trend of increased violence is also looming large. -- As Democrats were pressing for gun control legislation, Republican-dominated states were forging ahead to expand firearm access, with local legislatures managing to remove permit requirements to carry a handgun. -- In a Morning Consult-Politico tracking poll published in April, researchers found that approximately two in three Americans said they support greater restrictions on gun ownership. BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- As the United States continues its COVID-19 fight, the perpetuating issue of gun violence continues to shatter communities, resulting in a human rights catastrophe for the country. While shooting incidents occurred sporadically during Independence Day weekend, no major U.S. city had experienced a weekend as bloody as Chicago, where at least 10 people were killed and about 31 others wounded since Friday night. More U.S. officials were publicly warning of a potentially violent summer. Though cities across the United States were witnessing a surge in violence, bipartisan consensus on tackling the issue was absent in Washington. GUN VIOLENCE SPIKES Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown has called the Fourth of July weekend the "most challenging weekend of the year" for police. However, it was by no means the bloodiest weekend for the Windy City. According to The Chicago Sun-Times, at least 78 people were shot in the last weekend of June, a third of whom were victims from four mass shootings. Photo taken on March 23, 2020 shows Cloud's Gate, a popular attraction commonly known as The Bean, is closed in Chicago, Illinois, the United States. (Photo by Joel Lerner/Xinhua) As the country scrambles to contain COVID-19 with a rising death toll, a disturbing trend of increased violence is also looming large. After years of falling crime rates, statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation showed gun violence surged across the United States with no signs of abating, increasing by 25 percent in 2020, the first time the United States had seen over 20,000 annual murders since 1995. According to data provided by the White House, the number of homicides in the first quarter of 2021 was 24 percent higher than it was in the same period of 2020, and 49 percent higher than in the first quarter of 2019. The Washington Post in a report in June quoted data from the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive that said 54 people were killed by shootings in the United States every day during the first five months of 2021, 14 more deaths than the average toll during the same period over the previous six years. PARTISAN BICKERING Confronted with rising violence at home, the White House in late June scrambled to unveil a new crime prevention strategy, focusing on the illegal sale of firearms, law-breaking gun dealers and better community support. Warning of a "more pronounced" summer spike in violence, U.S. President Joe Biden appealed to the nation on June 23 in a televised speech from the White House that "this (gun violence) should not be a red or blue issue." Republican and Democratic political elites diverge on the reasons for the surge in violence. For Republican lawmakers, the "defund the police movements," which sprouted up nationwide after the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, are to blame. On the other hand, though the Biden administration's new anti-crime strategy intends to invest more in police forces - not defund them - by drawing from portions of the 1.9 trillion U.S.-dollar COVID-19 relief package, the focus remains on passing gun control laws, a formidable task given the lack of bipartisan consensus. In April, the White House announced several executive actions on gun control, including cracking down on "ghost guns," self-made guns which lack serial numbers used to trace them. As Democrats were pressing for gun control legislation, Republican-dominated states were forging ahead to expand firearm access, with local legislatures managing to remove permit requirements to carry a handgun. Photo taken on April 13, 2021 shows white silk flowers installed on the National Mall to memorize Americans who die from gun violence in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) PUBLIC OPINION IGNORED It wasn't only sweeping gun legislature that failed to pass in Congress. In fact, despite rampant mass shootings across the country for decades, Congress had not allowed any U.S. federal studies on gun violence until last year. In the 1990s, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted two high-profile studies which concluded that the risks of having a loaded gun at home outweigh the benefits. Realizing that such studies would be used as a catalyst for gun safety reforms, the powerful lobbyist group the National Rifle Association (NRA) pressured Congress to kill future federal-funded studies. In 1996, the NRA succeeded. Since 1996, the CDC's appropriation bill had explicitly stipulated that none of the funds made available to the agency "may be used to advocate or promote gun control," and the CDC hasn't done any such studies since then. In 2009, the National Institutes of Health also conducted a similar study which found that a person carrying a gun was about 4.5 times more likely to be shot in conflicts than one without a gun. Again, two years later restrictive funding for the organization was imposed by Congress. Yet stringent gun legislation has consistently won majority support from the public. People take part in the "March for Our Lives" gun control rally in Chicago, the United States, on March 24, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ping) Aside from some drops during Barack Obama's presidency, support for the "stricter" option had been consistently over 50 percent since 2000. In a Morning Consult-Politico tracking poll published in April, researchers found that approximately two in three Americans said they support greater restrictions on gun ownership. You would think common sense would prevail among U.S. politicians, these self-proclaimed "defenders of democracy and human rights," to follow public opinion and pass gun legislation to protect Americans. Unfortunately, common sense is hard to find in Washington these days. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Most COVID restrictions set to end in England on July 19, says PM Xinhua) 08:26, July 06, 2021 A woman walks past a sign of COVID-19 vaccination center in Brent, northwest London, Britain, June 19, 2021. (Photo by Ray Tang/Xinhua) Britain reported another 27,334 coronavirus cases in the 24-hour period, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,930,534, according to official figures released Monday. More than 45.3 million people in Britain have received the first jab of COVID-19 vaccine and over 33.7 million people have received two doses, the official figures showed. LONDON, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Most coronavirus restrictions are set to end on July 19 as part of the final step of England's roadmap out of the lockdown, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Monday. Face masks and distancing rules will no longer be legally required in England from July 19, Johnson told a news conference at Downing Street. Although the government will end the legal obligation on wearing a face covering, guidance will suggest "where you might choose to do so", he said. The rule of six inside private homes will also be removed and work-from-home guidance will be scrapped, said the prime minister. There will be no COVID-19 certificate required to attend events or venues, he added. However, Johnson said the pandemic is "far from over" and the country would have to "reconcile ourselves sadly to more deaths". "We must be honest with ourselves that if we can't reopen our society in the next few weeks - when we will be helped by the arrival of summer, and by the school holidays - then we must ask ourselves when will we be able to return to normal?," he added. The final step, or Step Four, is expected to begin on July 19 if the government's "four tests" for easing COVID restrictions have been met, according to the British government. This will be confirmed on July 12 following a review of the latest data. The detailed arrangement of Step Four includes: no more limits on social contact to allow people to gather in groups of any size; removing the "one meter-plus" rule in almost all settings, except for specific places such as airports; no more legal requirement on wearing face masks in shops or on public transport; no capacity caps on large scale events; people are no longer required to work from home, etc. Some rules will still be in place even if Step Four is implemented. Self-isolation is still legally required if one tests positive for COVID-19. The one-meter plus rule will still need to be followed in airports and other specific places, and infection control measures will remain in place in care homes. The British government is only responsible for COVID-19 restrictions in England. The devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for their own policies in relation to public health matters. Johnson previously announced a four-week delay to the final step of England's roadmap out of COVID-19 restrictions until July 19, amid a surge in cases of the Delta variant first identified in India. Scientists have argued that lifting all restrictions at this stage will increase likelihood of dangerous variants. People walk at Potters Fields Park in front of the Tower Bridge in London, Britain, June 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Han Yan) Britain reported another 27,334 coronavirus cases in the 24-hour period, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,930,534, according to official figures released Monday. The country also recorded another nine coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 128,231. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test. More than 45.3 million people in Britain have received the first jab of COVID-19 vaccine and over 33.7 million people have received two doses, the official figures showed. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the United States as well as the European Union have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. People dine under a canopy at a restaurant in London, Britain, June 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Han Yan) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Pakistan can benefit from Chinese expertise for development, economic stability: PM Xinhua) 08:51, July 06, 2021 Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan (1st L) unveils project plates during a groundbreaking ceremony of several projects in Gwadar, Pakistan, on July 5, 2021. Imran Khan said Monday that his country can benefit from Chinese expertise for development and economic stability as China has achieved rapid development and is getting stronger with each passing day. (Pakistani Press Information Department/Handout via Xinhua) ISLAMABAD, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said Monday that his country can benefit from Chinese expertise for development and economic stability as China has achieved rapid development and is getting stronger with each passing day. Taking benefit of the country's strategic location and deep-rooted friendship with China, Pakistan can materialize the dream of economic prosperity and development, the prime minister said while addressing a groundbreaking ceremony of several projects at the country's southwest Gwadar port, including the start of the construction of the Gwadar north free zone, a chemical fertilizer factory, an expo building, an animal vaccination factory and a lubricant factory. A tropical plant tissue culture center at the Gwadar port was officially put into use during the ceremony which was also attended by Chairman of Pakistan's Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, Pakistani federal ministers, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong, and ambassadors and senior diplomats from several other countries. Thanking the Chinese government for initiating various development projects in southwest Balochistan province, especially at the Gwadar port, Khan said that the port is becoming a focal point of development for Pakistan and the region at large. He said the completion of infrastructure projects in Gwadar would give impetus to regional trade and boost economic activity. "Gwadar will connect with Central Asia...We have already signed agreements with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan." To facilitate foreign investors, particularly Chinese investors, the government of Pakistan is going to initiate one-window operation facility in Gwadar to boost foreign direct investment and exports, the prime minister said. "We are encouraging Chinese investors who are investing in manufacturing of products which can be exported and help Pakistan to earn valuable foreign exchange," Khan said. He also stressed on the early implementation of projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) of which the Gwadar port is an important part, and asked the departments involved to remove hurdles in businesses related to CPEC. On the occasion, Chinese ambassador Nong said that China and Pakistan have worked hand in hand in Gwadar on port operations, free zone development, and transportation infrastructure, and completed a series of social and livelihood projects in the last few years. China will work with Pakistan to accelerate project construction to meet the time-lines, continuously enhance Gwadar's port operation, infrastructure, industry, and social development to promote the high-quality development of CPEC, the ambassador said. "By taking a comprehensive way of development, the Gwadar port is right on its track to the regional business and trade hub," he said. During the ceremony, the Chinese government also signed with the Pakistani side a Memorandum of Understanding to donate 3,000 sets of solar systems for the Pakistani people in an effort to address climate change, and also an implement agreement for the aid of a desalination plant at the Gwadar port that can produce 5,000 tonnes of fresh water daily. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Mechanical arm is Chinese astronauts' space helper Xinhua) 08:54, July 06, 2021 Screen image taken at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 4, 2021 shows Chinese astronaut Liu Boming slipping out of the space station core module Tianhe. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The mechanical arm installed on China's space station core module Tianhe has played an important role in assisting the astronauts with their extravehicular activities (EVAs) on Sunday. The mechanical arm is designed to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the space station in orbit, to help the astronauts in EVAs, such as the assembly, construction, maintenance, and repair of the space station, and support space applications. CRAWLING ARM The 10.2-meter-long robotic arm installed on the Tianhe module can carry up to 25 tonnes of weight. It consists of seven joints, two limbs, two sets of extension gears, two sets of end cameras and end effectors (also known as end-of-arm tooling), one set of central controllers, and an elbow camera. With limbs and joints, the mechanical arm can work as a human arm with a shoulder, an elbow, and a wrist. By rotating each joint, it can grasp the equipment and operate at any angle and position. "The end effector of the arm can dock with a target adapter installed on the outer surface of the spacecraft. By docking and separation of the end effector and target adapter, the arm can crawl and move on the surface of the space station," said Wang Youyu, a mechanical arm designer at the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST). In a computer illustrated video issued by the CAST, the arm, like an inchworm crawling with its head and rear, uses the two end effectors to move between the surface target adapters and reach multiple positions in the outer surface of the space station, where it can conveniently do its jobs. In addition to working independently, the core module arm can also combine with the mechanical arms installed on the lab modules, which will likely be launched next year. The combined arm can reach a working diameter of 15 meters. SPACE CONSTRUCTION With a design life of 15 years, load capacity of 25 tonnes, and tip positioning accuracy of 45 millimeters, the mechanical arm installed on the Tianhe module can realize long-range, large-load operations and small-range, detailed operations. The arm is designed for module transposition, astronauts' EVAs, extravehicular cargo handling, space station status inspection, and maintenance of large equipment, the CAST said. Screen image taken at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 4, 2021 shows a view of the earth from the space station's perspective. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) For example, two lab modules will dock with the core module and form a T-shape complex. Restricted by the attitude control of the lab modules, they can't directly dock with the side docking ports of the core module. Instead, each lab module has to dock with the front docking port of the core module, and then a smaller mechanical arm moves it to dock with the side port. The arm installed on the core module can also do the job as a backup. Yang Hong, the chief designer of the space station at the CAST, said when a spacecraft is approaching to dock or in need of repair, maintenance, and supplies, the large-scale arm in the core module can help to secure the spacecraft and facilitate the procedure. The space station can be viewed as a homeport in space. ASTRONAUT HELPER The mechanical arm would reduce the burden of astronauts in extravehicular missions as much as possible, said Yang. The end effector can dock with a foot restraint platform, where astronauts can stand. They can use the arm to send themselves to required locations. "It can transfer the astronauts in a wide range so that they can easily reach the operation position during EVAs," he added. The arm integrates mechanical engineering, mechanics, material, control, electronics, information, vision, and computer sciences technologies. With the ability of precise operation and visual recognition, it is capable of autonomous analysis and remotely controlled by astronauts. Besides EVAs, the arm can also help astronauts transfer the solar wings of the core module and install the payloads on the outer surface of the station. Equipped with cameras on the two ends and the elbow, it can also carry out extravehicular examinations for the astronauts. "There are several areas on the station that need to be regularly checked by the robotic arm," said Hu Chengwei, another mechanical arm designer at the CAST. "For instance, before the launch of the Tianzhou-2 cargo craft, we used it to monitor and evaluate the condition of the rear docking port of the core module in preparation for docking with Tianzhou-2," he added. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Chinese astronauts step out of spacecraft on robotic arm 09:29, July 06, 2021 By Yu Jianbin ( People's Daily Screen image taken at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 4, 2021, shows Chinese astronaut Liu Boming conducting extravehicular activities (EVAs) out of the core module Tianhe of Chinas space station. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) After conducting extravehicular activities (EVAs) for about seven hours and completing all the scheduled tasks, Chinese astronauts Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo returned safely to the Tianhe core module of Chinas space station at 2:57 p.m. on July 4, according to the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO). Crew members of the Shenzhou-12 spaceship worked in close coordination during the extravehicular operations, said CMSEO, declaring the first EVAs of Chinese astronauts during the construction of Chinas space station, which were also the first EVAs of Chinese astronauts after the Shenzhou-7 manned spaceflight mission in 2008, a complete success. Through close coordination between space and the ground, as well as between the Shenzhou-12 crew members inside and outside the spacecraft, all the preset tasks of the EVAs, including equipment installation and panoramic camera lifting, were successfully completed. The EVAs verified for the first time the performance and function of Chinas new-generation extravehicular mobility units, the coordination between the astronauts and the robotic arm, as well as the reliability and safety of related EVA supporting equipment, laying an important foundation for subsequent EVAs for the space station construction. Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), the robotic arm of the space station core module represents the most complicated and largest smart space mechanical system with the highest control precision among existing aerospace products of its kind. It is designed mainly for eight major tasks in the in-orbit construction of the space station, such as transposition, EVAs of astronauts, extravehicular freight handling, extravehicular status check, and extravehicular maintenance of large equipment. The robotic arm of the core module is 10.2 meters long when fully extended, and its maximum loading capacity is 25 tons. It is also Chinas first robotic arm that can function in orbit in the long term. With three shoulder joints, one elbow joint, and three wrist joints, the robotic arm has seven degrees of freedom of movement just like the human arm. The rotation of each joint enables it to grab things and conduct operations at any angles and positions around it, thus providing a strong guarantee for the smooth completion of astronauts EVAs. The robotic arm represents one of the new fields in the development of Chinas aerospace industry. Thanks to the efforts of its R&D team, China has become the third country in the world that has mastered and put into practice core technologies related to large-scale space robotic arm. All the key components of the countrys space robotic arm are developed domestically. Besides, the country has formed multiple national standards for the space robotics industry. Since entering the Tianhe core module on June 17, the three astronauts onboard the Shenzhou-12 spaceship have carried out work as planned and are in good condition. They will perform EVAs for another time during the subsequent orbital flight. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Xi awards citations for merit to military units, individuals Xinhua) 09:34, July 06, 2021 BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission, has signed an order to award citations for merit to two military units and four individuals, who include a pilot and researchers from different military institutions. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) More internet firms involved in cybersecurity investigation China Daily) 09:40, July 06, 2021 Three more applications were placed under a cybersecurity investigation on Monday after Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Global faced the same probe last week. The Cyberspace Administration of China, the country's top internet watchdog, announced on Monday that it has launched a cybersecurity probe into Boss Zhipin, a mobile recruitment app, and truck-hailing apps Yunmanman and Huochebang in accordance with laws and regulations to prevent data security risks, safeguard State security and protect public interests. Boss Zhipin, which is operated by Chinese tech company Kanzhun, said it will actively cooperate with government agencies in the security investigation, with comprehensive screening of security risks. "We'll continuously enhance our cybersecurity awareness and effectively implement our enterprise's responsibilities and obligations," the company said. Full Truck Alliance Co, which runs Yunmanman and Huochebang, gave a similar response to the probe on Monday, saying it will conduct a thorough security review and further improve its cybersecurity system and technical capabilities during the investigation period to protect national security and public interests. During the investigation, the three apps must halt the registration of new users to prevent expansion of security risks, the administration said. On Friday, the authority launched a cybersecurity investigation into Didi Chuxing, a popular ride-hailing app, saying that new users cannot register with the app while the investigation is underway. Later on Friday, Didi pledged to actively cooperate with the security probe and fully address network security risks. On Sunday, the administration ordered app stores to remove Didi Chuxing for its illegal collection and use of users' personal information, requiring the app to rectify its problems according to laws and national standards to protect the safety of users' information. Didi Chuxing said via micro blog that it has halted the registration of new users since Saturday, adding that it will remove the app from stores and correct problems in line with the authority's requirements. The company said those who have already downloaded Didi Chuxing could continue using the app. Zuo Xiaodong, vice-president of the China Information Security Research Institute, said the security investigations of these enterprises reflect the country's measures to strengthen the prevention of cybersecurity and data security risks. "The moves showed China has attached great importance to security issues. When finding security risks or potential problems, it will take action as quickly as it can, because cybersecurity means national security," he said. Zhao Zhanling, a lawyer from Beijing Yunjia Law Firm, said the probes are an implementation of the Cybersecurity Law and the National Security Law as well as a regulation on cybersecurity investigation. After the Data Security Law, which was passed last month, takes effect in September, "such probes may be conducted in a regular manner with the country's increasingly high attention to cybersecurity," Zhao added. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Soldiers practice exiting helicopters at night China Military Online) 09:43, July 06, 2021 Soldiers assigned to an army aviation brigade under the PLA 71st Group Army board a transport helicopter for a night fast-rope training exercise on June 18, 2021. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Zhang Mao) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) China opposes Australia's blocking of China's vaccines to PNG Xinhua) 09:44, July 06, 2021 BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday expressed grave concern over and firm opposition to Australia blocking China's COVID-19 vaccine aid to Papua New Guinea (PNG), calling it a breach of the basic humanitarian spirit. Foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a press briefing in response to a relevant query. According to media reports, Australia has planted several "consultants" in the national epidemic prevention center in PNG and proactively tried to set up hurdles to delay and thwart the authorization of and access to China-assisted vaccines, even blocking PNG leaders who want to welcome the Chinese vaccines. Wang said it was a disregard for the lives and health of the people of PNG that some people in Australia used the vaccine issue to engage in political manipulation and bullying coercion, which has gravely undermined global anti-epidemic cooperation. China insists on treating vaccines as a global public good and helping developing countries save as many lives as possible, Wang said, adding that no geopolitical agenda is behind the assistance and no political conditions are attached. "We urge Australia to stop disrupting China's vaccine cooperation with Pacific island nations, and work with China to ensure the health and well-being of people in island countries and promote international cooperation in the fight against the epidemic," he said. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) 44th session of World Heritage Committee to open on July 16 in east China Xinhua) 09:46, July 06, 2021 The State Council Information Office holds a press conference on the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO in Beijing, capital of China, July 5, 2021. The 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO will open on July 16 in Fuzhou, the capital of east China's Fujian Province, according to a Monday press conference. The session is slated between July 16 and July 31, and will see a total of 45 candidates reviewed for entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List, Vice Minister of Education Tian Xuejun told the press conference. (Xinhua/Li Xin) BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO will open on July 16 in Fuzhou, the capital of east China's Fujian Province, according to a Monday press conference. The session is slated between July 16 and July 31 and will see a total of 45 candidates reviewed for entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List, Vice Minister of Education Tian Xuejun told the press conference. Tian, also director of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, added that the session will go online after its opening ceremony, being the first of its type to review world heritage items over the internet. Zheng Jianmin, vice governor of Fujian, pledged efforts to implement strict COVID-19 epidemic control and ensure cybersecurity for the event. China now boasts 55 UNESCO World Heritage sites, ranking top in the world tied with Italy, Tian said. An item about Quanzhou, a coastal city of Fujian dubbed the world's marine trade center in ancient China, will be reviewed during the session, said Zhang Lei, an official with the National Cultural Heritage Administration. The 44th session of the World Heritage Committee was initially scheduled for June 29 to July 9, 2020, in Fuzhou and was postponed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) New cargo train service launched between China, Tajikistan Xinhua) 09:55, July 06, 2021 File photo taken on Nov. 9, 2020 shows a train carrying tires, auto parts, electronic components and other goods from Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) preparing to leave the Qingdao multimodal transportation center in the China-SCO local economic and trade cooperation demonstration zone in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) QINGDAO, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A new cargo train service was launched Monday between east China's Shandong Province and Tajikistan, a member country of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). A train carrying 100 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units left the intermodal transportation center of the demonstration zone for China-SCO local economic and trade cooperation in the city of Qingdao for Dushanbe at 9:10 a.m., marking the inauguration of the service. The train, loaded with machinery and construction materials worth 1.66 million U.S. dollars, is expected to arrive at Dushanbe in about 15 days. Liu Jianjun, director of the administrative committee of the demonstration zone, said the new route is the eighth express line between China and SCO countries operated by its intermodal transportation center in Qingdao. In the first half of this year, the center operated 297 trains to Europe and Asia, up by 82 percent year on year. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) China urges global efforts to tackle biggest cybersecurity threat posed by the US (Global Times) 10:52, July 06, 2021 Photo/ Ministry of Foreign Affairs China's Foreign Ministry on Monday called on the international community to jointly expose and reject the US' effort to jeopardize global cybersecurity and undermine international rules, calling the US "the biggest threat to global cybersecurity." At a regular press briefing in Beijing, Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the ministry, highlighted the US' well-documented track record of stealing information and data around the world, while cracking down on other countries' companies under the banner of "protecting cybersecurity." Wang's comment came after Microsoft Vice President Tom Burt said during a hearing at the US Congress on June 30 that in the past five years, US law enforcement agencies issued 2,400 to 3,500 confidentiality orders annually to the company to gain access to its user data without effective supervision by US courts. Asked about Burt's testimony, Wang said that time and again, it has been demonstrated that it is the US itself that forces companies to open "back doors" and illegally obtain user data. "The US is in fact the biggest threat to global cybersecurity," Wang said, adding that for a long time, the US has used its technological prowess to spy on its own people and people around the world, steal all kinds of data, and infringe on all kinds of privacy. After the 911 terror attack, the US' Patriot Act required US internet companies to provide user information on a regular basis, drawing attention from countries around the world. In December, France's National Commission on Informatics and Liberty said that the French sites of Google and Amazon stored users' information without their prior permission and without specifying its use. Also, Ireland earlier asked Facebook to stop transferring EU user data to the US. From the Snowden incident nearly a decade ago to the recent revelation that the US was spying on senior officials of its "allies" through undersea cables, it has been repeatedly shown that the US itself is a world renowned thief of secrets, said Wang. Meanwhile, the US is cracking down on other countries' companies in the name of "protecting cybersecurity," which fully exposes the US' real intention to suppress competitors and preserve its internet hegemony, he added. "We urge the international community to jointly expose and resist the US' actions that undermine global cybersecurity and international rules," Wang said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Heightened scrutiny on scientists of Chinese origin to harm U.S.: analysts Xinhua) 13:08, July 06, 2021 HONG KONG, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. is shooting itself in the foot in the battle for talent as it has put Chinese-American scientists under scrutiny and chilled the climate for scientists studying and working there, a Hong Kong-based newspaper reported Saturday. The South China Morning Post said that for scientists and researchers of Chinese descent in the United States, the landscape has grown a lot more difficult to navigate safely since 2018. "There is a level of fear among the Chinese-American scientific community right now that is very palpable," the report quoted Rory Truex, an assistant professor at Princeton University studying Chinese politics, as saying. Many analysts worry that putting Chinese-American scientists collectively under federal scrutiny and blocking Chinese students from coming to the United States will chip away at American tech leadership. "Framing the problem of geopolitical competition with China as an excuse to make us more closed will only shoot ourselves in the foot," said Mary Gallagher, director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Michigan. "If the United States becomes more shut down to international students, this will harm the United States, and it will really not hurt China. The students and the researchers will just go to another country. The UK, Australia, and Canada will all benefit from our mistake," Gallagher said. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Kazakh girl in Xinjiang realizes dream of joining navy People's Daily Online) 15:44, July 06, 2021 Jadera Habil was a steering soldier aboard China's first-ever aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. Born into an ethnic Kazakh family in Altay prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Habil had never seen the sea when she was young. It wasn't until her sophomore year that she got her wish to join the navy when the Chinese navy recruited female soldiers in colleges in Xinjiang. Over the past five years, she has learned how to sail a battleship and collected plenty of honors and memories. In December 2020, Habil retired from the Army and returned to Altay, hoping to make contributions to her beloved hometown. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Liang Jun) Politicizing origin tracing of COVID-19 should stop: media Xinhua) 15:53, July 06, 2021 TOKYO, July 6 (Xinhua) -- "It is necessary and important for us to find out the origins of the COVID-19 virus, but the origin tracing should be a scientific issue rather than a geopolitical game," Japan Today said in a recent commentary. The article published on the Japanese news website on Saturday, entitled "Stop politicizing origin tracing of COVID-19," said that the joint investigation by the World Health Organization (WHO) and China should be respected. Intentionally ignoring the WHO investigation result, certain U.S. politicians have repeatedly called for a reinvestigation of China, Japan Today reported. However, a recent study by the U.S. National Institutes of Health suggests that COVID-19 could have started to circulate in the United States as early as December 2019. Therefore, instead of going after China, if a new worldwide tracing is indeed necessary, the primary focus should be on the United States, Japan Today said, pointing out that double-standard approaches should be discouraged. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) China-Germany-France virtual summit signals "desire for closer collaboration" -- European experts, media Xinhua) 16:28, July 06, 2021 BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The virtual summit that Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday held with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing aimed to "serve to seek common ground," and "signals a desire for closer collaboration," European experts and media have said. Noting the persisting severe situation of COVID-19 globally and the uncertain prospects of economic recovery, Xi said the world more than ever needs mutual respect and close collaboration, rather than suspicion, antagonism or zero-sum game. Carl Fey, a professor of international business at Aalto University School of Business in Finland, said that "It is good that this conversation took place as I believe it signals a desire for closer collaboration despite some recent tensions." "Personally, I believe that there are great possibilities for additional collaboration between the EU (European Union) and China as in many areas they have complementary strengths," he said. The professor also expressed his hope that China and Europe will have more and closer cooperation moving forward. "Since tensions have been higher than normal in recent years between China and the United States, I thought this time period would be a great opportunity for Europe to get closer to China," he added. An in-depth article published by Spanish newspaper El Pais late on Monday said that the meeting was to "serve to seek common ground after weeks of tensions and to set an agenda for cooperation without ignoring the issues that separate them." German News Agency DPA quoted a German government's spokesperson as saying that the video conference focused on EU-China relations, international trade, climate protection and biodiversity, as well as cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, global vaccine supply, and other international and regional issues. Regarding trade and investment between the EU and China, Philippe Monnier, an international business executive and former executive director of Greater Geneva Berne Area's Economic Development Agency, said significant potential for improvement still remains. Strengthened mutual trust is certainly one of the keys to moving this forward, Monnier told Xinhua following the virtual summit. "In this sense, direct contact between the three leaders will certainly have a positive impact." Indeed, quite naturally, good relations between the leaders have tangible effects on the companies and the citizens of the countries concerned, he noted. Guo Jie, principal professor of finance at Durham University in Britain, said maintaining reciprocal cooperation between China and Europe, treating enterprises of all countries equally and avoiding trade barriers will bring important development opportunities for all parties, enhance global stability and greatly help the world's economic recovery. He also mentioned that as Africa has the biggest difficulties in fighting the pandemic and achieving economic recovery, China's generous assistance will greatly contribute to global efforts in fighting the pandemic, protecting human health and putting the global economy on the right track. During the meeting, Xi said China is ready to work with Europe to ensure positive outcomes at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Xi's statement reflects the importance China attaches to the global ecological environment, its determination to actively work to promote global climate governance and strengthen climate cooperation, Guo said, adding that it shows the sense of responsibility of a great power, which injects strong positive energy into the global process of combating climate change. During the meeting, French President Macron said France is committed to promoting cooperation with China in a practical manner, supports the conclusion of the EU-China investment agreement and the strengthening of cultural exchanges, and welcomes Chinese companies to invest in France. For her part, German Chancellor Merkel said it is very important for the leaders of Germany, France and China to maintain exchanges, and that Germany stands ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China on promoting the fair production and distribution of vaccines, and on restoring personnel and trade exchanges. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Xinjiang: Life roars ahead like a blazing fire after eradicating poverty 17:55, July 06, 2021 By Kou Jie ( People's Daily Online The Flaming Mountains in Xinjiang are drenched in crimson light. It is the hottest place in China, frequently reaching 50 C or higher. Rising from the rim of Taklamakan, Chinas largest desert, the Flaming Mountains in Xinjiang are drenched in crimson light. It is the hottest place in China, frequently reaching 50 C or higher. Over thousands of years, countless merchants and travelers have lost their lives in the mountains red sandstone trenches and gullies, but the locals still cling tenaciously to life on this scarlet, barren land. Unsurprisingly, in this land covered by bleak mountains and flaming deserts, poverty was a nightmare that haunted locals for centuries. In his masterpiece The Travels of Marco Polo, Venetian explorer Marco Polo (1254-1324) described the harsh living conditions and poverty of Xinjiang: [The desert] consists entirely of mountains and sands and valleys. There is nothing at all to eat. It is hard for people to imagine that abject poverty, a chronic malaise that had plagued Xinjiang for hundreds of years, was eradicated in 2020, when over 3 million citizens and 3,666 villages were lifted out of poverty. The carmine barren land, once a symbol of struggle and unbearable poverty, has now come to represent prosperity. Today, Chinas largest thermometer is on display next to the Flaming Mountains, attracting countless visitors who come to enjoy the beauty of the sprawling vineyards and the desolation of the wuthering wilderness. The fire of poverty once burned away our hope for a better life, but now our life is booming like a blazing flame. Xinjiang is not a poverty-stricken region anymore, and I have confidence in our future, said 26-year-old Umitjan Memet, who has been living in a small town near the Flaming Mountains and now works as a manager at a boutique hotel in Turpan. Exchanging poverty for prosperity AllaBerdi Semets family has been making nang for three generations. Despite working day and night to make the delicious bread, the family used to be so poor that they didnt even have enough money to repair their crumbling ancestral house. AllaBerdi Semets cramped bakery is definitely not a sight for sore eyes, but this is not something customers usually think about when they catch the fragrance of his delicious nang, an Uyghur-style flatbread. 38-year-old Semet has been making this local specialty for over 22 years, and is a nang master at Kashgar Nang Culture Park, where his bakery has 18 apprentices and 10 electronic ovens. My family has been making nang for three generations. I grew up watching my mom making nang in our clay oven. It is the only thing I am good at, said Semet. Semet grew up in Yengisar County of Kashgar Prefecture, one of the poorest regions in Xinjiang. Despite working day and night to make delicious nang, Semets family were so poor that they didnt even have enough money to repair their crumbling ancestral house. Without enough money, I had to drop out of school and became an apprentice at a nang bakery in Kashgar in 1999. With years of hard work and study, I became a nang bread master and opened my own shop in 2012, said Semet. Although making nang helped Semet get rid of poverty, his monthly income remained at 5,000 yuan from 2012 to 2019. The lack of brand publicity and innovation left his business in the doldrums, and prosperity remained a distant dream. The situation began to change in 2020 with the establishment of the Kashgar Nang Culture Park, where a full-scale food and cultural tourism industry featuring nang took shape. Renting a small bakery in the nang park, Semet carried out experiments to improve the flavor of his nang, creating flatbread with rose, walnuts or bacon fillings. Innovation helped him establish his own brand Ma-de Nang and his products are now sold to mega cities like Shanghai via internet. Semet now has his own nang brand Ma-de and has created nang with a range of new flavors. (Peoples Daily Online/ Kou Jie) Like Semet, over 2,000 local residents have found jobs in the park, most of whom are from impoverished families. The park attracts countless visitors from across China, and sells as many as 300,000 nang every day. According to statistics, Xinjiang now produces an average of 650 metric tons of nang a day, which is sold to 21 provinces and regions around China. More and more nang industrial parks have been set up around Xinjiang to meet the demand from lovers of nang all over the country. Nang is the secret of my prosperous life. Now I can earn 15,000 yuan every month. Ive bought a spacious new home in Kashgar, where I live with my parents, wife and son. My life is so happy now, said Semet. 50-year-old Memetjan is a frequent buyer of Semets nang bread. Memetjans home is 2.4 kilometers north of the nang cultural park, in a luxuriant hamlet compactly nestled among paddy fields and springs. Yuqarqi Qaqulla village, which is now a local ecological tourism site, is carpeted with peach blossoms, with fast-flowing brooks and scattered guest houses adding strokes and splashes to the natural canvas. When visiting this idyllic dreamland, tourists could hardly imagine that this charming village was a severely polluted and poverty-stricken land just five years ago. Just a few years ago, the brooks and springs in our village were filled with garbage, while our paddy fields oozed filthy water. Our only income was from the rice we grew, and we were very poor at that time, said Memetjan. Memetjans wife, 40-year-old Amangul, still remembered their life of poverty. We didnt even have gas stoves or drainage in our kitchen. If I wanted to cook for the kids, I had to go out and fetch some wood to start a fire. Life was really hard at that time, said Amangul. After getting rid of poverty, Memetjans family now enjoys a happy life. (Peoples Daily Online/ Kou Jie) The couples life began to change in 2016, when the local authorities decided to make good use of the villages natural springs and paddy fields, and shift its development focus to ecological tourism. Memetjan renovated his small grocery store to attract more tourists, while Amangul became a waitress at the villages tourist centre. With the help of local authorities, we have even renovated our old house. My kitchen is so bright and filled with electrical appliances, I feel so content with my life now, said Amangul happily. The couple are not the only ones who have benefited from local tourism. The village has provided jobs to 186 people, 45 of whom are from poor families like Memetjan and Amangul. From June 2019 to December 2020, their village received over 100,000 visitors from across China, garnering a total income of 2.8 million yuan. Though still young, Memetjans three children have already made plans for their future. (Peoples Daily Online/ Kou Jie) Playing video games in his bedroom, 13-year-old Abduhelil, Memetjan and Amanguls second child, dreams of visiting New York City one day. I have watched so many movies of Spider-Man. I would like to see the city where he fights the bad guys, said Abduhelil. Sitting in their spacious yard, 17-year-old Munire and her 8-year-old little brother Abdurusul talked about their future plans. Soon to become a university student, Munire said she wanted to study in a city like Wuhan where the weather is warm in winter, and said it was her dream to become a lawyer. Little Abdurusul said he wanted to become a policeman so that he could protect his family and other good people. Because of poverty, we didnt have the chance to go to college or to see the outside world. Now life is getting better, I hope my three kids can go to university and chase their dreams, whatever they are, said Memetjan. New path to a wealthy life Live-streaming and e-commerce helped Muqeddes Weli become an online celebrity and get rid of poverty. (Peoples Daily Online/ Kou Jie) Live-streaming from a vineyard in Turpan, 24-year-old Muqeddes Weli was busy introducing delicious grapes to her audience. After selling local agricultural products for almost two years, she has now become an online celebrity with over 920,000 followers. Before becoming a social media influencer, I used to help my mom grow grapes in our four-acre vineyard. Without modern technologies or Internet, the quality of our grapes was not good, and no one would come to our remote village for our grapes. We could only earn 20,000 yuan per year, said Muqeddes. In 2019, when she heard that a local e-commerce team selling agricultural products was hiring social media influencers, Muqeddes, along with her girlfriends, decided to sign up for this new opportunity. I didnt know anything about the Internet or e-commerce at that time. To become a good social media influencer, you must be talkative, have a lot of knowledge of Uyghur culture, and be fluent in Mandarin, all of which were challenges for me then, said Muqeddes. After a few months of training, Muqeddes became the top salesperson in her team. Her live-stream can draw audiences of up to 5,000 viewers, and her genuine smile and knowledge of local culture have garnered her a huge fanbase. The Internet has helped me get rid of poverty. I can now earn over 10,000 yuan per month. We rented out our vineyard, and my mom doesnt have to work so hard anymore. I can help her with my salary, and I feel really proud about it, said Muqeddes. Like Muqeddes, many poor families in Xinjiang have changed their lives with the help of modern technologies such as the Internet and e-commerce. In 2020, over 12.1 billion yuan in agricultural products, such as grapes and walnuts, were sold online in Xinjiang. Live-streamers like Muqeddes have contributed 1.2 billion yuan, holding over 16,393 live-stream shows, and drawing over 175 million viewers. The Uyghur-style hotel where Umitjan Memet works is now a calling card of Turpan. (Peoples Daily Online/ Kou Jie) In addition to e-commerce, cultural tourism has also become a new means of poverty alleviation. The boutique hotel where Umitjan Memet works is now a calling card of Turpan, with its Uyghur-style decorations and furniture, as well as its cozy and modern architectural design attracting visitors across China. An Jinqiang, party secretary of the Turpan tourism bureau, noted that Turpans cultural tourism industry has provided jobs for over 80,000 locals, many of whom are from impoverished families. Most of our clients are tourists who want to see authentic Uyghur culture and to taste Turpans specialty grapes. With more and more visitors coming to Turpan, our grapes now sell quite well. Many locals have also transformed their ancestral houses into hotels, increasing their incomes, said Umitjan. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Hongyu) Xi extends condolences to Philippine president over military plane crash Xinhua) 19:30, July 06, 2021 Rescuers are seen at the crash site of a C-130 military plane of the Philippine Air Force in Sulu Province, the Philippines, July 4, 2021. (Joint Task Force Sulu/Handout via Xinhua) BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a message of condolence to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte over the recent crash of a military plane. In his message, Xi said he was shocked to learn that the military plane crashed when landing, which caused grave casualties. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi expressed condolences to the victims, and offered sympathies to the injured and the bereaved families. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Bianji) Xi urges world political parties to shoulder responsibility for pursuit of people's wellbeing, progress of mankind Xinhua) 23:48, July 06, 2021 Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese president, attends the CPC and World Political Parties Summit and delivers a keynote speech in Beijing, July 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) -- Political parties need to set the right course forward and shoulder their historical responsibility to ensure the people's wellbeing and pursue the progress of mankind, Xi said. -- In the face of the pandemic, political parties must oppose the practice of politicizing the pandemic or attaching a geographical label to the virus, Xi said. -- Xi urged political parties to jointly oppose the practice of seeking technology blockade and divide as well as decoupling. -- "The judgement on whether a country is democratic or not should be made by their people, not by a handful of others," Xi said. -- "China will never seek hegemony, expansion or sphere of influence," Xi said. BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday urged political parties in the world to shoulder their responsibility for the pursuit of people's wellbeing and progress of mankind. Xi, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, called on political parties to strengthen cooperation to tackle global challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, inequality, terrorism, and climate change. Addressing the CPC and World Political Parties Summit via video link in Beijing, Xi took swipes at practices of seeking technology blockade and decoupling, politicizing the pandemic, "political manipulation for the purpose of sabotaging the development of other countries," and practices of "seeking hegemony by way of group politics." The cloud summit, which gathered leaders of more than 500 political parties and organizations from over 160 countries, was convened as human society has "once again found itself at a historical crossroads" that leads to either hostile confrontation or mutual respect, seclusiveness and decoupling or openness and cooperation, zero-sum game or win-win results. "The choice is in our hands and the responsibility falls on our shoulders," Xi told party leaders. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese president, attends the CPC and World Political Parties Summit and delivers a keynote speech in Beijing, July 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xiang) RESPONSIBILITY OF POLITICAL PARTIES Political parties, as an important force behind human progress, need to set the right course forward and shoulder their historical responsibility to ensure the people's wellbeing and pursue the progress of mankind, Xi said. Xi called on political parties to shoulder the responsibility to steer the course by shaping the shared future for mankind, and to build consensus by upholding and promoting the common values of humanity. "With a strong sense of responsibility for the future of all mankind, we need to champion the common values of humanity, foster broad-minded tolerance toward the understanding of values by different civilizations, and respect the explorations of different peoples," he said. Political parties need to shoulder the responsibility to promote development by bringing greater benefits to all peoples in a fairer manner, Xi said. Noting that all countries and nations are equally entitled to development opportunities and rights, Xi said political parties should face squarely up to major problems such as wealth gap and development divide, with particular attention and care given to underdeveloped countries and regions and impoverished people. He urged political parties to jointly oppose the practice of seeking technology blockade and divide as well as decoupling. Calling for more cooperation in addressing global risks and challenges, Xi said in the face of the pandemic, political parties should work together to close the "immunization gap," and must oppose the practice of politicizing the pandemic or attaching a geographical label to the virus. Xi also called on political parties to shoulder the responsibility to improve governance by enhancing the capacity to ensure people's wellbeing. "The judgement on whether a country is democratic or not should be made by their people, not by a handful of others," he said. CPC CONTRIBUTIONS TO WORLD It is the unswerving goal of the CPC to run China's house well, ensure a happy life for more than 1.4 billion Chinese people, and promote peace and development of all mankind, Xi said. Xi said the CPC will unite and lead the Chinese people in pressing ahead with the Chinese-style modernization to make new contributions to humanity's search for ways to modernize. There doesn't exist a fixed model for the path to modernization, and the path that suits a country will serve it well, he said. "Cutting one's feet to fit the shoes will lead nowhere," he added. The CPC will unite and lead the Chinese people in taking comprehensive steps to deepen reform and opening up to make new contributions to shared development and prosperity of all countries of the world, Xi noted. Xi said the CPC will shoulder its responsibility as a major political party in a major country to make new contributions to improving the wellbeing of mankind. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, all the 98.99 million rural residents living below the current poverty line in China have been lifted out of poverty, enabling the country to meet the poverty reduction target set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. The CPC is willing to contribute more Chinese solutions and Chinese strength to the poverty reduction process worldwide, Xi said. The country will spare no effort to support international cooperation against COVID-19 and to enhance the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries, and will contribute more to the global fight against climate change, he added. Xi said the CPC will actively improve global governance to make new contributions to humanity's joint response to common challenges. "We should stand opposed to the practice of unilateralism disguised as multilateralism and say no to hegemony and power politics," he said. "China will never seek hegemony, expansion or sphere of influence," he added. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) Walter von Kanel: for ever and ever Walter von Kanel joined Longines in 1969; in 2019, he thus celebrated 50 years of service with the firm, 31 of them as CEO. It could almost be said that Walter von Kanel is Longines, and vice versa, so completely does the man embody the brand and the brand, the man. His seniority is record-breaking. He still does not possess a computer. He knows almost all the references by heart, along with their prices and market share in the brands main countries. The firm employs some 1200 people, and its revenues have broken the symbolic barrier of 1.5 billion Swiss francs: a benchmark in every way. Honorary Chairman of Longines Longines Omega: the rise and rise The Seamaster, Speedmaster, and Constellation form Omegas blue-chip trilogy one thats remained unchanged for the past twenty years. Over that period, Omega has been Olympic timekeeper ten times and benefitted from the phenomenal return of the James Bond saga, aided by Daniel Craig, its best ambassador on five occasions in the span of twenty years. In 1969 and, still, 50 years on in 2019 Omega could boast the unrivalled distinction of being the watch that went to the moon, a legend that wont die any time soon. Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 Omega Panerai: the big blue The brands last two decades have been the Angelo Bonati years. The father of the modern Panerai was at the helm from 1997 to 2018, and devoted himself to bringing about as little change as possible. Angelo Bonati CEO Panerai 2000-2018 Panerai Aside from the release of the Luminor Due collection, Bonati staked his all on the Luminor and Radiomir and against all expectations, this turned out to be a winning strategy. Two models; two designs; no renowned ambassador (apart from Mike Horn); watches all designed for the same thing (diving): Panerai kept its head down, compromising nothing. And the firms collectors, known as Paneristi, simply loved it, remaining unwaveringly loyal. Luminor Submersible 1950 Automatic Titanio Panerai Lange & Sohne: German stoicism Time seems to have no hold over A. Lange & Sohne; the German manufacture cultivates a taste for stability. Novices would have a hard time telling the difference between a Lange 1 or a Saxonia from the early 2000s and the 2020 models the year in which CEO Wilhelm Schmid celebrated his tenth anniversary in the position. In 2015, the firm inaugurated a huge extension to its manufacture, two years before the death of the man who resurrected the brand, Walter Lange. The collections are notably unwavering, but the movements are constantly changing: on average, there are two new ones every year. Its all about nurturing progress without making a fuss about it. Lange 1 A. Lange & Sohne Chopard: the family firm Boasting 22 years of partnership with the Cannes Festival and 32 with the Mille Miglia motor race, Caroline and Karl-Friedrich Scheufeles firm offers a sense of permanence. The familys been heading up Chopard for 57 years. Spanning Geneva and Fleurier, the brand looks after its fundamentals with care, precision, and moderation. The main collections for men are L.U.C and Classic Racing. For women, its Happy Diamonds, in the catalogue since 1976. Chopard is the embodiment of the manufacture for the mature, tasteful collector, indulging a taste for good workmanship and a certain independence of mind. Happy Sport Automatic Chopard *On the occasion of GMT Magazine and WorldTempus' 20th anniversary, we have embarked on the ambitious project of summarising the last 20 years in watchmaking in The Millennium Watch Book, a big, beautifully laid out coffee table book. This article is an extract. The Millennium Watch Book is available on www.the-watch-book.com, in French and English, with a 10% discount if you use the following code: WT2021. Order now China's central bank has called upon banking financial institutions to enhance their capabilities of providing financial services to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises to better support the country's real economy. Efforts should be made to increase the credit supply to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, optimize credit products and services to individual businesses, and expand service coverage in inclusive financing, according to a circular released by the People's Bank of China (PBOC). Banking financial institutions should also develop and continue fine-tuning loan products so as to facilitate the use of funds and reduce the overall financing costs for those enterprises, read the circular. The PBOC also stressed that all banking financial institutions should enhance their loan pricing capabilities by providing differentiated and precise loans. Enditem China's National Meteorological Center on Monday renewed its blue weather alerts for rainstorms and severe convection across the country. From 2 pm Monday to 2 pm Tuesday, heavy rainfall and rainstorms are expected in parts of provincial-level regions including Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Beijing, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan, Hubei, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Tibet and Taiwan, according to the center. Parts of these regions will also see thunderstorms, strong winds and hail, said the center, warning that some areas of Hubei and Chongqing will experience downpours with up to 150 mm of rainfall. In the same period, thunderstorms and hail will strike parts of Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing and Tianjin, according to the center. It advised local authorities to remain alert for possible flooding, landslides and mudslides, and recommended halting outdoor operations in hazardous areas. China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. One hundred newlyweds in traditional Chinese dresses attended the 8th group wedding in Hefei on Saturday. When the emcee announced the auspicious moment of the day, the couples walked out at a gentle pace and each of them sat on the red carpet across a table. Utensils like copper basins, dishes, and cups special for newlyweds were put on 50 tables. They have finished traditional etiquettes like washing hands, sharing meats, drinking the nuptial cup, tying cut-off hair together, etc, to show they will share weal and woe in the future. Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), together with the CMC Vice Chairmen Xu Qiliang (3rd R front) and Zhang Youxia (3rd L, front), CMC members Wei Fenghe (2nd R, front), Li Zuocheng (2nd L, front), Miao Hua(1st R, front) and Zhang Shengmin (1st L, front), poses for a group photo with four military officers promoted to the rank of general at a military rank promotion ceremony held by the CMC in Beijing on July 5, 2021. (photo by PLA Daily) BEIJING, July 5 -- Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), on Monday presented four military officers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) with certificates of order promoting them to the military rank of general, the highest rank for officers in active service in China. The CMC held a promotion ceremony in Beijing, at which Xu Qiliang, vice chairman of the CMC, announced the orders of promotion signed by Xi, and Zhang Youxia, also CMC vice chairman, presided over the ceremony. The promoted officers are Commander of the PLA Southern Theater Command Wang Xiubin, Commander of the PLA Western Theater Command Xu Qiling, Commander of the PLA Army Liu Zhenli and Commander of the PLA Strategic Support Force Ju Qiansheng. General Wei Fenghe, General Li Zuocheng, Admiral Miao Hua and General Zhang Shengmin, who are members of the CMC, also attended the promotion ceremony. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a virtual summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing, capital of China, July 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday held a virtual summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing, calling on China and Europe to expand consensus and cooperation for the two sides to play an important role in properly responding to global challenges. Noting the persisting severe situation of COVID-19 globally and the uncertain prospect of economic recovery, Xi said the world more than ever needs mutual respect and close collaboration, rather than suspicion, antagonism or zero-sum game. Xi urged the two sides to uphold correct mutual cognition. Over the past 100 years, the Communist Party of China has led the Chinese people in opening up a development path suited to China's national realities that has won universal support of the Chinese people, Xi said, adding China has been committed to the common values of humanity including peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom. China and Europe have engaged in cooperation based on the principles of mutual respect and seeking common ground while shelving differences, Xi said, adding the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership is where the greatest common denominators converge. "We should uphold this spirit, view each other's differences in a correct way, rationally handle divergences, and ensure ties between the two sides move forward," said Xi. He went on to call for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation for win-win results. Xi said China is willing to convene the 23rd China-EU leaders' meeting with the European side at an early date, conduct high-level dialogues in strategic, trade, cultural, digital and climate sectors, and advance mutual recognition and protection of products listed in the China-EU agreement on geographical indicators to deliver more tangible benefits to the people. In the context of the COVID-19 prevention and control, Xi said the two sides should keep optimizing "fast tracks" for personnel exchanges. As China is firmly committed to further opening up, Xi expressed the hope the European side can provide just, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises in accordance with market principles. He also urged safeguarding the real multilateralism. The international system with the United Nations (UN) at its core and the basic norms governing international relations based on the UN Charter must be upheld, and global issues should be addressed via consultations of all parties in a reasonably calm manner, he said. Xi said China is ready to work with Europe to ensure positive outcomes at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), and the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. He also called on the two sides to jointly steer the reform of the World Trade Organization in a correct direction, and offer mutual support in ensuring a successful Beijing Winter Olympics and Paris Olympics. Xi called for building a major-country relationship that is generally stable and balanced. "What China craves for most is to develop itself rather than replace others," said Xi, noting the Belt and Road Initiative put forward by China is to create more opportunities for common development. Xi said China is ready to enhance dialogue and cooperation with all parties, at the same time, it will firmly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests. "We hope the European side can play a more positive role in global affairs, genuinely demonstrate strategic independence, and jointly safeguard world peace, stability, development and prosperity," added Xi. The leaders of the three countries also exchanged views on African issues. President Xi pointed out that Africa is the region most concentrated with developing countries, facing the most difficult tasks of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and achieving economic recovery, it is also the continent with the greatest development potentials. Xi said China has provided and is currently providing vaccines to more than 40 African countries and the African Union Commission, and actively supports Africa in enhancing its vaccine production capacity. China has signed debt relief agreements or reached debt relief consensus with 19 African countries, and has participated constructively in sustainable development plans such as the Great Green Wall in Africa, the Chinese president said. Xi expressed the hope that Europe could increase its support and assistance to Africa, provide more vaccines to African countries in urgent need, and help Africa cope with debt pressure and realize economic recovery and green and low-carbon development at an early date. China welcomes France and Germany to join the Initiative on Partnership for Africa's Development, which was jointly launched by China and African countries, and carry out trilateral, four-party or multi-party cooperation, Xi added. French President Emmanuel Macron said over the past few decades, China has made great achievements in its development. France is committed to promoting cooperation with China in a practical manner, supports the conclusion of the EU-China investment agreement and the strengthening of cultural exchanges, and welcomes Chinese companies to invest in France, he said. Macron said France stands ready to maintain communication with China on issues such as the World Trade Organization reform, climate change and biodiversity protection. He expressed the hope that the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming and the 7th International Union for Conservation of Nature's World Conservation Congress in Marseilles will both be a success. France appreciates China's important role in ensuring equitable access to vaccines for developing countries, and is willing to strengthen cooperation with China, he said, adding that France highly values China's efforts to implement the debt service suspension initiative launched by the G20, and is ready to strengthen coordination with China on financing and education issues in Africa. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it is very important for the leaders of Germany, France and China to maintain exchanges, and that Germany stands ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China on promoting fair production and distribution of vaccines, and on restoring personnel and trade exchanges. Noting that the EU-China relationship is very important, she said the two sides share consensus on many issues and can cooperate in many areas, and that they should respect each other and reduce differences through enhanced dialogue. Germany supports the convening of the 23rd EU-China leaders' meeting at an early date, and hopes that the EU-China investment agreement will be approved as soon as possible, Merkel said. Germany hopes to strengthen cooperation on international affairs with China and is willing to maintain communication with China on climate change, biodiversity and Africa's response to the pandemic, she said, adding Germany will actively look into the possibility of joining the Initiative on Partnership for Africa's Development. The leaders also exchanged views on issues including the Iran Nuclear issue, Afghanistan and Myanmar. Composer Lyu Qiming responds to a curtain call at a concert featuring his works. ZU ZHONGREN/FOR CHINA DAILY Singing the nation's glories has been 91-year-old musician's lifelong quest Lyu Qiming vividly remembers the day in 1965 when he was commissioned to compose the Ode to the Red Flag. A young composer at the Shanghai Film Studio at the time, the then 35-year-old Lyu had risen to fame for the soundtrack he'd composed for the popular Chinese movie, The Railway Guerrillas, just under a decade earlier in 1956. Ode to the Red Flag was the name chosen for the piece by well-known conductor Huang Yijun (1915-95) and was due to be premiered during the 1965 Shanghai Spring festival, China's longest lived music festival, which was founded in 1960 and later renamed the Shanghai Spring International Music Festival. "It was a huge and challenging task for me then. I spent months working on it," recalled the now 91-year-old Lyu. "Ode to the Red Flag portrays the exciting scene when the national flag was first raised on Tian'anmen Square during the founding of the country in 1949. Many people sacrificed their lives for that to happen and the piece pays tribute to the revolutionary martyrs." Lyu borrowed musical elements from China's national anthem, March of the Volunteers, which was composed by Nie Er, with lyrics by poet Tian Han. He also included elements of Chinese folk songs. In May 1965, Ode to the Red Flag, conducted by Chen Chuanxi (1916-2012), was performed by three Shanghai-based symphony orchestras at the opening ceremony of the 6th Shanghai Spring festivalthe Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, the Shanghai Film Orchestra and the Shanghai Wind Ensemble. The composition won wide applause at its premiere and has continued to do so ever since. Ode to the Red Flag has been adapted on multiple occasions and has been performed by Chinese symphony orchestras around the world, receiving a warm response from audiences of different generations. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China, Lyu, who became a Party member in 1945 at age 15, was awarded the July 1 Medal, the highest honor given by the CPC Central Committee. It's the first time that the medal is being awarded to outstanding Party members and is part of this year's centenary celebrations. As is Ode to the Red Flag. This year, the piece has been revived by a number of Chinese symphony orchestras to mark the centenary. During a concert on April 29 at the Shangyin Opera House for the 37th Shanghai Spring International Music Festival, it was performed by the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zhang Yi. The concert featured several of Lyu's classic pieces. At the end of the concert, Lyu came on stage and spoke excitedly to the audience. "My work is inspired by the country's achievements and development, as well as by the Chinese people, who work hard to contribute to the country. I am proud that my compositions are well-received by audiences of different ages. The greatest wish of any composer is for their music to be enjoyed by as many listeners as possible, and the longevity of a piece matters most," he said. "I am glad that Ode to the Red Flag is one such piece." Born in Wuwei county in Anhui province, Lyu had a tough childhood. He lived with his family and anti-Japanese troops at the New Fourth Army base in southern Anhui. His father, Lyu Huisheng, who was a Party member, was arrested and killed by the Japanese in 1945 at age 43. Ode to the Red Flag also expresses Lyu's love for his father. At the age 12, he met He Luting (1903-91), a musician who encouraged him to learn the violin. After joining the Party, Lyu performed in the military art troupe. He arrived in Shanghai along with the army the day before the city was liberated on May 27, 1949, and has lived there since. In 1949, he became a violinist at the Shanghai Film Studio, and in 1951, he started to compose. Many of his pieces feature in movie soundtracks and are patriotic and revolutionary. Between 1959 and 1964, Lyu studied composition and conducting at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. The productive composer has written music for 200 movies and TV dramas, among them Sentinel Under the Neon Lights (1964), Romance on Lushan Mountain (1980), and Jiao Yulu (1990). One of his most famous compositions is a song entitled Playing My Beloved Pipa, which was made famous by the 1956 movie, The Railway Guerrillas. The song, which riffs on the folk songs of Shandong province, reflects the optimism and positive spirits of soldiers during a time of war. "I've seen with my own eyes those lovely soldiers who, despite their struggles, were full of passion and confidence," the composer said. He retired in 1990, but not even that has slowed him down. In 1997, Lyu was commissioned to compose music for the Yuhuatai Scenic Area in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, which is known for tourist attractions that preserve the stories of the revolutionary martyrs. The 60-minute composition, which is divided into 15 chapters, has been played at Yuhuatai since 1999. When the novel coronavirus hit last year, Lyu wrote a new piece entitled Caprice Norman Bethune in the Jin-Cha-Ji Base Area, which was based on the soundtrack he composed for the 1965 movie about a well-known Canadian thoracic surgeon who served as a doctor for the Chinese guerrilla army during World War II. He dedicated the new composition to medical workers fighting against the pandemic worldwide. "I wrote many pieces for movies, which enabled me to tell stories through music. Music is a great way of doing that, and a way to deliver messages directly to the heart. The stories I tell with my work are about the country and its people, which I am proud of," he said. -- Serving the people wholeheartedly has been the fundamental purpose of the CPC -- a party taking pride in coming from the people and being rooted in the people. -- Fast economic growth lifted most people in China out of poverty, yet the CPC was not satisfied. It vowed to eliminate poverty and complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. -- It has been made a priority to crack down on malpractice by party officials, particularly those losing faith in the party, taking bribes, leading extravagant lives, or being autocratic. -- China has consistently advocated that each country should choose a development path in accordance with its own circumstances and its people's needs, and all countries should respect and learn from each other. by Xinhua writers Huang Yinjiazi, Guo Yage BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Two scholars with Cornell University in the United States recently observed that over the last two decades, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has built contacts with more than 400 political parties in over 160 countries, and that such exchanges reflect pull factors rather than an outward push by the century-old party. Thomas Pepinsky and Jessica Chen Weiss, both experts on governance, noted in a joint article published in June by Foreign Affairs, a leading U.S. magazine on international relations, that there are ruling parties seeking counsel from the CPC on governance issues. Among the enormous successes of the CPC, which celebrated its centenary on Thursday, the one that has perhaps provoked the most thought is the unparalleled support it enjoys from the Chinese people. In a Harvard University survey published in July last year, as many as 93.1 percent of Chinese citizens expressed approval for their central government. Therefore, for representatives of political parties and organizations worldwide who will attend a high-level dialogue with the CPC on Tuesday, one of the most riveting subjects would be: What right things has the CPC done to make itself the unvarying choice of the Chinese people? A ceremony marking the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is held at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, July 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Yin Gang) BEIJING, July 6 -- Two domestically made large transport aircraft Y-20 were officially delivered to the PLA Air Force on July 6, 2016, marking a crucial step forward for the PLA Air Force's strategic projection capability. July 6th marks the 5th anniversary of the commissioning of Y-20 transport aircraft. In just five years, Y-20 has played a good role in the PLA Air Force. On July 6, 2016, a new generation of large-scale transport aircraft Y-20 (Kunpeng) developed independently by China with a take-off weight of 200 tons was unveiled in gray paint and officially entered service. Its commissioning marks a major victory in the development of domestically made large transport aircraft. Y-20 can perform long-distance air transportation tasks of various materials and personnel under complex weather conditions. It is of great significance for advancing China's economic and national defense modernization, responding to emergencies such as rescue and disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, and improving the air force's strategic projection capability and the ability of the Chinese armed forces to perform their missions and tasks. Since Y-20's commissioning, with the passage of time, people have unanimously changed the nickname for Y-20 from "Chubby Girl " to "Kunpeng". This means that Y-20 has grown from the "pearl of the palm" of the Chinese people to a fearless fighter who safeguards national security and people's well-being. In the beginning of 2020, a sudden epidemic raged across China, and the health of the Chinese people was seriously threatened. On the morning of February 13, several Y-20 transport aircraft sent a large number of military medics and supplies to virus-hit Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province. This is the first time for Y-20 to undertake large-scale non-war military transportation mission since it entered service. With the easing of domestic epidemic situation, Y-20 began to perform the task of sending materials to friendly countries and made a positive contribution to the global pandemic prevention and control. The PLA Air Force successively dispatched multiple transport aircraft, including Y-20, to deliver pandemic prevention and control materials to Pakistan, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan from April to May 2020. In addition to sending anti-pandemic supplies globally, Y-20 also undertook multiple military transportation tasks. On June 13, 2020, 105 service members of the PLA Honor Guard arrived at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow by Y-20 to participate in the Russian Victory Day parade in the Red Square. Three month later, during the Caucasus-2020 strategic drill held in Astrakhan Oblast, Russia in September, all the Chinese participants and equipment were delivered by Y-20 in a point-to-point and long-range manner. On September 27, a transport aircraft Y-20 labeled with the serial number 01 carried the remains of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) martyrs back to China as a special plane. This is the first time that Y-20 has shouldered this special mission, which embodies the supreme respect of the motherland to the martyrs. On February 19, 2021, Y-20 escorted the remains of the PLA border-defending martyrs. The frontier heroes left their youth, blood, and even life in the Karakorum Mountains, Y-20 flew to the plateau and brought the heroes home. At 9:22 a.m. on June 17, 2021, Shenzhou-12 crewed spacecraft was launched into space, taking a major step for China's space station construction, and making itself the first crewed spacecraft delivered by Y-20 to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. All these show that Y-20 has become a veritable "Heracles" of the PLA Air Force and has gradually assumed its responsibility in the armed forces. Five years have gone by very fast, we expect that Y-20 can carry the hope of life with its strong body and bring lasting peace and happiness to all those who build it, believe in it, and rely on it. We firmly believe that Y-20 will be loyal and consistent, and make greater contributions to the construction of China's national defense equipment system. Military medics airlifted by the transport aircraft Y-20 of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force arrive at Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Yun) A PLA Y-20 transport aircraft carrying medical experts and supplies sits on the tarmac at a Chinese airport before its departure to Pakistan on April 24, 2020. Two other teams were also sent to Myanmar and Laos. [Photo/China's Defense Ministry] Escorted by two Chinese fighter jets, a transport aircraft Y-20 carrying the remains and belongings of the fallen soldiers landed at the Taoxian international airport in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, Sept. 27, 2020. (Xinhua/Yang Qing) Editor's Note: Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China has worked with all other countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind, which has boosted confidence and added impetus for development of Asia and the world. For the celebration of the 100th funding anniversary of the CPC, we are launching the CPC in eyes of foreign military students series, viewing China and CPC from the perspective of foreign soldiers. By Burundian Army Second Lieutenant Muhirwa Fernand This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and this is also my 7th year as a foreign student in China. Im now studying in the School of Civil Engineering of the Southeast University in Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu province after graduating from the PLA Army Engineering University. During the seven years in China, Ive had personal experience with the ancient and also modern China and witnessed its remarkable achievements in multiple fields. My experience in China also makes me understand that the country couldnt have achieved what it has without the firm leadership of the CPC and hard work of CPC members undaunted by any difficulty or hardship. When I first came to China in 2014, the operating mileage of its high-speed railways was 16,000 km and rapidly increased to 37,900 km at the end of 2020. Behind this incredible pace of development lies the CPCs persistent commitment to improving the peoples lives.What impresses me most is that China has achieved a full victory in its anti-poverty battle by lifting more than 90 million poor rural residents out of poverty, accomplishing the arduous task of eliminating absolute poverty. From the high-speed railway construction to poverty alleviation, CPC members always stand at the forefront and are dedicated to their positions. The more I engage with CPC members, the more I respect them. Among them is my postgraduate supervisor. As a scholar, he is extremely strict with engineering data and would stay awake for two days in a row to verify them. People with such craftsmanship spirit are working in every industry in China their pursuit for perfection at work never ends, and most of them are CPC members. The past year and more has witnessed China achieving major strategic results in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, surmounting the aftermaths of it, and emerging as the worlds only major economy that registered positive economic growth. In fighting its way through all these challenges, the Chinese people, under the leadership of the CPC, made united efforts in the same spirit and toward the same goal, marching from one victory to another. The CPC is a political party that stays true to its original aspiration and mission and upholds the peoples interests above all. I believe that navigated by the CPC, China will embrace a better tomorrow of greater strengths and prosperity. (This article is based on an interview by the PLA Daily with Burundian Army Second Lieutenant Muhirwa Fernand, who had once studied at China's PLA Army Engineering University.) The U.S. left Afghanistan's Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years by shutting off the electricity and leaving in the night, Afghan military officials said, without notifying the base's new Afghan commander, who discovered the Americans' departure more than two hours after they left. Afghanistan's army showed off the sprawling air base Monday, providing a glimpse of what had been the epicenter of America's war to unseat the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks on America. The U.S. announced Friday it had vacated its biggest airfield in the country in advance of a final withdrawal the Pentagon says will be completed by the end of August. "We [heard] some rumor that the Americans had left Bagram... and finally by seven o'clock in the morning, we understood that it was confirmed that they had already left Bagram," said Gen. Mir Asadullah Kohistani, Bagram's new commander. U.S. military spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett did not address the specific complaints of many Afghan soldiers who inherited the abandoned airfield. He said in the statement that the U.S. coordinated its departures with Afghanistan's leaders and referred to a statement last week. That statement said the handover had been in the process soon after President Joe Biden's mid-April announcement that America was withdrawing the last of its forces. Before the Afghan army could take control of the airfield about an hour's drive from the Afghan capital of Kabul, it was invaded by a small army of looters, who ransacked barrack after barrack and rummaged through giant storage tents before being evicted, according to Afghan military officials. "At first we thought maybe they were Taliban," said Abdul Raouf, a soldier of 10 years. Kohistani insisted the Afghan National Security and Defense Force could hold on to the heavily fortified base despite a string of Taliban wins on the battlefield. The airfield also includes a prison with about 5,000 prisoners, many of them allegedly Taliban. The Taliban's latest surge comes as the last U.S. and NATO forces pull out of the country. As of last week, most NATO soldiers had quietly left. The last U.S. soldiers are likely to remain until an agreement to protect the Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport, in which Turkey is expected to take the lead, is completed. While households that own more than five homes increased from 137,899 in 2015 to 160,172 in 2019, those that do not own any home also grew from 8.41 million to 8.89 million and now account for 43.6 percent of all households, according to Statistics Korea. The overheated housing market starkly reflects the growing gap between rich and poor in Korea, the latest figures show. The most vulnerable people who do not own their homes are the elderly. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has found that 42.8 percent or 3,796 households who lived in squalid one-room flats last year are over 65. Others live in small, low-rent rooms for students studying for exams or in boarding houses. The number of senior citizens who have to work to make ends meet is also increasing. The so-called economic participation rate of people aged 65 to 69 grew from 39.9 percent in 2008 to 55.1 percent last year. Ku In-hoe at Seoul National University said, "The biggest worry among senior citizens living alone is housing. We urgently need to increase the number of senior citizens eligible for housing support and benefits." Health authorities are unlikely to ease lockdown as promised in the next few weeks due to a surge of coronavirus infections and a rise in Delta variant cases. The daily tally of new infections stood at 746 as of Tuesday morning, over 700 for a week while only about 30 percent of the population have had at least their first vaccine jab and just 10.5 percent their second one. The government earlier promised that vaccinated people can remove their masks outdoors with an exemption from the gathering ban in order to persuade more people to get jabbed but has now backtracked on the plan. Woburn, MA (01801) Today Cloudy this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 81F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. According to Russian Satellite Network reports, on the 26th local time, Russian President Putin and US President Biden had a call. This was the first call between the two parties after Biden took office. The Kremlin Information Bureau announced that Puti... A first-year baking and pastry student at the Kokomo Area Career Center quickly honed his skills crafting sweet treats to become one of the best student bakers in the nation. Last week, Phoenix Oakes was awarded third place in the category of baking and pastry in the National ProStart competition during an awards ceremony in Nashville. Oakes earned a spot at nationals after placing first at the state competition. He said he was grateful and surprised to earn such honors. I was surprised because this is my first year doing baking and pastry, so I didnt totally expect to even win (Indiana) ProStart. So now that Im in the top three in the nation, Im like, How did I even get here? Oakes said. Oakes first got into the culinary arts program at the Kokomo Area Career Center his sophomore year, taking culinary 1. He continued with culinary 2 his junior year, before trying his hand at baking and pastry his senior year. The transition from cooking savory entrees to baking desserts was challenging, he said, as the skills and techniques were entirely different. Bakers, he said, have to be a lot more precise as a little more or less of a certain ingredient can throw off the whole recipe. Aside from already having learned the sanitation protocols in culinary 1 and 2, Oakes said he didnt have any experience in baking. But he dove in, starting by learning how to make dough and yeast bread and finishing the class decorating cakes and crafting sugar work. By the end of it, Oakes was pretty confident in his skills and decided to put them to the test at the Indiana ProStart baking and pastry competition in Indianapolis as the only student representing Kokomo High School. Just like in the baking competition shows, Oakes was placed in a kitchen, surrounded by his competitors in their own kitchens, and was tasked with making blueberry lemon muffins, pate a choux for cream puffs, yeast rolls and knots, and also decorating a two-layer cake all in two-and-a-half hours. To get it all done, Oakes said it came down to preparation. You have to get everything prepared, your ingredients scaled out, all that set to the side, he said. I did the muffins first and the dough for the bread because it needs to rise, and then I did the pate a choux. Then I shaped my knots and my rolls, and then I decorated the cake while all those were cooking. He was competing against around 30 to 40 others, but he barely knew it. Oakes said he glanced at his competition a couple of times but wasnt too concerned with how they were doing. Once the timer went off, Oakes said he finally took a good look around and felt confident with his work. Some competitors forgot to cut off the top of their cake layers to make them flat, and others forgot to ice between the layers, he said. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute While his work was judged that day, it wasnt until later when he got the results. When he did, he was working in the kitchen at Hacienda, making wet burritos. His culinary arts instructor, Kaly Griggs, sent him a video of the results, and he found out he placed first in baking and pastry, earning a spot at the national competition. I watched that (video) while I was making wet burritos, and once it came up to Kokomo High School, I was like, I wonder what I placed. It was really nerve-wracking because I spent so much time working on it. When it came up to my name and I got the gold medal and first place, you can ask everyone there, I was so excited. I yelled. I was like, I did it! he said. With the Indiana ProStart competition being one of the last state competitions held, Oakes didnt have long to prepare for nationals. That competition was held virtually, and Oakes was tasked with creating a nonstop, unedited three-hour video showing him making the desserts and bread, presenting them, and cleaning up. For that competition, he was tasked with making challah bread, blueberry scones, and chocolate eclairs, while decorating another two-layer cake that he had to write Beyond Measure 2021 on and create an assortment of roses with icing. Oakes taught himself how to create the roses the day before he made the video, he said. Feeling as ready as he could be with limited time, Griggs filmed Oakes in the culinary arts lab. Once he was done, he felt he did OK and went to review the film with Griggs. Thats when they learned that the tape was full, and the last half of his presentation wasnt recorded. Oakes was devastated. My initial thought was, I dont want to do this again. It took up like almost four hours of my time because I had to get everything prepared, and I had to do extra time to clean up. I missed a lot of my classes, he said. I was like its just frustrating because I spent all that time for it to just up and not be there. It took him a whole class period of him asking himself, Do I do it again or do I not? before he decided hed give it another try. He set up a different day to have Griggs film him for the second time, and he felt more confident about this go-around. He finished with about 45 minutes left, and there were no technical issues. The video was done. Oakes felt a weight lift and knew he did the best he could and gave it his all. He soon found out that his efforts were more than enough. He placed in the top three in the nation and was invited to an awards ceremony in Nashville where he learned he won third place. Oakes ended up being grateful for the video not working the first time, as it gave him more practice. Because I only had a week to prepare for that, I was very underprepared the first time we filmed it. It didnt feel like I did too great because I had no time to prepare, so I was grateful I got to do it again. It was a little practice round, I guess, he said. On July 6, Oakes,a 2021 KHS graduate, left for basic training for the U.S. Army but he hasnt ruled out a career in culinary arts. He said he will use his time in the army to ponder what he really wants to do in life and possibly use the GI Bill to go to culinary arts school. Or, if he spends his career in the army, he may use his pension to open his own bakery. In the meantime, he said he was grateful for everything he learned in his baking and pastry class, and his friends and family were too. His favorite dessert to make was blueberry muffins, and theyve become famous in his inner circle. He served them at his graduation open house to the delight of his guests. When Eve Andersons dad began taking her on job sites when she was younger, she never considered she could get into the trade herself and carry on the family tradition of bricklaying. It wasnt until she moved back to the City of Firsts at age 39 after living in California when she realized nothing was stopping her from getting into brick masonry. Now, shes a fifth-generation bricklayer and entering her second year as an apprentice, being taught by her father, Mark Anderson, 66. In California, I would always call dad and say, We have to do a book of all the stuff your grandfather made and your dad built and you built. I want to make a book of all this masonry stuff. I had no idea Id be helping him years later. So were building together now, and its really cool, Anderson said. When Anderson moved back to Kokomo last July, Andersons dad invited her to a job site to help out on a project. While he wasnt expecting her to stick with bricklaying because its kind of hard, Anderson immediately decided she wanted to. Now as an adult on the job site, she said she fell in love with the trade right away and how it allowed her to be creative, hands-on, and active. Still, as the only woman bricklayer on job sites, she said it was intimating at first and something she had to overcome. It was so scary because it was all these guys, and I didnt know what I was doing. I was the only girl out there, but dad is like, Come on. Its OK. Its kind of scary at first, and I like cried in the car. But it was fine. Everybody is nice, Anderson said. Mark was impressed with his daughters tenacity and strength but not surprised by how quickly she picked up bricklaying. And he said she quickly earned respect among the men. They accepted her because she just doesnt stop. She wasnt a slacker. She just worked. It was like, Wow, look at her push that wheelbarrow. She weighs like 80 pounds, and shes got this big wheelbarrow for the mortar she uses. The guys are like, Wow, Mark said. One of the projects the father and daughter worked on last summer was a residential home that was being renovated with massive 80-pound limestone blocks. While Anderson couldnt pick them up by herself, shed get mortar to Anderson and strike the joints for him. Last fall, as it started to get colder outside, Mark said he wondered whether Anderson would be OK with the cooler temperatures. She was, and he was impressed that it didnt seem to bother her at all. For Christmas, he got her a level to work on a landscaping project, building a brick wing next to steps by her home, and he said it was clear how much she already had learned. She just started doing it, and I was like, Oh my gosh, its really good, Anderson said. This past spring, projects picked back up as the temperatures did, and Anderson said its been rewarding to work on so many jobs as she continues to learn the trade. Most recently, she was working on renovating the former YMCA, and now shes working to build the Womens Legacy Memorial on the courthouse square, a project that couldnt be more fitting. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute Once complete, the memorial will feature three life-sized sculptures of women, and one will be Rosie the Riveter, who represents working women. Once Anderson found out more about the project she was helping to build, she said it meant a lot to her that she, a woman, could play a role in bringing to life a memorial dedicated to recognizing women and the work they do. I didnt know what it was at first. I thought it was just another project, but once I found out, I thought its really cool, she said. Bricklaying in the family started with Andersons great-great-grandfather, Simone Anderson, who moved to the United States from Denmark to work as a bricklayer. He got a job building Roosevelt School in Kokomo and stayed in the area. He bought the property thats currently Izaak Walton League, which used to be a gravel quarry, and lived there. When he died, he willed it to Izaak Walton League. He had four boys who were all in the brick mason trade. Harold Anderson, Andersons great-grandfather, did work on then-St. Joseph Hospital, the YWCA, and New London Church, to name a few. He had one son, Phillip Anderson, who laid brick through his 20s before getting into the masonry contracting business where he would bid jobs. Some of his projects included the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library Main Branch, the YMCA pool addition, and many large projects for then-Delco and Chrysler and in the Indianapolis area. Mark, his son, remembered being exposed to the trade early on, and he started laying bricks himself when he was 14 years old. I was like, I like this. This is hands-on. I get to do things. I liked it. I just didnt like school, per se, just wanted to be outside, Mark said. While in high school, he began attending a vocational program at night to learn the trade and has worked as a bricklayer since. When he had two daughters, he said the thought crossed his mind that the family tradition could come to an end, but frankly, he didnt care. I kind of did (think about it), but I dont regret having girls. I just love them to death, he said. Id take them out to the job sites so they could see what dad did, but I never expected them to do it. Andersons apprenticeship is a three-year program, and Mark expects her to do great. Im showing her the techniques of laying brick and block, and theres a lot to learn, little techniques, and she picks right up because shes naturally artistic. She does fabulous work. Shes naturally talented, he said. In addition to enjoying the trade, Anderson also enjoys working next to her dad and looks forward to spending a lot more time with him. Medical kits named after fallen sheriffs Deputy Carl Koontz that are specialized for treating traumatic injuries like gunshots wounds appear to be saving lives. The Kokomo Police Department and Howard County Sheriffs Office created the aptly-dubbed Carls Kits in memory of Koontz, who was killed on duty in 2016. The kits, and others like them, carry a plethora of items used by first responders. The kits recently were used by KPD officers Samantha Raber, Troy Hintz, and Bruce Rood while responding to a shooting at Kokomo Beach several weeks ago. The officers quick actions and the kits were credited by medical staff at Ascension St. Vincent Kokomo for saving a juvenile injured at the shooting. The shooting at Kokomo Beach occurred on June 15, shortly after 5 p.m. Raber, Hintz, and Rood were the first to respond and quickly found the injured juvenile suffering from gunshot wounds. Raber, a military veteran, used training from her time overseas as well as with the Peru Police Department before Hintz, along with Rood, used items from a kit to provide medical attention to the juvenile. Its a team effort, Raber said. You remove one person, the whole thing falls apart. So the fact that Troys there with what he had, and between Bruce and I, its not just one person. All three of us know what to do, and its just part of the job. Its part of the call. According to Hintz, the juvenile had a sucking chest wound, which, if left untreated, could lead to a collapsed lung. The officers used an occlusive dressing-like patch to treat the wound, which allowed for air to go out of the lung, but not back in, preventing the lung from further collapsing. The officers also used a quick-clot bandage and a tourniquet to treat the juvenile before he was transported to the hospital. Doctors who later treated the young man credit the officers actions for saving his life. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute Its kind of what I signed on for, Hintz said. Its what were here to do. Thats just my opinion on it, that this is what were here to do. Were trained to do it, so we need to be there for people and be able to step in it gets to be to the point where its second nature, where if somebodys hurt, you just step in. While the kit used by Hintz was not a Carls Kit, which is carried by many officers in both the sheriffs office and KPD, according to Rood, but it was similar. The idea behind Carls Kits came about shortly after his death in 2016, according to Rood and former KPD Chief Gary McKay. According to Rood, quick actions from officers responding to Koontzs shooting allowed them to prolong the inevitable. Through their actions, Rood said Koontzs family was able to say their final goodbyes before he passed, and Carls Kits were created in his memory and to be used by first responders in Howard County. The kits hold items that are designed to address wounds, ranging from fractures to gunshots and knife wounds. If we can offer that hope to victims in the field that we come across and we come across citizens that have been hit by a car, been shot, been stabbed, whatever the circumstances may be we may not save all of them. But if we can prolong that inevitable so that a family can say their last goodbyes, its worth the training, Rood said. Training for Carls Kits and others like them previously only was available in other states, such as Florida and North Carolina. With the intent to provide medical kits to more first responders in the county, Rood contacted McKay, who used contacts in the Department of Homeland Security to secure funding for the provision of the kits. According to Rood and McKay, training for the usage of the kits has been held in the past in Kokomo, Peru, and now more regularly at the Northwest Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. McKay said that the majority of the sheriffs office deputies and many KPD officers has gone through training and carry Carls Kits. While not every officer carries a Carls Kits, McKay and Rood are working to secure more funding to provide more to first responders. Rood said several organizations, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion, have held fund raisers to purchase more kits. If the public would like to donate to help purchase Carls Kits and others like them for law enforcement, checks can be made to the Kokomo Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 78, with a memo labeled as Carls Kits. The Indiana Court of Appeals dealt a blow to the Howard County Sheriffs Office and 911 Communications in a case from a 2015 incident that allegedly caused a womans death due to a botched 911 call. On June 24, the Court of Appeals affirmed an earlier decision to deny a motion for summary judgment of a 2015 wrongful death suit from the estate of Tammy Ford, whose family alleged that the actions of the Howard County Sheriffs Office and 911 Communications led to her death. The defendants appealed an order denying summary judgment on the complaint by Derrick Duke and Dustin Duke, representatives of the Ford estate, which failed, meaning the case will continue. The initial denial of summary judgment came from Howard Circuit Court, which issued an order denying the countys summary judgment motion, finding that genuine issues of material fact existed as to the issue of willful or wanton misconduct. The Court of Appeals decision noted that while the county has immunity under Indiana law, the law only provides protection if there was no willful or wanton misconduct by the countys dispatch department. The appellate panel found that Howard County Circuit Court acted correctly in the denial of summary judgment, siding with the courts decision. The County designated evidence to suggest that the dispatchers actions were a mistake, but, as the trial court concluded, the Ford Estate designated evidence to show that there were genuine issues of material fact as to whether the actions of the Howard County employees constituted willful or wanton misconduct so as to except the Howard County defendants from governmental immunity, Judge Rudolph Pyle wrote for the appellate court. Specifically, the Ford Estate designated an incident report concluding that the failure to dispatch KFD to Fords address played a big role in her death, and evidence that KFD and (the Kokomo Police Department) had reported of prior reported problems with the Countys 911 dispatch prior to the 2015 incident with Ford. As a result, summary judgment should not be granted where material facts conflict or conflicting inferences are possible. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute The wrongful death suit was filed in 2015, following Fords 911 call for help in July of that year. The suit alleged that the call was mishandled by Howard County Emergency Dispatch following her death shortly after the call. Ford died that day from breathing issues at Terrace Towers. Ford made a call around 1:41 a.m., and after the call was transferred between dispatchers, the dispatcher handling the incident entered the wrong information into the system, including the wrong address and phone number for Ford. The mistake was not realized until firefighters and medics arrived at the wrong address. It took 17 minutes for first responders to arrive at the correct apartment as a result of the error. According to the Court of Appeals response, the dispatch center had 911 standard operating procedures (SOP) that set forth how employees processed calls. The SOP required employees to verify the location and phone number for callers before entering the location manually on a computer. Ford made the call, the response said, from her apartment at Terrace Towers on South Bell Street, reporting that she couldnt breathe. Dispatcher Zach Rudolph did not enter the address into the computer and hung up when dispatch employee Hillary Farmer took over the call. Neither verified Fords address. Instead, Farmer dispatched medics and the KFD firefighters to Civic Towers on East Taylor Street, approximately 10 blocks from Fords actual residence. Responders, upon arrival, radioed dispatch to verify the location before they were sent to the correct address. Ford was found slumped over without a pulse before she was transported to and later pronounced dead at a hospital. The next year, the Ford estate filed a complaint against the county. The county did not respond to a request for comment prior to the Perspectives deadline. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Press Release July 6, 2021 Zubiri: Stop Ruining Lives and Fast-track AFP Aircraft Modernization Including Extensive Training for Personnel Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri reiterated his call for the aircraft modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), following the crash of a C-130 military plane in Sulu, killing fifty-one individuals, many of whom were new soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division training unit in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. "I am unfortunately starting to sound like a broken record in my call for modern aircraft and training equipment for our troops. I am so saddened by the loss of such brave and patriotic individuals in such a senseless death. "That's what angers me the most. We're losing so many great men and women because of poor equipment and outdated aircraft." "Just over the last year, we've already lost over seventy people in military aircraft accidents. Four in a crash in Isabela in July 2020, another four in Basilan in September, one in Lanao del Sur in November, seven in Bukidnon in January of this year, and six more in Tarlac just last month. "And now, over fifty people in Sulu. This is one of the worst air disasters for the Air Force and the AFP. We really need to fast-track our aircraft modernization so we can stop ruining lives like this, and ensure that no other accident surpasses this one in the future. "I am appealing to the DBM to find the budget necessary for the Air Force to replace their aging fleet, particularly their workhorses, which are their overused and extremely old C-130s. "Early this year I sounded the alarm on AFP aircraft modernization, after meeting with Deputy Chief Florante Amano and other officials from the Air Force in January. We had the meeting after the Bukidnon crash, because I wanted to hear about their modernization plans and ask them what we in the legislative can help them with. "It is unthinkable that we'd left our soldiers to use 50-year-old helicopters and aircraft for so long. Is this how we value our military? "Apart from upgrading our aircraft and other equipment, we absolutely must also beef up our training programs for our military pilots. For fixed-wing and rotor-wing aircraft. "Modernization entails not only buying the best aircraft and equipment, but also providing state-of-the-art and extensive training for our military personnel. We have to invest in simulators, so we can consistently train our soldiers without risking their lives, or the lives of civilians. "And again, we in the Senate are prepared to listen and to help our military with their budget. Anything we can do to ensure that this what happened in Sulu is our last accident of this kind. We have to get serious about modernizing our military. We cannot lose any more lives like this." Abu Dhabis state-owned airport operator has awarded Trojan Holding the construction of Abu Dhabi international airport Midfield Terminal Building after it cancelled the project first granted to a consortium including Turkish airport operator TAV Insaat. UAE-based Arabtec, TAV Insaat and Athens-based Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) were awarded in 2012 the contract worth $2.94 billion to be completed in 2017. The group, sources told Reuters, over ran cost of the project bringing the airport operator to cancel the contract, Daily Sabah reports. Meanwhile, Arabtec filed for liquidation in January. Abu Dhabi-based Trojan Holding, one of the biggest construction companies in the Gulf country, has been tasked to complete the project. Abu Dhabi Airports in 2019 said that construction of the new terminal was 97.6% complete, Daily Sabah notes. The 700,000 square meter terminal was supposed to support the growth of state-run carrier Etihad Airways which was seeking to build a major transit hub in the UAE capital. A gunman who shot and seriously injured two police officers and a woman at Quiver Lounge along Thika Road, Nairobi on Friday night is a civilian who is armed and dangerous, police have said. Detectives have since established the identity of the suspect as one Dickson Mararo. The more he continues to be on the run, the more we continue to categorise him as a terrorist because all his actions amount to what is defined as an act of terror, Kasarani Sub-county Police Commander Peter Mwanzo said. A detective privy to the investigations said that witnesses who saw the suspect flee the scene after the shoot-out captured the registration number of a Toyota Landcruiser he left the scene with. He is needed for questioning on what had taken place at the joint. If he was not the one who was driving the car, he should give us the person who was with the vehicle on that day, the detective said. The assailant was caught on CCTV dressed in a white shirt with blue patterns and black trousers. He was seen approaching the victims and after a brief chat, he drew his gun and fired three times. The victims were identified as Constable Festus Musyoka attached to Starehe Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and Constable Lawrence Muturi, attached to Kasaranis petty crimes unit. The woman was identified Felistas Nziza, a waitress at Quiver. Musyoka was shot on the left side of his neck, while Muturi was shot on his right arm; Nzisa was shot on the lower abdomen. Musyoka and Nzisa were rushed to Neema Uhai Hospital for treatment before they were referred to Nairobi Hospital while Muturi checked himself at Radiant Hospital and was later discharged. Two of the victims are in serious condition while the other is yet to recover. All we are now focused on is how we shall nab the owner of the car, Kasarani Police boss Mwanzo said. UPDATE: Dickson Mararo surrendered himself to authorities on Monday accompanied by his lawyer Cliff Ombeta. The lawyer explained that his client was provoked by the two officers, leading to the shooting. Apparently, the cops were making advances at Mararos girlfriend. He had been provoked quite a number of times by the officers who kept on hitting on his girlfriend and trying to talk to her even at the times he went to the washrooms, they would make passes and follow her everywhere she went. It reached a breaking point whereby he had to involve the bouncer, and as you could see in the CCTV footage, the officers also tried to confront the bouncer while trying to attack my client, Ombeta said. Mararo also denied being a gangster as reported in the media saying he is a reputable businessman. He added that he was not on the run from the police but was waiting for things to cool down before recording a police statement. The Award-winning gospel star Daddy Owen gave a candid TV interview on Sunday where he opened up about his failed marriage to Farida Wambui. The couple was married for four years before their marriage hits the rocks in December last year, with Farida said to have dumped Daddy Owen for a tycoon from Gilgil. Speaking on the Journey Series, Daddy Owen told Churchill he was not afraid of speaking about the situation but was now focusing on moving on. I remember when it happened I found myself on social media and everyone was talking about me. Have you ever trended by extension? There are times you know youve done something which is going to bring trouble but I was trending by extension because I had not done anything wrong, he said. The Vanity hitmaker said he was already depressed even before the news about his marriage broke out. Before this story happened, I went into depression. I was in depression for a very long time and it was really tough. You going through depression and youre a celebrity is really hard because when you come out, guys will ask, what happenedyoure a celebrity and everyone looked at you like you live in this perfect world with this perfect person, Owen said. On why he still wears his wedding ring, Daddy Owen explained that: I decided to stay with it because as a man, I never shy off from challenges or issues. Im like a bull, Ill face it head-on. The musician went on to add that having overcome many other challenges in his life helped him deal with the situation. He said explaining what was happening was his biggest challenge. Being a man, you always feel like Ill figure out whatever Im going through, and Ill come out of the other side of the tunnel no matter whats happening, but the problem was the tunnel was getting darker and darker. So the time everything happened, I was like, Owen, wake up. Youve been through a lot, and its time for you to wake up, and if youre not careful, were going to lose you, Owen said. The Shilingi ya Kenya hitmaker said he is now stronger than before after accepting what happened. I took everything the way it came, and I said Ill neither run away nor shy off. What happened, happened, but Ill remain true to who I am. According to information published by Austal USA on June 28, 2021, the company delivered the future USS Savannah, the 14th Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), to the U.S. Navy on June 25. Savannah (LCS 28) is the seventh ship Austal has delivered to the Navy in less than two years highlighting Austals unique capability in the serial production of ships for the U.S. Navy. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Savannah (Picture source: Austal) LCS 28 was completed in just under three years, a full 12-month improvement over earlier ships in the program. Five LCS and two Expeditionary Fast Transports (EPF) are currently under construction at Austals Alabama shipyard. Two additional ships, LCS 38 and EPF 15, are under contract and will soon be under construction. Austal USA was recently awarded a design contract for the U.S. Navys Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) that would be manufactured on Austal USAs new steel construction serial production line. LCS is a fast, agile, focused-mission platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric anti-access threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. The Independence-variant LCS integrates new technology and capability to support current and future mission capability from deep water to the littorals. USS Savannah (LCS-28) will be an Independence-class littoral combat ship of the United States Navy. The Independence-class is a class of littoral combat ships built for the United States Navy. The ships are 127.4 m (418 ft) long, with a beam of 31.6 m (104 ft), and a draft of 13 ft (3.96 m). Their displacement is rated at 2,176 tons light, 2,784 tons full, and 608 tons deadweight. The standard ship's company is 40, although this can increase depending on the ship's role with mission-specific personnel. The Independence-class LCS is armed with one BAE Systems Mk 110 57 mm naval gun, one Raytheon SeaRAM CIWS CloseIn Weapon System, four .50-cal machine guns, two 30 mm Mk44 Bushmaster II automatic cannons (part of SUW module), eight RGM-184A anti-ship Naval Strike Missiles, 24 AGM-114L Hellfire air-to-surface missiles (SUW vertical launch module). The ship can accommodate 1 MH-60R/S Seahawk naval helicopter as well as two MQ-8B Fire Scouts or one MQ-8C Fire Scout helicopter VTOL drones. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Russian Supreme Court upholds $7K fine imposed on journalist for terrorism justification RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 12:42 06/07/2021 MOSCOW, July 6 (RAPSI) The Supreme Court of Russia on Tuesday dismissed a cassation appeal filed by journalist of the radio Echo of Moscow in Pskov Svetlana Prokopyeva againsts imposition of 500,000-ruble ($7,000) fine on her for justifying terrorism, the courts press service told RAPSI. In July 2020, the Second West District Military Court sentenced journalist Prokopyeva to the fine. The case paper read that the journalist voiced on-air an opinion that the state authorities induced the youth to radical actions when discussing the self-destruction of a 17-year student in the premises of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in the city of Arkhangelsk. The case of Prokopyeva was submitted to prosecutors in late 2019 but it was returned to investigators for further examination. In October 2019, the Presidential Council for Human Rights applied to a prosecutor in defense of the journalist, stating that her statements could not be recognized as public justification of terrorism. Convicted of bribery ex-governor Belykh becomes defendant in new case RAPSI 13:03 06/07/2021 MOSCOW, July 6 (RAPSI) The investigating authorities have opened a criminal case over abuse of power against ex-governor of the Kirov region Nikita Belykh, the press service of the Russian Investigative Committee informs RAPSI on Tuesday. According to investigators, in 2015 Nikita Belykh, at that time the Governor of the Kirov region, acting out of his personal interest, ensured the completion of a major transaction - the conclusion of a loan agreement for JSC Kirov Regional Mortgage Corporation (K.R.I.K.) with one of the companies of the Kirov region in the amount of 320 million rubles (about $4.4 million at the current exchange rate); the funds were to be repaid with the interest due by November 2016, the Committee said in the statement. Investigators are confident that Belykh gave his subordinates instructions on the distribution of the said funds for the needs of other knowingly insolvent legal entities that were not related to the statutory goals of the activities of JSC K.R.I.K. for the purpose of short-term improvement of their financial situation, according to the statement. The money, investigators allege, was not returned to the company. However, the Commercial Court of the Kirov region ruled to collect the funds in the amount of more than 202 million rubles ($2.8 million at the current exchange rate) from the Government of the Kirov region in favor of JSC K.R.I.K. Thus, as a result of the unlawful actions of the suspect, the budget of the Kirov region suffered material damage in the said amount, what resulted in a significant violation of the rights and legally protected interests of society and the state, the Investigative Committee pointed out in the statement. On February 1, 2018, the Presnensky District Court of Moscow found Belykh guilty of taking 400,000 euros in bribes. Belykh received an 8-year prison sentence, was fined 48.2 million rubles (over $658,000 at the current exchange rate) and prohibited from holding state and municipal offices for 3 years. Later, the Moscow City Court vacated a ban to hold state and municipal positions. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on July 6, 2021 2021/07/06 Xinhua News Agency: Singapore's Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said at the 9th World Peace Forum that "China is focused on uplifting its people through economic growth, rather than seeking hegemony in Asia or challenging the US for global dominance", and that "China's growth is positive for Asia and the world". Would you like to comment on this? Zhao Lijian: We appreciate the positive remarks by ESM Goh Chok Tong. General Secretary Xi Jinping declared at the ceremony marking the centenary of the CPC that we have realized the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. This means that we have brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty in China. The journey of China's shared development with the world shows that we have not only pioneered a new and uniquely Chinese path to modernization, but also used China's new achievements in development to provide the world with new opportunities. China has repeatedly stressed that peace, concord, and harmony are ideas the Chinese nation has always carried forward while hegemony and bullying is never China's choice. We do not carry aggressive or hegemonic traits in our genes. We are against seeking selfish gains at the expense of others and zero-sum games. Our world needs to uphold cooperation and openness and reject confrontation and isolation now more than ever. We will continue to join hands with all progressive forces in the world to uphold the values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom shared by all mankind, promote world peace and shared development, reject hegemony and power politics, and work tirelessly for the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. CCTV: More than 500 Chinese students recently co-signed a letter to the Chinese Embassy in the US, saying that their visa applications were denied by the US. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: We have noted that recently some Chinese students' visa applications to study in the US were denied on the grounds that they violated Presidential Proclamation 10043 signed under the Trump administration. China expresses grave concern over this and has lodged solemn representations with the US side. People-to-people exchanges are the foundation of China-US relations. Academic, educational, scientific and technological exchanges are an important part of the bilateral people-to-people exchanges. They are of great significance to enhancing mutual understanding between the two peoples and promoting the steady development of China-US ties. Relevant US visa restrictions carry on a poisonous legacy of the Trump administration and run counter to the US statement of "welcoming Chinese students". They seriously violate the lawful rights and interests of Chinese students, and gravely undermine normal people-to-people exchanges and educational cooperation. They also contravene the concept of openness and freedom that the US claims to champion, the trend of the times for international talent exchange, and the common aspiration of the two peoples for friendly exchanges. This is nothing short of historical backpedaling. China urges the US side to correct its mistakes, review Chinese students' visa applications, stop using various excuses to restrict and suppress them, protect their legitimate and lawful rights and interests, and create a healthy atmosphere for China-US people-to-people exchanges and educational cooperation. Associated Press of Pakistan: Yesterday, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan visited Gwadar Port, an important component of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and inaugurated several development projects to further promote economic activities. Ambassadors of seven regional countries including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt and Kenya also attended the event, and expressed commitment to cooperation on the development of Gwadar. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: We are pleased to see the new progress made in Gwadar Port development. While I was posted in Pakistan, I visited Gwadar Port six times, and got quite attached to the project. It is a business cooperation project between China and Pakistan based on equality and mutual benefit. With the joint efforts made by both sides, the operational capability of the port area has fully resumed. Businesses and investment are coming into the free zone, and international transit trade continues to expand. All this plays a positive role in boosting local economic development, improving people's livelihood, and promoting regional connectivity. Meanwhile, as an important part of the CPEC, Gwadar Port follows the principles of consultation and collaboration for shared benefits, openness and transparency. China and Pakistan welcome any third party who supports the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and CPEC to take part in the Gwadar Port and other corridor projects on the basis of mutual respect, win-win cooperation and consensus through consultation to share the dividends of the BRI. I'm convinced that with concerted efforts, Gwadar Port will achieve further progress, become a regional trading hub and industrial cooperation base and play a greater role in promoting regional development and prosperity. China News Service: Statistics show that Australian agricultural products' loss of market share in China provides an opportunity for US products to fill the gap. Over the past year, US exports of wine, beef, cotton, timber, coal and other products to China have all increased. In February this year, US export of wine in containers of two liters or less to China more than tripled compared with the same month last year. Commentators in Australia point out that Australia and the US are competitors in agricultural exports, the US will not protect Australia's economic interests, and the Australian government should not blindly follow the US, but adopt a more rational attitude in handling relations with China. What is your comment? Zhao Lijian: China is stepping up efforts to foster a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. China is committed to achieving higher-quality development in a more open environment, which will unleash huge opportunities and space for cooperation. In the next 15 years, China is expected to import more than $30 trillion worth of goods. Committed to international economic and trade cooperation, China stands ready to share development opportunities with other countries and jointly build an open world economy. That being said, mutual respect is the foundation and safeguard of practical cooperation between countries. We will not allow any country to reap benefits from doing business with China while groundlessly accusing and smearing China and undermining China's core interests based on ideology. When a certain country acts as a cat's paw for others, it is the people that pay for misguided government policies. From what you mentioned in your question, we can see how such a practice has served the country concerned. CCTV: It is reported that Vincent Racaniello, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University, said in an interview that the former US administration wanted to hype up the issue of COVID-19 origins study because it meant to politicize the issue and was "not thinking about the science". He also said that "the lab story is over". Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: China has repeatedly said that the origin-tracing is a scientific matter that requires international cooperation by scientists across the globe. Regrettably, for quite some time, we have seen that scientists uphold the spirit of objectivity, impartiality and science in origin-tracing study have come under political pressure, verbal abuse and even threats. Angela Rasmussen, an American virologist who openly opposes the conspiracy theory of "lab leak", has suffered from constant cyber violence, harassment and even physical threats. Danielle Anderson, an Australian scientist who once worked at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and refuted the "lab leak" theory with her own experience, was subjected to frequent malicious abuse and intimidation. Peter Doherty, a Nobel Prize-winning Australian immunologist, said scientists who contradict the false claim of conspiracy theories are labeled "far-leftists" and even vilified. The above facts make it more clear that the so-called "origin-tracing study" by a handful of countries, such as the US, is actually political manipulation. They spare no effort to shirk responsibilities and denigrate China. They even extend their evil tentacles to the field of science to silence dissenting views. These countries, claiming to be "beacons of democracy" and "shining examples of human rights", are in the habit of pointing fingers and willfully accusing other countries of coercion, repression and violation of freedoms. However, their acquiescence, connivance and even instigation of such blatant acts of physical threats and defamation only serve to show that they are not what they claim to be. In fact, they have sinister schemes that cannot be brought to light, and they are willing to do whatever it takes for selfish political gains. Politicizing the issue of origin-tracing will only seriously hamper global cooperation in this regard, undermine global efforts to fight COVID-19 and cost more lives. Relevant countries should adopt the right attitude, respect science, immediately stop coercing scientists, stop politicizing origin-tracing, and stop undermining international solidarity and concerted efforts to fight the epidemic out of selfish interests. Bloomberg: Japan's Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said that Japan and the US would have to defend Taiwan together in the event of a major problem. He said an invasion of Taiwan by China could be seen as an existential threat, allowing Japan the right to collective self-defense. This is according to a report from Kyodo News. Does the foreign ministry have any comment on this? Zhao Lijian: Those remarks are extremely wrong and dangerous as they severely violate principles set out in the four political documents between China and Japan and undermine the political foundation of China-Japan relations. China deplores and rejects this and has lodged solemn representations with Japan. Japanese militarism once committed innumerous crimes in the aggression against China. However, some politicians are still coveting Taiwan till this day. This fully shows that they haven't learned the lesson from history. Today's China is no longer what it was back then. We will never allow anyone to meddle in the Taiwan question in any way. No one should underestimate the resolve, the will, and the ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Beijing Daily: At the opening ceremony of the ninth Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting held by Japan and Pacific island countries, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that the Pacific region faces new challenges, like the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 and competition with authoritarianism. He added that Japan attaches high importance to the debt sustainability of recipient countries. Japan's aid is different from that of China, which leads recipient countries to debt traps. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: China has all along followed the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and the principle of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith when pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation with Pacific island countries, and provided aid to them with no political strings attached to the best of our capability. The cooperation between the two sides is based on mutual trust and equal-footed consultation and aims to promote economic development and improve people's livelihood. Such cooperation has received the sincere welcome from the government and people of Pacific island countries. Certain ill-disposed countries are hyping up the allegation that China's aid leads to debt trap for Pacific island countries. Their attempt has no popular support. Speaking of challenges, Japan's plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean poses a major challenge to the environment and people's health and safety of Pacific Rim countries. Not long ago, the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum released a statement expressing concerns on behalf of leaders of members of the Forum. Rather than being busy smearing China with disinformation, the Japanese leader had better explain how it plans to avoid leading the people of Pacific island countries into an "environmental trap" with its discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean. Global Times: According to an article published by The Australian, official documents submitted by China to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) review conferences in 2011 and 2016 discussed synthesizing man-made pathogens, using viruses as "genetic weapons" and making attacks more stealthy. China's submission to the conference also states that "accidental mistakes in biotech laboratories can place mankind in great danger." The article said that China gave "terrifying warnings" in the documents. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: I noticed that report. The documents it refers to are reports on developments in biotechnology China submitted to the BWC review conferences. Review of developments in biotechnology has traditionally been an important issue within the framework of the BWC. The review conference also requires the submission of relevant reports. China offered an objective description of global developments in biotechnology in the reports, shared its analysis of the impact on the BWC, and put forward suggestions from such perspectives as how to strengthen mechanisms under the Convention. This demonstrates China's responsible attitude on Convention compliance. The Australian article takes things out of context with ulterior motives. The Chinese reports cover biotech developments around the globe, many of which are conducted in the US, including US scientists synthesising man-made pathogens. As a matter of fact, the US has always been at the forefront when it comes to conducting and funding this kind of research. The University of North Carolina, which is mentioned in the report, is one example. The Chinese reports point out potential risks posed by biotech developments, including the risk of lab leaks, which is a widely-held view in the world. It is preposterous for The Australian article to use this to hype up conspiracy theories on COVID-19. I would like to stress again that origin-tracing is a serious scientific matter. It is clearly written in the WHO-China joint mission report that "a laboratory origin of the pandemic was considered to be extremely unlikely". The right direction is to follow the requirements in the WHA resolution and conclusions and suggestions in the joint mission report, and conduct more in-depth and thorough study and cooperation in a broader scope. I would also like to stress that to strengthen lab security has always been an important issue in the field of global biosafety governance. As it happens, the US is the least transparent country in the world with the largest number of bio-labs. It is also the one and only country that stands against the establishment of a multilateral biological verification regime. Once again we call on the US to adopt a responsible attitude, respond to international concerns, offer explanations for its activities in labs at home and abroad including Fort Detrick and open them for verification. CNR: It is reported that tanks used to store nuclear waste at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was leaking in March and gel-like masses containing high-concentration radioactive substances were found in the storage area. On July 1, TEPCO said that 548 nuclear waste tanks were found to be corroded or dented, and it has repaired and strengthened the relevant containers with fiberglass tape. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: We noted relevant reports and express grave concern over the situation. This once again reveals the huge safety risks behind Japan's decision to discharge the nuclear contaminated water into the ocean. Out of its short-sighted economic interests, Japan is bent on this decision in disregard of commitments, obligations and science. It only laid bare its hypocrisy and selfishness. Japan has failed its own people. The Japanese government and TEPCO reached an agreement with several civil groups, pledging not to dispose of the nuclear contaminated water before obtaining the understanding of relevant people. By making the unilateral decision of ocean release, Japan is walking away from its people and commitments. By its repeated data-tampering and cover-ups, TEPCO hurts its own credibility with each manipulation. Japan has violated international obligations. The Japanese government claims that its decision has been approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This is misleading public opinion. The IAEA never approved or endorsed the Japanese decision to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea. IAEA expert team once said in a review report that the treated contaminated water needs to be further purified to remove radionuclides. Japan has misrepresented scientific facts. The Fukushima nuclear accident is one of the most serious in world history. The contaminated water contains a large amount of radionuclides from nuclear fission. There is no precedent for disposal of such water. The potential impact on marine environment, food safety and public health cannot be stressed too much. The Japanese side claims that the nuclear contaminated water meets the standard for discharge and is even drinkable. Behind that is more financial calculation than science-based assessment. Japan's special working group on tritium-contaminated water pointed out in a report that ocean discharge comes at the lowest cost, just one tenth of the second least expensive option, vapor release. It also takes the shortest time. Japan has been trying to build the image of a responsible country. It talks all the time about international responsibilities and obligations. However, when the moment comes for it to act responsibly, it deliberately looks the other way and keeps stonewalling and sidestepping. Such inconsistency reveals its true color. As the IAEA is working to put together a technical working group, Japan should cooperate with sincerity, act with a strong sense of responsibility for international public interest, and prudently handle relevant issues in an open, transparent and science-based manner. Once again we urge Japan not to start the ocean discharge before reaching consensus through consultation with all stakeholders and relevant international institutions. CRI: The 47th session of the Human Rights Council held a few days ago an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. China delivered a joint statement on the harm of disinformation on behalf of a group of countries. I wonder if you have any further comment about the issue of disinformation? Zhao Lijian: As the novel coronavirus rages on in many parts of the world, the political virus also seems to be spreading. Certain countries and forces, based on ideological bias and driven by selfish political gains, keep spreading disinformation, lies and rumors to attack and malign other countries. They are not just highly prolific, but have even blazed a professional trail by putting in place a rumor-mongering chain with so-called revelations by academics followed by media hype-up and leading to government actions. This works like a busy assembly line producing endless pretexts to meddle in other countries' internal affairs, impose unilateral coercive measures and suppress and contain others. The false allegations of "genocide" and "forced labor" in Xinjiang are typical examples of how they spread disinformation and attempt to use it to hold China down. Former US President Lincoln once said, "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." We hope relevant sides will stop fabricating and spreading disinformation and using it as a political tool to attack and pressure others. We hope people will see through the disinformation, lies and rumors. We also hope that visionary people in the international community will speak up for justice, expose falsehood with truth, and reveal malicious intentions with moral conscience and justice. AFP: About the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics to be held this month, could you tell us who will represent China at the official event? Zhao Lijian: China supports Japan in smoothly hosting a successful Tokyo Olympic Games. As to your specific question, I don't have anything for you at this moment. The health and welfare of the horse is of paramount concern to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and to members of the racing community. An effort to monitor weather conditions and how it will impact the racehorse is in keeping with this mandate. The AGCO has advised its Official Veterinarians and racing officials at all racetracks to remind participants to take the necessary steps to protect the horse in warm weather conditions. Dr. Adam Chambers, AGCO Senior Manager of Veterinary Services, suggests that any concerns about weather conditions impacting racing should be shared with horsepeople representatives, racing officials, track management and the Official Veterinarian. Click here for more information on temperature guidelines and the racing cancellation process. La sante et le bien-etre des chevaux sont de la plus grande importance pour la Commission des alcools et des jeux de lOntario (CAJO) et les membres de la communaute des courses de chevaux. Des efforts sont donc deployes pour surveiller les conditions meteorologiques et leur incidence sur les chevaux de course. La CAJO a demande aux veterinaires officielles et veterinaires officiels et aux officielles et officiels de courses de tous les hippodromes de rappeler aux participantes et participants de prendre les mesures necessaires pour proteger les chevaux pendant les periodes de chaleur. Le Dr Adam Chambers, chef des services veterinaires de la CAJO, invite les personnes concernees a faire part de toute preoccupation relative a lincidence des conditions meteorologiques sur les courses aux representantes et representants des professionnelles et professionnels du cheval, aux officielles et officiels de courses, aux directions des hippodromes et a la veterinaire officielle ou au veterinaire officiel. Pour de plus amples renseignements sur les directives concernant la temperature et sur le processus dannulation des courses, consultez le document suivant. (AGCO) Nobles Properties, an international real estate developer, said one of its units Shahd Jordan Real Estate Development Company, has reached an agreement with Jordan-based Manaseer Group to acquire a residential development on the Airport Road in the capital Amman. Shahd Jordan Real Estate Development Company signed the purchase agreement with the Manaseer Investment Group at the latters headquarters. The projects acquisition is the continuation of Nobles' first project in the area, AlShahd City. Omar Ayesh, the Chairman of Nobles Properties, authorised the acquisition of a residential development on the Airport Road as part of the groups expansion plans. This agreement is the second of its kind in Jordan and reflects Nobles expansion strategy focused on unique mixed us properties, noted Ayesh. "We create distinctive lifestyle developments and this project fits in line with our vision of setting new standards of real estate. We will continue our growth plans and ensure we offer our customers only assets with exceptional components," he added. Shahd Jordan acquired the property along with all prior permissions the government granted and will fulfil all regulatory requirements associated with housing projects as well as completing private infrastructure works. Wael Qassem, CEO of Shahd, signed the agreement with Muin Qadada, Vice Chairman of the Manaseer Group for the project. "The initial phases of our project, which offered plots of land as well as completed villas, are considered among the fastest selling in Amman," he said. The new expansion will offer 42 residential plots and two commercial plots at competitive rates once the development works get completed.-TradeArabia News Service Abu Dhabi's state-owned airport operator has cancelled a contract with a consortium, led by Turkey's TAV Insaat, and UAE-based Arabtec and Greece-headquartered Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) as its members, for a terminal at the airport, said a report. The deal for the AED10.8 billion ($2.94 billion) Midfield Terminal Building was scrapped after the group over-ran project costs, reported Reuters, citing senior sources. Abu Dhabi Airports and TAV Insaat declined comment. Arabtec, which filed for liquidation in January, and CCC representatives could not be reached for comment. The terminal, which is still under construction and was once scheduled to open in 2017, has been plagued by years of delays. Abu Dhabi Airports in 2019 said that construction of the new terminal was 97.6% complete. Two sources said Abu Dhabi-headquartered Trojan had been awarded the contract to finish the terminal's construction. RIB Schneider Group, a developer of cutting-edge digital technologies for construction enterprises and projects across various industries, has merged five of its subsidiaries - ICS Support, Intech, Levtech Consulting, RIB Cloud and SaaSplaza - into a new integrated cloud provider, InTWO. The merger has resulted in a global team of technology experts, hundreds of Microsoft certifications and over 10 Gold competencies across various Microsoft technology streams. Each company is proficient in cloud services, including cloud migrations, so the combination provides scale advantages to clients. Levtech is a global leader in Microsoft Business Applications, Data and AI, Intech provides world-class services in IP telephony, collaboration and workplace services, ICS has a strong track record in security and consulting services across the United States, and SaaSplaza is a certified Azure Expert and focuses on managed business applications. The new cloud service provider, InTWO, will help businesses achieve more with cloud technology by delivering a full portfolio of Microsoft Cloud services at a global scale to clients. It will offer a comprehensive range of cloud technology services to deliver digital transformation, covering consulting services, cloud migration, infrastructure management and Azure managed services, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and business applications, MTWO, Microsoft 365, Modern Workplace and collaboration technology, and Data and AI. "With our shared values of technology passion, innovation and customer centricity, we are embarking on this new journey to bring technical skills, global resource pools and operational scale to meet growing digital needs in the 4th industrial revolution," said Berend-Jan van Maanen, the CEO of InTWO. With integrated technology capabilities across the Microsoft Cloud, InTWO will drive digital transformation across enterprise businesses globally in a secure, resilient, and efficient manner. "With this strong combination we aim to help clients even better adapt new cloud technologies for competitive advantage," stated Maanen. With InTWO, RIB Schneider Group and Microsoft deepen expertise through industry focus on priority verticals in alignment, and partner in terms of go-to-market, product innovation and service delivery automation, he added. On the key merger, Yvonne Chebib, One Commercial Partner Lead, UAE, Microsoft, said: "RIB Schneider Group has long been a pioneer, working with Microsoft on cloud and digital transformation. Combining vertical industry expertise with a full-service cloud portfolio across data and applications is a value proposition we endorse fully." "We look forward to continuing our partnership and bringing the future of work to life together," he stated. "We are very glad to take Levtechs journey forward with our sister organizations from within the RIB Schneider Group. As InTWO, we offer a comprehensive, integrated set of Microsoft cloud technology supported by high quality consulting services," noted Chebib. Anilesh Kumar, EVP Business Applications and Founder, InTWO, said: "We believe that every organizations cloud transformation needs to be architected and deployed in a holistic manner." "There are significant advantages to gain through this integrated approach, where cloud infrastructure services, business applications, productivity tools and Data and AI come together," added Kumar A wholly-owned subsidiary of stock-listed RIB Schneider group, InTWO is a leading full-service managed services provider (MSP) for Microsoft Azure and business-critical applications with over 20 years of experience. It provides services to over 1,000 enterprise clients in over 40 countries, from 9 offices across the world.-TradeArabia News Service King Salman Energy Park (Spark) has signed a MoU with King Faisal University in Al Ahsa for collaboration on environmental preservation and renewable energy studies. The partnership with King Faisal University builds on Sparks core values of encouraging social and environmental responsibility, the promotion of operational efficiency, and strengthening connections with neighboring communities. In line with Sparks mission to become the worlds leading energy-centric ecosystem, the agreement will aid in the development of innovative solutions for renewable energy and their application to the Kingdoms distribution grids, sustainable landscaping, minimizing environmental impact and dedicated studies on sand movement and irrigation. Regarded as one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the kingdom, King Faisal University, established in 1975, strives for excellence in international cooperation and knowledge exchange in education and scientific research. Agreements with the university aim to reinforce academic research activities through dedicated programs and MoUs that support the exchange of expertise, innovation, and scientific cooperation. "Through its scientific chairs programme, the University aims to build partnership bridges with local institutions to contribute to achieving excellence in research and higher education, with a focus on current and innovative trends that will support the kingdoms growth. Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Ohali said: "As part of King Faisal Universitys framework, we encourage industry cooperation, working with the most important partners to achieve the relevant national goals, especially in fields related to the energy system." "The University, through its relationship with King Salman Energy Park, is keen to work on major participatory projects, harnessing educational, research and advisory resources to serve the energy parks mission, in a manner that enhances opportunities for the University to be positioned at the heart of SPARKs business system and its projects," he noted. President and CEO Saif Al Qahtani said: "This agreement with King Faisal University is one of many important partnerships built to encourage continued innovation and development both at Spark and for the kingdom as a whole." "Reinforcing our commitment to innovation and sustainability, leveraging the academic excellence of institutions like King Faisal University is a key step in ensuring we have the knowledge and expertise to support our long-term development," noted Al Qahtani. The MoU with King Faisal University is one of many agreements that Spark has signed with national institutions to support innovation and collaboration, aimed at catalysing the kingdoms development. Serving as a platform upon which the worlds energy sector can build an integrated future, Spark is committed to supporting research and development programs that will contribute to the realization of the Kingdoms Vision 2030.-TradeArabia News Service Omans Asyad Express, an arm of Asyad Group, has signed an agreement with Vodafone Oman to provide Asyad with integrated logistics services through Vodafones implementation and accomplishment centre. The execution centre of Asyad Express, set up on an area of 3,000 sq m, offers innovative and assorted services in the field of storage, preparation and shipping of consignments and parcels, including last mile delivery, locally and internationally, and reverse logistics management, reported Oman News Agency (ONA). The centre makes use of its ideal location in the vicinity of Muscat International Airport. It is fully supplied with modern equipment designed to provide innovative services to trade partners, individuals and local and international firms, providing all with the fastest, most advanced and most efficient postal solutions. Nassir Ahmed al-Sharji, Acting CEO of Asyad Express, said: Our integrated logistics services saw rapid development recently at local and regional fronts. The company seeks to capture new opportunities in order to advance our mission to spearhead the growth of the logistics sector in Oman. Vodafone will enable us to expand this growth and provide our clients with more comprehensive services that cater to their needs, thanks to the preparedness of our facilities to empower electronic business in all parts of the Sultanate, al-Sharji added. Lujaina Saif al-Kharusi, Head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs at Vodafone Oman, said, Our Implementation Centre is well received and is gaining growing eminence among clients due to its outstanding services and affordable prices. This partnership will enable us to provide a full package of advanced end-to-end delivery and distribution services, he added. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) recently announced increasing its electricity production capacity up to 12,900 megawatts (MW) and 490 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) of desalinated water. Dewa's Jebel Ali Power and Desalination Complex is one of the key pillars to provide Dubai with high-quality, efficient and reliable electricity and water services. The Complex has been confirmed by Guinness World Records as the largest single-site natural gas power generation facility in the world at a capacity of 9,547 MW. The complex comprises two main plants for power generation and water desalination. Plant -1 with a production capacity of 2,761 MW consists of stations D, E, and G. Plant-2 with a production capacity of 6,786 MW consists of stations K, L, and M. "Dewa has outlined expansion plans for the energy and water infrastructure based on demand forecasts until 2030. Innovation is a key pillar in developing our work system and improving our services to the highest standards by increasing the use of disruptive technologies and the latest Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI); Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs); Blockchain; Energy Storage; Internet of Things (IoT), and others," said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dewa. 100% Emiratisation in leadership positions The complex's power generation and water desalination plants use world-class technologies, state-of-the-art smart solutions, and advanced technology systems, managed by Emiratis with the highest skills and capacity. The employees are the most important success factors for Dewa's Generation division. All of the division's top management are Emiratis, whilst in managerial positions, they make 32% of the workforce. The Generation division supports Dewa's efforts in increasing the role of Emirati talent. Emirati engineers comprise around 42% of the total 74 engineers in the mechanical maintenance department. Nasser Lootah, Executive Vice President of Generation at Dewa, said that Dewa's implementation of the latest innovative technologies has resulted in improving generation efficiency by 33.41% in 2020 compared to 2006. This resulted in considerable financial savings and reduced carbon emissions by 31%. This is equivalent to planting 327 million trees to offset the CO2 emissions. Nitrogen oxide emissions were reduced by 74% and sulphur dioxide by 99%. TradeArabia News Service Rockwell Automation, a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation, said it has entered into an agreement to acquire Plex Systems, a leading cloud-native smart manufacturing platform operating at scale, for $2.22 billion in cash. Plex offers the only single-instance, multi-tenant SaaS manufacturing platform operating at scale, including advanced manufacturing execution systems, quality, and supply chain management capabilities. It has over 700 customers and manages more than 8 billion transactions per day. Plexs software capabilities will be further differentiated by Rockwells global market access, complementary industry expertise, and ability to turn real-time data into actionable insights. "This acquisition will accelerate our strategy to bring the Connected Enterprise to life, driving faster time to value for our customers as they increasingly adopt cloud solutions to improve resilience, agility, and sustainability in their operations," remarked Blake Moret, Chairman and CEO of Rockwell Automation. "Combining Plexs cutting-edge cloud technology with Rockwells existing software portfolio and domain expertise will add customer value and create more ways to win. The acquisition will also accelerate our software revenue growth and strengthen our annual recurring revenue streams," he stated. Rockwell Automation pointed out that a growing dilemma for manufacturers was the urgent need to increase production and improve resilience, while driving efficiency and compliance. Companies are increasingly seeking to upgrade their production systems with modern, cloud-based manufacturing execution systems that are easy to implement, use, and maintain. Plexs platform helps customers to connect, automate, track, and analyze their operations and connected supply chains. "Rockwell believes in the power of data and technology to transform manufacturing and industrial operations," stated Brian Shepherd, Senior VP, Software and Control, for Rockwell Automation. The acquisition will be financed with a combination of cash and short-term and long-term debt, he stated. "Together with the advanced asset maintenance and management capabilities provided by our recent Fiix acquisition, Rockwell will have a strong portfolio of cloud-native solutions for our customers production systems upon completion of the Plex acquisition," he added. Plex will be reported as part of Rockwells Software and Control operating segment which provides leading hardware and software offerings for the design, operation, and maintenance of production automation and management systems. As a part of the acquisition, Rockwell will welcome more than 500 highly engaged new employees. On the deal, CEO Bill Berutti said: "Plex has always been more than a company. We have been a leader in the movement to smart manufacturing and a trusted partner to more than 700 manufacturing companies around the globe." "Joining forces with Rockwell is great for our customers, our partners, and our employees as we move to expand our reach and impact and accelerate our mission to bring manufacturing to the cloud," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Gulf Craft, one of the worlds leading shipbuilders, has announced a strategic partnership with P&O Marinas, DP Worlds collection of world-class luxury marinas and picturesque harbours, to open its dedicated Sales Centre at Mina Rashid Marina. This also marks the ambitious expansion plans of Gulf Craft into Dubai, where the company aims to strengthen its product and service offering. To coincide with the launching of the new Sales Centre in Mina Rashid Marina, Gulf Craft has launched a new customer-focused campaign for its Nomad, long range explorer yachts that are designed to meet the lifestyle aspirations of the adventurer seafarers. Designed for the rugged mariners, who love the challenges of the sea and wish to explore further afield, the Nomad is a marquee brand of Gulf Craft with buyers already from across the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Australia. Gulf Craft will offer competitive rates for new Nomad explorer yacht buyers in addition to free berthing for a year at Mina Rashid Marina, regarded as the regions most sought-after superyacht destination for boat owners, their friends, family, and crew. Gulf Craft Chairman Mohammed Alshaali said: With the return of marine centric activities in the region and to leverage Dubais position as a hub for the yachting community, we are further expanding our presence in the Emirate. We are proud to open our new Sales Centre in Mina Rashid Marina, which has a rich legacy in addition to being a lifestyle hub that will appeal to yacht owners. Gulf Craft CEO Talal Nasralla added: Mina Rashid Marina is fast evolving as a hub for marine enthusiasts from across the world. In addition to opening our Sales Centre, we are launching a dedicated campaign to promote our Nomad brand, providing new customers the opportunity to experience not only the distinctive experience of this explorer yacht but also the diverse offering of Mina Rashid Marina. Hamza Mustafa, COO of P&O Marinas, added: Mina Rashid Marina provides a complete ecosystem for marine enthusiasts. As a luxury waterfront destination, we enable yacht owners to explore the high seas with ease while also providing a vibrant dining and lifestyle scene on ground. We are delighted to welcome Gulf Craft, a company with a strong heritage in building world-class yachts in the UAE. Their new Sales Centre will add to the convenience of the yachting community. Mina Rashid Marina is the main port of entry for all international superyachts visiting Dubai and has the capacity to host some of the worlds biggest superyachts. It has a berthing capacity of 424 yachts between 15-80 metres, in addition to seven alongside berths to accommodate superyachts that are over 80 metres, making the marina one of the most comprehensive in the Middle East. Gulf Craft will host Open Days on July 6 and 7 at Port Rashid Marina, where several Nomad boats and SUVs will be on display. The event will welcome boat lovers, media, and the wider community to discover the explorer boat. Launched at the 2015 Dubai International Boat Show, Gulf Crafts Nomad explorer yachts are a top-favourite among marine enthusiasts with six models to choose from: The original Nomad boat series Nomad 55, Nomad 65 and Nomad 75 as well as the SUV Collection comprising Nomad 65 SUV, Nomad 75 SUV and Nomad 95 SUV. The Nomad series stands out for the on-water living experience that suits adventurers and its powerful performance. Its design is the realisation of the vision of celebrated British naval architect Andrew Wolstenholme. Working with Gulf Crafts in-house design team, he has created a long-range adventure yacht that can master all weather conditions and assure top-notch comfort as the Nomad owners explore distant horizons. Designed to fulfil the spirit of marine adventure, the Nomad explorers have a semi displacement hybrid hull, a design that sets the boat apart and provides its distinctive seakeeping and ocean-going capability. The hull design enables her to cut through rough seas with a much smoother motion. The Nomad SUVs are regarded as an industry game changer, with the innovative vessels assuring safety, comfort and functionality in designs suited for adventurous families and deep ocean travellers. Unique features include its master cabin being at the main deck level not below the hull as in other boats of an equivalent size. They also feature an enclosed sky lounge on the upper deck, also unique in its class. All Nomad explorers use the latest construction materials such as carbon fibre and Kevlar in the deck and fly-bridge increasing stiffness, reducing weight and enhancing stability. Founded in the United Arab Emirates in 1982, Gulf Craft has three facilities in the UAE and the Maldives and has a manufacturing capacity of 200 boats per year. The company has built more than 10,000 boats already, serving clients around the world, including its flagship Majesty 175, the worlds largest composite production superyacht. -- TradeArabia News Service Zain Bahrain, the leading Mobile Broadband network operator in the kingdom has selected Ericsson to expand its 4G and 5G coverage as well as introduce 5G low-band (sub-6GHz FDD) and mid-band (sub-6GHz TDD) Carrier Aggregation. Zain Bahrain is continuously evolving and expanding its 5G network using latest innovations. Carrier Aggregation is a technology that combines multiple channels of the spectrum to provide greater efficiency for data being transmitted over a wireless network, enabling Zain Bahrain to deliver high-quality content and services at higher transfer rates. This deployment is in line with Zain Bahrain's strategy to develop and enhance its 5G network across Bahrain. With the deployment of Ericsson 5G Carrier Aggregation solution, Zain Bahrain can support the 5G uplink operating on a lower band than the 5G downlink which operates on both low-band and mid-band, thereby providing subscribers with enhanced 5G coverage across the country and additionally increasing network capacity to accommodate users and increase data speeds. The coverage extension benefits of low-band and mid-band Carrier Aggregation reduces the need to densify 5G mid-band new sites, making it an energy efficient way to handle data increase. Implementation of 5G low-band and mid-band Carrier Aggregation delivers enhanced network capacity along with improved 5G speeds and higher reliability, allowing consumers to enjoy optimised video streaming and faster downloads over 4G services. Ali Al-Yaham, Director of Technology at Zain Bahrain said: Were committed to providing a seamless experience for our customers in Bahrain, and this latest Ericsson deployment allows us to continue to provide better coverage and faster download speeds in a digital-first world. In line with Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 and the Telecommunication Regulatory Authoritys objectives, were providing world-class networks and improving our service to customers across the kingdom. Wojciech Bajda, Vice President and Head of Ericsson GCC said: Were proud to have been supporting Zain Bahrain since 2014, and this latest extension of our ongoing partnership demonstrates their continued confidence in our end-to-end solutions. As a game changer for harnessing valuable, mid-band spectrum 5G Carrier Aggregation will help meet the increasing demand for mobile data. It will give Zain Bahrain subscribers access to higher speeds of the mid-band plus coverage extension across the nation of the mid-bands when aggregating with the low-band. Zain Bahrain is committed to providing the most advanced technology support to the 5G network ecosystem in the Kingdom. This deployment sets a new benchmark of excellence that delivers an overall enriched customer experience. The company has the most advanced network but continues to invest in the latest technologies that accelerate the digitisation process and remains determined to strengthen its reach and solidify its position as a telecom innovator. -- TradeArabia News Service A delegation from Film AlUla has arrived at Cannes Film Festival to promote international film and TV production in AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and cultural significance globally in northwest Saudi Arabia. Having launched at the Berlinale earlier this year, this is the first appearance for the destination at Cannes. Film AlUla also announced its new facilitates which will accommodate 150 film crew and will include production offices and recreational facilities as well as an outdoor cinema. The first phase of construction is already underway with accommodation to be available by the end of 2021. The Cannes Film Festival, celebrating its 74th edition, will take place from July 6 to 16, 2021. Film AlUla will showcase an extraordinary, mostly unexplored destination which presents filmmakers and the world at large with some of earths most sensational scenery. The vast scope of impressive landscapes located along what was historically known as the Incense Route, is home to 200,000 years of history. Including the ancient city of Hegra, the Kingdoms first UNESCO World Heritage Site, the region features historical sites dating back to the Neolithic era through to the Ancient Arabian Kingdoms of the Dadanites and Nabataeans, the Roman era and the early Islamic period. The terrain features breath-taking rock formations, volcanic craters, luscious oasis, untouched wilderness, fascinating wildlife, microclimates, and vast sandstone canyons. The extraordinary sweeping vistas present the perfect backdrop for a wide range of genres such as historical epics, fantasy adventures, extra-terrestrial worlds, and dramatic war movies, and can stand in for an array of different locations, countries, cities, or even another period in time. AlUla is beginning to attract a growing number of international and regional productions. It will soon welcome the upcoming action thriller Kandahar, directed by Ric Roman Waugh and starring Gerard Butler. Many local productions including Noura, directed by Tawfiq Al-Zaidi, will also shoot in AlUla, the latter partly financed by the Film Commission at the Ministry of Culture. The region is also attracting a broad range of documentary projects due to its many layers of rich history and culture and untold stories. Production companies who choose to film in AlUla can benefit from a range of incentives such as free bespoke production support, location scouting, expert knowledge of filming in Saudi, assistance in sourcing equipment and professional crew locally and regionally, and, of course, year-round sunshine. Producers can expect a production-friendly setup location, a range of accommodation options with a skilled English-speaking team of experienced and established production experts to guide and support them every step of the way. As well as the new fit-for-purpose film crew accommodation, a range of other accommodation includes the 100 guest room Habitas AlUla, and the 79 room Banyan Tree Ashar Resort, both set to open this Autumn. Film AlUla will be based in the Saudi Pavilion, number 120, at the Festival alongside the Saudi film commission, Ministry of Investment, Red Sea International Film Festival, Neom, MBC, Ithra, Nebras Films, Cinewave, Telfaz 11 and Arabian Pictures. The Pavilion, located in the International Village, will host several industry gatherings to build international relationships within the industry and share with a global audience the development of Saudi Arabias flourishing film and TV industry. Stephen Strachan, Film Commissioner at The Royal Commission for AlUla, explained: Our objective at Cannes Film Festival is to connect with the international film industry to introduce AlUla as a truly unique and exciting film destination, now open for international production. The Festival is the perfect platform to boost the development of the film-friendly ecosystem within the country, highlight the young pool of talent and experienced crew, and showcase this region of outstanding natural beauty and cultural significance which set it apart as a truly dynamic filming destination. -- TradeArabia News Service Lufthansa will operate direct flights three times a week with the Airbus A350-900 from Munich to Dubai from October 1 to April 23, just in time for the winter half-year and coinciding with the opening of Expo 2020 Dubai. LH 638 starts with ideal flight times: Departure from Munich is at 10:30 p.m., arrival in Dubai at 6:40 a.m. the following day. The return flight departs at 8:30 a.m. and arrives in Munich at 12:50 p.m. "We are pleased to be able to offer an attractive long-haul destination as a new route from Munich for the first time since the pandemic began. Due to the high demand, Munich is the third hub of the Lufthansa Group to add Dubai to its flight schedule, after Frankfurt and Zurich, said Stefan Kreuzpaintner, Head of the Munich hub and Head of Sales for the Lufthansa Group. And for the first time, our passengers will be able to travel from Munich to the Emirates on the most sustainable long-haul aircraft in our fleet: the Airbus A350-900. Lufthansa already flew from Munich to Dubai from 2003 to 2016, most recently with an Airbus A330. The services offered on board and the procedures before and during the flight have therefore been adapted to the current regulatory requirements. Among other things, this applies to the distance rules for boarding and disembarking and the obligation to wear a medical mask. Hepa filters also clean the cabin air, comparable to an operating room. TradeArabia News Service Dubai-based dnata, a global air services provider, has deployed 8,500 highly trained staff to provide the highest level of service and safety to 85 airlines and their passengers across three terminals, including Terminal 1 at Dubai International (DXB). During June, July and August dnata expects to handle over 6,300 flights in Dubai from around the world. This volume means the dnata teams at DXB will handle a flight every 21 minutes, on average. The people resources required for a turnaround varies; a Boeing 737 takes 16 people, while the A380 super jumbo requires at least 52 people, and is a coordinated effort. Each member of the dnata team has a role they need to execute with extreme precision to ensure the aircraft is ready for its next journey and next group of passengers, baggage and cargo. Jaffar Dawood, dnatas Senior Vice President for DXB Airline Services, said: Although it may take longer than originally predicted, we have no doubts that international travel will return. People will travel to see their friends and families for the first time in years, businesses will once again meet across borders to collaborate, and explorers will return to discovering the world. With our dedicated team, we are prepared to help all individuals and businesses safely reconnect across the world through Dubai and our other hubs by consistently delivering best-in-class services for them at every stage of their journey. dnata has been working closely with Dubai Airports to maximise safety for passengers throughout their airport journey, from check-in to boarding. Check-in desks at the airport are installed with protective barriers and expanded waiting areas help passengers observe social distancing. The boarding process is facilitated by dnatas boarding agents who wear the required PPE and ensure that passengers board in small numbers. dnata has also enhanced its aircraft cabin cleaning services. The process involves extensive cleaning with a stronger disinfectant, and includes a comprehensive wipedown of all surfaces. The on-board cleaning chemicals are approved by the relevant authorities and proven to kill viruses and germs. They leave a long-lasting protective coating against new contamination of viruses, bacteria and fungi on surfaces, and are eco-friendly. A dedicated quality team and shift managers oversee the cleaning on the majority of flights. In addition to its ground and passenger handling services, dnata also provides innovative Home Check-in, Meet & Greet and Lounge services for passengers through its airport hospitality brand, marhaba. Taking advantage of marhabas innovative solutions, customers can enjoy complete peace of mind throughout their journey, from a quick and easy home check-in process, including COVID-19 testing, to the delivery of their disinfected baggage at their destination airport. Marhaba has implemented a number of measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of passengers amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Each Meet & Greet agent has been thoroughly trained on health and safety protocols, and wears a mask and abides by social distancing guidelines while assisting passengers at the airports. marhaba's chauffeurs also adhere to safety protocols, and the cars undergo strict disinfecting procedures after each trip. Marhaba has reopened 4 airport lounges at DXB. All lounges offer touchless payment options and frequently undergo increased cleaning and sanitisation with a specific focus on high-touch surfaces. Senior travellers and their family member can enjoy the services in designated zones. TradeArabia News Service The fifth edition of the Women in Aviation (WIA) Middle East Chapters General Assembly, held as a co-located event of the 20th edition of the Airport Show at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), has awarded scholarships worth over $50,000 and honoured women who are helping the aviation industry gain gender diversity. For the first time, an exclusive awards programme had been conducted to honour the rising stars in aviation. The WIA General Assembly featured the first of its kind awards in the Mena region designed to recognize the achievements of organizations and individuals working in the aviation and aerospace domains in more than 19 countries. The recognition includes honouring key women who have been helping gender diversity in the aviation industry. This years winner is Lilit Tshughuryan who established and runs Akademikka Training Institute in Dubai. The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA)-approved institute offers professional development courses in aviation and other domains. The award in the Educational Institution category for attracting the maximum number of students went to Alpha Aviation Academy (AAA) which is managed by Air Arabia and has state-of-the-art facilities for the pilots training. It is the Middle Easts leading pilot training provider and one of the largest providers of the Multi-Crew Pilot License in the world. It has trained over 650 students with more than 400 graduates who went on to fly with MENAs first LCC based out of Sharjah. Mervat Sultan, Co-founder and President of WIA Middle East Chapter and one of the rst women in the Arab world to obtain an FAA-GCAA ight dispatch license, said the movement towards enlisting more women in aviation in the Middle East region remains a continuous endeavour and this years event has been a big hit. Sultan, an executive at RamJet Aviation, an aviation support company, said this year WIA Middle East Chapter provided scholarships worth over US$50,000. Nasima Harraq, Michelle Troccoli and Chelsea R. Montgomery received Crew Resource Management (CRM) training course from Wolston Sky founded in Ras Al Khaimah to empower and educated aviation professionals by Captain Christina Tervo. Zineb Mohamed Sharif received two-year-duration full scholarship for the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) from Vision Concept Aviation Training Institute (VCATI), a leading aviation learning hub founded in 2013 by Captain Mohammed Al Suwaidi, a former Flight Operation Inspector at UAEs General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). Captain Mohamed Al Suwaidi, CEO of VCATI, said: "Our institute is open to students from all nationalities. In line with our policy to support the local community, we will start from the beginning of the next academic year giving a free scholarship annually to one of the deserving students to enrich new competencies in the aviation engineering sector that has huge potential." The Middle East will have demand for 2945 new commercial aircraft over the next two decades, according to the Boeing. The American companys Pilot and Technician Outlook 2020-2039 says the Middle East region will require 63,000 pilots, 63,000 technicians and 108,000 Cabin Crew members during this period. A report by Oliver Wyman says the Middle East airlines fleet size is projected to grow 2.1 per cent over the coming five years. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are the two key aviation markets in the region, together constituting approximately 73 per cent of the total fleet size in the AGCC aviation sector.-TradeArabia News Service Expo Al Dhaid, the sister concern of Expo Centre Sharjah, is set to host the first Eid Al Adha Exhibition from July 7 to 10, the only event of its kind to be held in the UAE that aims to help residents and visitors celebrate the occasion. Al Kadi Exhibitions, in association with Expo Centre Sharjah, will organise the event at Expo Al Dhaid, bringing together leading retailers to the Central Region in the run up to Eid Al Adha. Eid Al Adha is just a few weeks away, and is a time for family get-togethers, gift giving and special prayers. We have been organising pre-Ramadan, Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha consumer events at Expo Centre Sharjah and Expo Khor Fakkan. This is the first time such a fair is being held at Expo Al Dhaid. We are happy to associate with Al Kadi Exhibitions to bring the event to Al Dhaid, said Saif Al Midfa, CEO, Expo Centre Sharjah. The Eid Al Adha Exhibition at Expo Al Dhaid will offer a tranquil shopping experience away from citys hustle for residents from across the Northern Emirates and the country. Known for its culture, date palm plantations, camel races, souks, and as a vacation spot, Al Dhaid will now add one more attraction with the launch of the Eid Al Adha Exhibition, added Al Midfa. The exhibition will feature a wide range of perfumes, abayas, fashion accessories, cosmetics, gift items, consumer goods and traditional cuisine by scores of retailers. We are a key player in Dubai, regularly organising events there, but it is for the first time that we are venturing to the Northern Emirates. The event will be a boon for residents of the Northern Emirates to prepare for the upcoming Eid Al Adha. But I am sure that it will be equally appealing to the residents from across the country given the unique location and characteristics of Al Dhaid, said Um Ahmed, CEO of Al Kadi Exhibitions. With a long public holiday on cards for Eid Al Adha, which is likely to begin from the third week of July, an event like the Eid Al Adha Exhibition will help residents stock up for get-togethers, feasts and short vacations or staycations well in advance. Since the event extends to the weekend, residents can also combine a leisure and shopping trip, covering the event as well as other attractions in Al Dhaid. The Eid Al Adha Exhibition will run from 4 pm to 10 pm at Expo Al Dhaid. TradeArabia News Service On June 3rd, the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, California took delivery of their freshly-restored LTV A-7B Corsair II. A crane carefully winched the now-pristine naval attack aircraft onto the flight deck of the retired aircraft carrier, USS Midway, the museums home. Over the past two years, museum personnel and volunteers lavished more than 2,000 hours of restoration labor on the aircraft in a workshop at nearby Naval Air Station North Island; she now looks resplendent in livery worn by the Warhawks of Attack Squadron VA-97. The Corsair II is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. She rolled off Chance-Voughts production line in Dallas, Texas as an A-7B-1-CV during early 1968, with the U.S. Navy taking delivery of the aircraft soon after with the Bureau Number 154370. Her first squadron was the Golden Warriors of VA-87, which she joined at NAS Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Florida during early June 1968. Interestingly, this unit was the first US Navy fleet squadron to field the type. They deployed aboard USS Ticonderoga for a period from June 27th through August 3rd, after which Bu.154370 returned to Cecil Field to join VA-174. With this unit, pilots of the newly-reformed VA-15 trained up on the A-7, later absorbing some of VA-174s assets, including the Corsair II in this story. Bu.154370 remained with VA-15 for five years, which included carrier deployments aboard USS Intrepid (8 Apr 26 Jun 69) and USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (26 Jun 69 27 Oct 71 and 23 Sept 74 22 Jun 75). After her final tour aboard the FDR, she returned to Cecil Field in June, 1975. That November the Corsair II joined a Naval Reserve Unit, VA-205, at NAS Atlanta in Georgia and NAS Jacksonville. In February, 1978 she moved to another reserve unit, VA-304 at NAS Alameda, staging with the Firebirds through various other bases they deployed from over the next six years before brief stints with VA-205 again at NAS Atlanta (24 Nov83 16 Mar84) and VA-204 at NAS New Orleans (1 Jun 22 Sep84). She joined her final unit, VA-305, at NAS Point Magu in June, 1986, but did not linger here long, as she flew into storage at NAS North Island that December. The Navy struck her from their books on January 30th, 1987. The aircraft has been on display at the USS Midway Museum since the museum opened in 2004, but exposure to the elements aboard the carriers flight deck had taken a toll, which necessitated some restorative work. As a consequence, the aircraft was removed from display and sent to NAS North Island for some TLC a couple of years ago. Fully refurbished, she should be ready for another extended period on public display aboard the carrier. While it is difficult to maintain historic aircraft on outside display longterm, under these circumstances, positioned on the flight deck as they might have been during their service lives, they provide a far more compelling storytelling device. USS Midway is obviously exposed to the elements too, which makes her maintenance an expensive and long-term investment, but she had a remarkable career, and her history is important to preserve for future generations, as the museums website so aptly describes The USS Midway was the longest-serving aircraft carrier in the 20th century. Named after the climactic Battle of Midway of June 1942, Midway was built in only 17 months, but missed World War II by one week when commissioned on September 10, 1945. Midway was the first in a three-ship class of large carriers that featured an armored flight deck and a powerful air group of 120 planes. From the beginning of its service, the Midway played key roles in the Cold War. In 1946 it became the first American carrier to operate in the midwinter sub-Arctic, developing new flight deck procedures. The following year Midway became the only ship to launch a captured German V-2 rocket. The trials success became the dawn of naval missile warfare. Just two years after that, Midway sent a large patrol plane aloft to demonstrate that atomic bombs could be delivered by a carrier. Midway served with the Atlantic Fleet for ten years, making seven deployments to European waters, patrolling the soft underbelly of NATO. A round-the-world cruise took Midway to the west coast in 1955, where it was rebuilt with an angled deck to improve jet operations. Midways first combat deployment came in 1965 flying strikes against North Vietnam. Midway aircraft shot down three MiGs, including the first air kill of the war. However, 17 Midway aircraft were lost to enemy fire during this cruise. In 1966 Midway was decommissioned for a four-year overhaul. Over a chaotic two day period during the fall of Saigon in April 1975, Midway was a floating base for large Air Force helicopters which evacuated more than 3,000 desperate refugees during Operation Frequent Wind. As potential threats to the Arabian oil supply grew, and to relieve strain on U. S.-based carriers, Midway transferred to Yokosuka, Japan, making it the first American carrier home ported abroad. In 1990 Midway deployed to the Persian Gulf in response to the Iraqi seizure of Kuwait. In the ensuing Operation Desert Storm, Midway served as the flagship for naval air forces in the Gulf and launched more than 3,000 combat missions with no losses. Its final mission was the evacuation of civilian personnel from Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines after the20th centurys largest eruption of nearby Mount Pinatubo. On April 11, 1992 the Midway was decommissioned in San Diego and remained in storage in Bremerton, Washington until 2003 when it was donated to the 501(c)3 nonprofit San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum organization. It opened as the USS Midway Museum in June 2004. For more information about the USS Midway museum, please visit www.midway.org Donor Days Blood Drive Concludes Today By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - This year's Donor Days summer blood appeal in downtown Paducah concludes today at the Schroeder Expo Center.The American Red Cross invites anyone who is eligible to donate blood. All blood types are needed today from 7 am until 7 pm.Having a COVID-19 vaccine does not prevent anyone from being a blood donor, and those who have been vaccinated do not need to wear a mask at the event.Red Cross officials said participation through Wednesday afternoon was much less than anticipated, and they are behind their goal for this event, which usually has a great turnout.Vacations and holidays can have a negative impact on summer blood drives, but this year has been especially tough, and the Red Cross says the need for blood is critical. One person's blood gift can help up to three people who visit the emergency room, undergo surgery or have chemotherapy treatment.Everyone who donates will get a Red Cross t-shirt, and Pizza Inn is supplying free food to donors. Hourly door prizes are also being given away.You can make an appointment in advance by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or drivers license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in.Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.While all blood types are needed, people with types O, A negative, and B negative blood are encouraged to make a Power Red donation at this blood drive. Power Red donors give a concentrated dose of red blood cells during a single donation, allowing them to maximize their impact. By Yuan Chong On June 28, Yasuhide Nakayama, Japanese Deputy Defense Minister called Taiwan a "country" in an online seminar hosted by Hudson Institute, an American conservative research institute, and claimed that it was "uncertain" whether it is right to pursue the one-China policy. Yasuhide Nakayamas words were severely refuted by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson of MFA criticized his words and pointed out that such an act was a flagrant violation of the spirit of the four China-Japan political documents signed since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. Recent days have seen Japans continuous challenges on China's bottom line. On June 9, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called Taiwan a country when meeting with Australia and New Zealands political party leaders. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi kept talking about the Taiwan question on many occasions. He claimed that the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is "directly related to Japan" during the ASEAN Defense Ministers expanded conference and media interviews. Since the Biden administration came to power, the US has adjusted its alliance policy prevailed at Trump's time by attaching importance to the role of the alliance and drawing allies to jointly contain China. Following the thinking of Japan-US joint response to China, the Taiwan question has become the focus of the US-Japan cooperation. In March, during the "2+2" talks attended by the Japanese and US foreign ministers and defense ministers, they emphasized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. In April, the statement issued after the Japan-US summit not only mentioned the significance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but also showed an attempt to interfere in China by proposing solutions to the peaceful cross-Strait relations. Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this is the first time that Japan and the US have included the Taiwan question in the joint document of the summit meeting since the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. Japans frequent making of troubles on the Taiwan question reflects its attempts to strengthen its armament by hyping up the so-called China threat. Currently, the stable security situation in East Asia, especially in the Korean Peninsula, is not conducive for Japan to strengthening its armaments by speculating on the peninsula threat. It, therefore, turns to hype up the development of China's military power and claims that that the reversal of the military balance between China and Japan has forced itself to promote its strength. In order to find reasonable grounds, Japans domestic forces are very likely to continue similar practices on the Taiwan question. The fact that the remarks made by senior Japanese government officials on the Taiwan question are inconsistent with their government's stance reflects the cooling of Chinese-Japanese relations in Japanese politics, which is bound to harm the development of China-Japan relations. Japan has acted as an Americas pawn to contain China, and even taken initiative to provoke China-US antagonism, so as to profit from the chaos. Such an act demonstrates to some extent the superficial understanding of the current international situation and the lack of strategic awareness in Japanese politics. (The author is from Japan Institute of China Institute of Contemporary International Relations) Editor's note: This article is originally published on china.com.cn, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe holds talks with German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer via video link on July 6. BEIJING, July 6 -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe on Monday held talks with German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer via video link. Gen. Wei Fenghe briefed Karrenbauer of the ceremony celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). He said that President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the ceremony marking the centenary of the CPC, in which Xi declared that China has realized the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and are now marching in confident strides toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects. The declaration has greatly boosted the morale and increased the cohesion of the Chinese people, Wei added. Wei pointed out that the China-Germany all-round strategic partnership has achieved stable development in recent years, next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and both sides should take this as an opportunity to push bilateral relations to a new level. During the talks, Wei hoped that Germany would work along with China to uphold multilateralism, jointly resist the politicization of COVID-19 epidemic, go against zero-sum game and safeguard international fairness and justice together. He also suggested that both sides strengthen strategic communication, maintain contact mechanism, properly manage and control disparities and promote steady and long-term development of the mil-to-mil relationship. Both China and Germany should attach importance to the interests and concerns of each other, and jointly maintain regional and global peace and stability. Karrenbauer congratulated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. She stated that Germany appreciates China's achievements in economic and social development and its positive role in the international affairs, Germany has kept good interactions with China, and the two countries should continue to enhance pragmatic cooperation in defense and other areas. The German side is willing to enhance communication and mutual trust with China and jointly address various global problems and challenges, Karrenbauer said. BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday urged political parties in the world to shoulder their responsibility for the pursuit of people's wellbeing and progress of mankind. Xi, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, called on political parties to strengthen cooperation to tackle global challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, inequality, terrorism, and climate change. Addressing the CPC and World Political Parties Summit via video link in Beijing, Xi took swipes at practices of seeking technology blockade and decoupling, politicizing the pandemic, "political manipulation for the purpose of sabotaging the development of other countries," and practices of "seeking hegemony by way of group politics." The cloud summit, which gathered leaders of more than 500 political parties and organizations from over 160 countries, was convened as human society has "once again found itself at a historical crossroads" that leads to either hostile confrontation or mutual respect, seclusiveness and decoupling or openness and cooperation, zero-sum game or win-win results. "The choice is in our hands and the responsibility falls on our shoulders," Xi told party leaders. RESPONSIBILITY OF POLITICAL PARTIES Political parties, as an important force behind human progress, need to set the right course forward and shoulder their historical responsibility to ensure the people's wellbeing and pursue the progress of mankind, Xi said. Xi called on political parties to shoulder the responsibility to steer the course by shaping the shared future for mankind, and to build consensus by upholding and promoting the common values of humanity. "With a strong sense of responsibility for the future of all mankind, we need to champion the common values of humanity, foster broad-minded tolerance toward the understanding of values by different civilizations, and respect the explorations of different peoples," he said. Political parties need to shoulder the responsibility to promote development by bringing greater benefits to all peoples in a fairer manner, Xi said. Noting that all countries and nations are equally entitled to development opportunities and rights, Xi said political parties should face squarely up to major problems such as wealth gap and development divide, with particular attention and care given to underdeveloped countries and regions and impoverished people. He urged political parties to jointly oppose the practice of seeking technology blockade and divide as well as decoupling. Calling for more cooperation in addressing global risks and challenges, Xi said in the face of the pandemic, political parties should work together to close the "immunization gap," and must oppose the practice of politicizing the pandemic or attaching a geographical label to the virus. Xi also called on political parties to shoulder the responsibility to improve governance by enhancing the capacity to ensure people's wellbeing. "The judgement on whether a country is democratic or not should be made by their people, not by a handful of others," he said. CPC CONTRIBUTIONS TO WORLD It is the unswerving goal of the CPC to run China's house well, ensure a happy life for more than 1.4 billion Chinese people, and promote peace and development of all mankind, Xi said. Xi said the CPC will unite and lead the Chinese people in pressing ahead with the Chinese-style modernization to make new contributions to humanity's search for ways to modernize. There doesn't exist a fixed model for the path to modernization, and the path that suits a country will serve it well, he said. "Cutting one's feet to fit the shoes will lead nowhere," he added. The CPC will unite and lead the Chinese people in taking comprehensive steps to deepen reform and opening up to make new contributions to shared development and prosperity of all countries of the world, Xi noted. Xi said the CPC will shoulder its responsibility as a major political party in a major country to make new contributions to improving the wellbeing of mankind. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, all the 98.99 million rural residents living below the current poverty line in China have been lifted out of poverty, enabling the country to meet the poverty reduction target set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. The CPC is willing to contribute more Chinese solutions and Chinese strength to the poverty reduction process worldwide, Xi said. The country will spare no effort to support international cooperation against COVID-19 and to enhance the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries, and will contribute more to the global fight against climate change, he added. Xi said the CPC will actively improve global governance to make new contributions to humanity's joint response to common challenges. "We should stand opposed to the practice of unilateralism disguised as multilateralism and say no to hegemony and power politics," he said. "China will never seek hegemony, expansion or sphere of influence," he added. While the trial against the democracy leader continues in the capital, cases of Covid-19 and fighting between the army and anti-regime militants are on the rise in the rest of the country. Yesterday, 2,969 new cases were recorded, while in Sagaing, residents reported 25 casualties in clashes. Yangon (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The trial of Aung San Suu Kyi continues in the capital Naypyidaw, while in the rest of Myanmar Covid-19 cases and clashes between the army and anti-regime forces are increasing. According to Min Min Soe, a lawyer for the former National League for Democracy leader, Suu Kyi appeared "fresh and healthy" at yesterday's hearing. The Nobel laureate's lawyers questioned prosecution witnesses who claimed that Suu Kyi had ignored restrictions against the coronavirus during the 2020 elections. Suu Kyi also defended herself against charges of illegally importing walkie talkies. The other charges include accepting payments in gold and violating a secrecy law, for which the former democratic leader faces more than 10 years in prison if found guilty. Meanwhile, 2,969 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded, the highest rate of infection in months, with more than a fifth of the swabs taken testing positive. The military junta yesterday banned eating inside restaurants, but more restrictions are expected in the coming days. Other areas of the country continued to be in chaos: in the central region of Sagaing, the Burmese army killed at least 25 people, including anti-regime fighters and civilians, local residents reported. Military trucks reportedly entered the area and opened fire. State media, however, offered a different account of the clash, saying the military were patrolling the area when they were ambushed. Soldiers reportedly fought off a group of "armed terrorists" and found "four mortars" and other weapons, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper, which did not provide a death toll. by Melanie Manel Perera The archbishop of Colombo is against the government project because its social and environmental impact have not been evaluated. Because of COVID-19, residents have not been given enough time to evaluate the initiative. Colombo (AsiaNews) During a press conference held yesterday, Card Malcolm Ranjith criticised a government project to build a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) power plant in a lagoon area 30 km from the capital. Why are you trying to fill 100 acres of this buffer zone reserved for the protection of the area? said the prelate. The Muthurajawela Wetland Zone has preserved lives and the natural beauty of the area, but many projects have ruined that. For this reason, I and the entire Catholic community strongly oppose the development that is being prepared for this wetland region. In a letter to the Central Environmental Authority, the archbishop of Colombo writes: There has been no study conducted with regard to the social and environmental impact of extracting sea sand from the Thamba Gala in order to will almost 120 acres of land in Muthurajawela, where the LNG power plant is set to be built. For the cardinal, the risk of flooding in the residential area where the core of his community lives has not even been assessed. He also noted he has been involved in the struggle for the environment for several months, but his requests have gone unheeded. In his view, the government should keep in mind that the country does not belong to the president or to the ministers, but to its citizens, who have not given them the power to carry out projects arbitrarily without the consent of the people. Activists fighting to protect the Muthurajawela wetland said that people were given 30 days to express themselves on the project proposed by the government; however, this is actually impossible to do because of the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic. This is a deliberate move by the government to get what they want, said one activist. Guerrilla groups attack power stations causing disastrous blackouts. Despite the premier's efforts, the political class looks to power and money, corruption remains high. The change of guard in Tehran and its effects on the country. Religious tourism and brotherhood to bring Christians and Muslims closer together. A Mass for the pontiff convalescing after an operation. Baghdad (AsiaNews) - The latest critical situation in order of time is "energy, with repeated and prolonged electricity blackouts that have affected Baghdad and other cities in the country for days. There are guerrilla groups attacking power stations, but it is not yet known where they come from or who orchestrates them". An Iraq of lights and shadows is what the Chaldean Patriarch, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, told AsiaNews. Louis Raphael Sako, where inter-religious dialogue continues, strengthened by Pope Francis' apostolic trip in March and by the visit of Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi to the Vatican on July 2. These steps forward are not enough to calm tensions as we await the repercussions of the victory of the ultra-conservative Ebrahim Raisi in Iran's presidential elections. The lack of electricity is a serious problem," the cardinal explains, "because the temperature is very high, between 43 and 45 degrees with peaks of 50 in some cities, and everything is at a standstill. Without electricity, not even drinking water is available, not even refrigerators or a simple fan are working. The collapse in supplies is linked to militia attacks on power plants, which end up "fuelling anxiety, insecurity and instability for the future. The general elections scheduled for October remain a question mark. Until there is a vision, a common horizon, and the tensions between Washington and Tehran are smoothed out, the future of Iraq will also be at risk'. The Pope's visit has partly alleviated the suffering of a population grappling with numerous problems, which also emerged last week during the meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister in the Vatican. "These are occasions - comments Card. Sako - for peace and reconciliation. The head of the government shows good will, he wants a strong state, where law and law are in force, but more is needed. The clashes between militias create great tension, the political parties each act for their own interest and do not show a strategy that is of service to the country. The only thing they have in mind is power and money and, in this situation, corruption remains high". The Chaldean Primate believes it is necessary to insist on the themes of dialogue and confrontation between the different factions that make up the nation and "not all of them want the good of Iraq", while the citizens "have lost confidence in a ruling class that is less and less credible". The face-to-face meeting between the Pope and the Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani proved to be "important, but it takes time. The meetings held in recent months with Shiite and Sunni leaders, with religious leaders who have come to visit the patriarchate to continue the process, are useful for this". A first element "can be religious tourism, with pilgrimages to Ur of the Chaldees, the homeland of Abraham our common father, and a centre of meditation, dialogue and life" that unites Christians, Muslims and Jews. Even for Christians, since the US invasion in 2003 until today, "there is no concrete initiative to help them maintain their presence. I have asked the authorities what plans there are for places of worship, schools and homes in Mosul and the Nineveh Plain", destroyed by war and sectarian violence, without a reply. Only the Church has begun restoration and reconstruction," he explains, "with the help of the bishops' conferences, international charity agencies and our dioceses in the diaspora. The return of Christians requires ideas, perspectives and, above all, dignity. In order for this to happen, international tensions must be resolved and the stranglehold of neighbouring Iran and the pro-Shia militias operating in the area, which are increasingly active in the north, in the Nineveh plain that was once a Christian stronghold, must be eased. The violence", the Chaldean primate confirms, "hurts both countries. I hope for a positive change, especially in greater respect for both Iraqi and Iranian sovereignty. I hope that cooperation will be strengthened, starting with trade and religious tourism, but there are many areas to improve. Certainly there is the greater visibility guaranteed by the Pope's visit, because even today "there are television programmes that talk about it and posters can be seen in the streets with the Pontiff and al-Sistani, or phrases of the Pope praising brotherhood". This helps Christians to be more courageous," confirmed the Chaldean primate, "and to enjoy greater respect. At the level of the population, his coming has changed the mentality, they are no longer seen as infidels by most, but as brothers. The Pope has prepared the ground, now we must sow and take further steps to strengthen brotherhood". Card. Sako addressed his last thought to the Argentinean Pontiff, who is convalescing after surgery: "In the masses," he concluded, "we prayed for his health, because the world needs his prophetic spirit, his openness and simplicity. His voice always reaches wherever there is a need, from Lebanon to Palestine, from Syria to Myanmar". Outgoing President Hassan Rouhani is already talking about a potential "fifth wave" of contagion. The measures will be enforced in 275 cities, including the capital. Restaurants, parks, shops, beauty salons and shopping centres in the "red" and "orange" zones will be closed. The vaccination campaign has been halted: only 2% of the population has received both doses of the vaccine. Tehran (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The Iranian government intends to reintroduce restrictive measures in the country's main cities in an attempt to limit the spread of the Delta (Indian) variant of Covid-19, which is much more contagious than its predecessors and responsible for the escalation of infections in Great Britain and Asia. The fear is of a fifth, devastating wave that could bring the country to its knees, as it is the most affected by the pandemic in the region in terms of the number of infections and victims. In the past, Tehran has repeatedly attacked the sanctions imposed by the United States (and Europe) against the Islamic Republic, which allegedly hindered the purchase of vaccines and medicines from abroad. More than a year into the fight against the virus, government authorities have ordered the closure of non-essential businesses in 275 cities, including the capital. The closure of all public parks, restaurants, cake shops, beauty salons, shopping centres and bookshops applies to the so-called 'red' and 'orange' zones and municipalities classified as high risk for Covid-19. The government also intends to impose a ban on travel between cities with high infection rates. The restrictions aim to contain the spread of the virus, with outgoing president Hassan Rouhani already talking of a potential "fifth wave" of infections in the country. In recent weeks, the number of cases has grown steadily, doubling between mid-June and early July. In total, there have been 3.2 million infections and 84,627 deaths in the Islamic Republic, the highest figure in West Asia. The new escalation hits a nation still stuck in the vaccination campaign, with less than 2% of the population (84 million in total) having completed the vaccination cycle. Authorities say they have administered 6.3 million doses so far. The vast majority of vaccine supplies come from abroad, including the international Covax programme for distribution in low- and middle-income countries. Tehran has also imported Chinese Sinopharm and Russian Sputnik V. However, the government has decided to speed up the production of Iranian vaccines due to the limited quantity available. Last month, the authorities granted permission for the emergency use of COVIran Barekat, though without publishing any data on its efficacy and safety. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had previously warned against importing American and British vaccines in a climate of deep distrust towards the West, received the "Made in Iran" vaccine on state TV. He finally appealed to Iranians, encouraging them to follow suit. Vatican City (AsiaNews) Pope Francis' hospital stay is proceeding as expected. Last night, according to the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, His Holiness Pope Francis had a good night's rest. This morning he had breakfast, read some newspapers and got up to walk, read the press release. The post-operative process is regular. Routine follow-up examinations are good. It is too soon to know when the pontiff will return to the Vatican, or if he will deliver next Sundays Angelus to St Peter's Square or from the window of Romes Gemelli University Hospital. John Paul II set a precedent on 17 May 1981 when he taped the prayer and looked out of the hospital window to say hello after he was shot in an attack against him. That was not the Holy Fathers only stay at the hospital, so much so that on Sunday, 13 October 1996 during his sixth stay at Gemelli Hospital, this time for an appendicitis operation he described the facility as the third Vatican. The first Vatican is St Peter's, he said from the window of his room, the second is Castel Gandolfo, and the third is now this hospital. In the ranking of papal sees, the Gemelli University Hospital took the place of the Lateran, where the Pope has his chair as bishop of Rome and where he resided for centuries in the Middle Ages. The last Angelus from the Gemelli was delivered on 13 March 2005, a few days before 2 April, when John Paul II was able to return to his Father's house, as he himself put it. by Nirmala Carvalho In the city of Raipur, a crowd of nationalists attacked the community of Pastor Firoz Bagh, who was detained by police for a few hours on charges of false conversion. My church is a registered organisation, Pastor Bagh said. I have preached for 20 years, he added. Now someone is trying to stop him while his coreligionists are being threatened. Mumbai (AsiaNews) Another Christian community was attacked by Hindu extremists last Sunday in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Pastor Firoz Bagh, of the St Thomas Evangelical Mission, was leading the prayer in his house, as he has done for the past two years. Some 30 people were present at the celebration, complying with anti-COVID restrictions. Around 8.30 am, while the pastor was preaching, about 35 right-wing nationalist extremists surrounded the house, shouting anti-Christian slogans. One of them called the police who stopped the pastor and took him into custody for a few hours. Meanwhile, the mob of Hindu radicals grew and surrounded the police station, shouting accusations of forced conversions and threatening to attack the pastor. Now they say they will no longer allow the clergyman to lead prayer meetings in that area. My church is a registered organisation, Pastor Bagh told AsiaNews. I have preached for 20 years in a rented room and just two years ago I bought this house. Many people come here and our door is open to everyone. The word of God brings peace, hope and dignity. Now they tell me that I cannot preach even if India is a secular state. The members of my congregation are very frightened; they feel they are being targeted by extremists. We strongly condemn these accusations of false conversions, said Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), speaking to AsiaNews. Religious freedom is a right guaranteed by the constitution. Pastor Bagh was just sharing the good news, not forcing anyone. What's wrong with that? Why is the small Christian community alone threatened by extremists and arrested by the police? We ask for protection for Pastor Bagh and his congregation, forced to deal with the fear of a new attack. Howard Universitys president, Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick, said in a statement: At such a critical time for race relations in our country, it is vital that we understand the role of journalism in steering our national conversation and social progress, he said. Not only must our newsrooms reflect the communities where they are reporting, but we need to infuse the profession with diverse talent. A combination of aerial fireworks and bottle rockets that were illegally discharged earlier are possible causes of the fire, Senior Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver said. The owner was forthcoming with investigators, he said, and while aerial fireworks are prohibited in Harford County, no charges have been filed because fire marshals did not witness the pyrotechnics. Depending on the system, you may not see the participants in the audience, he said. You may not have the opportunity to easily call on people. Sometimes questions are forwarded and screened, whereas in a public meeting, someone can stand up and speak. You can see everyone and each other, and they can note who is in attendance. Oliver got her start in activism as a student at Patapsco High School in Dundalk, organizing a petition campaign and pushing the school to offer a Black history course that was on the books but had never been taught. Thousands of businesses have no ability to get people back to work. Weve got more jobs available than ever before in the history of the state. People that really need the help are still going to get unemployment benefits. Its the extended bonus $300 thats keeping people home, Hogan previously told The Baltimore Sun. It does look like were going to get into some locally heavy rainfall, generally along and east of I-95 out to the Eastern Shore, and some gusty winds maybe 30, 40 mph the further east you go, said Ken Widelski, meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Overall, its not going to be significant impacts. News Around the Republic of Mexico Roughly 70 Percent of Mexico Suffering From Drought Weather forecasts warn of high temperatures portending crop damage and water supply shortages in roughly 70 percent of Mexico. Experts are sounding the alarm that parched crops could under-produce after temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius (104F) on June 30 in some parts of northern Mexico, including key farming areas. "In some states, irrigation is practically disappearing due to lack of precipitation," said Rafael Sanchez Bravo, a water expert at Chapingo Autonomous University, noting low reservoirs and reduced water transfers to Mexican farms. While rains were 3 percent below average across Mexico as a whole last year, the strain on water reserves was exacerbated by increased domestic demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hopes to replenish Mexico's parched reservoirs now hinge on the traditional rainy season, known formally as the North American Monsoon, which is currently under way. "The next three months will be really crucial in how this drought turns out," said Andreas Prein, an atmospheric scientist for the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. Much of Mexico gets between 50 percent and 80 percent of its annual rainfall between July and September. Water shortages are common in parts of Mexico, but have worsened amid heat extremes blamed on climate change, according to scientists and data from Mexico's federal water commission CONAGUA. About 70 percent of Mexico is affected by drought, up from about half in December. About a fifth of the country is experiencing extreme drought compared with less than 5 percent each year since 2012. Read the full article at aljazeera.com. A long-term drought that has hit two-thirds of Mexico is likely to worsen in coming weeks with forecasts of high temperatures and warnings of crop damage and water supply shortages on the horizon, including in the populous capital of Mexico City.Experts are sounding the alarm that parched crops could under-produce after temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius (104F) on June 30 in some parts of northern Mexico, including key farming areas."In some states, irrigation is practically disappearing due to lack of precipitation," said Rafael Sanchez Bravo, a water expert at Chapingo Autonomous University, noting low reservoirs and reduced water transfers to Mexican farms.While rains were 3 percent below average across Mexico as a whole last year, the strain on water reserves was exacerbated by increased domestic demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.Hopes to replenish Mexico's parched reservoirs now hinge on the traditional rainy season, known formally as the North American Monsoon, which is currently under way."The next three months will be really crucial in how this drought turns out," said Andreas Prein, an atmospheric scientist for the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.Much of Mexico gets between 50 percent and 80 percent of its annual rainfall between July and September.Water shortages are common in parts of Mexico, but have worsened amid heat extremes blamed on climate change, according to scientists and data from Mexico's federal water commission CONAGUA.About 70 percent of Mexico is affected by drought, up from about half in December. About a fifth of the country is experiencing extreme drought compared with less than 5 percent each year since 2012. Site Map Print this Page Email Us Top Mexico & Banderas Bay Area News Vaccination of Ages 30-39 Begins in Puerto Vallarta Vaccination for people ages 30-39 in Puerto Vallarta will begin on July 6 and run through July 9. Vaccines will be applied from 8 am to 3:30 pm at La Lija in Col. Lomas del Coapinole and the Naval Hospital in the Hotel Zone. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - Last Saturday, 310,940 doses of coronavirus vaccine arrived in the State of Jalisco, and vaccination for people ages 30-39 will begin on Tuesday, July 6 and run through Friday, July 9 in 53 municipalities, including Puerto Vallarta. Various vaccines (Pfizer, AstraZeneca & Cansino) were delivered and first doses will be applied in municipalities throughout the state from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm or until the number of doses assigned for that day is exhausted. In Puerto Vallarta, first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine will be administered to people ages 30-39 from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm at La Lija Physical Activity Center, Pablo Franco #1000, Col. Lomas del Coapinole. ( At the same time, a limited number of vaccines (1000 doses per day) will be available at the Puerto Vallarta Naval Hospital, Blvd. Francisco Medina Ascencio #280 in the North Hotel Zone. ( People ages 40 and up, who for some reason did not get vaccinated when it was their turn, and pregnant women over 18 years of age, with more than 9 weeks of gestation, are also eligible to be vaccinated at this time. Pre-registration on the Federal Government website: The general recommendations for all attendees are: Do not go to get vaccinated if you are sick or have a fever. Wear a mask at all times. Respect social distancing. Avoid contact with other people. Respects all sanitary protocols and hygiene measures. Contraindications The vaccine is contraindicated if you: Have suffered from COVID-19 and have not yet recovered (15 days after the last symptom). Live with any type of uncontrolled immunosuppression. Have severe allergies. Have received a blood transfusion, application of blood products, treatment with plasma or antibodies against COVID-19 in the last 3 months. For more information, visit jalisco.gob.mx. - Last Saturday, 310,940 doses of coronavirus vaccine arrived in the State of Jalisco, and vaccination for people ages 30-39 will begin on Tuesday, July 6 and run through Friday, July 9 in 53 municipalities, including Puerto Vallarta.Various vaccines (Pfizer, AstraZeneca & Cansino) were delivered and first doses will be applied in municipalities throughout the state from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm or until the number of doses assigned for that day is exhausted.In Puerto Vallarta, first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine will be administered to people ages 30-39 from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm at La Lija Physical Activity Center, Pablo Franco #1000, Col. Lomas del Coapinole. ( Click HERE for Google map At the same time, a limited number of vaccines (1000 doses per day) will be available at the Puerto Vallarta Naval Hospital, Blvd. Francisco Medina Ascencio #280 in the North Hotel Zone. ( Click HERE for Google map ).People ages 40 and up, who for some reason did not get vaccinated when it was their turn, and pregnant women over 18 years of age, with more than 9 weeks of gestation, are also eligible to be vaccinated at this time.Pre-registration on the Federal Government website: mivacuna.salud.gob.mx IS REQUIRED. Be sure to bring a printed copy of your registration, a copy of your CURP (found on your residency card), and official identification with you.Do not go to get vaccinated if you are sick or have a fever.Wear a mask at all times.Respect social distancing.Avoid contact with other people.Respects all sanitary protocols and hygiene measures.Have suffered from COVID-19 and have not yet recovered (15 days after the last symptom).Live with any type of uncontrolled immunosuppression.Have severe allergies.Have received a blood transfusion, application of blood products, treatment with plasma or antibodies against COVID-19 in the last 3 months. Site Map Print this Page Email Us Top The View How gay neighborhoods used trauma of HIV to fight coronavirus By DANIEL HESS and ALEX BITTERMAN Reprinted from The Conversation Daniel Hess Throughout the pandemic, local neighborhoods have played a critical and well-documented role providing the health and social services necessary for American communities and businesses to survive and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Gay neighborhoods were particularly well equipped to meet this challenge, according to our latest research on these communities. We find that the lessons learned and trauma experienced early in the HIV/AIDS pandemic helped urban gay areas respond to COVID-19 quickly and effectively especially in the face of early federal government paralysis. How gay neighborhoods fought HIV/AIDS Gay neighborhoods are those that welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer and other sexual minorities a population generally referred to by the shorthand LGBTQ+. Well-known examples include the Castro district in San Francisco, Dupont Circle in Washington and Greenwich Village and Chelsea in New York City. Gayborhoods grew during the sexual liberation movements of the 1960s and 1970s, offering LGTBQ people and their allies an escape from pervasive discrimination and prejudice. In these areas, sexual minorities could rent apartments, socialize in bars and express themselves freely in a like-minded, compassionate community. Even as LGBTQ people in the U.S. began to live more openly, gay neighborhoods really coalesced around the HIV/AIDS pandemic. When that mysterious new disease began ravaging the LGBTQ community in the 1980s, the U.S. government turned away from, not toward, those communities. Support critical for fighting HIV including health care subsidies for uninsured people and funding for research on treatments and cures was initially not provided. Information given by governments about disease transmission and treatment was inconsistent and sometimes inaccurate. Government neglect ended up stigmatizing people with HIV and leading to many avoidable deaths. So, as we uncovered in our most recent book, gay neighborhoods filled the void where government and mainstream organizations failed. They became the battlefields where the AIDS pandemic was fought and eventually won. People in gay neighborhoods developed community organizations and systems to deliver health care and mental health services, provide social support for LGBTQ+ people and support for LGBTQ-friendly businesses. Public health organizations like New York Citys Gay Mens Health Crisis also stepped in to do what many doctors would not. They shared information about slowing and stopping the spread of HIV and also distributed condoms, conducted free HIV testing and connected people who tested positive to help. Building community through crisis The COVID-19 pandemic shares many similarities reminiscent of early days of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. With both HIV/AIDS and COVID-19, there was a disjointed and bungled government response that endangered lives and produced both fear and stigma. Even some of the same government-appointed leaders were in place: Both Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx worked on marshaling government resources to spearhead the medical response to HIV in the 1990s. With COVID-19, as with HIV/AIDS, city and state governments were unprepared to fight a disease outbreak. They lacked both planning and infrastructure to effectively fight a rapidly accelerating public health threat. Several U.S. states, as a result, looked to organizations within gay neighborhoods for help, relying on neighborhood-based LGBTQ+ health care organizations to help support their COVID-19 pandemic response. For example, in New York, the Erie County Department of Health requested that Evergreen Health an LGBTQ community group originally established in the 1980s as a volunteer effort to fight HIV assume responsibility for HIV testing during the COVID-19 pandemic so that the county government could focus on COVID-19 testing. Evergreen also opened a drive-through COVID-19 testing center in spring 2020 four decades after it had introduced HIV testing to the Buffalo region. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Evergreen Health not only continued to provide health care and other supportive services to Buffalos LGBTQ community, but expanded offerings to better serve underserved and minority neighborhoods across the city. At that time, New York State was the global epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Chicago and other cities, activists used LGBTQ+ urban social and professional networks established during the HIV/AIDS pandemic to tackle this latest disease. Queer communities disseminated information about COVID-19 to neighbors and distributed face masks and other protective gear, just as they had once shared information about HIV transmission and given out condoms. The Gay Men's Health Crisis organization marched int the 2016 Pride Parade in New York City. Photo: Steven Pisano Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license Lessons learned The official Duluth Visitor Passport, filled with ideas of things to see and do, c. 1980. Housed in the archives of Visit Duluth. Later that afternoon, two men were shot in Broadway East, one fatally. Officers said they found a man with gunshot wounds in the 1800 block of East Lafayette Ave. at 3:46 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Another man walked into an area hospital and was taken into surgery, according to police. Police were called to Old Frederick Road and South Kossuth Avenue just before 8:30 p.m. Dec. 20 near the Irvington neighborhood to investigate a reported shooting. When officers arrived, police said they found the two women suffering from gunshot wounds. About 75% of adults 18 or older in Maryland have received at least one dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to state health data. That number includes people from out of state who were vaccinated in Maryland and is higher than the national average. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 67.1% of adults 18 or older in the U.S. have received at least one dose, falling short of Democratic President Joe Bidens goal of 70% by the Fourth of July. The proposed bill in its present form, should it become law, will deprive the inspector general of the ability to fulfill its mission and the independence that it must have in order to be effective, Street wrote. The end result would be the appearance of oversight, which is much worse than no oversight at all. Ramos last attempt at an appeal in the newspaper lawsuit was rejected in 2016, and he felt like hed expended all options for legal recourse, defense attorney Katy ODonnell said in opening statements. At that point, she said, he became a complete recluse and planned out the mass shooting in his mind, the only course of action left to him. Founded in 1896 by Genoa immigrant Giovanni Foppiano, the business survived Prohibition by selling home winemaking kits. The operation was passed down to new generations, but Paul was only nine when his father died in 1984. He eventually went to work at Sausal Vineyard with another Genoa immigrant and then returned to Foppiano in 1999. He assumed the title of president when his grandfather retired about 10 years ago. For the financial payoff of landing an even larger anchor tenant such as Chase, developers are likely to be more willing to take on the risk of trying to fill a mostly vacant, decades-old tower even coming out of a public health crisis that has contributed to a record for overall available office space. Employers willing to fire employees for not returning had a variety of reasons; 49% said the job requires employees to be in the office because they can only do them in person. They cite better interaction with clients, better collaboration, and social aspects improving versus working from home. They also believe employee productivity has dropped with the move to remote work. The problem was there before COVID, and now you are putting more people in the sky and you exacerbate this with the masks, Thomas said. Service levels are atrocious. Planes are packed, they are not feeding you, its hard to get food in an airport. The only thing thats easy to get is alcohol, which is not a good thing. Weve talked about this a lot, Arwady said during her regular online question-and-answer session about the pandemic. The basic answer is that even before we had a vaccine available, we saw that where you have appropriate COVID precautions in place, schools have not been sources of outbreaks. They have not really contributed to community spread significantly. And weve seen such negative impacts, particularly in the youngest children, where a lot of the social, emotional learning, a lot of the needs where young children have struggled with trying to learn via Zoom. Ordering is straightforward. Start by deciding which of the four broths youd like. All are the same price ($9.95), and you can try two or three at the same time. The speciality is definitely the Chongqing spicy broth, which comes out with a handful of red chiles swimming in dark red liquid, tempered by blissfully numbing Sichuan peppercorns. Deciding what to add to the broth requires a tad more effort, if only because there are over 60 options. Fortunately, our waiter was more than happy to guide us through the process, helping us to pick out a couple meats and vegetables, plus some much needed noodles. As to why a book sells out quickly, theres a couple of possibilities. One is that the book is far more popular out of the gate than publishers were anticipating. Publishers make educated guesses on how many books they should print for an initial run, and sometimes happily a book just catches fire in ways no one foresaw. In that case, more books have to be ordered from the printer, which can result in delays even longer than a week. This is hugely frustrating for authors on the one hand, but on the other, not a bad problem to have. A: Musical theater, at Illinois Wesleyan University. (Class of 06.) I loved it, it made me happy, because my imagination was going full tilt all the time, and singing and acting had been the way to express it when I was going up. But pursing that professionally? After graduation, I moved to New York and tried it as a career for a few years, which was nothing but a total failure. A lot of closed doors and nos. I had considered going to Chicago first after Wesleyan, you either went to Chicago or New York. Most of my friends went into Chicago theater. I chose New York. And when that didnt work out, I moved back home and lived with my parents in Arizona, in my mid-20s. What do I do with my life? That kind of thing. Which is so fun. Thats when I got a job with a local bookstore in Phoenix named Changing Hands. It really felt like coming home. It felt like I was returning to my own artistic center. I got so much rejection in New York, it hurt. And it was embarrassing, to have friends and family watch you go off and meet only failure. So I got up and realized the location that day was 40 minutes away, so that was going to make me almost two hours late. So I flew there in my car, and everybody was furious with me. The entire crew looked at me like I was the punkiest kid of all time. They explained the scene to me and Im looking at this 1963 MG convertible and Im thinking: OK, Im going to make this up by doing good work. Juul Labs, the once high-flying e-cigarette company that became a public health villain to many people over its role in the teenage vaping surge, has been operating as a shadow of its former self, spending the pandemic largely out of the public eye in what it calls reset mode. Now its very survival is at stake as it mounts an all-out campaign to persuade the Food and Drug Administration to allow it to continue to sell its products in the United States. He also argued that theres no indication Rittenhouse knew any of the Proud Boys before that night in the bar or that he has associated with the group. Whats more, nothing supports the argument that race was a factor in the shootings, Richards said. I think that is outrageous. ... When its the free option for people to cool off. When lots of people are still economically hurting and recovering with the pandemic, and loss of jobs. (Its) making the beach a resource harder to get to. We dont live close by public transportation to get to the beach, she said. Chrys Carvajal, of Portage Park, was identified by his family as the 19-year-old who was shot in the back and abdomen in the 2200 block of North Lockwood Avenue around 1:30 a.m. Saturday in the Belmont Cragin community. He was pronounced dead at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, according to police. Among those injured in shootings were at least four children younger than 14, including the 6-year-old girl who was wounded along with her mother in a drive-by shooting in West Pullman early Monday. That happened hours after a 5-year-old girl was wounded in the same neighborhood Sunday afternoon. A fifth child, an 11-year-old, suffered a critical injury to the chest while at the scene of a shooting Sunday evening on the South Side, but it was not clear whether that was due to a gunshot wound or some other injury. Max Lewis, 20, died three days after being shot on the train around 6 p.m. Thursday near the 51st Street Green Line stop. Lewis was shot in the back of the neck while the train was in the 300 block of East 51st Street in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side, according to Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiners office. We must rally around our neighbors who are living in areas of our city that are under siege by violence. We cant ignore them. We cant forget them. We cant just say, There but for the grace of God go I, the mayor said. We all have a responsibility, all of us not just a mayor, not just a police department all of us have a responsibility. And in particular, we must hold our neighbors in our hearts, our minds and our prayers. This employee saw something by entering a room to clean it that likely prevented a tragedy from happening, Brown said Tuesday. So its significant and very valuable and we ought ... (to) praise that employee for being aware and letting us know so we could react quickly and potentially avoid tragedy. Police were called to the 4400 block of North Clarendon Avenue in Uptown on the North Side to investigate a shooting at 8:28 p.m., authorities said in a police media notification. A girl, 16, and a boy, 17, were shot possibly by an unknown individual inside of a passing black sedan, police said. The girl suffered a graze wound to the ankle and she was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, police said. The boy was shot three times in the back, hip and leg and he was taken to Weiss Memorial Hospital in critical condition and later transferred to Illinois Masonic, police said. All of us owe Chicago parents more support. No, we dont mean those with the most resources lecturing those with the least on how to raise children. The emphasis should be on constructive nudges and respectful interventions to help parents do that job. Models exist; weve written about some, and surely many smart organizations can prescribe strategies that work. Example: The Becoming a Man effort gives Chicago at-risk youths, and their parents, life skills that lead safely to adulthood. A civic commitment to strengthening more families could divert youths from the lethal intersection of impulsivity and anger, gangs and self-destruction. In La Crosse, he was talking about building up rail infrastructure when he took a tongue-in-cheek swipe at Chicago, according to a pool report of the event: Imagine if you could get from Chicago from La Crosse to Chicago in two hours, instead of four and a half, only to quip: I dont know why youd go to Chicago, but you know, all kidding aside it would reduce the largest source of pollution in America: vehicle travel. I really did not appreciate all of the emotions this situation evoked, because I was not prepared to have a conversation with my children about the world in this way, but I was forced to have that conversation on the spot because somebody is uncomfortable with someone elses skin color, Vernita said. Ive been in situations that are racial as a Black woman but not with my children. That made that an emotional night and morning for me. They also said that although Avdic was not in Spitzs car when she and Gadau were shot, he was waiting in a nearby car. Because he helped plan the crime, under the law of accountability, he was just as responsible for the shootings as Hicks, prosecutors said. Xinhua News Agency: Singapore's Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said at the 9th World Peace Forum that "China is focused on uplifting its people through economic growth, rather than seeking hegemony in Asia or challenging the US for global dominance", and that "China's growth is positive for Asia and the world". Would you like to comment on this? Zhao Lijian: We appreciate the positive remarks by ESM Goh Chok Tong. General Secretary Xi Jinping declared at the ceremony marking the centenary of the CPC that we have realized the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. This means that we have brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty in China. The journey of China's shared development with the world shows that we have not only pioneered a new and uniquely Chinese path to modernization, but also used China's new achievements in development to provide the world with new opportunities. China has repeatedly stressed that peace, concord, and harmony are ideas the Chinese nation has always carried forward while hegemony and bullying is never China's choice. We do not carry aggressive or hegemonic traits in our genes. We are against seeking selfish gains at the expense of others and zero-sum games. Our world needs to uphold cooperation and openness and reject confrontation and isolation now more than ever. We will continue to join hands with all progressive forces in the world to uphold the values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom shared by all mankind, promote world peace and shared development, reject hegemony and power politics, and work tirelessly for the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. CCTV: More than 500 Chinese students recently co-signed a letter to the Chinese Embassy in the US, saying that their visa applications were denied by the US. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: We have noted that recently some Chinese students' visa applications to study in the US were denied on the grounds that they violated Presidential Proclamation 10043 signed under the Trump administration. China expresses grave concern over this and has lodged solemn representations with the US side. People-to-people exchanges are the foundation of China-US relations. Academic, educational, scientific and technological exchanges are an important part of the bilateral people-to-people exchanges. They are of great significance to enhancing mutual understanding between the two peoples and promoting the steady development of China-US ties. Relevant US visa restrictions carry on a poisonous legacy of the Trump administration and run counter to the US statement of "welcoming Chinese students". They seriously violate the lawful rights and interests of Chinese students, and gravely undermine normal people-to-people exchanges and educational cooperation. They also contravene the concept of openness and freedom that the US claims to champion, the trend of the times for international talent exchange, and the common aspiration of the two peoples for friendly exchanges. This is nothing short of historical backpedaling. China urges the US side to correct its mistakes, review Chinese students' visa applications, stop using various excuses to restrict and suppress them, protect their legitimate and lawful rights and interests, and create a healthy atmosphere for China-US people-to-people exchanges and educational cooperation. Associated Press of Pakistan: Yesterday, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan visited Gwadar Port, an important component of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and inaugurated several development projects to further promote economic activities. Ambassadors of seven regional countries including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt and Kenya also attended the event, and expressed commitment to cooperation on the development of Gwadar. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: We are pleased to see the new progress made in Gwadar Port development. While I was posted in Pakistan, I visited Gwadar Port six times, and got quite attached to the project. It is a business cooperation project between China and Pakistan based on equality and mutual benefit. With the joint efforts made by both sides, the operational capability of the port area has fully resumed. Businesses and investment are coming into the free zone, and international transit trade continues to expand. All this plays a positive role in boosting local economic development, improving people's livelihood, and promoting regional connectivity. Meanwhile, as an important part of the CPEC, Gwadar Port follows the principles of consultation and collaboration for shared benefits, openness and transparency. China and Pakistan welcome any third party who supports the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and CPEC to take part in the Gwadar Port and other corridor projects on the basis of mutual respect, win-win cooperation and consensus through consultation to share the dividends of the BRI. I'm convinced that with concerted efforts, Gwadar Port will achieve further progress, become a regional trading hub and industrial cooperation base and play a greater role in promoting regional development and prosperity. China News Service: Statistics show that Australian agricultural products' loss of market share in China provides an opportunity for US products to fill the gap. Over the past year, US exports of wine, beef, cotton, timber, coal and other products to China have all increased. In February this year, US export of wine in containers of two liters or less to China more than tripled compared with the same month last year. Commentators in Australia point out that Australia and the US are competitors in agricultural exports, the US will not protect Australia's economic interests, and the Australian government should not blindly follow the US, but adopt a more rational attitude in handling relations with China. What is your comment? Zhao Lijian: China is stepping up efforts to foster a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. China is committed to achieving higher-quality development in a more open environment, which will unleash huge opportunities and space for cooperation. In the next 15 years, China is expected to import more than $30 trillion worth of goods. Committed to international economic and trade cooperation, China stands ready to share development opportunities with other countries and jointly build an open world economy. That being said, mutual respect is the foundation and safeguard of practical cooperation between countries. We will not allow any country to reap benefits from doing business with China while groundlessly accusing and smearing China and undermining China's core interests based on ideology. When a certain country acts as a cat's paw for others, it is the people that pay for misguided government policies. From what you mentioned in your question, we can see how such a practice has served the country concerned. CCTV: It is reported that Vincent Racaniello, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University, said in an interview that the former US administration wanted to hype up the issue of COVID-19 origins study because it meant to politicize the issue and was "not thinking about the science". He also said that "the lab story is over". Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: China has repeatedly said that the origin-tracing is a scientific matter that requires international cooperation by scientists across the globe. Regrettably, for quite some time, we have seen that scientists uphold the spirit of objectivity, impartiality and science in origin-tracing study have come under political pressure, verbal abuse and even threats. Angela Rasmussen, an American virologist who openly opposes the conspiracy theory of "lab leak", has suffered from constant cyber violence, harassment and even physical threats. Danielle Anderson, an Australian scientist who once worked at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and refuted the "lab leak" theory with her own experience, was subjected to frequent malicious abuse and intimidation. Peter Doherty, a Nobel Prize-winning Australian immunologist, said scientists who contradict the false claim of conspiracy theories are labeled "far-leftists" and even vilified. The above facts make it more clear that the so-called "origin-tracing study" by a handful of countries, such as the US, is actually political manipulation. They spare no effort to shirk responsibilities and denigrate China. They even extend their evil tentacles to the field of science to silence dissenting views. These countries, claiming to be "beacons of democracy" and "shining examples of human rights", are in the habit of pointing fingers and willfully accusing other countries of coercion, repression and violation of freedoms. However, their acquiescence, connivance and even instigation of such blatant acts of physical threats and defamation only serve to show that they are not what they claim to be. In fact, they have sinister schemes that cannot be brought to light, and they are willing to do whatever it takes for selfish political gains. Politicizing the issue of origin-tracing will only seriously hamper global cooperation in this regard, undermine global efforts to fight COVID-19 and cost more lives. Relevant countries should adopt the right attitude, respect science, immediately stop coercing scientists, stop politicizing origin-tracing, and stop undermining international solidarity and concerted efforts to fight the epidemic out of selfish interests. Bloomberg: Japan's Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said that Japan and the US would have to defend Taiwan together in the event of a major problem. He said an invasion of Taiwan by China could be seen as an existential threat, allowing Japan the right to collective self-defense. This is according to a report from Kyodo News. Does the foreign ministry have any comment on this? Zhao Lijian: Those remarks are extremely wrong and dangerous as they severely violate principles set out in the four political documents between China and Japan and undermine the political foundation of China-Japan relations. China deplores and rejects this and has lodged solemn representations with Japan. Japanese militarism once committed innumerous crimes in the aggression against China. However, some politicians are still coveting Taiwan till this day. This fully shows that they haven't learned the lesson from history. Today's China is no longer what it was back then. We will never allow anyone to meddle in the Taiwan question in any way. No one should underestimate the resolve, the will, and the ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Beijing Daily: At the opening ceremony of the ninth Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting held by Japan and Pacific island countries, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that the Pacific region faces new challenges, like the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 and competition with authoritarianism. He added that Japan attaches high importance to the debt sustainability of recipient countries. Japan's aid is different from that of China, which leads recipient countries to debt traps. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: China has all along followed the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and the principle of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith when pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation with Pacific island countries, and provided aid to them with no political strings attached to the best of our capability. The cooperation between the two sides is based on mutual trust and equal-footed consultation and aims to promote economic development and improve people's livelihood. Such cooperation has received the sincere welcome from the government and people of Pacific island countries. Certain ill-disposed countries are hyping up the allegation that China's aid leads to debt trap for Pacific island countries. Their attempt has no popular support. Speaking of challenges, Japan's plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean poses a major challenge to the environment and people's health and safety of Pacific Rim countries. Not long ago, the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum released a statement expressing concerns on behalf of leaders of members of the Forum. Rather than being busy smearing China with disinformation, the Japanese leader had better explain how it plans to avoid leading the people of Pacific island countries into an "environmental trap" with its discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean. Global Times: According to an article published by The Australian, official documents submitted by China to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) review conferences in 2011 and 2016 discussed synthesizing man-made pathogens, using viruses as "genetic weapons" and making attacks more stealthy. China's submission to the conference also states that "accidental mistakes in biotech laboratories can place mankind in great danger." The article said that China gave "terrifying warnings" in the documents. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: I noticed that report. The documents it refers to are reports on developments in biotechnology China submitted to the BWC review conferences. Review of developments in biotechnology has traditionally been an important issue within the framework of the BWC. The review conference also requires the submission of relevant reports. China offered an objective description of global developments in biotechnology in the reports, shared its analysis of the impact on the BWC, and put forward suggestions from such perspectives as how to strengthen mechanisms under the Convention. This demonstrates China's responsible attitude on Convention compliance. The Australian article takes things out of context with ulterior motives. The Chinese reports cover biotech developments around the globe, many of which are conducted in the US, including US scientists synthesising man-made pathogens. As a matter of fact, the US has always been at the forefront when it comes to conducting and funding this kind of research. The University of North Carolina, which is mentioned in the report, is one example. The Chinese reports point out potential risks posed by biotech developments, including the risk of lab leaks, which is a widely-held view in the world. It is preposterous for The Australian article to use this to hype up conspiracy theories on COVID-19. I would like to stress again that origin-tracing is a serious scientific matter. It is clearly written in the WHO-China joint mission report that "a laboratory origin of the pandemic was considered to be extremely unlikely". The right direction is to follow the requirements in the WHA resolution and conclusions and suggestions in the joint mission report, and conduct more in-depth and thorough study and cooperation in a broader scope. I would also like to stress that to strengthen lab security has always been an important issue in the field of global biosafety governance. As it happens, the US is the least transparent country in the world with the largest number of bio-labs. It is also the one and only country that stands against the establishment of a multilateral biological verification regime. Once again we call on the US to adopt a responsible attitude, respond to international concerns, offer explanations for its activities in labs at home and abroad including Fort Detrick and open them for verification. CNR: It is reported that tanks used to store nuclear waste at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was leaking in March and gel-like masses containing high-concentration radioactive substances were found in the storage area. On July 1, TEPCO said that 548 nuclear waste tanks were found to be corroded or dented, and it has repaired and strengthened the relevant containers with fiberglass tape. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: We noted relevant reports and express grave concern over the situation. This once again reveals the huge safety risks behind Japan's decision to discharge the nuclear contaminated water into the ocean. Out of its short-sighted economic interests, Japan is bent on this decision in disregard of commitments, obligations and science. It only laid bare its hypocrisy and selfishness. Japan has failed its own people. The Japanese government and TEPCO reached an agreement with several civil groups, pledging not to dispose of the nuclear contaminated water before obtaining the understanding of relevant people. By making the unilateral decision of ocean release, Japan is walking away from its people and commitments. By its repeated data-tampering and cover-ups, TEPCO hurts its own credibility with each manipulation. Japan has violated international obligations. The Japanese government claims that its decision has been approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This is misleading public opinion. The IAEA never approved or endorsed the Japanese decision to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea. IAEA expert team once said in a review report that the treated contaminated water needs to be further purified to remove radionuclides. Japan has misrepresented scientific facts. The Fukushima nuclear accident is one of the most serious in world history. The contaminated water contains a large amount of radionuclides from nuclear fission. There is no precedent for disposal of such water. The potential impact on marine environment, food safety and public health cannot be stressed too much. The Japanese side claims that the nuclear contaminated water meets the standard for discharge and is even drinkable. Behind that is more financial calculation than science-based assessment. Japan's special working group on tritium-contaminated water pointed out in a report that ocean discharge comes at the lowest cost, just one tenth of the second least expensive option, vapor release. It also takes the shortest time. Japan has been trying to build the image of a responsible country. It talks all the time about international responsibilities and obligations. However, when the moment comes for it to act responsibly, it deliberately looks the other way and keeps stonewalling and sidestepping. Such inconsistency reveals its true color. As the IAEA is working to put together a technical working group, Japan should cooperate with sincerity, act with a strong sense of responsibility for international public interest, and prudently handle relevant issues in an open, transparent and science-based manner. Once again we urge Japan not to start the ocean discharge before reaching consensus through consultation with all stakeholders and relevant international institutions. CRI: The 47th session of the Human Rights Council held a few days ago an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. China delivered a joint statement on the harm of disinformation on behalf of a group of countries. I wonder if you have any further comment about the issue of disinformation? Zhao Lijian: As the novel coronavirus rages on in many parts of the world, the political virus also seems to be spreading. Certain countries and forces, based on ideological bias and driven by selfish political gains, keep spreading disinformation, lies and rumors to attack and malign other countries. They are not just highly prolific, but have even blazed a professional trail by putting in place a rumor-mongering chain with so-called revelations by academics followed by media hype-up and leading to government actions. This works like a busy assembly line producing endless pretexts to meddle in other countries' internal affairs, impose unilateral coercive measures and suppress and contain others. The false allegations of "genocide" and "forced labor" in Xinjiang are typical examples of how they spread disinformation and attempt to use it to hold China down. Former US President Lincoln once said, "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." We hope relevant sides will stop fabricating and spreading disinformation and using it as a political tool to attack and pressure others. We hope people will see through the disinformation, lies and rumors. We also hope that visionary people in the international community will speak up for justice, expose falsehood with truth, and reveal malicious intentions with moral conscience and justice. AFP: About the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics to be held this month, could you tell us who will represent China at the official event? Zhao Lijian: China supports Japan in smoothly hosting a successful Tokyo Olympic Games. As to your specific question, I don't have anything for you at this moment. You are here: Arts The Confucius Institute at Uganda's prestigious Makerere University on Monday held the "Chinese Bridge" competition, the second to be held virtually with COVID-19 restrictions in place. The competition was to test the Chinese proficiency for college and secondary school students. The competition was won by Kaziro Grace Mukisa in the college category and Aturinda David won in the secondary category. The competition had speeches, on stage questions and answers, and traditional Chinese talent performances. Zhang Lizhong, Chinese ambassador to Uganda told the participants that young people play an important role in building a community of a shared future for mankind. Zhang said in building this community, language learning and culture are critical in promoting people to people relations. "To build a community with a shared future for mankind and push forward the China-Uganda Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership, languages play a unique role in sharing our mutual stories, enhancing understanding, building consensus, promoting cooperation and deepening friendship," he said. Josephine Ahikire, principal of college of humanities and social science at Makerere University, hailed China for the continued support to the university and the Confucius Institute. Ahikire said China continues to offer scholarships to needy students at the university. She said China has offered an alternative development model to the world in comparison to the Western model. Gilbert Gumoshabe, the director of the institute, said this year's competition, just like last year, comes with challenges of restricted physical interaction. Gumoshabe said despite the challenges, the teachers have persevered to teach students using the online platform. The 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO will open on July 16 in Fuzhou, the capital of east China's Fujian Province, according to a Monday press conference. The session is slated between July 16 and July 31 and will see a total of 45 candidates reviewed for entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List, Vice Minister of Education Tian Xuejun told the press conference. Tian, also director of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, added that the session will go online after its opening ceremony, being the first of its type to review world heritage items over the internet. Zheng Jianmin, vice governor of Fujian, pledged efforts to implement strict COVID-19 epidemic control and ensure cybersecurity for the event. China now boasts 55 UNESCO World Heritage sites, ranking top in the world tied with Italy, Tian said. An item about Quanzhou, a coastal city of Fujian dubbed the world's marine trade center in ancient China, will be reviewed during the session, said Zhang Lei, an official with the National Cultural Heritage Administration. The 44th session of the World Heritage Committee was initially scheduled for June 29 to July 9, 2020, in Fuzhou and was postponed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Editor's note: An exhibition featuring fine lacquer wares from the reign of the Qianlong Emperor; two theatrical dramas one from Broadway and one by a famous Chinese director; as well as a dance performance that explores the meaning of life. Here are four events you don't want to miss this week. 1, Chinese Lacquer Ware from the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1736~1796) from the Palace Museum This new exhibition at the Guardian Art Center features over 100 pieces of art from 18,000 sets of Chinese lacquer ware produced during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. The pieces are provided by the Palace Museum. It is divided into four units: carved lacquer ware, ornaments and gilded lacquer, colorful carvings and crammed lacquer, as well as embedded artworks. In addition, an imitation lacquer porcelain unit will also be showcased to present the characteristics, artistic aesthetic and influence of lacquer crafts of this period. Venue: Guardian Art Center, Beijing Dates: July 9 - Oct. 12 2, Play "A Streetcar Named Desire" Broadway production "A Streetcar Named Desire" is regarded as one of the most successful masterpieces by Tennessee Williams. It received worldwide attention for its wide use of symbolism and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948. Venue: Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center Dates: July 1-18 3, Play "Writing in Water" Directed by famous Chinese director Stan Lai, the play "Writing in Water" tells the story of the wonder life of He Shi, a teacher who does not believe in "Happiness Lessons," encouraging the audience to discuss and reflect on the value and meaning of life. Venue: Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center Dates: July 10-11 4, Xie Xin's Dance Work "From In" "From In" explores the concept of the human being on different levels. The performance dissects the structure of the Chinese character "Ren ()," sees the human body as it is, and examines the rational logic of the body's movement. Through the body, the dance explores the inner core of the human being, our emotions and memories that arise from interaction, and the spiritual dimensions that make us human. Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing Dates: July 10-11 Cultural events of the week: June 28-July 4 Global auditing and consulting firm PwC on Monday opened an office in the city of Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, according to the company. The company said the new office, the third one in Jiangsu, will support corporate clients in and around Wuxi, a key city in the Yangtze River Delta region. Wuxi's gross domestic product surpassed 1.23 trillion yuan (about 186 billion U.S. dollars) last year. Thomas Leung, PwC China's markets managing partner, said the office is aimed at helping boost the industrial development of Wuxi and further improve the international business environment of Jiangsu. PwC said it will focus on areas including the digital economy and green development in Wuxi to help local enterprises promote digital transformation and contribute to the construction of a zero-carbon city. The added value of new industries, new business formats and new business models, dubbed the "three new" economy, contributed more to China's economic growth last year, official data shows. These new growth drivers accounted for 17.08 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) last year, up 0.7 percentage points from the previous year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Tuesday. Calculated at current prices, the new drivers climbed 4.5 percent in 2020 from the previous year, outpacing GDP growth by 1.5 percentage points, said the NBS. A new industry involves the application of new scientific and technological achievements and new technologies to form a certain scale of new economic activities. A new business format involves new links, new chains and new activity forms derived from existing industries and fields. A new business model involves the integration and reorganization of various elements of enterprise operation to achieve the goal of customer value and sustainable profit, forming an efficient and competitive business operation mode. The added value of the "three new" economy measures the added value created by all permanent resident units of a country (or region) engaged in "three new" economic production activities within a certain period of time, according to the NBS. China's top political advisor Wang Yang Monday stressed the role of the united front in China's future development at a symposium held in Beijing. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, made the remarks when meeting with representatives of all parties in the united front. The united front is a significant way for the CPC to unite the people and pool their strength, Wang said. He called on all members to fully understand the CPC's duty and original aspiration. Wang stressed that the united front should be ready to provide wisdom whenever required by the Party and the country, and that relevant work must be carried out under the Party's leadership. In the new era, the united front shoulders greater responsibilities of uniting people of all political parties, ethnic groups, sectors and regions, noted Wang. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday held a virtual summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing, calling on China and Europe to expand consensus and cooperation for the two sides to play an important role in properly responding to global challenges. Noting the persisting severe situation of COVID-19 globally and the uncertain prospect of economic recovery, Xi said the world more than ever needs mutual respect and close collaboration, rather than suspicion, antagonism or zero-sum game. Xi urged the two sides to uphold correct mutual cognition. Over the past 100 years, the Communist Party of China has led the Chinese people in opening up a development path suited to China's national realities that has won universal support of the Chinese people, Xi said, adding China has been committed to the common values of humanity including peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom. China and Europe have engaged in cooperation based on the principles of mutual respect and seeking common ground while shelving differences, Xi said, adding the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership is where the greatest common denominators converge. "We should uphold this spirit, view each other's differences in a correct way, rationally handle divergences, and ensure ties between the two sides move forward," said Xi. He went on to call for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation for win-win results. Xi said China is willing to convene the 23rd China-EU leaders' meeting with the European side at an early date, conduct high-level dialogues in strategic, trade, cultural, digital and climate sectors, and advance mutual recognition and protection of products listed in the China-EU agreement on geographical indicators to deliver more tangible benefits to the people. In the context of the COVID-19 prevention and control, Xi said the two sides should keep optimizing "fast tracks" for personnel exchanges. As China is firmly committed to further opening up, Xi expressed the hope the European side can provide just, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises in accordance with market principles. He also urged safeguarding the real multilateralism. The international system with the United Nations (UN) at its core and the basic norms governing international relations based on the UN Charter must be upheld, and global issues should be addressed via consultations of all parties in a reasonably calm manner, he said. Xi said China is ready to work with Europe to ensure positive outcomes at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), and the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. He also called on the two sides to jointly steer the reform of the World Trade Organization in a correct direction, and offer mutual support in ensuring a successful Beijing Winter Olympics and Paris Olympics. Xi called for building a major-country relationship that is generally stable and balanced. "What China craves for most is to develop itself rather than replace others," said Xi, noting the Belt and Road Initiative put forward by China is to create more opportunities for common development. Xi said China is ready to enhance dialogue and cooperation with all parties, at the same time, it will firmly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests. "We hope the European side can play a more positive role in global affairs, genuinely demonstrate strategic independence, and jointly safeguard world peace, stability, development and prosperity," added Xi. The leaders of the three countries also exchanged views on African issues. President Xi pointed out that Africa is the region most concentrated with developing countries, facing the most difficult tasks of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and achieving economic recovery, it is also the continent with the greatest development potentials. Xi said China has provided and is currently providing vaccines to more than 40 African countries and the African Union Commission, and actively supports Africa in enhancing its vaccine production capacity. China has signed debt relief agreements or reached debt relief consensus with 19 African countries, and has participated constructively in sustainable development plans such as the Great Green Wall in Africa, the Chinese president said. Xi expressed the hope that Europe could increase its support and assistance to Africa, provide more vaccines to African countries in urgent need, and help Africa cope with debt pressure and realize economic recovery and green and low-carbon development at an early date. China welcomes France and Germany to join the Initiative on Partnership for Africa's Development, which was jointly launched by China and African countries, and carry out trilateral, four-party or multi-party cooperation, Xi added. French President Emmanuel Macron said over the past few decades, China has made great achievements in its development. France is committed to promoting cooperation with China in a practical manner, supports the conclusion of the EU-China investment agreement and the strengthening of cultural exchanges, and welcomes Chinese companies to invest in France, he said. Macron said France stands ready to maintain communication with China on issues such as the World Trade Organization reform, climate change and biodiversity protection. He expressed the hope that the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming and the 7th International Union for Conservation of Nature's World Conservation Congress in Marseilles will both be a success. France appreciates China's important role in ensuring equitable access to vaccines for developing countries, and is willing to strengthen cooperation with China, he said, adding that France highly values China's efforts to implement the debt service suspension initiative launched by the G20, and is ready to strengthen coordination with China on financing and education issues in Africa. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it is very important for the leaders of Germany, France and China to maintain exchanges, and that Germany stands ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China on promoting fair production and distribution of vaccines, and on restoring personnel and trade exchanges. Noting that the EU-China relationship is very important, she said the two sides share consensus on many issues and can cooperate in many areas, and that they should respect each other and reduce differences through enhanced dialogue. Germany supports the convening of the 23rd EU-China leaders' meeting at an early date, and hopes that the EU-China investment agreement will be approved as soon as possible, Merkel said. Germany hopes to strengthen cooperation on international affairs with China and is willing to maintain communication with China on climate change, biodiversity and Africa's response to the pandemic, she said, adding Germany will actively look into the possibility of joining the Initiative on Partnership for Africa's Development. The leaders also exchanged views on issues including the Iran Nuclear issue, Afghanistan and Myanmar. Flash Two people were killed and at least seven people were wounded in a shooting late Sunday night in City of North Las Vegas in western U.S. state of Nevada, local media reported Monday. According to KTNV-TV, an ABC-affiliated television station licensed to Las Vegas, the North Las Vegas Police Department received a report of a shooting around 11:14 p.m. local time. Upon arrival, they found one person with multiple non-life threatening gunshot wounds and transported the victim to a nearby hospital. The department was subsequently contacted by two local hospitals that they had multiple shooting victims. Each of the two hospitals had one victim who died as a result of a shooting, the news outlet reported. Citing police, KTNV-TV said both victims were men in their early 20s and there were multiple scenes. The police investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made so far. North Las Vegas, the fourth largest city in Nevada, sits northeast of Las Vegas. Flash Most coronavirus restrictions are set to end on July 19 as part of the final step of England's roadmap out of the lockdown, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Monday. Face masks and distancing rules will no longer be legally required in England from July 19, Johnson told a news conference at Downing Street. Although the government will end the legal obligation on wearing a face covering, guidance will suggest "where you might choose to do so", he said. The rule of six inside private homes will also be removed and work-from-home guidance will be scrapped, said the prime minister. There will be no COVID-19 certificate required to attend events or venues, he added. However, Johnson said the pandemic is "far from over" and the country would have to "reconcile ourselves sadly to more deaths". "We must be honest with ourselves that if we can't reopen our society in the next few weeks - when we will be helped by the arrival of summer, and by the school holidays - then we must ask ourselves when will we be able to return to normal?," he added. The final step, or Step Four, is expected to begin on July 19 if the government's "four tests" for easing COVID restrictions have been met, according to the British government. This will be confirmed on July 12 following a review of the latest data. The detailed arrangement of Step Four includes: no more limits on social contact to allow people to gather in groups of any size; removing the "one meter-plus" rule in almost all settings, except for specific places such as airports; no more legal requirement on wearing face masks in shops or on public transport; no capacity caps on large scale events; people are no longer required to work from home, etc. Some rules will still be in place even if Step Four is implemented. Self-isolation is still legally required if one tests positive for COVID-19. The one-meter plus rule will still need to be followed in airports and other specific places, and infection control measures will remain in place in care homes. The British government is only responsible for COVID-19 restrictions in England. The devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for their own policies in relation to public health matters. Johnson previously announced a four-week delay to the final step of England's roadmap out of COVID-19 restrictions until July 19, amid a surge in cases of the Delta variant first identified in India. Scientists have argued that lifting all restrictions at this stage will increase likelihood of dangerous variants. Britain reported another 27,334 coronavirus cases in the 24-hour period, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,930,534, according to official figures released Monday. The country also recorded another nine coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 128,231. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test. More than 45.3 million people in Britain have received the first jab of COVID-19 vaccine and over 33.7 million people have received two doses, the official figures showed. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the United States as well as the European Union have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. In a tragedy for the Australian medical community, only 65,000 abortions were performed in Australia in 2019. Down from their usual quota of 80,000, State Governments around Australia are looking to late term abortions as their savior to bump their numbers up. Heaven forbid the overwhelming tide of infanticide is hampered by something as trivial as live birth. Luckily for the champions of termination, Pro-Lifers have been perfectly portrayed as anti-women and anti-progress, leaving their fight for the unborn seemingly impossible. Satire aside, lets have a conversation, just you and me. A conversation about how we can effectively reduce this abhorrently high rate of abortion and be loving to the women making these difficult choices. A conversation about a rarely spoken, yet much needed solution; adoption. For too long Pro-life advocates have been painted by the media and politicos as uncaring and antifeminist. This has been accomplished over decades by an incredibly well resourced and politically savvy group, who create a reality where abortion is simply a womens issue, rather than the complex humanitarian issue that it really is. Where there is smoke though, there is of course, a fire. The question is an obvious one, what solution do we offer to the woman who believes she is not fit to be a mother, or is not able to support a child, or simply doesnt want to be a mother? It is just and compassionate to encourage the struggling mother away from termination, but what are we steering her to? What are we steering our nation towards, if not abortion? How can we demonstrate love and compassion during these incredibly difficult times, while also promoting the rights of an unborn child? An absent debate Adoption as a concept is completely absent in the national debate. While the abortion industry are mourning their slump in form, the adoption system only placed 135 local adoptions (adoptions within Australia) . Not to be outdone, 315 overseas adoptions were successful in the same year. In an age where fertility issues are on the rise and desperate families are turning to painful and costly medical treatments, why are adoption numbers so low? Why is there seemingly an express lane for ending the life of a child, and a bureaucratic quagmire to wade through to give a child a loving home? One could be mistaken in thinking that there is a hidden, malevolent agenda at play. In order to reduce abortions, adoption should be the preferred option. The adoption process is one of the most arduous and expensive in the developed world. Not to mention the complete and utter lack of information available to the women making the difficult choice. There have been numerous pushes for adoption reform, however most wish to reform nuanced issues in the process, which although important, do no change the fact that adoption is not see as a viable option for women deciding what to do with an unwanted pregnancy, and families wanting to have a child. The average wait time for a local adoption is between 3 and 5 years. The cost of assessment alone is between $700-2000. That is not an application fee or a one-off payment, that is just the money hopeful parents have to pay for a bureaucrat to assess their ability to be a parent. Once the assessment is complete, would-be-parents are known to spend thousands on creating the right environment for their prospective child. Whether it be moving to a house with a larger yard, or a prospective parent (usually mum) having to give up work to be a principal carer, this is all done before the adoption is signed off. Once a hopeful mum and dad are given the greenlight, it can still be years before the stars align and a child is brought home, if at all. There are many roadblocks I still havent mentioned the fact that there are roadblocks along the way that weed out loving parents with undesirable living arrangements such as being over 40 or having more than 3 children already in the family. Or the much whispered about, but never investigated, notion that Christians who are seen as fundamentalist are regularly rejected. This is by no means an exhaustive deep dive into the bureaucratic nightmare that is the Australia adoption system, it is merely a snapshot. A snapshot to begin a conversation amongst ourselves. If we truly want the rates of elective terminations to reduce, then we need to look at alternatives. If we want to be compassionate and loving to women who are in the midst of a painful decision, then we need to provide solutions. If we want to give life to more than 65,000 children a year, then we need to put energy, resource, and passion into the reformation and promotion of local adoption. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 319-352-3334 or email legals@waverlynewspapers.com. Global Vacuum Mixing Devices Marketsize was valued at USD xx million in 2019 and is expected to reach US $ xx million by 2026, at a CAGR of xx% during a forecast period. Vacuum mixing of bone cement has been used in cemented hip-joint replacement procedures to improve the mechanical properties of bone cement. The report covers the current estimated and forecasted data for the Vacuum Mixing Devices Market on a global and regional level. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the Vacuum Mixing Devices Market for the period 2019 2026, wherein 2019 is the base year and the period from 2020 to 2026 is the forecast period. Data for 2016- 2018 has been included as historical information. The study provides a detailed perspective on market growth, throughout the above forecast period in terms of revenue estimates (in US$ MN), across the different geographies, which include North America (NA), Europe (EU), Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa (MEA) and Latin America (LATAM). The report provides qualitative and quantitative insights on the Vacuum Mixing Devices industry trends and a detailed analysis of market size and growth rate of all segment in the market. The global vacuum mixing devices market is segmented by Product by Modality, End User and Region. Get Sample PDF Pages now with Some Benefits!! https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/13531 Key Players Operated in Global Vacuum Mixing Devices Market Zimmer Biomet, Heraeus Holding, Stryker, DJO Global Inc., Johnson and Johnson, MDM Medical, Summit Medical Group, Merit Medical Systems, Malcom, Reitel, Morita, Cardinal Health, Exactech Inc., Smith & Nephew plc, Cook Group Incorporated, Biopsybell S.R.L. Global Vacuum Mixing Devices Market Dynamics The growing applications of vacuum-mixing devices in clinical research help in expansion of the global market, as it is in relation to its growth by growing adoption rate among professionals. Benefits associated with an advanced form of vacuum-mixing devices provide a suitable environment for mixing bone cement. Companies involved in the vacuum-mixing devices benefited by growing their product portfolio, which provides advance features and suitable environment. Clinical difference that omit such harmful conditions play a significant role in the expansion for their product line in terms of sales. Global Vacuum Mixing Devices Market COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS The top players contribute a significant share to the global vacuum mixing devices market by their presence in most of the developed and developing economies, as well as the premium cost of the products offered by them and the comparably high adoption rate. The vacuum-mixing devices market consists of several small- to medium-sized companies that compete with one other, and only a few large enterprises. Global vacuum mixing devices market penetration through various sales channels is also expected to remain a prominent strategy, wherein manufacturers choose influential marketing to turn consumer decisions to their favor. Large-scale promotion of their products through press conferences and advertising campaigns are to be prioritized the market players to sustain revenue growth. Global Vacuum Mixing Devices Market SEGMENT ANALYSIS By Modality Vacuum mixing devices manufacturers are focusing on increased production of portable formats, by making more investment from bench-top to portable. Competitive pricing of the products and endeavouring launch of reusable vacuum mixing devices to successfully lift up their profit pools, drive the global vacuum mixing devices market in the forecast period. In addition, the global vacuum mixing devices market key players are shifting their focus toward development of vacuum mixing devices offering high computability with samples of varying viscosities. This move does not only have a profound contribution to the relevance of their product portfolios but also gives these players an edge over their potential competitors. By End User Ambulatory surgical centers commended the largest market share of global vacuum mixing devices market, by evolution of vacuum cement mixing systems and vast clinical applications. Ambulatory surgical centres are among the prominent end-user of the vacuum-mixing devices market. Proven results of using vacuum mixing technologies have generated confidence amongst end-users, this leads to grow the global market in the forecast period. Growing commercial applications of vacuum mixing devices as well as influence of mixing systems to reduce porosity and mechanical strength of bone cement foster the global vacuum mixing devices market by forecast 2019-2026. Rise in the number of traumatic cases and dental cases, which require the use of vacuum-mixing devices, is among the main factors driving the growth of the vacuum-mixing devices market in the region. Presence of market leaders with premium pricing for their vacuum-mixing devices is the opportunity for global market to increase revenue. In developing countries of North America, end users tend to prefer products from local or regional manufacturers over branded products from international players. And the adoption of reusable vacuum-mixing devices is comparably more in developing regions. These all factors drive the global artificial disks market in North America. Get Discount on This Report: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/discount/13531 Global Vacuum Mixing Devices Market Key Players Zimmer Biomet Heraeus Holding Stryker DJO Global Inc. Johnson and Johnson MDM Medical Summit Medical Group Merit Medical Systems Malcom Reitel Morita Cardinal Health Exactech Inc. Smith & Nephew plc Cook Group Incorporated Biopsybell S.R.L. Request For Report Description https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/vacuum-mixing-devices-market Global Barite Market Research Report - Forecast to 2022 - Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast up to 2022. Barite Market Market Overview Global barite market witnessed strong growth from oil and gas exploration industry owing to its usage to suppress the high formation of liquid and prevent blowouts. Rising pressure on energy sector to meet global demand of growing transportation and petrochemical industry has result in rising oil and gas production which in turn will have positive impact on barite market. In addition, barite is used for application as weighing agent and to increase density of fluid to control pressure in shale reserves. Thus, blooming oil shale production will subsequently drive the demand of barite in U.S. market. Get a Free Sample Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2035 Barite is widely used in application such as textile, paints and coatings and paper making among others. This mineral is used in sodium hydroxide production which is extensively used in refining sugar and in paints as white pigments. Moreover, increasing automotive production coupled with rise in residential and commercial projects also positively influence the barite market growth. Barite is also used in production of barium carbonate which in turn used in manufacturing LED glass. Growing LED glass consumption in television and laptops is expected to augment the barite market growth over the forecast period. Barite is non-magnetic in nature which makes it ideal choice for drilling hole. Hence, alternative to barite such as celestite, iron ore and synthetic hematite does not hold any major impact in drilling mud industry. Barite is broadly segmented according to grade as grade 3.9, grade 4.0, grade 4.1, grade 4.2 and grade above 4.3. Grade with high specific gravity represents superior quality compared to lower specific gravity. Higher grade obtained from deeper earth crust holds higher prices, which in turn impede the market growth over the forecast period. However, lower grade barite from 3.9 to 4.2 is gaining traction in oil and gas industry owing to optimum production of shale gas coupled with shift in trend towards unconventional energy source thereby, will have positive impact on barite market in coming years. Barite are largely consumed in Asia Pacific region owing to robust end use industry growth, favourable government policies and low labor cost. China is leading country owing to large availability of shale reserve to meet growing demand of barite in automotive and construction industry. Furthermore, rapid industrialization has led to strong growth in paints and coating industry which is likely to propel barite market growth. North America is second largest market due to rise in shale gas production in U.S. and development in infrastructure activities leading to growth in paints and coatings industry. U.S. is major market and exhibits growth potential in coming years. Europe to register significant growth. Germany and UK are leading countries in European regions on account of large automotive hub. Automotive refinishes and restoration is driving huge demand of paints and coatings which in turn drives the demand for barite market. Moreover, Brazil is anticipated to witnessed high demand of barite on account of increase in expenditure on interior of residential projects which is anticipated to further drive the paints and coatings industry. Key Players: Desku Group Inc. (United States), Halliburton Company (Unites States), Excalibar Minerals LLC (United States), P & S Barite Mining Co. Ltd. (Thailand), Ashapura Minechem Ltd. (India), Anglo Pacific Minerals (United Kingdom), CIMBAR Performance Minerals (United States), New Riverside Ochre Company, Inc (United States), Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation Limited (India) and Mil-Spec Industries Corporation (United States) among others are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the Global Barite Market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis. Barite Market Competitive Analysis Barite market is fragmented market with tier 1 and tier 2 companies dominating the overall market. The major players are adopting key strategy like partnerships and agreements in order to reduce gap between supplier and manufacturer of barite. Apart from that, various key strategies adopted by key players are expansion and acquisition. Advancement in technology and increasing presence of significant players has positively impact the growth of barite market. Moreover, companies are expanding their production facility to meet global demand and obtain competitive advantage in the market. Industry/ Innovation/ Related News: April 2017 Nigeria barite sector are entering new era of development by targeting strategic minerals and metals of development including barite, limestone, iron and bitumen along with offering tax break to mining companies. This project got initiative after World Bank approved credit line of USD 150 Million to increase the mining sector in Nigerian economy. This would open new lucrative opportunity to market players. June 2017 Honey Badger Exploration Inc. signed an agreement to acquire assets located in Quebec. The deal includes acquisition of three properties including the Upton Property, the Saint-Fabien Property, and the Kamouraska Property. Total of 642 hectors are acquired for zinc and barite mining. This would strengthen companies position by opening new opportunity to investors as well as raise capital for advanced new projects. February 2016 Schlumberger got approval of barite mining at Duntanlich near Aberfeldy in Perthshire. The Duntanlich site is economically known as barite deposit in UK. The company plans to mine around 120,000 tons of mineral each year to make self sufficient for over next 50 years. This would strengthen companies position as barite is key ingredient of drilling mud industry. 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Sulfuric Acid Market Market Overview Sulfuric acid is a mineral acid and is one of the largest volume industrial chemical produced across the globe. Fertilizer production, especially phosphate fertilizer from wet-process sulphuric acid, is the major end use market fort sulfuric acid. The major application area of sulphuric acid covers fertilizers, chemical manufacturing, refinery, textile, pulp & paper manufacturing, metal processing and others. Agricultural economies holds the greater importance in this market, as fertilizer production considered as a key focused area for the consumption of sulpfuric acid. Increasing demand for fertilizer to attain the higher agriculture yield had a significant impact on this market over the past few years and set its uplifted usage in the coming years. China, alone acquired almost half of the global market in terms of sulphuric acid production resulting into domination of Asia Pacific over the global market. In addition to this, fertilizer consumption of India represents massive number on account of presence of large agriculture base and is driving the demand for sulphuric acid. Apart from the, automotive industry expected to provide higher gains to key industry players in this market during the forecast period. This is due to use of sulfuric acid in the automotive batteries which has triggered automotive application of sulfuric acid. However, volatility in the raw material prices and growing consumption of phosphate based fertilizer limited the growth scope of this market. Free Sample of This Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2037 Sulfuric Acid Market- Competitive Landscape Global Sulfuric Acid market is highly concentrated as well fairly competitive in nature. The key industry participants operating in this market are Agrium, Akzo Nobel, Bayer, BP, Chevron, Cytec Industries, Dupont, Evonik Industries, Honeywell and Solvay. The major companies in this market are seen adopting collective market strategies to such as mergers, acquisition and joint-ventures in order to consolidate their product portfolio and to strengthen their market presence. Several production capacity expansion has also witnessed across the various developed markets to strengthen market penetration into emerging markets and exploit untapped markets. The overall effect of market competition observed in global sulphuric acid market is observed as high and is expected to get even higher due consistent increase in the production activities. Industry/ Innovation/ Related News: May 18, 2017- Yidu Xingfa Chemical and DuPont tied in an agreement for an engineering and technology license for a 3,600 Mtpd MECS MAX3 sulfuric acid plant. The collective effort has taken to build one of the largest sulfuric acid plant in China in order to cater the ongoing demand. Xingfa is expanding its existing site, located in the Hubei province near Yichang city, with the aim of roughly doubling the phosphate fertilizer capacity. The new MECS MAX3 sulfuric acid plant will process 1.2 MMtpy of sulfuric acid, as well as support the production of an additional 400,000 tonnes/yr of phosphoric acid, 400,000 tonnes/yr DAP and 35,000 tonnes/yr of potassium phosphate monobasic. The overall expansion activity expected gain market effectiveness while bridging the demand supply gap of sulfuric acid. October 10, 2017- Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd and Jordanian Phosphate Mines Company has formed joint venture to build largest sulfuric acid plant in India. The agreement has undertaken by investing overall amount of USD 860 million. The plant will come as a huge relief to Indias agricultural sector requirements in view of meagre availability of phosphates in India. Phosphoric acid produced at the plant will be exported to the Kandla port in Gujarat from Jordans Aqaba port, which is close to the location of the plant. November, 2017- Leading chemical industry player BASF has launched new sulfuric acid catalyst. BASF has introduced the new sulphuric acid catalyst O4115 Quattro into the market. The new, cesium-based catalyst is unique due to its geometrical shape a combination of four strands leading to a 30 percent greater catalytic surface area compared to conventional sulphuric acid catalysts. The newly launched catalyst has 30 % greater catalytic surface area and helps to improve performance during the sulfuric acid production. August 31, 2016- Jacobs Engineering Group Inc, Acquires BAYQIK Sulfuric Acid Converter Technology from Bayer AG. The company has acquired patented technology from Bayer AG, under the term of agreement the overall technology shift includes transfer of relevant Bayer technical, commercial and market information to Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. BAYQIK technology enables more efficient conversion of process gas with high sulphur dioxide concentrations. Therefore, it altogether expected to provide growth offerings in the Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. growth offering. 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Color Masterbatch Market Market Overview Color masterbatches is made up of rubber, plastic, and elastomer in which pigments are dispersed optimally, this solids are cut into small pieces, which is further processed and used to make value added products in various industries which includes packaging, building & construction, consumer goods, automotive, textile and agriculture among others. Packaging as an end-use industry accounts for the largest market for color masterbatch. Increasing consumption of plastics across the globe in an array of industries is expected to boost the market for color masterbatch. Especially, the packaging sector which is the largest consumer of plastics. Evolution of different packaging techniques in the sector is propelling the market for color masterbatches. Rapid urbanization and changing lifestyle of consumers in the emerging markets can be further attributed to the growth of color masterbatch market. Consumers are more inclined towards packaged food items. Also, an emerging textile industry in the Southeast Asian counties, especially, Vietnams textile sectored which is growing at a rate of nearly 9% will offer ample opportunities for color masterbatch. Plastics are gaining traction in the building & construction sector replacing traditional materials. The economic downturn in 2008-09 in the U.S which had an adverse effect on the housing industry in the country witnessed sharp decline in the ceramic tile industry. However, the recent stats showing a positive outlook for housing market in the U.S for 2017-18 with low mortgage rates in the country beefing up new construction activities. A similar trend has been noted in the European market. Whereas, the ongoing and upcoming construction activities in the region is stimulating the demand for color masterbatch. For instance, amidst the decline in oil prices in the GCC the construction activities in the region still remains as a strong indicator for economic growth in the region. The construction activities is expected to stimulate in the coming years with an overall capital spending in GCC estimated at USD 480 billion of which 65% will be towards infrastructure development. Accounting for the latter mentioned factors it is healthy to assume a pool of market opportunities for color masterbatch in the Middle East region. Furthermore, regional demographics and macroeconomic indicators such as rise in disposable income, decline in unemployment rates, and an increasing middle class population in the emerging economies is expected to increase the spending power of the population the region. Thus, the above mentioned factors are some compelling factors for the market growth. Increasing scrutiny towards the vehicular emission across the globe has resulted in extreme pressure on OEMs to alter their vehicle design without jeopardizing the performance of the vehicle. Hence, more and more lightweight materials are being adopted in automotive sector. For instance, 10% of the average weight of a medium size passenger vehicle is of the plastic materials. Also, new regional norms like Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) and EU to cut down the emission from vehicles are propelling the market for plastics in automotive. Hence, driving the market for color masterbatch. Access Complete Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/color-masterbatch-market-882 Key Players: A Schulman Europe, Tosaf Compounds, Polyplast Muller, Polyone Corporation, Hubron, Clariant Masterbatches, Ampacet, and Cabot Plastics International among others. are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the Global Color Masterbatch Market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis. Color Masterbatch Market Competitive Analysis Color masterbatch market is a fragmented market with Tier `1 manufacturers and domestic players. The major trends noted among the manufacturers are expansion, joint-ventures, and acquisitions to capture the market share and increase their market presence in line with the increasing demand for masterbatch. For instance, Ampacet has announced its new production plant for masterbatches in Australia for catering the ever-growing demand for masterbatches from the food, shipping, industrial and retail industries. In similar lines, A Schulman Inc, opened a new color master batch facility in Hangzhou High Tech Industrial Park CEDZ, Jiangsu, China in 2016. This expansion in China and other growing markets throughout the Asia Pacific will produce A. Schulman's premium color additives for packaging, automotive, agricultural, sports, and leisure & home customers. Industry/ Innovation/ Related News: November, 2017- Ampacet, a global leader in the masterbatch market has launched its new production line for production of white masterbatch in Dudelange, Luxemborg. The main aim of the company with this newly opened production line is to maximise the overall customer experience by optimizing the lead time enhancing the delivery flexibility. July, 2017- In 2017, Ampacet has announced its new production plant for masterbatches in Australia for catering the ever-growing demand for masterbatches from the food, shipping, industrial and retail industries. The newly opened plant will enable the company to further strengthen its presence in the Oceania region. March, 2017- In 2017, Ampacet invested in new production lines across its various manufacturing facilities in Europe in line with increasing the production capacity of color additives, black and white masterbatches at its Messacny facility in Belgium. Second capacity increase was at its Dudelange facility in Luxemborg. July, 2016- In 2016, A Schulman Inc, enters a partnership with Snetor Chimie headquarters in Courbevoie (France )- this partnership will allow the expansion of its master batch footprint on the African continent April, 2016- In 2016, A Schulman Inc, opens a new color master batch facility hangshu High Tech Industrial Park CEDZ, Jiangsu, China. This expansion in China and other growing markets throughout the Asia Pacific will produce A. Schulman's premium color additives for packaging, automotive, agricultural, sports, and leisure & home customers Rise in the prevalence of infectious diseases, increase in immunization programs across the globe, and surge in R&D activities to develop new vaccine drive the growth of the global vaccine market. According to the report, the global vaccine industry generated $ 32.46 billion in 2019, and is expected to reach $54.15 billion by 2027, witnessing a CAGR of 6.6% from 2020 to 2027. Covid-19 Scenario- Covid-19 outbreak led to increase in investments and R&D activities in the industry for vaccines as well as drugs against the novel corona virus. The government organizations all across the globe along with world health organizations (WHO) are initiating to increase the potential for vaccine generation and global supply. The pediatric vaccine segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period Based on end-user, the pediatric vaccines segment accounted for the highest market share in 2019, contributing to nearly half of the global vaccine market, and is estimated to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. This is due to rise in demand for pediatric medicine owing to its ability to protect against multiple diseases. However, the traveler vaccines segment is projected to witness the fastest CAGR of 7.3% from 2020 to 2027, owing to its crucial role in minimizing the risk of exposure to different diseases associated with people traveling to various regions. North America to dominate the market throughout the forecast period- Based on region, North America held the highest market share in 2019, contributing to around two-fifths of the global vaccine market in 2019. Surge in prevalence of infectious diseases such as influenza, MMR, DTP and others and surge in awareness related immunization and development of new vaccines drive the growth of the market in this province. On the other hand, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to register the largest CAGR of 8.1% during the forecast period. This is owing to presence of large untapped opportunities such as expanding healthcare budgets and increase in disposable income. In addition, rise in demand for vaccine, owing to growth in number of geriatric population further fuels the market growth. Leading market players The staff of the Litchfield Jazz Festival is presenting the fourth installment of their free virtual concert series for April. The end of the week will be dominated by Tropical Storm Elsa, or its remnants, as it soaks the eastern seaboard over the next four days. The storm hit Cuba early Tuesday and a hurricane watch is in effect in Florida, where Elsa is expected to reach the Gulf Coast overnight into Wednesday morning, bringing flooding and lashing winds with it. Twelve of the properties have already been pre-sold to Hartford residents, with some of the lower-income buyers qualifying for a reduction in their purchase price from $240,000 to $200,000, according to Al Gary, a member of Hartford-based builder Toraal Development. All the buyers are first-time homeowners who will live in one of their units and rent the other for about $1,300 per month, Gary said. We believe at Yale New Haven Health that as healthcare providers, its just consistent with our role to make sure that we provide the safest, greatest care to people who come into our organization, and that we also do our part to support public health, which has been greatly enhanced in this state because of the utilization and uptake of the vaccine, Borgstrom said. We know that theres some hesitancy that exists, but I think the data are quite clear that these vaccinations have been very effective. I was able to understand the university much better than someone would be able to who had just come in, he said. Thats helped me immensely to be able to step into this role and hit the ground running, and continue to advance the priorities of the university, even during an interim role. The tour guides are there and tours will be offered but only of the first floor of each building, according to state Capitol police, who provide security for the complex. The cafeteria in the legislative office building remains closed. Now begins the important work of standing up a fair, well-regulated marketplace for businesses and consumers that prioritizes public health, safety, and social equity. We know the public will have a lot of questions about this process in the coming months, and this website will be an important resource for people who have questions about the new law or who might be interested in starting a new business in this market. Lincoln, NE (68508) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning. Cloudy skies this afternoon. High around 95F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early with scattered thunderstorms developing late. Low 66F. SW winds shifting to N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Information provided is maintained by the Emergency Health Profile Association and dispatchers and first responders only have access to it when the phone number attached to the profile calls 911. The emergency response platform is used by more than 4,800 public safety departments around the world. The tools terms of service say it can also provide dispatchers with the precise geolocation of the phone making the call if the number is registered. The exhibition remained online, open for anyone to view. Normally, once a show closes, the paintings on display are not on sale anymore. But since the exhibition was online, the WCAC ended up selling about half a dozen more paintings, even after the shows closing date. And in the exhibitions that followed Untold Stories, Wood found that people were still contacting them to see if the shows paintings were available for sale, which had never happened in their in-person shows. Giving back and sharing food were habits Sileno grew up with. When he first lived in Brooklyn, New York, as a child, his mother instilled a desire to help those who were less fortunate. Sileno first discovered the flavors of barbecue when he moved to North Carolina in 1990 as a 9-year-old. Even while traveling as a musician and working in sales throughout his early adulthood, he never missed the chance to cook for himself, even if he came home late at night. In general, the outlook for this season is above normal activity. Now that doesnt necessarily mean any certain location is going to see more storms than usual, it just means its expected to be an above normal season. Going to the beach Visiting family/friends out of town Camping/hiking Other (let us know!) Vote View Results After Prabhas, Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Ravi Teja, and Nani, now Allu Arjun too is back in business. The shooting of his film Pushpa resumed in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Work on the movie, along with all others under production, had been hit by the second wave of the pandemic. Director Sukumar is filming scenes on Allu Arjun and supporting cast in this schedule, which will last till the fourth week of the month. Almost all the crew who are participating in the schedule are vaccinated. It gives us great confidence to move on and shoot at a brisk pace, shares the films producer Ravi Shankar. We have cut down the number of people on the sets and have a smaller crew. We are following all Covid-19 guidelines, says Ravi Shankar, adding that the unit would leave for Rampachodavaram for another two-week schedule in August. Referring to the possibility of a third wave of Covid-19, the producer admitted that in that event, shooting would be challenging. However, he said, We are hoping that no such wave will happen. The 33-year-old actor joined the film's team in Hyderabad on Tuesday with the makers releasing a working still from the project, featuring Pannu in a hand cast and looking at a laptop. (Twitter) Mumbai: Actor Taapsee Pannu is set to make her comeback in the Telugu industry with her latest "Mishan Impossible", to be directed by Swaroop RSJ. Pannu, who started her acting career in 2010 with the Telugu film "Jhummandi Naadam", returns to the industry two years after her bilingual thriller "Game Over". The film will be produced by Niranjan Reddy and Anvesh Reddy. The 33-year-old actor joined the film's team in Hyderabad on Tuesday with the makers releasing a working still from the project, featuring Pannu in a hand cast and looking at a laptop. "In the last seven years I've always been on a lookout to be part of the stories I want to see myself as an audience. Movies that I will spend my time and money on and 'Mishan Impossible' is one of them," Pannu said in a statement. The actor further said "Mishan Impossible" has an "impressive storyline and a "good team" behind it. "I want to reaffirm the trust the audience has in me for choosing quality films and I'm doing exactly that by becoming a part of a movie like this," Pannu added. Pannu's currently stars in thriller movie "Haseen Dillruba", which started streaming on Netflix last week. The movie, written by Kanika Dhillon and directed by Vinil Mathew, also stars Vikrant Massey and Harshvardhan Rane. Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday sought the Centre's stand on a woman's plea for necessary support to her son, who is languishing in a UAE prison since August 2015, after his arrest for allegedly spying for the Indian government. "We will examine it. Central government counsel get instructions (regarding the plea)," Justice P B Suresh Kumar said. The court was hearing the plea by Shahubanath Beevi, who has also claimed that her son has been subjected to "severe torture and harassment" and he did not get any kind of support from the Indian Embassy there or the central government. Her son, Shihani Meera Sahib Jamal Mohammed, has been imprisoned in the Abu Dhabi Central Prison in UAE since August 25, 2015, the petition, filed through advocate Jose Abraham, said. During the hearing, the petitioner submitted that according to the judgements passed by the UAE courts in the matter, her son was "acting for the Indian Embassy officials in UAE". The woman has alleged that her son was not even provided proper legal aid to defend himself in the courts there. She has also claimed that she sent several representations, including a latest one on June 11, citing human rights violations and denial of basic rights to her son and seeking assistance from the government. However, she has not received any response yet, the petition claimed. The woman's plea urges the High Court to issue a direction to the central government to "extend necessary support to the petitioner's son legally, diplomatically and politically" and to also consider her latest representation within a reasonable period of time. He was found lying with bullet injuries, a defence spokesman said. (Representational image) Kochi: A 19-year-old sailor hailing from Uttar Pradesh was found deadat the Naval base here early on Tuesday. He was found lying with bullet injuries, a defence spokesman said. The Navy has ordered a statutory Board of Inquiry into the incident. A case of unnatural death has also been registered by the local police, the spokesperson added. Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday sentenced two senior government officers for imprisonment till rising of the court and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 each for contempt of court. A single judge bench of Justice Battu Devanand observed that panchayat raj and rural development commissioner M. Girija Sankar and horticulture former commissioner Chiranjeevi Chowdhary proceeded with the selection process of village horticulture officers in a manner that was contrary to the order of the court and were liable for punishment under provisions of Contempt of Court Act, 1971. The court observed that it took nine months for the officials to comply with its order. The court noticed that the respondents made every attempt to defeat the order of the court intentionally and deliberately without complying with it in true spirit and observed that under such circumstance, the apology tendered by the respondents was not acceptable and it was not bonafide. The court observed that if any lenient view was taken against such type of officers, it would send a wrong message and allowed the contempt case and both the respondents were sentenced to undergo simple imprisonment for nine days each and to pay a fine of Rs 1,000 each and in case of default, they shall undergo imprisonment for three days each. When the respondents prayed the court to pardon them considering their age and the service they rendered and also given assurance to be more careful in future in implementing the court orders, the court observed that it was not desirable to send them to the jail in the present situation of Covid-19 pandemic and modified the sentence on humanitarian grounds. Accordingly, they were sentenced to imprisonment till rising of the court which means they were detained to sit in the court until court proceedings concluded for the day and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 each and on default, it imposed simple imprisonment for three days. The CM reportedly expressed anger over KRMB including only the issues raised by AP in the agenda of the July 9 meeting and ignoring the matters raised by TS. (Twitter) Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao is to field party MPs to fight against Andhra Pradesh government's 'illegal projects' on Krishna during the monsoon session of Parliament from July 19. TRS parliamentarians in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will raise their voice against AP's projects and urge the Centre to stop AP projects and resolve Krishna water dispute permanently by making fresh water allocations to Telangana and AP. The decision was taken at a meeting convened by the CM at Pragathi Bhavan on Tuesday. He discussed the Krishna water dispute between TS and AP, a release issued by the CMO said. The meeting decided to fight against AP's illegal projects on all platforms including courts and tribunals to safeguard the interests of Telangana and continue the ongoing hydel power generation at all projects over Krishna till the water levels permit. However, official sources said Telangana is likely to abstain from the meeting convened by the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) if it is held on July 9. The TS government has been demanding a full-scale meeting of KRMB after July 20, instead of a three-member committee meeting on July 9. Official sources said the issue of abstaining from the KRMB meeting was discussed. However, the CMO and irrigation officials remain tight-lipped on the decisions taken at the meeting. The CM reportedly expressed anger over KRMB including only the issues raised by AP in the agenda of the July 9 meeting and ignoring the matters raised by TS. It was thus decided to abstain from the meeting unless the KRMB postponed it and included TS issues in the meeting agenda. The KRMB has called the July 9 meeting to discuss ways for resolving the ongoing Krishna water sharing dispute between TS and AP after the AP government lodged a complaint against TS on July 1 over the latter taking up power generation at irrigation projects (Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar, Pulichintala) utilising Krishna water and causing irrigation and drinking water problems for AP. Chandrashekar Rao, on July 3, urged KRMB to postpone the July 9 meeting and hold it after July 20. Accordingly, irrigation special chief secretary Rajat Kumar sent a letter to KRMB on July 5 seeking postponement of the July 9 meeting and convening of a full board meeting on a mutually convenient date after July 20. It said the technical teams in Telangana were now busy with management of various irrigation schemes due to commencement of the Kharif season At the conclusion of every high school season, SBLive's Tyler Cleveland will crunch the numbers to award Mississippi high school athletic programs who achieve the highest level of success in the most sports. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Get 25% off of the regular $65 annual All Access rate. With this subscription you will get: Digital access to ElPasoInc.com and archives (value $45) Print subscription home or business delivered (value $65) Book of Lists (annual rate only, value $50) El Paso Inc. Magazine (value $20) El Paso Kids Inc. Special sections - OR - Get 15% off of the regular $45 annual Digital-only rate. With this subscription you will get: Complete digital access to ElPasoInc.com. Emporia, KS (66801) Today Partly cloudy and windy. High 93F. Winds SSW at 20 to 30 mph.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low near 75F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Semiconductor materials are "lack of cores", downstream manufacturers increase product quotations Since 2020, due to the global outbreak of the new crown epidemic, some factories have temporarily closed related production capacity, which has caused a delay in the supply side of the semiconductor industry chain. With the normalization of the epidemic, global industrial, automotive, consumer electronics and other demand began to recover. At the same time, the demand for a variety of new chip applications has risen. The demand for semiconductor chips in the global market has increased significantly, and the global semiconductor industry has begun to meet demand. situation. In addition, due to the impact of the February 2021 earthquake, the supply of KrF photoresist from Shin-Etsu Chemical in Japan has been affected. Supply problems have led to photoresist shortages in many domestic fabs. In addition, due to the epidemic in Japan, manufacturers normal production process will be affected to a certain extent. Hinder. The recent outbreaks in Taiwan and Malaysia have dealt a further blow to semiconductor supply. In June 2021, Taiwan Wafer Electronics, Chaofeng Electronics and other packaging and testing companies have successively confirmed that a large number of employees have been infected with the new crown virus. Malaysia, which accounts for 8% of the world\'s semiconductor packaging and testing production capacity, announced an indefinite "national closure". The above-mentioned force majeure events have further exacerbated the problems of tight global chip production capacity and supply shortages. Recently, many domestic and foreign semiconductor companies have issued price increases. For domestic manufacturers, the domestic foundry leader SMIC announced an increase in prices by 15%-30% from April 1. Toshiba, ON Semiconductor, and ST, etc. Manufacturers also announced that they will raise their chip prices in Q3 2021. This round of chip price increases has also been continuously transmitted to the upstream of the industry chain, and related manufacturers such as midstream packaging and testing, wafer manufacturing and upstream semiconductor materials have also increased product prices. Affected by the Semiconductor materials are "lack of cores", downstream manufacturers increase product quotations. the foamer concrete block market is changing rapidly. These changes are indicators of market growth.This year-on-year upward trend in the market indicates that the next November 2020-2026 will show an oval but steady growth.If you are looking for foamer concrete block or buy foamer concrete block in bulk,please send an email to:sales@ozbo.com The price of foamer concrete block continues to be affected by factors such as market growth momentum,various opportunities and challenges.However,during the forecast period from 2020 to 2026,the global foamer concrete block sales market is expected to continue to be above average.The growth rate will continue to increase.It is expected that from today to next week,the price of foamer concrete block will increase to a certain extent. Due to changes in consumer demand,import and export conditions,and various investigations on the development of foamer concrete block,the cost of foamer concrete block is constantly changing.Taking into account the current market macroeconomic parameters, value chain analysis,channel partners,demand and supply,the cost of foamer concrete block will also be affected to a certain extent.It is estimated that the cost of product name will increase slightly from today to next week. However,Ozbo.com provides high purity Nano foamer concrete block with steady price.In order to feedback to old customers,the company is still in full operations to provide foamer concrete block with competitive price.said Olina,sales manager of Ozbo.com. About Ozbo.com Ozbo.com (aka.Tanki New Materials Co.Ltd.) is a trusted global chemical material supplier & manufacturer with over 12 years experience in providing super high-quality chemicals and Nanomaterials.As a leading nanotechnology development and foamer concrete block manufacturer,Tanki New Materials Co.Ltd dominates the market.Our professional work team provides perfect solutions to help improve the efficiency of various industries,create value,and easily cope with various challenges.If you are looking for foamer concrete block, please send an email to:sales@ozbo.com A large shortage of mobile phone parts! Global smartphone sales continue to fall In October 2020, iPhone 12 series went on sale in a lively manner, which was welcomed by many consumers, and the buying momentum was more than expected. However, statistics show that global smartphone sales continued to decline in November due to a slowdown in mobile phone production due to a shortage of parts. It is estimated that the shortage of materials will not be resolved until the first half of 2021. Oriwhiz.com helps you to fix and repair iPhones easily with affordable iPhone repair parts and replacements. Korean media "BusinessKorea" reported that South Korean brokerage NH Investment&Securities published a research report pointing out that in November 2020, global smartphone sales were 129.1 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 3.1%, and the rate of decline has been reduced . The monthly growth rate was 3.7%, compared with the previous month. expand. Observing the performance of individual brands, Samsung Electronics sales of smartphones fell to 24.52 million units in November (annual decrease of 2.7%, monthly decrease of 5.2%), continuing to show a downward trend; Huawei was affected by US sanctions, and its sales in November It plummeted to 9.12 million units (a 52.7% year-on-year and 6.1% month-on-month); Apple sales climbed to 26.88 million units (a year-on-year increase of 20.3% and a monthly increase of 54.7%), mainly due to strong sales of the iPhone 12 series. According to the report, although the massive shipments of iPhone 12 have helped boost overall sales, due to the interference of the Covid-19 epidemic, coupled with shortages in the supply of components, including application processors (AP), modem chips, power management ICs (PMIC) and Multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC) has reduced the shipment performance of Chinese mobile phone brands, which has caused a drag on global smartphone sales. The situation is expected to improve in the first half of 2021. Analysts believe that starting from the first half of 2021, global demand for smartphones will gradually recover. South Korean mobile phone parts companies that will benefit include lens supplier SEMCO, Samwha Capacitor, PI film leader PI Advanced Materials, and chips ABCO Electronics, the manufacturer of Chip Resistor. According to data released by the market research company IDC, in the third quarter of this year, global smartphone shipments were 353.6 million units. Although a decline of 1.3% over the same period last year, it was far better than IDC\'s expected 9% decline . In the third quarter, the anti-epidemic blockade measures were relaxed, driving the smartphone market to warm up. Will the repair shop secretly replace your original samsung galaxy s7 battery replacement? Nowadays, mobile phones have become an indispensable electronic product in daily life. As a product that I carry with me, occasionally bumping scenes also happen from time to time. Moreover, current mobile phones are not cheap, and man-made damage is not covered by the warranty. In addition, there may be various reasons that prevent you from using official channels for repairs. It is not easy to determine whether the samsung galaxy s7 battery replacement is secretly changed during the repair process. Therefore, it is very important to do a good job of self-check before repairing the mobile phone. Oriwhiz.com helps you to fix and repair iPhones easily with affordable iPhone repair parts and replacements. How to communicate with the person in charge of the maintenance when repairing and replacing the samsung galaxy s7 battery replacement? Before changing the samsung galaxy s7 battery replacement, it is best to communicate with the person in charge of the maintenance and ask whether the same problem can be guaranteed within a period of time after the samsung galaxy s7 battery replacement is repaired, and what is the duration of the warranty if it is guaranteed. After all, mobile phones can have problems even if they are not used, and there are still some chances of problems. Therefore, you must ask before repairing. Of course, repairing the mobile phone invoice is also essential. Mobile Phone Parts Supplier DETROIT, July 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hirzel Law, PLC is proud to announce that Managing Member, Kevin Hirzel, was selected by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a "Go To Lawyer" in condo and real estate law. Michigan Lawyers Weekly launched this program to honor leading lawyers in a particular field of law. According to Michigan Lawyers Weekly, those selected are: Proficient in his or her field, well-versed in the nuances of the case law, statutes and regulations clients will encounter. Experienced, with a record of success in many cases and/or transactions. Lawyers to whom other lawyers make referrals because of his or her knowledge and accomplishments. Lawyers who can think creatively and identify all options for a client. Lawyers named when a friend needs legal help. Lawyers you might call yourself if you need legal help in his or her field. "I strive to be a go-to resource in condominium, HOA, and real estate law," said Hirzel. "This award would not have been possible without the great team that I work alongside on daily basis." Hirzel Law, PLC has offices in Farmington and Traverse City while servicing clients throughout the State of Michigan. Mr. Hirzel focuses his practice on condominium law, homeowners association law, litigation, and real estate law. He has received numerous recognitions on a local and national level for the high level of representation that he provides to clients. Mr. Hirzel is a fellow in the College of Community Association Lawyers, a prestigious designation given to less than 175 attorneys in the country. Mr. Hirzel has been recognized by various other publications and organizations throughout his career. He was named a Leading Lawyer in Michigan from 2018 to 2021 by Leading Lawyers Magazine, which is a distinction earned by fewer than 5% of all lawyers licensed in Michigan. He has been named a Michigan "Rising Star" in real estate law by Super Lawyers Magazine from 2013 to 2020, a designation is given to no more than 2.5% of the attorneys in Michigan each year. Hirzel Law, PLC was also recognized as the Best Law Firm in the Detroit Free Press "Best of the Best" Awards in 2020. Hirzel Law, PLC is an award-winning law firm with offices in Farmington and Traverse City, Michigan that represents condominium associations, homeowners associations, and summer resorts. The firm also represents individual and corporate clients in various condominium, HOA, and real estate matters. Elizabeth Kebler ekebler@hirzellaw.com 989-640-2945 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kevin-hirzel-recognized-as-one-of-michigans-condo-and-real-estate-go-to-lawyers-by-michigan-lawyers-weekly-301325928.html SOURCE Hirzel Law, PLC Bithumb Korea's customer service center in Seoul / Yonhap Legal battle intensifies over foundered Thai operation By Park Jae-hyuk Bithumb's Hong Kong subsidiaries are facing a civil suit for breach of contract, while their top executives are facing criminal charges of fraud. The accusations were made by the cryptocurrency exchange operator's previous partner in Thailand, which took separate legal action in Korea last September against executives and major shareholders here, after the company unilaterally halted its business in Thailand. A representative of the former partner in Thailand told The Korea Times that lawyer Kevin Lee from the Hong Kong firm, Prince's Chambers, has been hired for his company's legal battle in Hong Kong. The lawsuits will be filed this month. The former Thai partner decided to sue Bithumb's Hong Kong subsidiaries Bithumb Global Holdings (BGH) and GBEX and their top executives, after it discovered they were involved in the plan to open a Bithumb exchange in Thailand. Some of the executives of these subsidiaries also hold high-level positions in Bithumb Korea, according to the plaintiff. In 2017, Bithumb announced that it would recruit overseas partners to establish cryptocurrency exchanges in their countries by forming joint ventures. Its plan was reported by several news outlets at the time. Although Bithumb founded entities in Thailand and Japan in 2018, efforts to open exchanges in these countries were in vain. The former Thai partner is claiming that Bithumb's sincerity is in question as the operator seems to have had no true intention to establish an exchange in Thailand. It alleges the company made empty promises from the start, simply to sell BXA coins by exaggerating the firms overseas presence. The BXA coin was a virtual asset issued by BK Group Chairman Kim Byung-gun, who once attempted to take over Bithumb. After Kim gave up that plan due to financial concerns, and BXA failed to be listed on Bithumb, those who bought the coins on expectations over the acquisition sued him and Bithumb board Chairman Lee Jung-hoon, who is regarded as the de facto owner of the company. "After Bithumb stopped its BXA coin business, its Thai operation became unnecessary, so the company ended its business in Thailand unilaterally, causing serious damage to us," the former Thai partner said. "BGH and GBEX collectively own a 49-percent stake in the joint venture in Thailand, and are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Bithumb Korea, so we sued Bithumb Korea's executives last year and decided recently to file lawsuits in Hong Kong against the Hong Kong subsidiaries and their executives, who are related to this issue more directly." The fact that the criminal suit in Korea has been pending at Suseo Police Station in Seoul over the past nine months was another reason for its decision to take legal action in Hong Kong. "We have yet to receive any response from the police," Kwon O-hoon of law firm Cha & Kwon, who represents the plaintiff, said. He added that the case has not been brought to court yet. A separate lawsuit could be filed, "in the near future," by the cryptocurrency exchange operator's former partner in Japan, according to the Thailand partner. When contacted for comment concerning the company's legal battle over the foundered joint venture in Thailand, Bithumb Korea's spokesperson had not responded as of July 6. The three children of late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee and his widow Hong Ra-hee attend the last day of senior Lee's funeral on Oct. 28, 2020 in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The Financial regulators are likely to approve the three as major shareholders of Samsung Life Insurance after they received the insurer's stakes owned by their father, April 26. Korea Times file Samsung leader Lee to be qualified as major shareholder By Yi Whan-woo Financial regulators are set to approve the three scions of Samsung Lee Jae-yong, Lee Boo-jin and Lee Seo-hyun as the major shareholders of Samsung Life Insurance, according to officials and sources familiar with the matter, Tuesday. The life insurance arm of the country's top conglomerate is the largest shareholder of Samsung Electronics with 8.51 percent. Thus, owning Samsung Life Insurance stakes is critical to reaching the top of the chaebol's governance hierarchy, now that former Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee has passed away. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) is scheduled to hold a meeting on Wednesday to discuss whether or not to confirm the late chairman's two daughters Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin and Samsung Welfare Foundation chief Lee Seo-hyun as the new major shareholders. "And the FSC decision is highly likely to be in their favor," an industry source said, adding that they meet all criteria, such as investment capability, eligibility as business executives and clean records, in relation to any violations of financial regulations and the fair trade act. The two had no shares in Samsung Life Insurance until Boo-jin received 6.92 percent and Seo-hyun received 3.46 percent of the firm's 20.76 percent stakes, previously held by their father, on April 26. The FSC's eligibility assessment is required for those who newly inherit a large amount of stocks and want to be officially recognized as the major shareholders of an insurer. As the eldest child and the only son of Lee Kun-hee, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong is exempted from the FSC's qualification review because he already acquired 0.06 percent of Samsung Life Insurance in 2014. He has increased his stake in Samsung Life Insurance to 10.44 percent by receiving half of the shares held by his father. Jae-yong is now the life insurer's second-largest shareholder, second only to Samsung CT, of which he is also the controlling shareholder, with 17.97 percent. He, along with his sisters and his mother, Hong Ra-hee, has also inherited stakes in other affiliates, such as Samsung SDS and Samsung Electronics, according to his father's will. His hold over the insurer, through this web-like corporate governance structure, makes him subject to a separate qualification review by the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). This separate qualification review is in accordance with financial regulations stating that an insurer's major shareholder must undergo an eligibility assessment every two years. The FSS decision about the eligibility of Jae-yong to be a major shareholder is anticipated to come later this year. "Jae-yong, like his sisters, has a high chance to qualify as a major shareholder," another source said. The vice chairman is currently in prison, after he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison by the Seoul High Court in January, in a retrial of a massive bribery case involving impeached President Park, who is also serving a jail sentence. The source speculated that Lee's imprisonment will not overshadow his management capabilities as Samsung Life Insurance's major shareholder. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum speaks during an interagency meeting to review the greater Seoul region's virus situation, at Seoul City Hall in central Seoul, July 6. Yonhap Restaurants, cafes and other businesses will face a strengthened penalty of a 10-day closure for just a one-time violation of new social distancing rules, the prime minister said Tuesday. The new enforcement regulation set to go into effect Thursday is "a strong law that warrants a shutdown of 10 days for even a single violation of distancing rules," Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said during an interagency meeting to review the greater Seoul region's virus situation. Members of a civic group promoting migrants' rights hold a press conference near Cheong Wa Dae, Seoul, Tuesday, to urge the government not to exclude foreign residents, including migrant workers, undocumented migrants and refugees, from its planned disaster relief fund. The government earlier decided to offer COVID-19 relief funds to people who are not part of top 20 percent income group. Yonhap Israel agreed a Covid vaccine swap with South Korea Tuesday, sending 700,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab to Seoul "immediately" in return for the same number in coming months. A statement from Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office said the deal, the first of its kind for Israel, would allow more effective use of the vaccine stocks of both countries. The statement added that Bennett had spoken to Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla about the arrangement. Israel received a huge supply of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine shortly after its approval last year following an arrangement with the producers to share data about its impact. That deal helped Israel roll out one of the world's fastest inoculation drives but has also raised concerns about unused stock expiring. The Palestinian Authority last month cancelled a deal that would have seen a million jabs from Israel's inventory sent to the occupied West Bank. The PA said the doses "were about to expire". Israel insisted they were "completely valid." More than 80 percent of Israel's adult population is fully inoculated against COVID-19 but cases are again rising, with officials raising concern about the surging Delta variant's ability to evade vaccine protection and cause mild illness. (AFP) The wife of the Belgian ambassador to South Korea, who faced assault charges in Seoul earlier this year, was involved in an altercation with a street sweeper in the city Monday morning, police said. Police said Xiang Xueqiu, the spouse of Ambassador Peter Lescouhier, got into a fight with the cleaner in a park in central Seoul after the cleaner's broom touched Xiang. Police said the two apparently traded blows, but when officers arrived on the scene, neither wanted the other punished. Xiang was taken to a nearby hospital after the cleaner shoved her to the ground. The cleaner later visited a police precinct to report that Xiang had slapped the sweeper in the face, and sought help on pressing charges. Xiang had earlier been questioned by police over allegations that she slapped a clothing store employee in the face and another staff in the back of her head in early April. The assaults allegedly happened when the employees mistakenly suspected the wife of having stolen clothes from the store, because she was wearing an outfit similar to what they were selling. Belgium partially waived diplomatic immunity for Xiang and ordered the couple home this summer. Police dropped the assault case on June 23, citing the wife's diplomatic immunity and the alleged victims' request that she not be punished. (Yonhap) William R. Pugsley / Courtesy of William R. Pugsley By Jon Dunbar While most photographers in Korea are drawn to big city tourist attractions or well-known temples and other heritage sites out in the country, William R. Pugsley goes in the other direction. He's a "rural explorer" which is like an urban explorer, except he scours Korea's countryside looking for photographic subjects that resonate with him. "I'm looking for a lost time. Ever since I came to Korea I've had a very real feeling of nostalgia for a past I've never participated in," he told The Korea Times in a written response to interview questions, handwritten on coarse hanji (traditional Korean paper). "Photographers are drawn to old things that have an interesting patina and I'm no exception. Many people love to see old photos which ironically show at that time modern scenes, but I think photographers like myself want to recapture that sense of old. I'm documenting the end of eras." Earlier this year, he published the first issue of his DIY photo zine, "Photon Wave Function," and as of mid-May, The Korea Times office has received five different issues in the mail. Published in black and white on coarsely textured hanji, his work has a timeless feel, and the photos could have been taken 100 years ago, creating a sense of alienation from the modern world we know through contemporary photography. "Oh feels alienated does it? Timeless?" he retorted in response to a question describing his work. "Well thank you very much, that's how it's supposed to feel." A cityscape photographed by William R. Pugsley / Courtesy of Photon Wave Function Pugsley's history with zine publishing dates back to the 1990s, when he contributed to a popular zine in Vancouver. "At the end of last year. I made the resolution to make a zine of my film photos to get them off the internet and experienced on paper," he said. Pugsley has lived in South Chungcheong Province's Gyeryong since 2004, shortly after it became a city in 2003 after splitting away from Nonsan. "I loved it from the first moment," he said. "It's small, pretty and surrounded by countryside and the majestic Mount Gyeryong looming in the distance. The air here is fresh and the people are friendly. Gyeryong is peaceful, which is ironic since it's Korea's military headquarters. Living in a small town you get interested in small changes as well as the large, good or bad. The greatest asset to the town has to be its immediate access to the countryside. It's a five-minute walk into the hills and farmland." He often spends weekends going out on photo journeys, driving around on his scooter to explore new roads or see what's changed along well-traveled roads, making several stops as he goes to look closer at certain views. "I never know til I see it," he said. "The ride is as much a part of the experience as the find." He's also into train photography, finding good vistas and then shooting as trains come through. "I enjoy juxtaposing the KTX or ITX with a rural landscape the people who speed past vs the people who live slow," he said. "There is of course also a romantic mood of a train going through the country especially the slower-moving Mugungwha train. I imagine the city kids visiting their grandparents on the farm. Or if they're going between two cities, how they might wonder at the lonely landscape that they're so unfamiliar with pass by their window." A bullet train contrasts with a farmer working in a field, photographed by William R. Pugsley. / Courtesy of Photon Wave Function He visits closed train stations across the country. "These adventures can take me to remote areas I would never otherwise find and of course there are so many things to see along the way," he said. "These are magical places for me when a station still stands that once saw steam trains go by and the people waiting in the station. It's a little like detective work to locate some of these stations and a thrill when I find them." Each issue is between 24 and 28 pages, focused on a specific subject, like "Other Places," "Other Homes," "Other People," "Other Cities" and "Other Trains." "The common theme in my life has been reveling in being 'other' not in any 'in' group. Also, where I go to photograph is as far from the most popular spots in Korea. Other refers to the locations besides where everyone has seen too often," he explained. "I'm not trying to evoke any isolated isolation feelings as a foreigner but the opposite. I found how similar country life is in any country. The cities differ but the feeling of the country is universal. Or maybe it's just the difference between city life and country life. How many times I'm reminded of growing up in BC when I see a country road or smell the cows or hear the dogs or birds or breeze." A train crossing photographed by William R. Pugsley / Courtesy of Photon Wave Function Remarkably, all five issues of the zine look and feel different from one another due to the hanji they're printed on, which have varied from issue to issue in weight, color and weave. The cover is often different from inner pages, and even the pages may have differing textures from one side to the other. "I get excited when I go into a shop that sells paper of different styles," he said. "I've printed photos on various hanji and love the texture." Most of his photography is shot in black and white on film. "Shooting black and white is the true representation of light," he said. "There is no inherent element of color in light it's all about intensity, reflection and shadows. I can process B&W at home in my darkroom, so that's an added bonus, though not the reason I've always shot mostly B&W all my life. I feel black-and-white is more isolating, it's not warm and inviting. And of course it's nostalgic or retro retro, I don't like that word retro. It's a timeless look." But he's not against color photography, and hinted at the possibility of releasing a color issue of his zine someday. The first five issues of photo zine Photon Wave Function, plus the author's handwritten message to The Korea Times / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar Crown Prince Yi Eun, left, and Yi Bangja, published in The Korea Times May 2, 1989. / Korea Times Archive By Matt VanVolkenburg The 20th century was not kind to Korea's royal family. As Japan asserted control over Korea, Emperor Gojong was forced to abdicate in 1907 and the weak Crown Prince, Sunjong, was placed on the throne instead. Sunjong, by then a mere figurehead, died in 1926 without an heir. Emperor Gojong had four children who lived to adulthood. The next oldest child after Sunjong, Yi Gang, was born to a concubine and therefore illegible to rule. He tried to escape Korea in 1919 to join the provisional government but was caught by the Japanese and closely watched afterwards. After Sunjong took the throne, his next youngest sibling, Yi Eun, the son of an Honorable Princess Consort, became Crown Prince. Seeking to Japanize him, Japanese Resident General Ito Hirobumi sent the 10-year-old to Japan In 1907 to be educated in the Gakushuin Peers' School along with children of the Japanese nobility. In 1920 he was wed to Princess Masako Nashimoto. Though the marriage was forced on both of them, they came to love each other. The death of their first child in infancy, however, was a cruel blow. A second son, Yi Gu, was born in 1931 and, after attending MIT, he worked as an architect in New York City and married an American woman, Julia Mullock, in 1959. Yi Gu, left, and his mother Yi Bangja, published in The Korea Times Nov. 23, 1963 / Korea Times Archive Emperor Gojong's last child, Princess Deok-hye, was born in 1912 to Gojong and a concubine. Though she had a happy childhood during which the emperor doted on her, she was sent to Japan to study in 1925 and was forced to marry a Japanese count in 1931. She suffered from mental illness and divorced her husband in the early 1950s. After the death of Emperor Sunjong in 1926, Yi Eun had become His Highness King Yi of Changdeok Palace but, as his wife Princess Masako wrote in her autobiography, "though we made various visits to Korea, it was never possible for us to live there permanently. While Japan ruled Korea, of course, it was Japanese policy to separate the Korean royal family from the people and try to assimilate them into the Japanese Royal Clan." Due to World War II, they were not able to visit Korea after 1943. With Japan's defeat the former king, his son and Deok-hye had their royal titles stripped from them and they became stateless. Their wish to return to Korea was thwarted by President Syngman Rhee, who was not about to admit potential rivals into the country. So, they became Japanese nationals. In 1961 Yi Eun "suffered a stroke which left him a permanent invalid." Despite this misfortune, their prospects for returning to Korea improved after Park Chung-hee took power in a coup in 1961. Park moved quickly to have the Korean government cover Yi's hospital bills, and during a visit to Tokyo in November 1961, he sent flowers to the former king. In return, Masako called upon Park. "He told me that the Korean government would assume responsibility for our living expenses and said that we might return to Korea whenever it suited our convenience. He was most solicitous about my husband's health, and spoke to me kindly and sympathetically." It became clear that their fortunes might at last change. In January 1962, former Princess Deok-hye became the first member of the royal family to return to Korea, but, according to Masako, having been "confined in a mental asylum for many years," she seemed to be unaware that she had returned to her homeland for the first time since she was 13. She was unable to recognize members of the royal family or realize that the Former Imperial Family Property Act had been amended to restore her Korean citizenship. As Yi Eun was still too ill to travel, in June 1962 Masako visited Korea to try to acquire Korean citizenship for her husband. At the airport she announced that she had come "to pay homage to the royal ancestors' shrines and call on Queen Yun" and Park Chung-hee "on behalf of the ailing Prince." Yi Bangja, published in The Korea Times Feb. 13, 1981. / Korea Times Archive Queen Yun, the widow of Emperor Sunjong, had been living in Nakseonjae in Changdeok Palace for the past 36 years and, along with two other former court mistresses of Emperor Gojong, was being supported by the Korean government. Masako described seeing Queen Yun for the first time in 18 years as an "emotional meeting" in which they "both wept copiously." According to The Korea Times, she reportedly "delivered a 'goodwill' message from the Japanese Emperor Hirohito to Queen Yun." When Masako told her that Yi Eun "did not want to come back as a helpless invalid," the former queen disagreed and said, "This is his father's and mother's country," and asked that he return so she could see him before she died. During her visit, she visited the royal tombs, including that of her first son, and met with Park Chung-hee and his wife. Park told her that they could only get Korean citizenship once they were on Korean soil, but though she left Korea empty-handed, the law was amended later that year and she returned briefly to obtain the documents in December. Yi Bangja, left, and Yi Gu's wife Julia attend the funeral for Queen Yun, published in The Korea Times Feb. 15, 1966. / Korea Times Archive In June 1963, Yi Gu came to Korea for the first time with his wife Julia, and visited Queen Yun, Deok-hye, Park Chung-hee and the royal tombs. They also visited Sukmyeong, Jinmyeong, and Yangjong high schools, which had all been established by his grandmother around 1900. Finally, despite the fact that Yi Eun "understood little of what I told him now, and never spoke," Masako, now a naturalized Korean with the name Yi Bang-ja, chose to return to Korea in November 1963. Before they left, she and other family members were guests at a dinner hosted by Emperor Hirohito. On Nov. 22, Yi Eun returned to his homeland, but, despite the crowds that lined the streets, he may have been unaware of his arrival, and was immediately taken by ambulance to a hospital. A portrait of Yi Eun is carried during his funeral, published in The Korea Times May 10, 1970. / Korea Times Archive Yi Bang-ja moved into Changdeok Palace with her son Yi Gu and his wife Julia. Queen Yun died in 1966, followed by Yi Eun in 1970. Yi Bang-ja continued to live in the palace and decided to "work on establishing homes and schools for physically and mentally handicapped children, something I had long been interested in," and which, "besides being of immediate practical value to society, would perhaps atone in a small way for the many injuries done to Korea by Japan." Crown Prince Yi Eun's daughter-in-law Julia, left, and widow Yi Bangja, published in The Korea Times May 10, 1970. / Korea Times Archive Julia also engaged in charitable endeavors while her husband worked for Trans-Asia Engineering Associates, an American military contractor based in Yongsan Garrison. Unable to produce an heir (they adopted a daughter), Julia was forced to divorce Yi Gu in 1982. Princess Deok-hye and Yi Bang-ja died in 1989, and the 62-year-old modernized palace building where Queen Yun and Yi Bang-ja had lived, Seohaenggak, was demolished. Yi Gu died in Japan in 2005. Julia returned to the U.S. in 1995 and died in 2017. Funeral procession for Crown Prince Yi Eun, published in The Korea Times May 10, 1970. / Korea Times Archive Visitors to Changdeok Palace who pass by the open space where Seohaenggak once stood may note a similarly large absence in the stories told by tour guides, who focus only on the Joseon era and make no mention of the Japanese- and American-born princesses who once lived there. Next Tuesday, July 13, the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) Korea will host an in Korea. As well, RAS Korea has copies of "The World is One: Princess Yi Pang Ja's Autobiography" available for sale. Visit raskb.com for more information. Matt VanVolkenburg has a master's degree in Korean studies from the University of Washington. He is the blogger behind populargusts.blogspot.kr gettyimagesbank By Lee Hyo-jin An elementary school teacher in her 20s surnamed Lee living in Gyeonggi Province recently had to undergo a drug test for the first time in her life, after it became a mandatory process for teachers at public schools. "It was unpleasant, being treated like a potential drug addict," she told The Korea Times. She also experienced frustration due to a lack of guidance from the education authorities on the procedure. "I was only told to hand in the test results by July 17, without proper guidance on where I should take the test or whether I would be able to take a leave of absence." She had to pay for the test, which cost around 40,000 won ($35), herself after being told that it wouldn't be covered by the government. "But a couple of days later, the regional education office changed its stance and said to keep the receipts and I'd be repaid later," she said, pointing out that the ill-prepared policy is causing confusion among teachers. This year, 20,000 teachers at public schools nationwide are expected to undergo the tetrabromophenolphthalein ethyl ester (TBPE) drug test just like Lee, according to the Ministry of Education, following a revision to the Primary and Secondary Education Act which was passed at the National Assembly last December. The revised law aims at strengthening monitoring of public school teachers amid an increase in the number of drug-related offenses in recent years. As a follow-up measure, the education ministry has introduced the drug screening as a new requirement for those who seek to obtain teacher certification. Under the current system, those who have graduated from a university of education receive Grade 2 certification, making them eligible to take the national teacher qualification examination held every year. Also, teachers with more than three years of work experience at schools can obtain Grade 1 certification after undergoing 200 hours of in-service training, which opens up more opportunities for promotions and wage increases. The drug test is mandatory for both applicants for Grade 1 and 2 certifications. Teachers who have already obtained Grade 1 are not subject to the testing. Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education building in Suwon / Korea Times file Han Mi-young, second row center, executive director of the Dongdaemun Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Center, poses with employees and members of the center at the Government Complex Gwacheon in Gyeonggi Province, after receiving the Prime Minister's Commendation award, May 20. Courtesy of the Dongdaemun Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Center By Bahk Eun-ji The Dongdaemun Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Center in Seoul has been providing various support programs for multicultural families since 2006. "When it was opened in 2005, there were only four employees, including me," Han Mi-young, executive director of the center, told The Korea Times. "The center was originally established to support marriage migrant women who had difficulties settling in here, and it gradually began to cover the other needs of multicultural families." Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the center has been running various programs online. Even during the pandemic, which limited many people's social activities, the center has not suspended operations, and that's why it has received positive reviews from users, Han said. In recognition of this contribution, the center received one of the Prime Minister's Commendation awards on May 20, which is known as "Together Day," created in Korea in 2007 to raise awareness about multiculturalism. The commendation is given to institutions that contribute to supporting the settlement and social integration of residents of foreign nationality. Of 246 healthy family and multicultural family support centers nationwide, three received the award, including the Dongdaemun center. Dongdaemun Office Head Yoo Deok-yeol, left, poses with members of multicultural families during the World Culture Festival hosted by the district office and the Dongdaemun Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Center, in this Nov. 9, 2019 photo. Courtesy of Dongdaemun District Office By Jun Ji-hye Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon nominated former opposition lawmaker Kim Hyun-ah to head the Seoul Housing and Communities Corp. (SH), the public housing developer affiliated with the city government, according to officials, Monday. Kim served as a lawmaker from 2016 to 2020, belonging originally to the United Future Party, a predecessor of the conservative main opposition People Power Party. She specializes in urban planning, receiving her bachelor's, master's and Ph.D. in the field from Gachon University in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. "I feel a huge responsibility as housing problems have become very serious in Seoul," Kim told Yonhap News Agency following her nomination. "Once appointed as the SH's head, I will actively support Mayor Oh's housing policies as he has been going all out to resolve housing problems in the capital." Kim has strongly criticized the liberal Moon Jae-in government's housing polices, accusing them of worsening the housing shortage. The Seoul Metropolitan Council will hold Kim's confirmation hearing on July 19. Even if the council does not approve her nomination, the mayor can still appoint her according to an agreement between the city government and the council. But it remains to be seen whether the mayor and Kim could push ahead with their own policies, which will require approval from the city council, as the council is dominated by members from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. Rescue workers conduct a search operation to find a woman in her 80s after her house was buried in a landslide in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, Tuesday. Yonhap By Bahk Eun-ji Heavy rain has been causing deaths and property damage in southern parts of the country, especially in South Jeolla Province, since Monday evening. While heavy rain alerts have already been issued in the southern regions, more rain is forecast there throughout the week, raising concerns over more damage. More than 500 millimeters of rainfall has fallen in some parts of South Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province since Monday night, inundating houses and farmland. A woman in her 60s was swept away by water near her house in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, and was found dead, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, which suspected that she had drowned. A road is flooded in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, Tuesday, as heavy rainfall hit the region. Yonhap Rep. Yong Hye-in of the minor opposition Basic Income Party, who gave birth to her son in early May, answers questions from reporters while holding her baby, during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday, her first day of returning to work after the birth of her son. Courtesy of Rep. Yong Hye-in's office By Jung Da-min Rep. Yong Hye-in of the minor opposition Basic Income Party, who gave birth to her son in early May, has come back at work at the National Assembly with her newborn baby. Yong became the third lawmaker to give birth during her term at the National Assembly, following former lawmakers Jang Ha-na at the 19th Assembly and Shin Bo-ra at the 20th Assembly. But despite these three cases, the current 21st Assembly still does not have any appropriate legal system to support lawmaker mothers, such as maternity leave, and working mothers need to submit a separate leave request to the Assembly speaker for every plenary session they may miss during their leave for childbirth. In addition, only lawmakers, Cabinet members and people necessary for examining bills can access the plenary chamber and other meeting rooms at the Assembly, meaning lawmaker mothers cannot bring their babies into these places. Holding a press conference at the Assembly on Monday, her first day back at work after giving birth, Yong said, "As a mother of a 59-day-old baby, I support all women who are pregnant, give birth and are raising children. I have been and am still going through the difficulties of pregnancy, childbirth and childcare, but I will solve them through legislative activities, together with the public." Rep. Yong Hye-in of the minor opposition Basic Income Party, who gave birth to her son in early May, passes by the plenary chamber at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday, her first day back at work after giving birth. Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-han On May 17, Yong proposed a bill to allow mothers to bring their children under 24 months old into plenary sessions. A day later, Rep. Lee Soo-jin of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea proposed another bill to allow lawmakers to take parental leave for childbirth and childcare. "Attending plenary sessions with children is a global trend," Yong said during her meeting with Deputy Speaker Kim Sang-hee to discuss her proposed bill. "I hope this bill would help guarantee reproductive rights such as pregnancy and childbirth of lawmakers, their aides and staff, not only at the National Assembly but also in local councils." Main opposition People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok, right, applauds with new spokespersons of the party during a meeting at the National Assembly, Seoul, Tuesday. From left are spokesmen Lim Seung-ho and Yang Jun-woo, vice spokesman Shin In-kyu, and Lee. Yonhap By Nam Hyun-woo After appointing 36-year-old Lee Jun-seok as its chairman, the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has picked a pair of millennials as its spokesmen, drawing both acclamation and concerns as fresh figures to deliver the messages of the main opposition party as the country enters the preliminary stage of the presidential election. During a televised contest to select the spokespersons, Monday, Lim Seung-ho, 27, and Yang Jun-woo, 26, finished in first and second place, respectively, and will each serve six-month terms. Lim is a student at Kyungpook National University Law School, and has a background of serving in 2019 as a vice spokesman representing young people for the Liberty Korea Party, a predecessor of the PPP, and for the Bareun Party, a conservative faction that existed from January 2017 to February 2018. Yang, who introduced himself as a jobseeker, has no political background. He gained public attention during the April 7 by-elections for the Seoul and Busan mayors, with his speech for then-PPP candidate Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. "I was a jobseeker who was playing computer games at home until several days ago, but now I am the spokesma of the main opposition party," Yang said. "I believe the voices of those in their 20s and 30s need to be heard in running the country for the long-term." The open debate contest to select its spokespersons was the idea of PPP Chairman Lee, who became a political sensation after becoming the youngest-ever head of the party last month. After his election, Korea's political circle began making efforts to bring forth young people's voice in politics, with Cheong Wa Dae creating the new post of secretary for youth affairs and appointing a 25-year-old college student to the position. Lee's idea to hold a debate contest, an experimental practice here, apparently succeeded in drawing public attention. More than 121,000 people sent text messages to vote for their favorite candidates during the televised contest, according to the PPP. More than 560 people applied for the contest and the show aired on the PPP's and conservative cable TV Chosun's YouTube channels garnering more than 34,000 real-time views. The opposition's success overshadows the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) race to choose its presidential candidate. According to Nielsen Korea's TV ratings, a debate featuring DPK presidential contenders, aired by KBS July 4, posted a 4.4 percent viewing rate, while the semifinal of PPP's spokesperson contest, aired June 30 on TV Chosun, recorded a 4.998 percent rating. The gap was wider on the two shows' YouTube clips, with the final of the PPP's contest aired Monday recording nearly 210,000 hits as of Tuesday morning, compared to the latest edition of the DPK presidential candidates' debate show aired Sunday, with some 137,000. PPP floor leader Kim Gi-hyeon mocked the ruling party Tuesday, saying "The DPK seems like a giant fossilized dinosaur," and, "The process of selecting the party's presidential candidate does not match that of the opposition party's selection of its spokesperson." People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok, left, pins the party's badge onto new spokesman Yang Jun-woo during their meeting at the National Assembly, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap Politicians and other influential figures wearing facial masks inside out, including clockwise from top left, former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Rep. Lee Kwang-jae of the Democratic Party of Korea, Rep. Hong Joon-pyo of the People Power Party, and Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo / Korea Times file By Yoon Ja-young Some of the country's most influential politicians at the center of the current media spotlight are wearing their facial masks incorrectly, raising concern that they might be setting harmful examples amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Times, politicians of both the ruling and opposition parties, as well as other high-profile figures, such as the prosecutor general, are attending key events wearing their facial masks inside out, which increases the risk of their exposure to the virus. The error has mostly has been apparent when they are wearing disposable surgical or dental masks. These are especially popular in warmer weather as they are thinner and thus more breathable than certified KF 94 or KF 80 masks. One can easily verify which side is the top thanks to the metal strip most of the time. However, it is not always easy to identify the inside and outside of the mask, if both sides are the same color. These masks are often pleated, and the pleats should be pointing down on the outside of the mask, according to medical experts. If the mask is worn incorrectly, saliva droplets from an infected person will get caught in the upward-facing pleats on the outside of the mask, increasing the chance that the person wearing the mask will also get infected. However, there are numerous cases of well-known politicians being seen in the media wearing dental masks inside out, the Hankook Ilbo noted. Former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Rep. Lee Kwang-jae of the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea recently attended a pledging event by the party's presidential contenders while wearing their facial masks inside out. Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, a five-term lawmaker of the conservative main opposition People Power Party, was also wearing a mask inside out when he officially announced his bid for presidency last week. Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo made the same error when attending his confirmation parliamentary hearing. "When a dental mask is worn inside out, there is a risk of being exposed to infection through droplets, as viruses or other residue can get stuck in the pleats (on the outside). When wearing those masks, one should always check that the folded side is facing down (on the outside) and that the coated side is facing out," instructed Prof. Chon Eun-mi of the Department of Pulmonology at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital. A bulldozer covers collected waste with dirt at the Sudokwon Landfill in Incheon. Courtesy of the Sudokwon Landfill Site Management Corp. By Ko Dong-hwan Starting in 2026, disposed household trash bags collected from Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and Incheon that have not been incinerated or sorted out as recyclable materials will be banned from being dumped in landfills, according to new government regulations. The Ministry of Environment announced Tuesday that household trash from the rest of the country will also be subject to the regulations starting 2030. The rule has been introduced to reduce the mounting volume of waste being dumped on the Sudokwon Landfill in western Incheon, where all waste collected from Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province ends up, as well as at other landfills across the country. By Choe Chong-dae It is encouraging that Korean Archbishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik was nominated recently as the new prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy by Pope Francis. Archbishop You became the first Korean appointed to a secretary position in the Holy See. He currently heads the Daejeon diocese in Korea. Despite a century of severe persecution, Korean Catholicism is deeply rooted with an increasing number of adherents. The prodigious growth of Korean Catholicism today is greatly indebted to the numerous martyrs who shed their blood for their religious convictions. Many initial believers were sacrificed as martyrs when Catholicism first introduced itself to Korea during the 18th and 19th centuries. I always highly respect the souls of the many Catholic martyrs. As the Holy See showed great interest in the Catholic community in Korea, they dispatched the Holy See Delegation to Korea in early 1948 even before the establishment of the Korean government. The Holy See was the first state to recognize the Republic of Korea as an independent democratic nation, soon after it was established in 1948. The Holy See established high-level diplomatic ties with Korea in 1963. The Holy See Embassy in Korea in cooperation with Korean Catholics made great contributions to a wide range of Korean issues such as democratization and defending of human rights during the Park Chung-hee military regime in the 1960s and 1970s. It is evident that Korean Catholics devoted themselves to the modernization of Korean society by introducing significant developments of Western culture such as education, medical technology and democracy. Personally, I have also had the opportunity to establish close contact with the Holy See. My longstanding friendship with Archbishop Luciano Angeloni, the ambassador of the Holy See to Korea from 1978 to 1982, can attest to that. He was an admirer of Korean traditional culture, custom, history and religion. Later, I maintained a good relationship with Archbishop Giovannni Morandini, the Holy See ambassador to Korea from 1999 to 2004. His particular interest in Korea's religion led me to invite him to the 140th commemoration day of the anniversary of the founding of Cheondo-gyo on April 5, 1999. Choendo-gyo is originally called "Donghak" or Eastern Learning, the most influential indigenous religion of Korea. Going beyond religious dogma, Archbishop Giovannni observed different religions at the commemoration day. Archbishop Emil Paul Tscherrig who served as the Holy See ambassador to Korea from 2004 to 2007 attended my wedding ceremony in 1983 when he was deputy dhief of mission at the embassy in Seoul. I have taken part in many diplomatic events in my life, but the one which inspired me the most was the celebration commemorating the 20th anniversary of the election of His Holiness John Paul II to the Pontificate. The celebration was held at the Holy See Embassy, near Cheong Wa Dae, on Oct. 16, 1998. Many distinguished guests attended the event, such as Catholic leaders, diplomats and politicians. Surprisingly, even Kim Dae-jung, then president of Korea, graced us with his presence. President Kim's laudatory speech convinced me that the Pope had shared his message of love, compassion and hope with everyone in the world. President Kim Dae-jung's presence at the reception was the first time for a Korean president to attend a foreign diplomatic mission's reception. I had the honor of exchanging greetings with President Kim. I felt proud to take part in such a high-profile event. I sincerely hope the Holy See will help pave the way for a prompt unification of the Korean Peninsula as a message of divine peace. Choe Chong-dae(choecd@naver.com) is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and director of the Korean-Swedish Association. By Chyung Eun-ju and Joel Cho Chyung Eun-ju Joel Cho By Lee Seong-hyon Washington pundits' usual readings of China's leaders' speeches are that they are for domestic consumption. Old habits die hard. In that same vein, it might seem easy to brush off Xi Jinping's recent speech at the 100th anniversary ceremony of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). However, it's time to reconsider the limits of this manner of reading. On July 1, in front of a select, 70,000-member audience at Tiananmen Square, Xi declared, "We will never allow any foreign force to 'bully, oppress, or subjugate' (qifu, yapo, nuyi) us." Then followed the now-famous phrase: "Anyone who attempts to do so will find themselves on a collision course with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people," according to the official Xinhua translation of Xi's speech. If we look at the original Chinese text, the wording was even more visceral and blunt. What Xi literally said, was "knock their head against the wall and bleed (peng de toupoxueliu)." This uncommon expression by China's top leader drew uncommon repercussions. Some interpreted it, in the broader context of the U.S.-China rivalry, as China's de facto throwing down the gauntlet to the United States. Some went so far as to see it as the CCP's manifesto for what would eventually be envisioned as becoming "Pax Sinica." History will be the judge. But this author, at least, does not underestimate the scale and the size of Xi's ambitions. Unlike his predecessors, whose speeches were filled with abstract political semantics and hidden nuances, Xi seems to be a leader who prefers not to beat around the bush. He has become increasingly direct as he has consolidated his grip on power and become more confident, especially during his second five-year term. As such, we may as well take him at face value for what he says, without understating his words. It's also important to note that the Chinese audience in Tiananmen Square responded with a roar and applause, indicating the collective empathy of the Chinese people. The above segment from Xi's speech was also highlighted by the Chinese state media, which performed an efficient job of pointing out the key points of the speech, even sending out "new alerts" on mobile phones. There were two other moments when the audience responded with the same positive intensity. One was, expectedly, when Xi mentioned Taiwan. "We must take resolute action to utterly defeat any attempt toward Taiwan independence... No one should underestimate the resolve, the will, and the ability of the Chinese people to defend our national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Xi said. The final moment was when Xi talked about the "Chinese dream" (zhongguo meng). He proclaimed, "We will realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation!" Based on the Chinese audience's response, a Chinese leader who fulfills these three mandates will be seen as a great leader that deserves to rule the nation for a long time. China has two centennial projects to accomplish. One is to create a "moderately well-off" (xiaokang) society. The second is to actualize the Chinese dream. During his speech, Xi said that the former mission has been already accomplished. Now, he is onto the latter, the more ambitious one. The Chinese dream is ultimately about becoming the number one nation in the world, displacing the United States. "Through tenacious struggle, the party and the Chinese people have shown the world that the Chinese people were capable of not only dismantling the old world, but also of building a new one," he said. There is no reason to understate Xi's ambition. "We are now marching in confident strides toward the second centenary goal of building China into a 'great modern socialist country' (shehuizhuyi xiandaihua qianguo) in all respects," he said. According to CCP documents, China is set to accomplish the Chinese dream by 2049. That is about three decades from now. Xi got rid of term limits for his position, opening up the possibility of ruling for life. The question is whether the Chinese people will support him. Xi's longevity as leader and his legacy are likely intertwined. If he can pull through unification with Taiwan, as well as the Chinese dream of surpassing the United States by 2049, it's quite likely that the Chinese people won't mind him ruling the nation until then. Taken together, Xi's bold speech should be seen as a presidential candidate's speech, running for his third term next year and beyond. Lee Seong-hyon, Ph.D. (sunnybbsfs@gmail.com), is an ICAS fellow in Washington, D.C., and the author of the book, "The U.S.-China Competition: Who Will Rule the World?" (2019). gettyimagesbank By Kim Bo-eun Korea's law that bans minors from playing PC games during night hours has long been disputed. The law went into effect in 2011, with the intention to help prevent those under the age of 16 from losing sleep by staying up late playing games an activity that can develop into a serious addiction. The age group subject to the restriction have their connection to game websites severed from midnight to 6 a.m. The law has faced opposition from game developers as this restricts business opportunities for them. But this is not the only argument for repealing this regulation. Many cite that the law is ineffective in curbing hours spent playing games at night. Surveys show that time spent playing games during the regulated hours was hardly reduced after the regulation went into effect. This is because minors find other routes through which they can access games, such as by using their parents' resident registration number. Another major loophole of the law now is that it doesn't cover mobile games. Most minors use smartphones, and mobile games that are not online-based are not subject to the restriction. The controversy surrounding the regulation was reignited as Microsoft's "Minecraft" received an R-rating recently due to the regulation. This left many dumbfounded as the bestselling computer game described as "online Lego" is about creating structures and is rated suitable for ages 7 and above. This was a result of how foreign game companies dealt with the introduction of the regulation in 2011. Game companies contend that the regulation instills the idea that games are potentially harmful and need to be regulated, and claim this poses a detrimental impact on them. They say that the blanket ban takes away the opportunity for gamers to develop self-discipline. This is not to say that the regulation should be abolished to enable minors to play games without restriction. Lawmakers of both the ruling and opposition parties have recently proposed revisions, stating the regulation should be revised so that children are able to play games under parental guidance. There are already apps that enable parents' real-time monitoring of mobile games their children play on smartphones. Now is the time to revise the restriction to make it more relevant to the changed circumstances of 2021. By Kim Hyun-bin Kumho Petrochemical may be starting to undergo a generational succession after Group Chairman Park Chan-koo stepped down from his positions as CEO and board member of the group's core affiliate. Industry watchers believe a succession is starting to take place as the chairman's children are moving swiftly up the ranks within the conglomerate. However, there is a key obstacle standing in the way of the transition: although shareholders have backed the chairman to maintain management control, his nephew, Park Chul-wan, led the so-called "nephew's revolt" earlier this year. Chul-wan is the son of late Kumho Group Chairman Park Jeong-koo, who was the older brother of current Chairman Park Chan-koo. According to industry sources, the current chairman's eldest son, Park Jun-kyung, was promoted to the vice president position at Kumho Petrochemical just a year after his promotion to executive director. Meanwhile, the chairman's daughter, Park Ju-hyung, was promoted to the position of executive director after entering the company in 2015. Kumho Petrochemical Vice President Park Jun-kyung Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Moon Sung-wook, left, and Frans Timmermans, European Commission executive vice-president for the European Green Deal By Baek Byung-yeul Korea and the European Union have been discussing ways to cooperate in climate change issues as part of the two sides' efforts to build momentum for global climate action. Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Moon Sung-wook had a meeting with Frans Timmermans, executive vice-president for the European Green Deal at the European Commission, at a hotel in Seoul, Tuesday, to share their ideas on climate change action. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said this is the first visit by a high-ranking EU official to Korea since the coronavirus outbreak began. The ministry added the meeting was "meaningful in that it raised the understanding of Korea's carbon neutrality and shared the awareness of the need for continued cooperation between Korea and the EU." In July 2020, Korea unveiled its own Green New Deal plan, an initiative made to transform the country into a low carbon-emitting economy from a carbon-reliant one. President Moon Jae-in said the country will invest 73.4 trillion won ($65 billion) in the project by 2025 and achieve carbon neutrality and reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050. By nurturing industries related to the Green New Deal project, the country expects it could create 659,000 jobs. The EU also announced its Green Deal plan in December 2019 to accomplish its carbon neutrality goal by 2050. Since the announcement, Europe also unveiled subsequent policies such as the Green Deal Investment Plan, a funding plan for the eco-friendly drive, in January 2020, and the European Climate Law which will work as a legal basis for the plan, which was established in March last year. During the meeting, the two sides shared the recognition that they are under pressure to respond agilely to the global climate crisis such as global warming and come up with policies to cope with these problems. "To be a more responsible nation in the global society, the Korean government announced its 2050 carbon neutrality goal last October. Also, in May, the government launched a presidential committee on carbon neutrality which oversees policies addressing climate change issues," Minister Moon said during the meeting. The presidential committee is the highest decision-making body, spearheading Korea's transition in all areas ranging from economic to societal issues for the next 30 years. "The executive vice-president for the European Green Deal also said they have also been pursuing a new growth strategy to move toward a sustainable and eco-friendly economy since the EU unveiled its Green Deal plan in 2019," the ministry said. The EU is scheduled to unveil on July 14 what it calls the "Fit for 55" legislation package to cut its net greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030 from 1990 levels. Also, a draft for a carbon border adjustment measure (CBAM), a tariff on imported goods based on their carbon content, will be introduced. To minimize the impact from the new carbon tariff, Minister Moon emphasized that the newly introduced system should not be a barrier to international trade and should be designed to comply with World Trade Organization regulations. He also suggested Timmermans to create a Korea-EU hydrogen consultative group for certifying hydrogen energy and creating standard indexes. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed issues ranging from climate change to human rights in video talks with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Monday, France said. The talks were meant to calibrate positions ahead of several global meetings in the autumn, including the COP26 summit on global warming in the UK and the G20 summit in Rome, the French presidency said. On climate change, the two European leaders discussed with Xi the importance of ending the financing of coal-fired power stations. On trade, the German and French leaders reaffirmed "European expectations on access to the Chinese market and fair competition conditions", the French statement said. China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported Xi as saying that "what China craves for most is to develop itself rather than replace others". Macron's office said he and Merkel had encouraged China to open air links "as soon as possible". The French presidency added that they had both raised the issue of human rights in China and reaffirmed demands concerning "the fight against forced labor", a presumed reference to the situation in China's western Xinjiang province. Rights groups believe at least one million Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim minorities have been put into camps, with forced labor common and some women forcibly sterilized. Xi said Europe and China should "view each other's differences in a correct way, rationally handle divergences, and ensure ties between the two sides move forward". The discussion came days after Xi hailed China's "irreversible" course from colonial humiliation to great-power status at the centenary celebrations for the Chinese Communist Party. (AFP) Former idol turned Youtuber Kimchi had reportedly scammed more than a thousand people. Keep on reading to know more. Former Double A Member Kimchi Reportedly Scams Thousands of People On July 5, media outlets reported that Kimchi (real name Yoo Yehyanggi), formerly a member of K-Pop group Double A and now a Youtuber under the name "Hyanggi TV," had reportedly scammed more than a thousand people by committing consulting fraud. Back on July 3, an article titled "I am someone who has been scammed by a Youtuber in consulting services. There are too many victims," has been garnering attention in the online community platform, Bobae Dream. According to the article, the anonymous writer of the post had claimed that there is an estimated number of more than 1,000 victims with an estimated amount of hundreds of millions in damages which were scammed by Kimchi, with the writer being one of them. The writer also explains that Kimchi has been uploaded content under his Youtube channel, Hyanggi TV, regarding know-hows and other information about online shopping malls, as well as success stories. In addition, Kimchi had provided fake consulting for online shopping malls by pretending to have his own online shopping mall, as well as falsely claim to have helped several other online shopping malls attain success. The writer of the post said that Kimchi had provided paid online lectures, books, and individual and group consultation to hundreds of thousands of victims by impersonating and promoting a smart store that he "directly" runs. And according to the writer, Kimchi claims that the smart store garners around a million won (around $883 USD) per month. The writer also said that Kimchi had included online shopping malls that he did not provide consultation for in his lecture content and had promoted himself using a benchmark. In addition, the writer also contacted the shopping mall in which Kimchi claimed to have been running, to which the shopping mall denied having been operated by Kimchi. "He did not only deceive the shopping mall that he had impersonated, but also the paying people," said the writer. The writer also shared an address to an open chat room in which victims of Kimchi's consultation fraud could join. According to the writer, there are more than 150 victims who joined the chat room. The writer appealed, "The shopping mall that he runs was completely a false fact, and he told many false things during consulting. I have a transcript, but I know that it is illegal to distribute it. So I hope that many people will help." As of now, Kimchi has deactivated, made private, or deleted all of his social media accounts, including his Youtube channel. What are your thoughts on the issue? IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: BTS to Participate in Louis Vuitton's Fashion Show in Seoul For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Robyn Joan Location: 4030-El Dorado(HaulingDrivers) Job Title Operations Supervisor Primary Location Placerville, California Employee Type Employee Job Description Who Are We? WASTE CONNECTIONS, Inc. (NYSE: WCN) is not only the best waste services company in North America, it is also an amazing place to realize your potential, make decisions, have your voice heard, and partner with extremely hard working and passionate people! We seek servant leaders, mentors, top performers, and fun people. At Waste Connections, we value each individual's unique background, experience, and passion to make us a great place to work. Why you need to join us! CULTURE: It's a Great place to work! We work in an environment where empowered, self-directed all-stars know what they do is important. INTEGRITY: Our definition is "saying what you will do and then doing it!" We keep our promises to our customers and our employees. RESPECT: We show respect for our customers and fellow employees. Respect for ourselves grows through all the hard work and great service we provide to the communities we are privileged to serve. As a member of our elite Waste Connections Operations team, you will be signing up for a company that is committed to our employee's long-term career development and success. If you are open to relocation and willing to learn new tasks and challenges, Waste Connections wants you to be part of our Operations team. This is an excellent opportunity for someone interested in growing with the company and with goals of advancing to higher -level management positions within 1-3 years. A Day in the Life of an Operations Supervisor: Assign and supervise work crews operating solid waste collection equipment. Monitors progress of daily operations, and reassigns employees and makes staffing changes as necessary. Helps develop and execute safety goals. Conducts field inspections and audits of all site personnel to ensure proper work procedures. Receives and reviews customer complaints regarding collection programs. Performs reviews and performance management discussions. Formulates both short-term and long-term goals and action plans for the Hauling Company. Oversees a variety of complex compliance programs, including environmental, OSHA, and local permitting. Must Have: Ability to relocate for promotional opportunities based on performance Bachelor's degree strongly preferred Prior experience in transportation/trucking/logistics required. 3+ years of managing in a dynamic, people driven environment Have or ability to obtain within 90 days your Class B CDL Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills Ability to meet tight deadlines and juggle multiple priorities Intermediate to advanced skills in MS Excel and related business systems We offer excellent benefits including: medical, dental, vision, flexible spending account, long term disability, life insurance, and 401K retirement. We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer (Minority/Female/Disabled/Veterans) Position Purpose: Serves as confidential secretary to the principal and as a facilitator for the school public being served. Serves the administrative staff by processing and maintaining accurate school and student records. Responsibilities: Communicates, collaborates, and cooperates with colleagues, supervisors, and students. Makes and receives telephone calls, takes messages, routes calls. Enters all student attendance records into a computer on a daily basis. Responds to inquiries from students, teachers, and parents regarding attendance rules, absences, suspensions, and enrollment status. Compiles and submits a variety of weekly, monthly and year-end reports as required. Maintains and prepares State Department report. Works with probation officer when requested. Maintains suspension list. Prints weekly attendance letters for unexcused absences. Prepares computerized attendance sheets. Types, prepares, distributes, files records/reports, correspondence etc. related to attendance. Participate in all mandatory training or training appropriate to the position as required by the district. Minimum Qualifications: High school diploma or GED required. Minimum of one-year previous office experience required. Ability to operate a personal computer including the use of a database, spreadsheet, word processor, email and online resources. Preferred Qualifications: Experience working with PowerSchool. Experience working with Google Docs. Experience working at a school in a clerical position. *Salary range is subject to pending contract negotiations. The 2019-2021 salary ranges are listed for reference. For more information or questions please call 701-446-1000 or email humanresources@fargo.k12.nd.us. recblid ag9t2dh1gf1igodtcaebw1uydb5cb6 Auburn University Division Name: Executive Vice President Position Title: TES Technician, Aviation Maintenance Estimated Hours Per Week: 40 Job Summary: Provides general and preventative maintenance on University owned aircraft as well as other aircrafts. The levels of this position may only perform duties for which appropriate training has been provided as outlined in department training manual and guidelines provided by the Federal Aviation Association. TES employees will have the opportunity to apply for permanent positions within this department. Temporary Employment Services (TES), a unit of the Auburn University Department of Human Resources, is an in-house support center established to meet the temporary employment needs of the university. TES provides qualified and dedicated temporary employees in a wide variety of occupations to meet the staffing needs throughout the campus. Temporary employees are hired for a variety of reasons with the most common being: - Assistance in the place of a regular employee who is absent for a specified period of time - Additional assistance during periods of abnormal or peak workloads - Assistance with special projects - Seasonal work - Emergencies If you are looking for an employment opportunity, TES is a great way to showcase your professional skills and assist Auburn University while gaining valuable work experience within higher education. Essential Functions: Inspects university aircraft by performing very detailed inspections and preventive mechanical maintenance in accordance to the standards established by the university, federal regulations, and industry best practices. - Diagnoses and repairs university aircraft as needed. Determines airworthiness of aircraft and components ensuring all protocol is followed in regards to Federal Aviation regulations. Ensures timely scheduling of maintenance in order to least impact client's flight schedule and provide for high degree of aircraft availability. Maintains electrical systems that include wiring, electrical connections, and the replacement of instruments. Troubleshoots, inspects, tests, repairs, and services aircraft and engine systems to prepare aircraft for flight. Initiate and document any nonconforming materials, hardware, software, tools, parts, assemblies, or portions thereof, according to specifications, processes, and procedures. Maintains proper and updated records required by the University and Federal Aviation Authority regulations. Maintains a safe work environment abiding by all safety manuals. May perform other duties as assigned. Minimum Qualifications: High school diploma or equivalent, along with 2 years of general mechanical experience OR completion of an FAA-Approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School. Salary Range: $14.00 - $23.00/hour Work Hours 5 days a week between Monday and Saturday - 8 hour shift between the hours of 6 AM-9 PM Posting Date 06/17/2021 Closing Date EEO Statement A commitment to an inclusive and diverse campus environment is required. Women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply. AUBURN UNIVERSITY IS AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. It is our policy to provide equal employment opportunities for all individuals without regard to race, sex, religion, color, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by applicable law. Special Instructions to Applicants: Resume required recblid mr72annswdd93m0al7fi93gfwsb8xt Job Fair on Wednesday, July 14th Looking for a rewarding career that benefits the community? Stop by our Job Fair at the Holiday Inn at 232 Broadway, Saratoga Springs on Wednesday, July 14th, 4:00-7:00pm. Please bring a copy of your resume with you. Positions Available: Head Start Education: Assistant Teachers - Head Start classroom Aides - Head Start classroom Nutrition Specialist Family Advocates Health Advocates Head Start program offers school breaks off with pay! Weatherization: Carpenter/Crew Members Heat Technician We offer excellent benefits! Visit our wesbite for other open positions: www.lifeworksaction.org/careers The LifeWorks team of compassionate staff and volunteers is here to help neighbors facing economic hardship and accompany families on their journey to a brighter tomorrow. The goal is simple: Empower neighbors to build secure futures filled with opportunity. To do this, staff and volunteers work hand-in-hand with families, addressing immediate needs and coordinating services here at LifeWorks and throughout the community. LifeWorks is a community of neighbors helping neighbors. Be part of a team that guides families through times of crisis and empowers them to overcome their challenges. Together, we can build a brighter future for our community. recblid v5lol3bbbesz6i0fphipaut65ox4uq Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. HopePrescott.com : Airplane crash in Haiti takes life of former Southwest Arkansas resident, five others S&P 500 Stock Market Rally Are We Nearing The Top? Are the US stock markets poised for a reversion price event in the near future? My research team and I believe $4400 on the S&P 500 may be a key psychological level that many traders are unaware of in the immediate term. Some very interesting Fibonacci and Gann dynamics are at play as we watch the excess rally phase continue to drive markets higher. Will the Q2:2021 earning season prompt a blow-off top setup or will the markets continue to rally higher? Continue reading to learn why we are cautious of the $4400 level on the S&P 500 and why you may want to prepare for a moderately big volatility event if our research is correct. There are a number of key technical components to our research related to the $4400 target peak level for the S&P 500. First, the Fibonacci correlation to the rally phases that have taken place throughout the bullish price waves (1-3-5) since the 2009 bottom. Well get to that in a minute. Second, we believe our Gann cycle phase research and Fibonacci Price Amplitude Arc research suggests the current market rally is very over-extended to the upside. In other words, we believe this excessive upside price trending is likely to revert, quite strongly, at some point in the near future. Be sure to sign up for our free market trend analysis and signals now so you dont miss our next special report! The $4400 number becomes our key focus for two reasons. Based on our research, that level appears to hold significant resistance and the fact that the S&P 500 will likely reach this $4400 level within the next few days/weeks prompts an urgency for us to share this information with our readers. As we continue to present charts and research, ask yourself this one simple question: if one were to take place over the next few weeks, are you prepared for a moderately large price reversion event with regards to protecting your trades and understanding the risks? Would you be shocked if the S&P 500 collapsed to levels near $330 (or lower) after reaching $440 (representing a -25% price reversion)? Lets explore this concept to help you prepare just in case. Custom US Stock Market Index Suggests $440 Is Likely Strong Resistance In this first Custom US Stock Market Index Monthly chart, we are watching the $440 level as key resistance (which you can see from the GREEN Fibonacci Price Amplitude Arc near the current price highs). This $440 level represents a similar price level to the $4400 level on the S&P 500 chart (below). You can also see the Gann Arcs that weve drawn on this chart with the most recent levels being near $380 (in LIGHT BLUE) on this chart. This broad Gann Price arc suggests that a key price inflection point took place between March and May 2021. It is our belief that the exuberant rally phase that continues to drive the market price higher has overrun this price inflection point and extended beyond moderate resistance. This sets up a possibility that a reversion price event may prompt a bigger correction in price, possibly reverting back to the Gann inflection point targets near $325 on this chart. VIX Settling Near 15 May Prompt A Volatility Event If The Market Roll Over The VIX moving in a consolidated lower price trend suggests traders have become very complacent recently. Even though volatility in the markets is still 2x to 3x normal ranges, the VIX is reflecting lower levels similar to the 1x type of volatility we saw before 2018. This happens because the VIX is calculated using a smoothing function related to the near-term and next-term options data (source: VIX Calculation Explained). We believe it is quite likely that a surprise Q2:2021 volatility event will take place over the next few weeks, possibly aligned with the $4400/$440 price targets we are suggesting, that may prompt a larger price reversion event to the downside and prompt the VIX to move above 40~45 again. If our research is correct, this type of correction in the market may surprise traders simply because many traders have become very complacent with the seemingly un-ending upward price trending. If you take a quick look at the Custom US Stock Market Index chart, above, youll see how strong and aggressive the current upside price trending has become. At this stage, we could safely call this upward price trend near vertical and hyper-parabolic. The Bigger Elliot Wave Setup Suggests We Are Rallying To A Wave 5 Peak Get Ready For The Next Big Wave Lower Traders need to continually adopt a varying perspective related to the broader markets and trends. The shorter-term trends may be showing us what to expect over a few days or weeks, but the longer-term trend can help us identify trends that may last months or years. The technical charts, above, are all based on Weekly and Monthly charts because we wanted to highlight the varying technical (Price, Fiboancci and Gann) setups that we believe may conjoin at some point over the next few weeks to prompt a reversion event. Although we cant time this event to the day/week, we are actively watching our technical systems/strategies for signs that the markets have exhausted this upward trend and we believe the potential reversion could be sudden and violent (if it happens). This last chart is a Monthly S&P 500 Index chart showing our analysis of the current Elliot Wave structure. We believe the current rally is a Wave 5 rally to a peak which may be very close to reaching the apex levels or reaching a critical top. Our analysis of the 2x Wave 5 rally, shown on the chart, is rooted in the premise that the 2015 to 2020 rally represented the end of wave 3 and the COVID collapse represented a very quick Wave 4 correction. Currently, our Wave 5 peak expectation for price is near $4400 on the S&P 500. The S&P 500 is currently trading just above $4325 and is closing in on the $4400 level fairly quickly. The importance of this $4400 level is critical to understand in the sense that it represents a key psychological level and also aligns with the PURPLE arcing Fibonacci Price Amplitude Arc on the chart below. This Fibonacci Price Amplitude Arc originates from the 2009 market bottom and represents a 3.618 total price expansion. What makes us believe our analysis is accurate is that the move from the 2009 bottom to the Wave 1 peak totaled approximately 1459 points. The move from the bottom of Wave 2 to the Peak at Wave 3 totaled approximately 1594 points (larger than Wave 1: 1.0925%). The current Wave 5 rally, if it ends near $4400, would represent a rally of 2200 points (the largest Wave: representing a 1.507% expansion of Wave 1 and a 1.380% expansion of Wave 3). The alignment of key Fibonacci ratios suggesting the $4400 level will become a critical peak for the S&P 500 Index tells us our analysis is likely to be correct. It also suggests the markets are very close to a critical peak level and all traders need to be aware of this setup. Our belief that a reversion event and/or a critical market top is pending should not surprise you at this point we are simply riding out this rally to a peak trend while we wait for confirmation of a major trend reversal. If the $4400 level on the S&P500 does not confirm as a major peak, then we will simply wait for the next higher peak level to setup. Please note that we are not trying to pick a top or suggest traders jump into short positions because of our research. We are suggesting that traders pay very close attention to how the markets react after the S&P500 reaches near the $4400 level as we believe price levels may stall and begin to roll downward possibly starting a bigger reversion event from this peak level. Traders want to stay ahead of these trends and opportunities related to what may become the next big disruptive technology gains. As we move further into the 21st Century, it is very likely that space will become the DOT COM/Internet disruptive technology over the next 20 to 40+ years (or longer). That means traders need to start considering how this exciting new sector fits into their investment portfolio and where new industry leaders will settle. My team and I have been building and developing fully systematic algorithmic trading strategies for many years and can tell you that unless you have a solid foundation related to knowing when and where opportunities exist in market trends, you are likely churning your money in and out of failed trades. I will be presenting my two favorite strategies at the July Wealth365 Summit on July 13th at 4 pm and July 16th at 12 pm. The Summit is free to attend and offers unparalleled opportunities for learningplus a potential prize or two! Want to know how our BAN strategy is identifying and ranking various sectors and ETFs for the best possible opportunities for future profits? Please take a minute to learn about my BAN Trader Pro newsletter service and how it can help you identify and trade better sector setups. My team and I have built this strategy to help us identify the strongest and best trade setups in any market sector. Every day, we deliver these setups to our subscribers along with the BAN Trader Pro system trades. You owe it to yourself to see how simple it is to trade 30% to 40% of the time to generate incredible results. Have a great day! Chris Vermeulen www.TheTechnicalTraders.com Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better. His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility. He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect. Chris Vermeulen Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) (www.IsDB.org) has selected two crowdfunding platforms as winners of the IsDB Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics for the year 1442H (2021), in recognition of their innovative and impactful roles in funding projects that advance the principles of Islamic Economics. LaunchGood, a crowdfunding platform that harnesses technology to bring the Islamic tradition of charity into the contemporary and digital space, has won the first prize, while the second prize has gone to Seed Out, a micro-entrepreneurs crowdfunding platform that addresses economic problems with a focus on solving individual financial challenges. The prize for a third-place winner was withheld. The prize will be awarded to the two winners during the IsDB Group Annual Meeting, scheduled to be held on 3 4 September 2021 in Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan. In a statement on this occasion, IsDB President, Dr. Bandar Hajjar, congratulated the winners on their notable accomplishments, commended them for their contribution to the development of Islamic Economics, and wished them greater success in all their endeavors. The two winners were selected by the IsDB Prize Selection Committee, comprising eminent experts and scholars from within and outside the IsDB Group, through the coordination of the Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI). In his comments, Acting Director General of IsDBI and IsDB Group Chief Economist, Dr. Sami Al-Suwailem, congratulated the winners and expressed appreciation to Dr. Bandar Hajjar for his invaluable support and guidance to the Institute in coordinating the Prize award. Below are excerpts from the citations for the two winners issued by the IsDB Prize Selection Committee. LaunchGood LaunchGood is a very innovative crowdfunding platform which is harnessing technology to bring the 1,400-year-old Islamic tradition of charity into a contemporary and digital space. Operating at the intersection of faith and tech, it provides a decentralized and accessible way for nearly any Muslim in the world to raise money for important projects and have a direct and positive impact on their community. Since launching over seven years ago, LaunchGood has proven itself to be highly scalable, having supported over 28,000 campaigns and raised over $200 million. The platform goes beyond just charity: every campaign is itself a statement of all the good Muslims are doing and are capable of, taking control of the narrative of who Muslims are and their role in the contemporary world. These success stories are seeds of hope planted into the hearts and minds of people across the world who want to believe in and build an inspired future. Seed Out Seed Out is very different from many microfinancing businesses. It does not take the position that poverty is cured by making all the poor into entrepreneurs. Instead, it identifies prospective or existing entrepreneurs, and then selects them for support. Seed Outs original innovation is to provide financing in kind. This gives Seed Out absolute control over the proceeds and allows for the buyer / beneficiary to focus on her or his business, which is better than most existing solutions which pay cash to the beneficiary. Like other crowdfunding platforms, Seed Out allows donors to select specific beneficiaries to support. These features of deeper involvement and in-kind assistance are very impactful, but difficult to manage in wider geographies to achieve wider global impact. However, given the technology, the Seed Out is expected to expand considerably fast globally in few years. The IsDB Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics is a reformulated version of the IsDB Prize in Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance that was first instituted in 1988. In its new form, the IsDB Prize has an expanded scope to reward outstanding achievements in two categories, offered in alternate years, namely (i) Development Achievement and (ii) Knowledge Contribution. The 1442H (2021) Prize cycle is for the Development Achievement category, which called for successful projects solving development challenges in IsDB member countries and Muslim communities worldwide. The sudden halt imposed on the aviation industry by the Covid-19 crisis hit the sector hard. In April 2020, two-thirds of the global commercial aviation fleet sat idle on the tarmac, while passenger traffic was down 90% year-on-year. Today, the aviation industry is slowly rebounding, led by domestic travel. As more aircraft return to the skies, a new report from aviation insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) highlights some of the unique challenges airlines and airports face as they restart operations ranging from rusty pilots to insect infestations. It also identifies a number of ways in which Covid-19 is reshaping the sector, driving long-term changes in fleet composition, flight routes and passenger demand. The grounding of worldwide fleets during the pandemic has represented an unprecedented event for the aviation industry, says Dave Warfel, a Regional Head of Aviation at AGCS. Airlines have worked tirelessly to maintain their fleets and train their crews during this long period of inactivity and, as insurers, we take a keen interest in working with them to understand their plans to return to service. Challenges will no doubt emerge as the industry readies for takeoff again. Although it is hard to predict in exactly what shape the aviation industry will return, one thing is for certain it will have changed. 1. Rusty pilots and the return of sightseeing flights Earlier this year, dozens of pilots reported making mistakes, such as taking multiple attempts to land, to NASAs Aviation Safety Reporting System, with many citing rustiness as a factor on returning to the skies. Airlines (and other operators) are well aware of the potential for pilot rustiness and continue to take steps to manage and mitigate these risks. Major airlines have developed different training programs for pilots re-entering service, depending on the length of absence. At a time of such unprecedented activity, it is comforting to know that the risk management processes that made airline travel safer than any form of travel prior to the pandemic will continue to drive an unparalleled travel safety environment in the post Covid-19 world, says Warfel. However, the return of sightseeing flights in tourism destinations could lead to an uptick in risk for smaller leisure aircraft, including helicopters, particularly if there is an influx of new pilots unfamiliar with the routes and terrain. There have already been a number of fatal accidents involving sightseeing flights in recent years. 2. Air rage incidents on the rise Unruly behavior of airplane passengers is increasingly a concern, particularly in the United States. In a typical year there are around 150 reports of passenger disruption on aircraft. By June 2021 there had been 3,000 according to the Federal Aviation Administration the majority involving passengers refusing to wear a mask. The report notes that unruly passengers may later claim they were discriminated against by the airline in these cases even when in the wrong a trend insurers need to stay on top of. 3. Perils from parked fleets Although a large proportion of the worlds airline fleet have been and are still parked during Covid-19, loss exposures do not disappear. They change. Parked fleets are exposed to weather events. There have been numerous incidents of grounded aircraft being damaged by hailstorms and hurricanes. The risk of shunting or ground incidents also increases, which can bring costly claims. There were a number of collisions at the start of the pandemic as operators transferred aircraft to storage facilities. More are likely when aircraft are moved again ahead of reuse. Aircraft in storage typically undergo regular maintenance to ensure they are ready to return. However, never has the industry seen so many aircraft temporarily put out of service and the report notes that smaller airlines may face significant challenges when reactivating fleets, given it will be an unprecedented process. 4. Pilot shortage brings risks Odd as it may seem given the impact of Covid-19, the global aviation industry faces a pilot shortage in the mid to long-term. The tremendous increase in air travel pre-pandemic annual air passenger growth in China alone was 10%+ a year from 2011 meant pilot demand was already outstripping supply. More than a quarter of a million are required over the coming decade. In less regulated countries, shortages can lead to pilots operating commercial aircraft with limited qualifications and low overall flying time, says Warfel. Pilot fatigue is also a known risk among existing pilots that must be properly managed. Fortunately, there is a lot of industry expertise and resources available to assist airlines in building proper fatigue management systems. Some airlines are building their own pilot pipelines by establishing flight schools. Given the nature of training, flying schools are prone to accidents and claims are becoming more expensive with rising values of aircraft and increased activity. Landing accidents are most common, but insurers have also seen total losses. 5. New generation aircraft bring safety improvements but higher costs A number of airlines have shrunk their fleets or retired aircraft over the past year, as the pandemic hastens a generational shift to smaller aircraft, given the anticipated reduced number of passengers on aircraft in the short-term future. Newer generation aircraft bring safety and efficiency benefits, say Axel von Frowein, a Regional Head of Aviation at AGCS. However, new materials such as composites, titanium and alloys are more expensive to repair, resulting in higher claims costs. 6. Robust performance by air cargo and trend will continue Although passenger travel has been devastated by the pandemic, other aviation sectors have performed more robustly, such as cargo operators. In April 2021, Asia Pacific reported its best month for international air cargo since the pandemic began, thanks to rising business confidence, e-commerce and congestion at sea ports, while Latin America to North America freighter capacity grew by almost a third in May 2021 compared to the same two week period in 2019. The report expects air cargo to continue to perform strongly. 7. Business travel boom or bust? Pre-Covid-19 business travel traffic amounted to $1.5trn a year or around 1.7% of global GDP. With many airlines dialing back expectations in the short-term, the report asks whether those days are over. New ways of collaboration, such as video calls, proved to be effective and more companies are aiming to reduce business travel to improve their carbon footprint. Therefore, while there will be initial surge once lockdowns end, many airlines are preparing for a long-term paradigm shift in traveling, with business travel expected to be slow to pick up. However, what speaks for a possible uptick is that some areas of business aviation have proven resilient during the pandemic. Companies that had aircraft continued to use them while many that had never purchased or chartered an aircraft before did so for the first time. Many charter companies thrived. 8. New routes multiply in Europe and Asia Pacific Over 1,400 new air routes are scheduled for 2021 more than double those added in 2016 driven by Europe (over 600) and Asia Pacific (over 500), with regional airports set to be the main beneficiaries. Growth in Chinas domestic market alone has seen over 200 new routes added almost the same as the US. This development reflects the desire of some airlines to experiment in uncertain times, particularly smaller ones, says von Frowein. New routes means less congested airspace and congestion at airports which can have a positive impact on risks such as ground handling incidents. However, flying new routes can bring a heightened risk environment. 9. Insect infestations affecting instrument accuracy There have been a number of reports of unreliable airspeed and altitude readings during the first flight(s) after some aircraft have left storage. In many cases, the problem was traced back to undetected insect nests inside the aircrafts pitot tubes, pressure-sensitive sensors that feed data to an avionics computer. Such incidents have led to rejected takeoffs and turn back events. Contamination risk increases if storage procedures are not followed. Covid-19 claims impact The report also notes the aviation industry has seen relatively few claims directly related to the pandemic to date. In a small number of liability notifications, passengers have sued airlines for cancellations/disruptions. Covid-19 has not been a direct driver of aviation claims over the past year, says Cristina Schoen, Global Head of Aviation Claims at AGCS. As a result of the significant reduction in commercial airline travel during the pandemic we saw fewer attritional claims than we would during a typical year. However, the insurance sector was not immune to larger losses during the course of the pandemic, with different regions seeing tragic accidents, emergency landings and hull losses to name a few. As air travel begins to return to pre-pandemic levels we expect claims volume to rise accordingly. AGCS analysis of more than 46,000 aviation insurance claims from 2016 to year-end 2020 worth more than EUR 14.5bn (US$17.3bn) shows collision/crash incidents account for over half the value of all claims. Other expensive causes of loss include faulty workmanship/maintenance and machinery breakdown. The acquisition continues the growth of DLP, which has its northern headquarters in Hanover Township, Northampton County, and its southern headquarters in St. Augustine, Florida. One way DLP has grown is by acquiring apartment complexes across the country with a value-add upside, meaning a property in need of renovations, rebranding or operational efficiencies to boost its cash flow. The firm owns more than 14,000 apartment units across the country. I share the frustration of our residents when it comes to these violations as it creates a situation for our veterans who may be dealing with PTSD, elderly, pet owners and anyone affected by the noise, Roca said. In the police department, we will continue to address these issues and work with our community partners to educate and take enforcement when possible. Anticipating the need for some fiscal padding beyond the original $600,000, the township agreed early on to try to set aside $50,000 a year into a restricted fund to help with eventual costs. In the early days of the pandemic, commissioners voted 3-2 to release the restriction on this money; this year, after setting another $50,000 aside, the restriction was placed back onto the money. Officials said DeMuynck had served as a volunteer firefighter since August 2019. He is survived by his wife and parents. Officials said he and his wife are Canadian and had planned to move back home to rejoin family Monday. This is at least the second death at the skydiving club so far this year. The vehicle was occupied by a female driver and a man who matched the description of the bank robber, the release said. When the driver got out of the car, the man got in the drivers seat and attempted to leave but struck a parked vehicle. Despite all assurances that the attacks only targeted Zionists, the rhetoric and hate we saw in social media somehow transformed itself into attacks against Jews and the Jewish community. Between May 11 and May 31, the Anti-Defamation League recorded 251 incidents (including assault, vandalism, and harassment) a 115% jump from the same period in 2020, when 117 incidents were reported. A few examples of the hate we saw include a swastika that was painted outside of the Florida Holocaust Museum with the phrase Jews are guilty and, as time went on, violence erupted on the streets when anti-Israel protestors started to target members of the Jewish community. Will the Republican Party return to a sane normal party? Will they ever denounce the QAnon nonsense and the conspiracy theories? Will we once again get a normal GOP that an individual can vote for once again? Some very important questions to be answered, hopefully soon. Images Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images. As a current print subscriber, you receive 24/7 access to our website and online e-edition at no additional charge. All you have to do is activate your access. To activate digital access, you will need your account number. You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill. Today's Headlines Would you like to receive our daily news? Sign up today! Breaking news Sign up for breaking news alerts from morning-times.com!!! Week in Sports Get a weekly local sports round-up from www.morning-times.com every Saturday morning!!! There is a possibility that the tropical storm won't lead to a lot of damage in the Tampa Bay region, Spectrum Bay News 9 meteorologist Josh Linker said. Still, the area should anticipate lots of wind and rain. Tropical Storm Elsa On Sunday afternoon as Elsa move nearer to the state, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a tropical storm watch for Tampa Bay and some parts of Florida's Gulf Coast. A storm surge that stretches from Bonita Beach on the East Coast and propelled northward past Tampa Bay to the Suwannee River was also in effect. Elsa is anticipated to arrive at Tampa Bay overnight Tuesday. The momentum of Tropical Storm Elsa began to diminish Sunday morning as it approaches Cuba, but still made threatens to deliver strong winds, heavy rain, and coastal flooding when it gets to the Florida Keys late Monday on the way to the Tampa Bay area. As of the 8 p.m update of the hurricane center., Elsa's center was just south of Cuba, with up to about 60 mph sustaining winds. The storm could lightly strengthen after it passes the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane center said. Also Read: Hurricane Season 2021: Storm Surge Warning Updated, Here's Everything You Need to Know Cuba Evacuates About 180,000 People The storm could take rain of about two to four inches across the Florida peninsula, Florida Keys, and coastal Georgia from Monday to Wednesday, with rain of up to six inches in some regions. There is a possibility that storm surges of two to four feet will be experienced in Tampa Bay area. The fifth named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, Elsa, pushed between Jamaica and Cuba during the end of the week, when it briefly got to hurricane strength and took the life of about three people after it battered the Caribbean islands. About 180,000 people were evacuated from Cuba along the island's southern region. Midday Sunday, Elsa was covered in warm, deep waters between Jamaica and southern Cuba. Best conditions for the storm to rejuvenate, said meteorologist Josh Linker of Spectrum Bay News 9. But at the same time, the structure of the storm has started to tilt a bit, Josh Linker said - This strongly indicates that the storm is becoming disorganized. Elsa's Encounter with Cuba Coming as it does while Elsa gets closer to the mountains of Cuba - where some of the warm moist Caribbean air that fuels were lost - this development gave a promise to further pull apart the spiraling storm. Among forecasters, all focus were on the encounter Elsa had with Cuba on Monday. Will the storm take an entire day to travel the length of the island or just clip a spot before searching for the warm sea again? Linker said the outcome of northern Cuba will be very crucial for determining what effects will be noticed in Tampa Bay. Related Article: What's Causing the Increase of Tropical Cyclones in the Arabian Sea? For more news, updates about storm surges and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! A footage of a scary-looking eel poking its head up in the surf of Hilton Head Island circulated social media on Tuesday, June 29. While Joe Grondalski and girlfriend Shannon Ruff were walking along Hilton Head Island's beach, what was likely an eel, popped out of the sand and buried itself back in, popping out a few moments later with its mouth open. Ruff immediately called the attention of S.C. Department of Natural Resources to report the finding of the strangely unique animal. According to the spokesperson of S.C. Department of Natural Resources, the animal was part of the snake eel family Ophichthus gomesii, which their behavioral patterns were rarely studied at the time. "We were stumped. We've been living here maybe five years, but we've been coming to Hilton Head since the early '80s, and we've never seen anything like this," said Grondalski in an interview. The post also garnered similar comments in Facebook, saying the species was never seen before and is 'so scary looking'. DNR eventually confirmed that shrimp eels are not invasive and are harmless to humans. The Shrimp Eel's Identification Since the species of shrimp eels were barely studied before, DNR biologists had a hard time themselves examining the eel's identification. They then confirmed that the eel in beach of South Carolina was a shrimp eel, member of the Snake Eel or Ophichthidae Family, also known in Mexico as tieso camaronero. Biologically, shrimp eels have elongated, cylindrical, and snake-like bodies that can grow up to 35.9 inches long. If you see it for the first time, you can possibly mistake it as a snake. They are typically brown or gray, and can transition to a lighter color. Their conical head and large eyes, along with their small conical teeth will truly make you jump on your feet when it pops its head on you from out of nowhere. According to a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website, most of the snake eels bury themselves tail-first into the sand in the daytime and abandon their burrows at night. "If eaten whole by another fish, they have been known to try and burrow their way out of the predator's stomach," the website said. Also read: Deep Sea Mystery: Ultra-Black Fishes Absorb Light and 'Disappear' Into the Darkness Shrimp Eels' Conservation Status "We're both animal lovers, and the ocean holds all kinds of strange creatures. It was more like, 'Oh my God, what is that?'," Grondalski said when asked about their first impression of the eel. While these eels are 'poorly studied' at the moment, conservationists say that they are easy to identify among other species. In addition, shrimp eel populations are currently considered wide and stable, abundant in certain areas like Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. They have also been identified off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida according to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. DNR representative Erin Weeks said that seeing shrimp eels in the surfs of Hilton Head beach was unusual, but the couple said that finding the animal was more surprising than frightening. Also read: Bull Sharks Are Capable of Forming Friendship With Each Other, Study Suggests A veterinary pharmaceutical and largest animal health company donated 11,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to US zoos and animal conservation sites, starting with the Oakland Zoo, California. Just this week, Zoetis animal health company provided coronavirus experimental vaccines for about 100 animals, including bears, ferrets, big cats, apes and mountain lions from Oakland Zoo, with 70 more zoos to follow. Dr. Alex Herman, vice president of veterinary services at the Oakland Zoo said that two of their elderly tigers first received the vaccination, with 'lots of positive reinforcement'. According to Dr. Herman, the animals were trained to voluntarily present themselves for injections by giving them rewards. "It's pretty much the same idea as getting a lollipop after a shot, although the animals seem more willing to volunteer than humans," he added. Coronavirus Infections in Animals and Pets Although cases of coronavirus infection were not much in Oakland Zoo, the Oakland Zoo made sure to observe safety and precautionary measures by requiring zoo keepers to maintain safe distance from the animals and wear protective equipment such as masks. Generally, animal infection of the virus SARS-CoV-2 was more prevalent in big cats and apes in the US, thus they have gotten doses of experimental vaccine primarily such as those in San Diego. The New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company first tested its vaccine on minks. The same vaccine was received by mink farmers in Oregon when the state required and approved vaccination on all farmed minks. However, Christina Lood, a senior communications director for Zoetis said that the vaccine for experimental use was a 'case-by-case basis'. Meanwhile, Russia claims to have developed vaccines first when Denmark killed about 17 million minks after the virus infection spread to humans, which pushed the vaccination for mink and other animals, such as cats and dogs. The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision agency did not recommend routine vaccination in pets as they found no current evidence of human infection that was spread by cats and dogs, and they rarely catch the virus at all. The Russian agency said that the vaccine for pets was more of an 'insurance' against variants that might spread more easily. Also read: Are Rare Sharks Being Killed for the Coronavirus Vaccine? Advice for Pet Owners A study completed by Dr. Dorothee Bienzle, a veterinarian and immunologist at the University of Guelph, in Ontario about cats and dogs living in the same household with Covid-infected humans found severe cases of symptoms in cats more than dogs, although the symptoms cannot be completely pinned on coronavirus. "I have heard of cats with severe clinical signs but had not seen any cases where they could confirm that the signs were due to SARS-CoV-2," added veterinarian and pathologist Dr. Karen Terio at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign veterinary school. Researchers suggest that if a person is infected with the virus, one should isolate himself from pet cats or dogs and not sleep in the same bed as them to avoid chances of infection. Dr. Bienzle added that human to animal transmission can be prevented with social distancing and masks. Also read: Dogs Can Detect COVID-19 Cases Faster Than PCR Test, Including Asymptomatic Cases According to data around 245 wildfires are present in Northwest territory but in year 2014, 385 wildfires happened. Though it is highly active in these areas, it is a rare occurrence that it reaches this peak. On July 3, 2014, on the day itself 123 wildfires were reported in the area and around 92 were still active when the Government approached the area. The year 2014 broke several records and it caused around $56 million in collateral damage. Ranging from the water released, aircraft management, in personnel salaries, and other miscellaneous. The Northwest Territories had its worst fire season in 30 years with nearly 3.4 million hectares razed. Temperatures from Tuktoyaktuk to Yellowknife averaged well above historic averages. Smoke, ash and moisture from intense fires travelled as high as 15 km in the air, easily circling the globe. Health risks were also a concern as the city's hospital treated twice the usual number of patients for respiratory and allergy issues. In 2013, British Columbia saw the driest October-December period on record. The average temperature over the province's coastal and southern regions was the third warmest in 67 years of record-keeping. Nearly 400 firemen from Ontario, the Maritimes, Alaska, and even Australia assisted in the fight against wildfires. Fortunately, timely rainfall and mild temperatures from September through October kept British Columbia from experiencing a second devastating forest fire season. California's 3rd largest wildfire in history Rim fire is the third largest wildfire in the history of California. The wildfire devastated the whole region burning 2800 buildings and the loss of 14 people's lives. According to Earth Economics for the San Francisco public utilities commission, the value loss of the fire is around $800 million. That's around 16 times the wildfire that happened in Northwest territory. The loss of this wildfire has tremendously damaged the economy of California and the ecosystem damage is surreal and unimaginable. Also read: 'Living Close to Hell'- Historic Heat Wave Blamed for Killing 63 in Oregon An important strive for change As "Global Warming" alters the weather, more nations will experience climate change. For example, in Canada, individuals have died as a result of the hotness of the heatwave, which shortly brought drought and wildfires. With these instances that happened over the past decade it only showed that we lack one important aspect to prevent these natural occurrences in our lands which is Communication. The government must be more vocal to the nearby municipalities, cities, villages and they must let the people know what the dos are and don'ts that must be followed. Unity of knowledge will make the people have relatable actions and have one ultimate goal, which is to step up and improve from what is lacking. The government also suggested few additions to achieve better communication with everyone such as improved websites, officers standing by and monitoring the situation, with the modernization of technology comes with social media influence and having social media that gives updates to the people will have a more interaction between the people and the state. In addition, is the implementation and inclusion of aboriginal languages on fire signage. Also read: Storms With Massive 'Fire-Breathing' Clouds in Canada Caused by Wildfires The Caspian Sea area, where Azerbaijan has enormous offshore oil and gas reserves, has been rattled by a powerful explosion. The origin of the burst, which sent a column of flames into the sky late Sunday, was not immediately identified. However, preliminary evidence suggested it was a mud volcano, according to the state oil firm Socar. The explosion caused no damage to Socar's platforms, according to the company. Mud volcanoes, which erupt both mud and combustible gas, are abundant in the Caspian Sea. Affected Area According to Socar spokesperson Ibrahim Ahmadov, the incident occurred approximately 10 kilometers (six miles) from the Umid gas field, which is 45 kilometers (75 kilometers) off the coast of Baku, according to the Azerbaijani news agency APA. The explosion "certainly could be a mud volcano," according to Mark Tingay, a mud volcano expert and adjunct associate professor at Australia's University of Adelaide. The location "roughly fits" with a mud volcano called Makarov Bank, which erupted in 1958, releasing a column of flame 500-600 meters high and 150 meters wide. Related Article: Eye of Fire: Fossil Pipeline Explosion in the Gulf of Mexico Results to Terrifying Disaster Abundance of Mud Volcanoes According to Tingay, the nation contains "hundreds" of mud volcanoes, with a fifth of them known to erupt severely. Scientists aren't sure what causes mud volcanoes to erupt. Still, the most likely explanation is that boulders and pebbles were thrown upwards after an explosion collide, producing a spark igniting gasses. Because of its underground oil and natural gas deposits, Azerbaijan is nicknamed the "Land of Fire." In the 13th century, the traveler Marco Polo reported flames created by the burning gas. The explosion occurred on Sunday after a fire on the ocean surface west of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula was put out over the weekend after blazing for more than five hours. Pemex, the state oil corporation, accused a gas leak from an underwater pipeline of starting the fire, which was dubbed the "eye of fire" on social media owing to its form. Mud Volcanoes A mud volcano, sometimes known as a mud dome, is a landform formed by mud or slurries, water, and gases. Mud volcanoes can be formed by a variety of geological processes. Mud volcanoes aren't real igneous volcanoes since they don't spew lava and aren't always fueled by magmatic activity. Mud volcanoes can be as little as 1 or 2 meters high and 2 meters broad, or as large as 700 meters high and 10 kilometers wide. Mud-pots are smaller mud exudations that are occasionally referred to as such. Mud volcanoes create mud slurry exudate when hot water heated deep under the Earth's surface begins to mix and blend with subterranean mineral deposits, resulting in mud slurry exudate. Due to local underground pressure imbalances, this material is subsequently pushed upwards through a geological fracture or fissure. Subduction zones are connected with mud volcanoes, and there are around 1100 of them on or near land. The temperature of any active mud volcano is usually quite consistent and significantly lower than the temperatures observed in igneous volcanoes. Temperatures in mud volcanoes may range from around 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit) to 2 degrees Celsius (36 degrees Fahrenheit), with some being utilized as popular "mud baths." Also Read: 'Well to Hell': Ancient Pit Uncovered in the Middle of the Desert in Yemen For more environmental news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! The Philippines' volcanology department warned that the Taal volcano might erupt at any time, citing record-breaking gas emissions, localized tremors, and rumblings from the top south of Manila. Increase of Gas Levels and Emissions The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said that the greatest amounts of volcanic sulfur dioxide, or SO2 gas emission, were recorded an average of 22,628 tons/day, the most ever recorded in Taal. In addition, it claimed 26 "strong and extremely shallow, low-frequency volcanic earthquakes" recorded, some of which were accompanied by rumblings. According to the institution, an eruption comparable to the one that occurred on July 1 may happen at any time. According to an earlier announcement, the authorities increased the local warning to level 3 on that day after Taal's main crater produced a black, blasted plume about 1 kilometer high. It is recommended that pilots avoid flying above the volcano since ash and debris may pose a threat to aircraft. Hundreds of surrounding inhabitants have already been evacuated. The government is striving to expedite the supply of Covid-19 vaccinations to impacted communities to prevent coronavirus infections in evacuation shelters. Seismic and Volcanic Activities in the Philippines More than 7100 islands make up the Philippines archipelago. The majority of these islands were formed by volcanic activity. Because the Philippines is sandwiched between the Pacific and Eurasian Plates, it is prone to typhoons, floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. The Pacific Ring of Fire, which extends along the Pacific Ocean's western border, is the world's most seismically active region, with a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake producers. Every day, about 20 earthquakes are recorded. However, the majority are too weak to be felt. In the Philippines, there are around 300 volcanoes. As of the record, twenty-two (22) of them are active, while the majority are inactive. Related Article: Earthquake Shakes World's Largest Active Volcano: Could the Seismic Event Trigger Tsunamis and Volcanic Eruption? Taal Volcano Taal Volcano is a huge caldera in the Philippines that is filled by Taal Lake. The volcano, located in the province of Batangas, is one of the country's most active volcanoes, with 34 previous eruptions, all of which occurred on Volcano Island, near Taal Lake. Prehistoric eruptions between 140,000 and 5,380 B.P. created the caldera. The volcano is roughly 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Manila, the Philippines' capital. Historical Eruptions The Taal Volcano has experienced numerous severe eruptions in the past, resulting in 6,000 deaths on the island and the lake's inhabited areas. The volcano was named a Decade Volcano because of its closeness to inhabited regions and eruptive history, making it worthy of further research to avert future natural calamities. The Ring of Fire encompasses all of the Philippines' volcanoes. Radon Concentration In October 1994, volcanologists studying the concentration of radon gas in the soil on Volcano Island discovered an unusual six-fold rise in radon concentration. The magnitude 7.1 Mindoro earthquake, located approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Taal, off the coast of Luzon, struck 22 days later on November 15. Detecting the Radon A few days before the radon increase was detected, a typhoon had passed through the area, but no radon spike was detected when Typhoon Angela, one of the most severe storms to hit the area in ten years, traversed Luzon on almost the same path a year later. As a result, typhoons were ruled out as a cause, and substantial evidence shows that the radon came from the tension buildup before the earthquake. Also Read: Study Shows How Volcanism Might Have Affected Earth's Worst Mass Extinctions For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Officials issued a voluntary evacuation order Monday in at least one Florida county as warnings were increased along the state's Gulf Coast for Tropical Storm Elsa. Threat of Tropical Storm Elsa For now, rescuers continued their search for survivors at the collapsed Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside following the demolition of part of the tower that remained standing late Sunday. Experts set off explosives so that the remaining standing tower will be pulled down Sunday night before it could cause any possiblel impacts from Tropical Storm Elsa. The threat of Elsa contributed to the urgency in the demolition plans over the holiday weekend. On Monday, there could be powerful winds in the area. Residents of Florida are been advised to observe the storm. Officials issued Tropical storm warnings from the Florida Keys along the Gulf Coast to the Ochlockonee River, the Tampa Bay area was also included. Watches stretch northward from the Ochlockonee to Indian Pass in the Panhandle. For the west coast of Florida, a storm surge warning was issued from Bonita Beach to the Aucilla River. Also Read: Tropical Storm Elsa May Hamper Search and Rescue Efforts in Florida Collapsed Condo Potential Power Outages Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a state of emergency in Citrus, Hardee, Collier, Lee, Manatee, Levy, Miami-Dade, Charlotte, Hernando, Monroe, Pasco, DeSoto, Pinellas Hillsborough, and Sarasota. The emergency management director of the state, Kevin Guthrie, said people should get ready for prolonged power outages, mostly in places where there are so many trees that could be taken down by the wind. Duke Energy said that it will move power utility crews Sunday so they can be positioned in areas and prepare to aid in restoring power once it is safe to do so. Florida Power & Light reveals it has its emergency response plan activated and has about 6,000 workers available to respond. A spokesman for the sheriff's office in Monroe County, Adam Linhardt, where the Keys are positioned, told weather.com Sunday that he is hoping that residents were observing the storm. DeSantis gave a reminder to residents telling them to adhere to proper generator safety rules when power outages occur. At a Sunday news briefing, DeSantis said in the last four years more people have lost their lives from carbon monoxide poisoning than from the effects of storms, and there have been quite a few of them. Engineers Demolishes the Standing Portion of the Building Last week, Engineers made a decision that the remnants of the collapsed condominium building needed to be brought down for safety reasons. The timeline for demolition was hastened because of fears that Elsa's winds could bring down the rest of the standing building and cause more hazardous conditions at the scene. Levine Cava said the main priority was for the building to be brought down "as soon as possible and as safely as possible." Sunday night explosives were set off to pull down the standing portion of the condominium building. Related Article: Warning Raised in Carribean as Tropical Storm Elsa Intensifies For more news, updates about topical storm elsa and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! All artisanal miners will soon be required to be registered as part of efforts by Government to formalise their operations, curb illegal gold dealing and protect the environment, Reserve Bank of Zimbawbe Governor Dr John Mangudya told the National Assembly Portfolio Committee on Environment, Climate and Tourism yesterday. It is estimated that there are between 500 000 and 1,5 million artisanal and small-scale miners, including farmers who do a little gold panning in the off season, and only 16 percent are registered. Dr Mangudya said a statutory instrument on the requirements for registration was being crafted and would be gazetted soon. We want to register for the sake of traceability and knowing who you are and where you are from, Dr Mangudya said. Under the envisaged registration system, the miners biometric details would be captured and the miner would be issued with a registration number. Registered miners would also undergo training on environmentally friendly mining methods and land reclamation. In 2020 gold deliveries to Fidelity Printers and Refiners declined by 31 percent to 19,052 tonnes due to many reasons including smuggling and less production by miners. In 2019 Fidelity took delivery of 27,66 tonnes, and that was a fall from the 33,2 tonnes delivered in 2018. According to Fidelity, the small-scale and artisanal mining sector, which had in recent years been producing the bulk of the gold, last year delivered 9,347 tonnes compared to 9,738 tonnes by the primary producers. In 2019, small-scale miners delivered 17,478 tonnes while large mining houses produced 10,181 tonnes. Zimbabwe earns much of its foreign currency from mining, with gold being one of the major contributors. However, the sector is facing a myriad of challenges including delays in payment for deliveries, power cuts, and smuggling with South Africa and the United Arab Emirates the main destinations. Authorities estimate that between 30 and 35 tonnes of gold are being smuggled each year. Under the Governments US$12 billion mining industry roadmap, gold is expected to contribute US$4 billion a year by 2023. Herald A HARARE man, who allegedly swindled a local investor of US$53 000 and implicated President Emmerson Mnangangwas son, Collins, has been granted $10 000 bail. Sean Chiriseri (33), who appeared before magistrate Dennis Mangosi, was ordered to report twice every week at Marlborough Police Station and not to interfere with witnesses. According to the State papers, sometime in May this year, Chiriseri approached the complainant with a business proposal to do a joint venture in the fuel industry. The proposals were that Chiriseri would provide the site and Hairwadzi would provide the fuel. The joint venture would come up with start-up fees for the site to be Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority-compliant. It is alleged Chiriseri then misrepresented to Hairwadzi that he had money in his nostro account, but could not use it since these transactions needed cash. The State alleges Hairwadzi availed cash US$53 490 to Chiriseri, who, in turn, furnished him with documents where he purported to have effected the transfer of funds from his nostro account to Hairwadzis account. Hairwadzi later realised that the proof of payment was fraudulent. A follow-up on Chiriseri did not yield anything as he started to threaten the complainant saying he had been sent by Collins to take him out of business. The complainant filed a report with the police, leading to Chiriseris arrest. Newsday GODFREY Josi and Juliet Gavaza, a couple suspected to be part of a gang of armed robbers arrested over the weekend in connection with a spate of heists around Harare, allegedly bought two houses, a plot in Mhondoro, a residential stand in Murehwa, four vehicles, 10 cattle and household property from their share of money robbed from various people and institutions since last year. The couple is understood to have bought a four-roomed house in Budiriro 4 Extension in Harare for US$20 000, a seven-roomed house in Zengeza 5 Chitungwiza valued at US$36 000, residential stand in Murehwa for US$2 600 and a 2,5 hectare plot at Kent Farm in Mhondoro. They also bought an Isuzu KB300, a Mercedes Benz, two Honda CRVs and 10 cattle in Headlands. Josi (43) and Gavaza (36), who reside in Damofalls, Harare, yesterday appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court along with Valentine Mutasa, charged with money laundering, armed robbery and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. Their alleged accomplice, Peter Mushipe, was remanded from a hospital bed at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals. The five suspected armed robbers are facing a combined 25 counts of armed robbery, kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition and money laundering. They were all remanded in custody to July 15. Another suspected armed robber Richard Mutanga died on Sunday at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, becoming the second suspect after Benjamin Musasa, to die from injuries sustained during a shoot-out with police at the weekend. The State led by Mr Anesu Chirenje alleges that on June 6 this year, the suspected armed robbers went to the University of Zimbabwes farm compound in Marlborough, Harare, where they confronted Christopher Chizhanga, who was manning the place and assaulted him. They allegedly demanded to be shown Zhang Wend Dongs residence where they went and stole US$20 000 and other valuables. On June 27 at around midnight, they went to Zimstrong located at corner Kirkman and Golden Quarry roads in Harare. It is said they robbed a Chinese national of US$500. The court heard that on September 7, 2020 they went to Ephynes Mhemberes residence in Epworth where they forced open the doors, attacked and robbed her of US$910, R9 000 and other valuables. Mr Chirenje further alleged that on March 10 this year they went to Seedex Company in Ruwa where they removed two panels from the pre-cast wall and gained entrance into the premises. They allegedly manhandled Tapera Foya and his wife, tied them and fired shots into the air and force marched them into the office where they stole US$20 019. On March 28, they went to Douglas Chitakunyes residence where they robbed him of US$470, laptops and other valuables. The court also heard that on the same day at around midnight, they went to Gateway High School where they pointed a gun at Kundishora Musikanzwa, who is a security guard. It is said they tied him and ordered him to show them where the other security guards were, but they failed to locate them. They then went to the administration block where they broke into the deputy headmasters office, but could not find anything worth stealing. The court heard that they then blew a safe using explosives and stole US$250 000. The armed robbers were arrested on July 3, 2021 after detectives tracked them to Damofalls where they were arrested and found in possession of firearms and explosives. Herald Just basing it off my experience, I assumed [death] was near universal after intubation, Chung recalled. He was surprised when the fellow told him that, in general, we are successful most of the time removing patients from intubation. The disconnect was a vivid reminder of just how unusual Chungs first year working in a hospital was. A parade does not bring this workforce out of the poverty wages they are now being paid. It is far past time that the city gives this workforce the respect they deserve in livable wages. If taxpayer dollars can be allocated to put on this parade, then Mayor de Blasio, you can easily find the means to financially support our FDNY EMTs, Paramedics and Fire Inspectors. Theres too much traffic on the street, even more than before, said Ringel. A lot of people might be thinking they dont want to get on the bus or the train so theyre turning to cars. But people park anywhere they want to, and the city should enforce traffic laws more. When Im late, riders get upset, and the first person they take it out on is me, the driver. Being told I could never work as a paramedic again was one of the hardest things to accept, she told the Daily News. To hear that something I loved, after 10 years I can never do again, its basically a reset button on my whole life. Its just time to focus on recovery and figure out whats next. I think a lot of mindset of myself, our administrations and teachers has changed we were able to see a lot more of our students hardships, he explained. A lot of our conversations have shifted to what are the barriers that students have in getting to the education, getting to the content. Ojeda, who was working as a trainer at the time, said cops never told her why she and four other employees were being questioned. Two male officers questioned her at the 1st Precinct stationhouse in a harassing manner, according to the suit. Before the surgery, we explained to the father that there was a possibility of her not making it, Waner said. We knew the second day that she would make it, but for the first 24 hours, we were very concerned. The 21-year-old BMW driver may have been speeding when he smashed into the back of the MTA bus on Richmond Ave. near Yukon Ave. in New Springville about 9:30 p.m., cops said. I locked myself in my office and slept on a blow-up mattress for two and a half weeks, Joel remembered. I was given the ability to work the case from my desktop at home and was given access to the whole case folder, so I was able to attend video conferences on the investigations with the district attorney and judges, keep the surveillance warrants active and keep the case going till we made an arrest. The 59-year-old Navajo woman was initially reported missing by her mother, who also lived in the home, just two days later, NBC News reported. She told authorities she became concerned when she discovered her daughters purse and license at the residence even though Finona and Jay had seemingly vanished along with her white Ford truck. According to the mother, the couple also got into a fight just prior to their disappearance. His kids were No. 1 for him, said Bobby Reckovic, the doorman and super at his apartment building. He might not have been here all the time, but when he was here, he was always with his kids. Everybodys pretty shaken up right here. The population here is 75 everybody knows everybody, Tiffanie Zavarelli, who owns Ovandos Trixis Antler Saloon, told the AP. The people from Montana, we know how to be bear aware. But anything can happen. In an attempt to get more assistance in their investigation, police are asking those who were in and around the area of Majestic Beach Resort and Boardwalk Beach Resort between 11:15 a.m. and 1 p.m. on July 5, to submit those photos to investigators. The tubers had dropped over an 8-foot dam near the Duke Energy Steam Station and into the strong current churning the 3-foot-deep water at the base, a phenomenon dubbed by boating experts as a drowning machine, in which the hydraulic force at the base of a low-head dam can trap swimmers underwater in a reverse rolling cycle, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Jovani Maldonado was sitting in the passenger seat of a Ford Explorer pickup truck with his father, Benjamin, when it was rear-ended by a Tesla, also traveling along California Interstate 880 on the afternoon of Aug. 24, 2019. The impact sent 15-year-old Jovani, who was not wearing a seat belt at the time, flying from the vehicle and into the road, where he was later pronounced dead. Elsa was expected to pass near the Florida Keys Tuesday morning, then move near or over portions of the west coast of Florida through the evening. On Wednesday morning, Elsa is forecast to make landfall along the north Florida Gulf coast and then move across the southeastern United States into Thursday. Check out our special section for the latest news on the critical 2021 elections in NYC. And to have the essential news and analysis sent to your inbox, sign up for our Campaign Diaries newsletter. Caceres, who was a member of the Lencas and also an Indigenous rights defender, was murdered after multiple gunmen broke into her home in La Esperanza on March 3, 2016. The mother of four was supposed to be receiving special protection because of numerous death threats against her, but government officials at the time said she had asked her security detail to stay away from the house because they bothered her. Nixons tax crime arose directly out of his public service. All presidents starting with Harry Truman donated their presidential papers to the U.S. government. This donation of papers entitled them to take a tax deduction for a charitable contribution for the value of those papers. This deduction was no longer allowed after the enactment of the 1969 Tax Reform Act. Nixon not only lobbied against the passage of this change in the law, but when he realized that his planned contribution of papers had not been made before the effective date of the change in the law, he backdated his gift of papers to claim a charitable tax deduction of approximately $500,000. This was Nixons single act of tax fraud. The leading companies in the world are moving away from having tech teams in one building, business and finance in another, and the creatives in still another. Unified approaches to new, collaborative ways of thinking and doing are emerging. Moreover, we now understand that true innovation isnt possible without incorporating voices represented by diverse cultures, perspectives, backgrounds and life experiences. If we are successful in creating learning environments that facilitate, support and honor all of these values, the only question remaining to be answered is who will receive the greatest benefit: the students, or the society that will be so immeasurably enriched by their contributions. Today hurts, there is no other way around it, the 39-year-old Kloots wrote. One year ago you left us and became our angel in heaven. You were surrounded by so much love and Led Zeppelin playing on Spotify no doubt that was your doing, not mine. What happened was unthinkable, losing you was my biggest fear. I used to tell you all the time, Dont you dare go anywhere. If I lost you, I dont know what Id do. " Attorney Bruce Castor, who initially promised not to prosecute Cosby, said he did so in hopes that it would persuade Cosby to testify in a civil case that Constand had brought, which would allow her to win damages. The statutes of limitations for the cases of most of his victims had either run out or were about to, and the criminal charges were filed just before hers did. Im thrilled to be taking our program to the next level by broadcasting it live for SiriusXMs massive audience, Kelly said in a statement. My team and I have been grateful to see our show, in less than a year, become one of the most successful podcasts in America proving that there is a thirst for open, honest and more meaningful conversations about current events. Our data also shows that 68% of Marvel fans are interested in a relationship, so calling out your Marvel fandom on your dating profile whether you are anxiously awaiting for the return of the Summer blockbuster with Black Window or have been binge-watching Loki creates common ground and makes for a great ice-breaker, Maclean added. At Plenty of Fish, we love supporting these low-pressure connections that could one day help you find the Pepper Potts to your Iron Man. I am glad to hear the DA say this formally on the record, Darden told The News. Corey Walker does not have an adult criminal history. He was 19 years old, not armed with a firearm and he did not shoot anyone. I dont think the death penalty would be a fair or suitable punishment in this case. I heard a wise man once say, A man who hates home will never be happy. And it is in the pursuit of wisdom and happiness that I return to join the esteemed faculty of Howard University. This is the faculty that molded me. This is the faculty that strengthened me, Coates said with the announcement. Personally, I know of no higher personal honor than this. I wish I was still sitting on my bathroom floor FaceTiming you, because that was the only place I had wifi and I never wanted to miss a call from you, wrote Gerber, 19. Thank you for being the reason for so much laughter and happiness in the world. it wont be the same without you here. Bo&Vine Burger Bar, located in downtown Corvallis, Ore. is just one of the many businesses who are affected by the reduced student population during summer term. As students leave to go home or study abroad, college towns like Corvallis notice a dip in revenue due to the change in population. Elizabeth Simmons, employment developer, can be seen in the Oregon State Career Development Center. With students graduating year-in and year-out the OSCDC is always available to help and build students careers, no matter the field. Welcome to Summer Term is the theme for The Daily Barometer's July print issue. Employers willing to fire employees for not returning had a variety of reasons. 49% said the job requires employees to be in the office because they can only do them in person. They cite better interaction with clients, better collaboration, and social aspects improving versus working from home. They also believe employee productivity has dropped with the move to remote work. Decades ago, builders often mixed concrete at project sites, Ashraf said. As hard as it might be to imagine today, some builders used beach sand to mix concrete used for beachfront structures. The salt in the beach sand worked with the salt blowing off the ocean to speed up deterioration of the concrete and corrosion of the steel reinforcing bars that hold the concrete in place, he said. Even for beachfront buildings not composed of concrete made with beach sand, salt air is brutal, he said. Benke, 50, isnt a millennial just starting out and he isnt looking to keep hopping from place to place, but that doesnt make the record-high home prices in Central Florida any easier for him. Late last year, he needed to get out of his Orlando apartment and into something with the space for a new baby and his other children. Fauci is fully vaccinated. But Sunday in an interview on NBCs Meet the Press, he told anchor Chuck Todd that in parts of the country with low levels of vaccination and rising coronavirus caseloads, he might go the extra mile to be cautious enough to make sure that I get the extra added level of protection. Palm Beach County issued an emergency order in June 2020 that required face coverings to be worn at businesses and government facilities, on public transportation and in other public places where social distancing was not possible. Days after the order was issued, five residents filed a lawsuit seeking a temporary injunction and raised issues such as alleged violations of privacy and due-process rights. To support that show and other future endeavors, Orlando Artist Guild will present Silver Screens and Dreams at 8 p.m. July 10 at the ME Performing Arts Center, 1300 La Quinta Drive in Orlando. Hosted by Mauro, the concert will feature songs from musicals and movies such as Rent, In the Heights, Meet Me in St. Louis and Guys & Dolls. Performers include Cherry Gonzalez, TJ Washburn, Jhalon Thomas and others. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at marshallellisdanceschool.com/performances. Some people choose to remove the skin of eggplant when cooking (more mature large purple eggplant, in particular, can have tougher skin), but Im a skin-on person. The bright purple in the Asian varieties makes for an exceedingly beautiful presentation, and the skin is delicate and lovely to eat, but even for breaded, fried dishes like eggplant parmigiana, for which Id use the large ones, I find the skin lends itself to structural integrity and dont mind the taste or texture at all. Its also quite nutritious. While staff members were assisting the patient, eight other young patients told staff they were not feeling well after taking drugs and showing symptoms of potential overdose. After the first patient was taken to the hospital, staff called OCFR back to the facility to help the others with various overdose symptoms, McDonald said. I want to say, as clearly as I possibly can, and urge our community to understand that we went truly to great lengths to take every step that we could, at great risk to our first responders, to ensure that all of the pets that were beloved family members that none of them were left in the building prior to the demolition. The 65-year-old man, who was on his first bathroom visit of the morning, felt a nip in the genital area shortly after sitting on the toilet around 6 a.m., according to a statement from police in the southern Styria province. The stunned victim looked down and saw the 5-foot visitor inside his toilet bowl. From my perspective, the fact that the demand for the program has not been as high as what some people thought it should be, what that says to me is the delinquency rate may not be as high as people thought it was, or has come down because of all the assistance that the federal government has been providing throughout the COVID crisis and the fact that the job market is improving and people are quickly finding work, said Mitchell Glasser, Orange Countys manager of housing and community development. Just consider the challenge of our broken health-care system. Most people can agree on the goals of providing broader access and better continuity of care. But how? Rants or slogans wont work, but if we proceed by looking at past attempts, what we learned, how we failed, and the unintended consequences of different approaches, how much better will our dialogue be? And that doesnt even begin to address how much better our solutions might be. After filing to run in Florida Senate District 9 last June, Iannotti did no campaigning and little fundraising, according to state campaign finance records. She also spent several weeks in Sweden before the election, when other campaigns were in full swing, her social media accounts show. She repeatedly declined interviews from the press and sent a statement in September asking for privacy. PortMiami is our number one homeport in terms of ships and passenger embarkations and todays return to cruising with Carnival Horizon represents an important first step in getting our company back to business while infusing much-needed capital to the thousands of workers who rely on the cruise industry for their livelihood, said Duffy. The past year has been challenging to say the least and I wish to thank our state and local officials, PortMiami, and our business partners and suppliers for their incredible support and patience during this time. Oswego, NY (13126) Today Cloudy early with peeks of sunshine expected late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 77F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear skies. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - Humanitarian operations have been gradually resuming in the war-ravaged Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, but resupply of aid and fuel for civilians caught up in the fighting is urgently needed, the United Nations said on Tuesday, citing information from its emergency relief agency, OCHA Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Northwest Nigeria Kaduna State Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs Samuel Aruwan on Tuesday condoled the families of two military personnel killed while engaging bandits who attacked and killed an unspecified number of students of Bethel Baptist High School, Kaduna, in the early hours of Monday, 5 July Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says the UN agency is deeply concerned about the eruption of violence in the Kingdom of Eswatini in recent days PJAK Surrenders to Iran: IRGC Commander 09/29/11 Source: Fars News Agency A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said that the IRGC's successful military operation against the PJAK has forced the terrorist group to accept Iran's terms and withdraw from the Iranian soil. A group of PJAK fighters "Last week, the grouplet helplessly held up its hands and surrendered and withdrew from the Jasosan heights, a place that they called their pride and honor," Lieutenant of the IRGC Ground Force General Abdollah Araqi said on Thursday. He added that the group accepted to retreat to areas one kilometer behind Iran's borderline with Iraq, and avoid conducting military activities on Iranian soil and recruiting Iranian nationals. Araqi announced that the Iranian forces had killed 180 militias and wounded 300 others during the recent operations, and said Iranian forces are now stationed in the heights and are building bunkers. Funeral in Qom for some of the IRGC personnel who died fighting with PJAK - July 2011 Earlier this month, Commander of the IRGC's Ali Ibn Abi Taleb Division Mehdi Mahdavinejad said that his forces seized PJAK headquarters in Jasosan heights in the Northwestern border regions after Iran offered a final 10-day deadline to the grouplet to leave the country's soil. Asked about the specifications of the PJAK stronghold, Mahdavinejad said that PJAK had dug a heavily fortified three-storied bunker in the citadel in the Jasosan heights with 50 to 60 meter-long tunnels inside each bunker. Mahdavinejad added that each story and its over 190cm high tunnels could easily lodge 500-600 gunmen. He noted that the anti-revolutionary outlaws had stockpiled all the necessary logistic materials inside these bunkers. Last week, the IRGC forces stationed along Iran's Northwestern borders after purging the region of PJAK terrorists. The border deployment took place after the Iranian armed forces conducted a series of massive military operations inside the country's territories to root out the anti-Iran terrorist group. The new round of clashes between the two sides started in July after the IRGC arrested several teams of PJAK, who intended to infiltrate Iran to stage terrorist operations in the country. In response, Iran deployed about 5,000 military forces in the Northwestern parts of the country along its joint border with the Iraqi Kurdistan region. During the operations, the IRGC forces killed, injured and arrested tens of terrorists and destroyed their headquarters in the bordering areas of Alvatan near Sardasht city in Northwestern Iran. Sardasht, Iran But, upon a request by Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the group was given a one-month grace period during the Muslims' holy fasting month of Ramadan to retreat from the Northwestern borders of the Islamic Republic and stop its terrorist acts in these regions. But the PJAK terrorist group paid no heed to the KRG's appeals and mediation and martyred two local Kurdish forces. The IRGC resumed military operations against the Iraq-based PJAK terrorist group after its one-month deadline to the terrorist group ended. Senior Iranian political and military officials have always underlined that the IRGC will continue operations against the terrorist group in a bid to defend Iran's territorial integrity. PJAK reportedly called for a ceasefire with Iran after some of their members were killed and others injured in the IRGC's latest round of operations against the terrorist group. Earlier this month, the IRGC announced that it had arrested two senior commanders of the terrorist PJAK group in an operation in the Northwestern parts of the country. The number two man and second leader of the PJAK terrorist group, Majid Kavian, had also been killed in an earlier IRGC operation in Northwestern Iran. The deputy commander of the Iraq-based PJAK terrorist group, Majid Kavian, alias Semko Sarholdan, was killed in an IRGC operation in Northwestern Iran earlier this month. The website of the terrorist group confirmed his death in a statement. After the group sustained a heavy toll and injuries during the new round of IRGC operations, the ringleader of PJAK, Abdul Rahman Haji Ahmadi, told the BBC Persian channel that the group would continue fighting with Iranian forces if the IRGC refuses to accept the ceasefire. In reply, the IRGC said it would not accept a ceasefire with the PJAK before the Iraq-based terrorist group leaves Iranian borders. But, after repeated demands by the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government officials, the IRGC Ground Force called on the Iraqi Kurdistan's regional government to specify the terms and contents of the ceasefire demand presented by the Iraq-based PJAK terrorist group. The IRGC Ground Force also underlined the necessity for the withdrawal of all outlaws, anti-revolutionary forces and elements of the PJAK terrorist group from the bordering areas of Iran. Earlier reports had said that PJAK and PKK members had dug new tunnels in the Jasosan heights close to Iran's border regions over the past month, exploiting the IRGC ceasefire during the fasting month of Ramadan. In addition, PJAK and PKK terrorists received new weapons and equipment, including 120-millimeter mortars and walkie-talkies, from the US consulate in the Northern Iraqi city of Arbil during the ceasefire. PJAK, a militant Kurdish nationalist group with bases in the mountainous regions of Northern Iraq, has been carrying out numerous attacks in Western Iran, Southern Turkey and the Northeastern parts of Syria where Kurdish populations live. The separatist group has been fighting to establish an autonomous state, or possibly a new world country, in the area after separating Kurdish regions from Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria. Iranian intelligence and security officials have repeatedly complained that Washington provides military support and logistical aids for such anti-Iran terrorist groups. Lords specialises in building, plumbing, heating and DIY goods (LON:LORD) is to join AIM following a placing at 95p that will raise 30mln in new money and 22mln for existing shareholders. Based on the placing price, the building supplies business will be valued at 150mln. Lords specialises in building, plumbing, heating and DIY goods that it supplies to local tradesmen, small to medium-sized plumbing and heating merchants, construction companies and the general public in two divisions with 80% of sales coming from the Repairs, Maintenance and Improvement (RMI) market, Merchanting is focused on 'light side' (building materials and timber) and 'heavy side' (civils and landscaping), through 24 locations in the UK, while heating and plumbing operates from over nine locations and offers a nationwide next day delivery service. Lords was established over 35 years ago as a family business with its first retail unit in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire and now has 33 sites with a combined turnover in excess of 288mln. The group aims to become a 500mln turnover building materials distributor group by 2024 as it grows its national presence. Shanker Patel, chief executive, said: "The RMI market, in particular, has huge potential and is supported by a number of short, medium and longer-term growth drivers. We look forward to continuing to grow our business as a publicly quoted company." The soon to be vacated property is located in Rue Saint Honore, renowned for its high-end shops PLC ( ) announced it is terminating the lease of its store in Paris earlier than planned and will reopen a shop in the city once international tourism restarts. The luxury fashion designer said it will receive 13.2mln once it leaves the site, which is located in Rue Saint Honore, renowned for its high-end shops. It added that the net proceeds after tax, expected to be around 10.8mln, will strengthen its cash position and support other investment opportunities. As at 27 March, the book value of the property in the company's accounts was 7.9mln. The AIM-listed firm plans to move out in September. The new site, whenever it may open again, will be in a location that supports Mulberrys omnichannel approach and optimises its customer-centric retail experience. Shares dipped 3% to 291p on Tuesday morning. Toscafund, which owns a 5.4% stake in the private hospital chain, said the 250p per share offer from Ramsay Health Care continues to undervalue Spire substantially A major investor in Spire Healthcare PLC ( ) has confirmed its opposition to a 1.4bn takeover offer by Australian firm Ramsay Health Care on the grounds that the price tag continues to undervalue the FTSE 250 firm. According to a Times report, Toscafund Asset Management, which owns a 5.4% stake in the private hospital operator, said Ramsay, which increased its offer yesterday to 250p per share on Monday from 240p previously, continues to undervalue Spire substantially. Toscafund, alongside Spires largest institutional investor which owns 8.7% of the firm, initially voiced opposition to the board-recommended 240p offer, which they said was too low given they expected to company to recover strongly once pandemic restrictions were eased and elective surgery demand bounced back. Ramsays bid is also facing opposition from advisory firm Glass Lewis, which over the weekend urged shareholders to vote against the takeover and said the board of Spire had failed to present any analysis to justify its decision to recommend the deal. Despite Ramsay raising its offer price yesterday, shares in Spire were down 0.9% at 238.4p in early deals on Tuesday, suggesting that the sweetened deal may not have been enough to convince enough investors to back the deal. The stock, the biggest Chinese float in New York since Alibaba, is set to plummet as trading resumes on Tuesday. DiDi Global Inc (NYSE:DIDI) stock is to plunge ahead of Tuesdays trading restart in New York after the China censured the group, which last week marked the largest Chinese float in the US since Alibabas in 2014. The Chinese government this weekend said that group, Chinas dominant ride-hailing app, had committed serious violations related to the collection and use of personal data, and, ordered its apps be removed from app stores in the country. It followed the launch of a government review into the company just days after DiDi completed its New York IPO. In Tuesdays premarket deals, DiDi stock is down US$3.31 or 21% changing hands at US$15.53 each. On June 30, the DiDi IPO was priced at US$14 per ADS (American Depository Shares) as the Chinese group raised US$4.4bn from US investors. The IPO was said to be oversubscribed by multiple times and the Chinese groups American bankers scaled back the offer. DiDi was valued at US$68bn by the stock market float and, previously, there had been suggestions that the IPO couldve been pitched at a US$100bn valuation. Prior to the float, there had been some reports that an antitrust probe could be among the risks associated with the offering and those concerns were described by the company as "unsubstantiated speculation from unnamed sources". Neil Wilson, an analyst and market commentator in London, in a note said that the SEC, the US financial regulator, will not be impressed with what has happened. Its a complicated picture there are reports Didi knew of a regulatory crackdown and was even asked to delay its IPO, Wilson said. DiDi says it had no knowledge of the actions by the cybersecurity regulator. The stock only started trading on Wednesday and the ban announced Sunday. China is cracking down on big tech, but the decision to remove the app from domestic platforms appears to be timed for maximum impact and embarrassment. Chinas Communist Party is bristling at the number of Chinese companies listing in the US this year, but there is a genuine concern at the heart of this - regulators are not impressed at the way Didi and other Chinese tech companies handle data. The SEC will not be impressed either way. App banned Chinese authorities warned the ride-hailing firm on Friday they were investigating the business and on Sunday banned it from app stores. Didi, which operates predominately in China where it organises 20mln journeys daily, has been accused of illegally using personal data gathered from customers. Chinas Cyberspace Administration (CAC) said: "After checks and verification, the Didi Chuxing app was found to be in serious violation of regulations in its collection and use of personal information." The ban means Didi will not be allowed to sign up new users, though existing customers can carry on using the app as normal. In a statement, Didi said: "The company will strive to rectify any problems, improve its risk prevention awareness and technological capabilities, protect users' privacy and data security, and continue to provide secure and convenient services to its users. UBS has prepared a list of European stocks ahead of results season where it expects the numbers to exceed expectations UBS has prepared a list of European stocks ahead of results season where it expects the numbers to exceed expectations. The Swiss bank said there had been a spate of companies beating consensus forecasts as the world has begun to emerge from lockdown. And while the numbers that surprise to the upside will inevitably slow, its analysts think they've spotted 20 companies investors should look out for as the half-year figures start to filter through. On its radar are four UK companies: all carrying buy recommendations and price targets that are well ahead of the share price. On the UBS list are ( ), target 92, ( ), target 8.55, Diageo ( ), target 38, and IAG ( ), target 2.88. We believe the market remains earnings driven and, from a top-down perspective, still see upside risk to earnings despite strong year-to-date momentum, the bank in a note to clients. It will be the second ETF in Europe and the second on the HANetf platform to incorporate carbon offsetting Europes first actively managed, sustainable exchange-traded fund with a carbon offset is to be launched by Saturna Capital and HANetf on the London Stock Exchange this month. The Saturna Sustainable ESG Equity HANzero UCITS ETF (LON:SESG) will be the second ETF in Europe and the second on the HANetf platform to incorporate carbon offsetting, working with carbon offset specialists South Pole to directly neutralise the carbon emissions of each investment in the portfolio. Under the active management process from Saturna, the ETF will follow the same investment strategy as the asset managers US-based sustainable equity mutual fund, which launched in 2015 and is run by the same managers, Jane Carten and Scott Klimo. The fund positively screens for ESG factors such as companies demonstrating excellent corporate governance, a commitment to reducing environmental impact in the areas of carbon emissions, water and waste and positive social characteristics, Saturna said. Negative screening excludes companies engaged in higher ESG risk businesses, such as excluding alcohol, weapons, gambling or fossil fuel extraction. The fund invests around the world and is benchmark agnostic in terms of geographic and industry allocations. Saturna Capital has managed socially responsible investments via its US-based family of Shariah-compliant funds since the firms founding in 1989, said Carten, who is also CEO of Saturna. She added: Saturna Capital believes that companies proactively managing business risks relating to ESG issues make better contributions to the global economy and are more resilient We believe that companies proactively managing business risks related to ESG issues are more resilient and make better contributions to portfolios designed for patient investors. Hector McNeil, co-CEO of HANetf, said Active ETF assets are currently small given the size of the overall industry, but growth is strong. recently reported that assets invested across active EFTs and ETPs had reached a record $329 by the end of Q1 this year. The well-recognised advantages of ETFs intra-day trading, shortability, lendability, having an ETF portfolio held in one venue, portability of positions between trading venues, low entry costs and diversification are becoming more prevalent. This gives investors the option to gain exposure to the same active investment strategies they already own via an ETF wrapper. Its time to bring these benefits to the active management space, creating more choice and more opportunity for both institutional and retail investors. With the recent bids for Morrisons re-awakening interest in the private equity industry, the Association of Investment Companies (AIC) invited comments on some of the topical issues from investment company managers in the sector Are criticisms of private equity justified? Helen Steers, partner at Pantheon, the manager of ( ), said: In general the reality of private equity investment is a far cry from the image that is sometimes portrayed in the media. The private equity managers that we back take a hands-on, long-term approach with their investee businesses, working with the companies management teams to grow their businesses, and providing them with key operational and strategic expertise. They help those businesses to improve in many areas such as sales and marketing; digitalisation; researching and developing new product lines or services; enhancing supply chains and procurement processes; finance and optimising the capital structure; strengthening management itself; and building scale through M&A and/or by expanding into new geographies. Richard Hickman, director of investment and operations for Global Private Equity PLC ( ), said: Some media outlets have focused predominantly on the negative private equity stories, without balancing these with more positive case studies. As a fund of funds investing into Partners funds, we rely on to select the private equity managers it believes can bring out companies full potential. A core component of the asset class is endeavouring to drive genuine operational improvements at investee companies to create value; the experts in the private equity firms often supplement their own efforts with the advice from sector specialists who complement this process. Ultimately it is in nobodys interest for a company to fail. Oliver Gardey, head of private equity fund investments at ICG, the manager of PLC ( ), said: We only partner with private equity managers who share our desire to invest in profitable, cash generative businesses which have a strong track record of revenue growth which in turn leads to job creation. This is supported by recent data: a recent survey by Invest Europe suggests that Europes private equity-owned firms have created jobs five times faster than the European average. The companies also benefit from the experience and operational resources of our managers a key element of value creation is making companies better through investment in manufacturing infrastructure, digitalisation and technology, and through greater investment in people. Richard Watts, co-portfolio manager of Chrysalis Investments, said: We dont simply invest, we collaborate. We bring our experience, knowledge and network to entrepreneurs, developing strong relationships with management teams as we back them with permanent capital. We purposefully launched a vehicle that would enable us to take a long-term approach where we are not influenced or constrained by the life of fund, as a typical LP fund can be. ESG in private equity Oliver Gardey of ICG said: For our direct and ICG investments, we use a proprietary ESG screening checklist to identify potential ESG risks by industry sector and geography. The checklist utilises various data sources, including the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, ThinkHazard, Climate Change Performance Index and the World Bank Carbon Pricing Dashboard. For investments via third party funds, we seek to partner with managers who share a similar approach to ESG. Helen Steers at Pantheon said: The application of sound ESG principles is a core part of how we make investments on behalf of PIP. Pantheon was one of the first private equity signatories to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment in 2007 and we apply them right from when we are first assessing an investment all the way through to divesture. When considering a new investment opportunity, we conduct a detailed ESG risk assessment on the private equity manager or co-investment deal as part of our due diligence. It doesnt end there. Once an investment has been made we continue, through the use of the RepRisk tool, to monitor the companies in PIPs underlying portfolio for any ESG-related issues. If we identify any issues, we will contact the private equity manager concerned to find out more about the issue and what action has been or will be taken. We are also able to use our position on over 470 fund advisory boards to raise standards and influence the ESG and diversity and inclusion policies and approach of our private equity managers. Nick Williamson of Chrysalis Investments said: We have aligned our strategy, purpose and principles with the UN Global Compact (UNGC) such that all investment decision-making and engagement is guided by the principles of the UNGC. This means investee companies are expected to abide by the Compacts Ten Principles, committing to meeting fundamental responsibilities in the areas of human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. As part of the due diligence process, we look to identify how sophisticated and proactive companies are in these areas. While post-investment we aim to help companies implement policies and procedures that will enable them to excel from an ESG perspective and we actively monitor the progress made. Private equity investment company discounts anomalous and unwarranted Oliver Gardey of ICG said: We view the discounts as being anomalous given the track record of strong performance. One of the possible reasons for the discount is there is a relatively small pool of actively engaged investors compared to other asset classes. We would like to broaden the appeal of the sector as we believe that private portfolios in the UK are under-allocated to private equity. Many of the worlds most sophisticated investors including multi-billion dollar endowments and sovereign wealth funds have been increasing their allocation to private equity. Investors who do not have an allocation to private equity are missing out on the long-term value opportunity. Listed vehicles democratise the asset class, giving individuals and smaller organisations access to private equity. The listed private equity sector, including , has consistently outperformed a range of broad range market indices. Helen Steers of Pantheon said: We do not understand the discounts in the private equity investment company sector and, in our view, they are unwarranted. If we look at PIP, for example, it has delivered 11.8% average annual NAV growth since the company was founded over 33 years ago and the average uplifts achieved by our private equity managers when selling the underlying companies was 20% for the six months to 30 November 2020. In addition, the companies in our portfolio delivered much stronger revenue and earnings growth compared to the companies in the MSCI World index. We believe that this demonstrates the embedded value in PIPs portfolio and the ability of our managers to invest well and create value in their investee companies during their ownership. Richard Hickman of HarbourVest said: Unfortunately, an image problem seems to persist, with some of this still stemming from the global financial crisis, when some listed private equity firms ran into balance sheet trouble. Today, balance sheets are stronger and private equity investment companies are tapping into some of the most exciting, investable opportunities available in private markets. Most listed private equity firms are specialists who have been doing this for a very long time its their bread and butter and while several new entrants are honing in on unlisted opportunities and trading at premiums, the share prices of the old guard continues to lag as investors focus on these new offerings. Best unquoted opportunities: technology and healthcare Stephanie Sirota, chief business officer at RTW Investments and director at RTW Venture Fund Ltd (LON:RTW), said: In the last half dozen years, the industry has doubled the number of viable treatment modalities to target disease. In vivo gene editing is the latest treatment modality to emerge. RTW is excited about innovation across the sector, but some areas worth mentioning are rare genetic disorders, neurological and psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular and eye diseases. Helen Steers of Pantheon International said: PIPs portfolio is tilted towards information technology, healthcare and consumer staples. These sectors have shown remarkable resilience through the COVID-19 crisis and some sub-sectors have benefited from the trends that have been accelerated by the pandemic such as remote working, the shift to e-commerce and lifestyle changes as people take more interest in their own health and wellbeing. We continue to see exciting opportunities in these sectors in our deal pipeline. Richard Watts of Chrysalis Investments said: Fundamentally, Chrysalis is looking to identify later-stage assets that operate in huge addressable markets that are benefitting from structural tailwinds. We have identified assets across a variety of sectors including: Financial Services, Insurance, Media, Technology and Retail. These sectors are all currently being disrupted through digitisation and we are looking to uncover the disruptors. Biggest private equity risks: liquidity and maturity Oliver Gardey of said: The two most obvious risks are liquidity and governance: how can you turn your investment into cash if you need to, and how do you ensure strong governance outside of the more formal rules for listed companies? Liquidity is one of the most attractive features of listed private equity: although the underlying assets in our portfolio are privately owned and generate private equity returns, our shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange. Being a closed-ended fund, our shareholders ability to buy and sell shares is entirely disconnected from the pace at which we buy and sell assets. As a manager, we of course look at liquidity very seriously: we ensure we have a robust balance sheet and an appropriate level of commitments and investments to enable us to manage our portfolio for long-term growth. Richard Hickman of HarbourVest said: There are risks with any investment, and different levels of risk within unquoted companies for example, backing early stage venture companies tends to be higher risk than investing in more mature businesses. The primary way we mitigate this is through providing highly diversified exposure to the asset class diluting the company-specific risk that can come with a more concentrated portfolio. This is core to our strategy. Stephanie Sirota at RTW said: It depends on the maturity of the business. Startups and young businesses can have significant operational instability and helping a company build a strong management team is paramount to success. Later stage private businesses face other risks, namely access to capital. RTW has built companies de novo and has also become a creative capital provider, going beyond direct equity investments and engaging in exclusive licensing agreements, royalty-backed funding, rescue capital in distressed situations, and SPACs. Create your account: sign up and get ahead on news and events NO INVESTMENT ADVICE The Company is a publisher. You understand and agree that no content published on the Site constitutes a recommendation that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction, or investment strategy is... In exchange for publishing services rendered by the Company on behalf of named herein, including the promotion by the Company of in any Content on the Site, the Company receives from said issuer annual cash... Firefinchs production metrics at Morila Gold Mine hit an all-time high, with more than 5,000 gold ounces poured over the month of June. Firefinch has set a new monthly and quarterly gold production record. Firefinch Ltd (ASX:FFX) has notched up a substantial increase in gold production from its flagship Morila Gold Mine in Mali across the past month and the June quarter. The ASX-listed miner produced 5,019 ounces at the West African plant last month a 21% increase on the last production record. Meanwhile, over the June quarter, 'Morila the Gorilla' poured 12,555 gold ounces, meaning it also set a new quarterly production record. The Mali-focused materials stock estimated it would produce between 11,000 and 13,000 gold ounces over FY21s final quarter, meaning the realised production total lies at the upper end of previous guidance. Firefinch expects to perform even better in the current quarter, with the production bar set between 13,000 and 15,000 gold ounces. MD "expects positive trend to continue" Speaking to the production uptake, Firefinch managing director Michael Anderson said: These latest production figures clearly demonstrate the benefits of recommencing mining and processing of the satellite ores. We expect the positive trend in production to continue as we access Viper and enjoy a full quarter of operating the successfully recommissioned processing circuit. The team on site deserve tremendous credit and it was clear from our recent visit to site that everyone is committed to delivering on Morilas obvious potential. Shares have been as much as 4% higher today to A$0.405 while the company's market cap pre-open was approximately A$354.3 million. Whats behind the production boost? Firefinch said a mining restart across Morilas satellite pits was partially behind the fresh production records. Over at Morila Pit 5, the company began processing run of mine ore in early May, supplementing the last few months of material from tailings retreatment. Theres also an increasing proportion of higher-grade satellite ore being fed to Morilas gold plant, which Firefinch claims has led to a strong improvement in recoveries: up from approximately 50% on tailings only to 75% on ore and tailings combined. A further step change is expected once the company kickstarts mining at Morilas Viper Deposit in the coming weeks. Firefinch was able to process satellite pit material after it refurbished and recommissioned Morilas comminution circuit back in mid-May. Since recommissioning, the circuit has averaged annualised throughput rates of approximately three million tonnes per annum Even still, Firefinch predicts significantly higher throughput rates up to the equivalent of 4.5 million tonnes per annum have been achieved on an instantaneous basis. Taking into account a forecast increase in run of mine satellite ore feed, a full quarter of processing through the refurbished circuit and the improved recoveries, the gold miner hopes to churn out between 13,000 and 15,000 gold ounces over the September quarter. The drilling contractor will execute a confirmatory drill hole at South Harzs pioneer potash project as it gears up for a mineral resource upgrade and a scoping study. South Harz has appointed a specialist driller to kick off the first of two confirmatory drill holes at its flagship German potash project. South Harz Potash Ltd (ASX:SHP) (FRA:D860) has appointed a specialist deep drilling company to execute the first of twin drill holes at its flagship Ohmgebirge Potash Project in Germany. H Angers Sohne Bohr - und Brunnenbaugesellschaft, colloquially known as Angers, is set to drill the pioneer hole at the potash play in 2021s final quarter. Now it has appointed a driller, South Harz will submit supplementary detailed information to Germanys regional mining authorities as part of the permitting process final step. Ultimately, drilling both confirmatory holes at the Ohmgebirge project are expected to support the ASX lister as it delivers a revised mineral resource estimate (MRE) and upgrades resources to the indicated category. SHP expects to drill the second confirmatory hole and deliver the Ohmgebirge scoping study in the first quarter of 2022. Developing flagship project Speaking to the appointment, SHP managing director Dr Chris Gilchrist said: I am pleased that we have agreed on the first of the drill sites at Ohmgebirge and importantly secured a specialist drilling contractor, which are currently in short supply as a result of the post-COVID resources and materials rush in Europe. The team in Germany has worked hard to navigate the communications challenges caused by the COVID pandemic and will continue to do so to mitigate any further delays. The potash market has picked up significantly over the past few weeks as post-COVID food security fears have fuelled substantial crop price increases which, in turn, has driven fertiliser sales and prices upwards providing a favourable backdrop to develop the first of our exciting potash projects within the heart of Europe. The first of twin drill holes As Angers prepares to drill the maiden confirmatory hole at Ohmgebirge next quarter, geotechnical ground surveying is underway. Promisingly, SHP is already in possession of a large database of drill hole information for its licence areas and only needs to conduct minimal confirmatory drilling to elevate the JORC status of each area. Its hoped Angers will drill the first confirmatory hole to 665 metres in depth, fully penetrating the known potash seam at Ohmgebirge. Then, the hole will be surveyed using a full suite of geophysical tools including caliper, borehole deviation, temperature, salinity, gamma, gamma-gamma, neutron log, resistance and acoustic logging. Cement bond logs, as well as cement and formation integrity tests, will also be carried out. Meanwhile, as part of the broader development program at Ohmgebirge, SHP is in talks with landowners and tenants to determine its options for a second drill site. Resource upgrade and scoping study SHPs existing inferred resource stands at 5.3 billion tonnes, with the flagship Ohmgebirge project making up 325 million tonnes of that resource, grading 13.1% potassium oxide. Its hoped results from both of the confirmatory holes will allow South Harz to upgrade the current Ohmgebirge resource to the indicated category. Beyond that, the revised MRE will allow South Harz to report technical and economic information about Ohmgebirge for the first time in a scoping study. Essentially, the study will include a detailed resource assessment by Micon International Co Ltd and results from the twin drill holes. Once a revised MRE is complete, K-Utec Salt Technologies GmbH will review the scoping studys mining and processing sections and update both capital and operating costs. The study will also include an expert appraisal of the potash and industrial salt markets and provide guidance price forecasts for a financial model. South Harz anticipates it can complete the scoping study in 2022s first quarter. The company plans to develop the Tabakorole Gold Project into a standalone mining operation by consolidating a large landholding and undertaking systematic exploration to make additional gold discoveries. We are extremely pleased to have consolidated such a land position, says MD. ( ) (FRA:GR2) has consolidated its landholding at the Tabakorole Gold Project in southern Mali by acquiring new strategic tenements. The company has executed binding tenement purchase agreements with three separate vendors covering six new permits. Acquisition of Sirakoroble Sud licence is particularly important as it fills a gap in the previous landholding position and is along the northwest-trending structural corridor identified by magnetics and punctuated by a strong trend of geochemical anomalism. Develop into standalone operation Marvel Gold managing director Phil Hoskins said: We are extremely pleased to have consolidated such a land position around the already significant Tabakorole deposit. Our strategy is to develop Tabakorole into a standalone mining operation by consolidating a significant landholding and undertaking systematic exploration to make additional gold discoveries will maximise our chances of achieving that strategy. Tabakarole is held through 100%-owned licences as well as two separate joint ventures - with ( ), in which the company holds an 80% interest, and with ( ), in which it has a 51% interest. Next steps After acquiring new licences, the company is collecting multi-element soil geochemistry datasets and will potentially follow up with ground magnetics - a survey technique that is working very well in this region to define the structures. Targets will then be ranked and prioritised against the 40 discrete targets generated from regional datasets collected during 2020-21. The company will also continue to consolidate its landholding around Tabakorole, with a focus on tenements within a 25 kilometres radius of the existing deposit and in the interpreted structural corridor. Forty drill holes have been completed and logged over the Henry Mountains tenement, which forms part of a historically significant uranium province in the US. The all-terrain drill buggy used in the exploration campaign over the Section 36 uranium tenement in Utah. GTI Resources Ltd (ASX:GTR) has completed uranium drilling over Section 36, a key tenement within its Henry Mountains Uranium & Vanadium Project in Utah, USA. The uranium explorer drilled and logged 40 holes on time and within budget, penetrating each hole to an average 23-metre depth using an all-terrain buggy drill rig. Beyond the recently explored holes, GTI identified 31 historical drill holes at the tenement and logged these using a gamma probe. It brings the total historical drill holes discovered and logged at Section 36 to 87. Next steps The latest phase of exploration over the Section 36 tenement, which neighbours GTIs Jeffrey and Rats Nest uranium projects in the Henry Mountains, honed in on exploration target areas near the projects principle East and West mines. GTI Resources anticipates the initial triuranium octoxide results from this latest round of exploration within a fortnight. Beyond that, the company expects chemical assays including vanadium results to come in between late August and early September. Pending the results of this campaign, GTI aims to conduct further drilling to support the creation of a JORC-compliant uranium mineral resource for Section 36 and other areas within the Henry Mountains Uranium and Vanadium Project. Ultimately, the company believes the shallow nature of mineralisation in this region supports continued, low-cost, rapid exploration advancements. The Henry Mountains Project A map of the Henry Mountains region and GTIs claim group. GTIs landholding over the Henry Mountains in Utah covers roughly 1,500 hectares and forms the companys uranium and vanadium exploration portfolio. Broadly speaking, the region forms part of the prolific Colorado Plateau uranium province, which historically provided the most important uranium resources in the US. Sandstone hosted ores have been mined in the region since 1904, while the area has historically produced more than 17.5 million tonnes of resource, grading at 2,400 parts per million triuranium octoxide U3O8 for 92 million pounds of triuranium octoxide and 12,500 parts per million vanadium oxide for 482 million pounds of vanadium oxide. The company is the 100%-owner of the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project in Nevada, the only known lithium-boron deposit in North America and one of only two known such deposits in the world. Rhyolite Ridges unique mineralogy allows lithium and boron to be extracted in a low-cost and environmentally sustainable manner ioneer Ltd ( ) ( ) (FRA:4G1) has demonstrated confidence in executive chairman James D Calaway by renewing his employment agreement for a further 12 months, effective from July 1. Calaway has been chairman of ioneer since 2017 and was appointed executive chairman in July 2020 in recognition of his increased focus on the sales and marketing efforts, strategic partner discussions and funding considerations for the companys wholly-owned Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project in Nevada. He has also been active in US investor relations and stakeholder meetings, especially with COVID-19 impeding the travel of the companys Australian-based management. In renewing his contract, Calaway will continue his close level of involvement in the company and its activities, with a particular focus on securing strategic project partners and financing. Significant role in the US ioneer managing director Bernard Rowe said: It has been very beneficial to have James in an executive chairman capacity in the US over the past 12 months. As we move towards a final investment decision on Rhyolite Ridge and the project construction phase, it is necessary for ioneer to build a strong presence in the US. James will play a significant role as we conclude project financing and strategic partnering arrangements to bring Rhyolite Ridge online. Before joining ioneer, Calaway served for eight years as non-executive chairman of lithium producer ( ), leading it from early development phase into production. He has assisted several private and public companies through critical growth stages to become successful commercial operations and is currently chairman of Distributed Power Partners Inc, a distributed power development company. New regional executive leadership and creation of new UK corporate subsidiary will help drive growth strategy for the companys advanced information protection solution. archTIS Ltd ( ), a global provider of innovative software solutions for the secure collaboration of sensitive information, is expanding its global presence across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) through two new initiatives. The company has appointed Pete Smith as the vice president and general manager of EMEA, based in London, United Kingdom. arcTIS will also bolster the companys regional presence by finalising the formation of a UK corporate subsidiary in the coming week. This initiative will support existing sales operations in the EMEA region, while strengthening the companys existing channel footprint across the region which includes channel partners in Ireland, South Africa, Germany and the Middle East. Global sales expansion strategy arcTIS global COO Kurt Mueffelmann said: We welcome Pete Smith to the executive leadership team. His role is a key part of our global sales expansion strategy along with the creation of our new UK entity to make it easier for key government, defence, and enterprises to procure our offerings. With several recent customer wins in EMEA and new privacy regulations in the EU and South Africa driving the need for data protection and country-based compartmentalisation, we see the region as an important area of growth for our portfolio of secure collaboration solutions. Record of forging strong and long-term partnerships Pete Smith brings over 30 years of experience in sales and management to the role, particularly with start-ups and emerging IT security brands. Notably, He has a record of forging strong and long-term partnerships with customers and partners. Smith has successfully delivered dynamic growth across the EMEA region in different market verticals at technology companies including OCR, Netwrix, Intalio, Cable & Wireless, and SonicWall amongst others. The new vice president and general manager EMEA said: Im excited to be joining archTIS, especially at this time when the wholesale transition to remote working has accentuated organisations desire to enable their workforce to collaborate securely. Several recent data breaches in the news could have been prevented with help from our software. I see huge growth potential in EMEA and Im excited to be here. Award-winning information security solutions archTIS provides award-winning data-centric information security solutions to protect the worlds most sensitive content in government, defence, supply chain, enterprises and regulated industries through attribute-based access and control (ABAC) policies. The companys products include Kojensi, a multi-government certified platform for the secure access, sharing and collaboration of sensitive and classified information, NC Protect for enhanced information protection for file access and sharing, messaging and emailing of sensitive and classified content across Microsoft 365 apps, Dropbox, Nutanix Files and Windows file shares. Oil jumped to its highest level in nearly three years on Monday after talks between OPEC+ members were postponed indefinitely. OPEC+ failed to reach an agreement on production policy for August and beyond. S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX:XJO) has slipped 0.20% to 7,300.70 points as the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) kept the official cash rate unchanged at 0.1% and said it will continue bond purchases at a slightly reduced rate. RBA governor Philip Lowe said: The economic recovery in Australia is stronger than earlier expected and is forecast to continue. The outlook for investment has improved and household and business balance sheets are generally in good shape. However, the governor cautioned the RBAs growing concern about the lift in house prices across the nations capital cities. Oil price hits multi-year high Energy is the top-performing sector on the ASX today, rising 1.92% following a surge in oil prices to their highest levels in almost three years. Brent crude prices jumped 1.3% to US$77.16 after OPEC+ abandoned its meeting without a deal. Locally, Woodside Petroleum ( ) gained 2%, while Oil Search ( ) surged 3.9%. Top gainers Todays top gainers on the ASX include ( ) (+8.33%), ( ) (+10.26%), Ltd ( ) (+13.79%), ( ) (+16.67%), ( ) (+11.43%), ( ) (+7.69%) and ( ) (+11.11%). Proactive news headlines: archTIS set sights on expanding global operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa archTIS Ltd ( ), a global provider of innovative software solutions for the secure collaboration of sensitive information, is expanding its global presence across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) through two new initiatives. Poseidon Nickel tables one of 'best results to date' returning up to 2.1 metres at 13.79% nickel at Golden Swan Poseidon Nickel ( ) (OTCMKTS:PSDNF) (FRA:NYG) has tabled one of its best intersections to date with results from the Golden Swan trend returning up to 2.1 metres at 13.79% nickel. Cobalt Blue attracts interest for cobalt samples produced at Broken Hill Pilot Plant ( ) ( ) (FRA:COH) is attracting interest from potential customers and partners as a result of the Global Cobalt Sample Program producing commercial Mixed Hydroxide Product (MHP) sourced from the Broken Hill Cobalt Project (BHCP). St George Mining's new EM conductors support Mt Alexander Nickel-Copper Sulphide Project growth potential ( ) (FRA:S0G) has identified multiple electromagnetic (EM) conductors during a downhole electromagnetic (DHEM) survey at the high-grade Mt Alexander Nickel-Copper Sulphide Project in Western Australia. ioneer demonstrates confidence in executive chairman James Calaway by renewing employment contract ioneer Ltd ( ) ( ) (FRA:4G1) has demonstrated confidence in executive chairman James D Calaway by renewing his employment agreement for a further 12 months, effective from July 1. Aeris Resources' Constellation deposit shines brighter with new copper results up to 13 metres at 8.64% Aeris Resources Ltd ( ) (OTCMKTS:ARSRF) has received high-grade results of up to 13 metres at 8.64% copper from a further 30 reverse circulation (RC) drill holes at Constellation deposit within the Tritton tenement package in New South Wales. Marvel Gold consolidates landholding at 910,000-ounce Tabakorole Project ( ) (FRA:GR2) has consolidated its landholding at the Tabakorole Gold Project in southern Mali by acquiring new strategic tenements. Oar Resources buoyed as initial Gibraltar analysis defines new large bright-white kaolin zone Oar Resources Ltd ( ) (FRA:F1S) is highly encouraged by initial test results on samples from the Gibraltar Project in South Australias halloysite-kaolin hotspot of the Eyre Peninsula that have defined a large zone of bright and ultra-bright white kaolinite. South Harz Potash appoints specialist driller for exploration at German project ( ) (FRA:D860) has appointed a specialist deep drilling company to execute the first of twin drill holes at its flagship Ohmgebirge Potash Project in Germany. Mako Gold further extends mineralised footprint at Tchaga within Napie Project following strong gold results s ( ) reverse circulation and diamond drilling results continue to expand the mineralised footprint at Tchaga prospect within the Napie Project in Cote dIvoire and will be incorporated into an upcoming maiden resource estimate. PolarX hits its stride with 3.5-kilometre silver and gold anomaly at Fourth of July in Nevada ( ) has uncovered large silver-gold anomalies during a soil sampling program over its Fourth of July claims within the Nevada-based Humboldt Range Gold-Silver Project. Cirralto higher on signing share sale agreement to acquire Sydney-based fintech Invigo ( ) has signed a binding share sale agreement (SSA) to acquire 100% of the issued capital of Sydney-based fintech Invigo Pty Ltd with an expected completion date of July 12. Firefinch notches record month and quarter with gold production from 'Morila the Gorilla' ( ) has notched up a substantial increase in gold production from its flagship Morila Gold Mine in Mali across the past month and the June quarter. The company will collaborate with the Defence Science Technology Group and the University of Western Australia to build the solution and conduct a live demonstration to the Army. The autonomous vehicle will carry drones and sensors into a target environment keeping humans at a safe distance. s ( ) (OTCMKTS:SORHF) subsidiary Stealth Technologies will design and deliver an autonomous drone carrying vehicle that automates detection and sensing of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents. This autonomous vehicle will be designed to carry drones and sensors into a target environment keeping humans at a safe distance and will enable rapid traversing of the target area using sensors to map and monitor the location of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) sources. Working with Defence Science Technology Group The company will collaborate with the Defence Science Technology Group (DSTG), part of the Australian Department of Defence, and the University of Western Australia (UWA) to build the solution and conduct a live demonstration to the Army. In recognition of the potential for the Western Australian defence industry, DSTG, UWA and the Western Australia Defence Science Centre have committed to provide $350,000 of cash and in-kind services to the collaboration while Stealth Technologies will invest about $350,000. Under the funding agreement, Stealth Technologies retains 100% of the IP and associated commercialisation rights for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) capabilities and other defence force related applications. The initial concept design of the autonomous vehicle and drone launch and the land system is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2021. Commercial opportunities Strategic managing director Charles Murphy said: The Autonomous CBRN Vehicle has the ability to mitigate certain risks that our Australian Defence personnel face in CBRN environments whilst increasing the efficiency and accuracy of CBRN detection and sensing. I am proud of our Stealth team, the AxV Autonomous Platform is gaining significant credibility and trust amongst some very serious players looking for autonomous solutions. We see significant commercial opportunities to build its value across multiple sectors such as security, defence, mining and logistics. Investors have also welcomed the arrangement with shares as much as 12% higher intra-day to A$0.24. Collaborative work Stealth Technologies AxV autonomous vehicle platform is currently deployed in perimeter security applications through the Stealth ASV (Autonomous Security Vehicle). The companys CBRN collaboration will leverage existing IP and collaborative work conducted with organisations such as , WA Department of Justice, UWA, CSIRO and Planck AeroSystems. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for CBRN Defence was estimated at US$16.2 billion in the year 2020 and is projected to reach a revised size of US$21.9 billion by 2027. Stealth Technologies had previously announced a scoping study to integrate DSTG developed CBRN search algorithms with a Stealth autonomous drone carrying vehicle and this collaboration will carry out the integration of these algorithms with Stealths technology. DSTG will provide personnel, existing DSTG developed CBRN search algorithms and access to ongoing search algorithm development and implementation support. Additionally, DSTG will also provide access to facilities and equipment and assistance with arranging access to Defence test sites. Furthermore, Stealth Technologies has been awarded the DSGs collaborative research grant funding which aims to grow the local defence industry, investigate advanced manufacturing capabilities, and create jobs. This collaboration will deliver an Autonomous CBRN Vehicle that can navigate itself through an environment using Stealth Autodrive Hardware (autonomous technologies) and Stealth OS Software (sensor fusion, computer vision, AI & Neural Networks) Support from experts The DSTG team is led by Dr Robert Hunjet, Research Leader of Land Divisions Protection and Networked Autonomy Major Science and Technology Capability. Dr Hunjet also serves as the Deputy Theme Lead for Trusted Autonomous Systems within the Federal Governments $730M Next Generation Technology Fund. The UWA team is led by Professor Thomas Braunl who has been actively collaborating with the Stealth Technologies team for many years. Professor Braunl is ex-BMW and -Chrysler and has developed the autonomous BMW X5, SAE racing car and shuttle bus, public-use EV charging network (Perth) and EV conversions. - Ephrems Joseph Securities will remain halted until Thursday, July 8, or when an announcement is released to the market. The company has also announced the acquisition of Sydney-based fintech Invigo Pty Ltd. ( ) has been granted a trading halt by ASX with an announcement in relation to the execution of five-year customer referral agreement with pending. The halt will remain in place until the start of regular trading on Thursday, July 8, or until an announcement is released to the market, whichever occurs earliest. Cirralto shares last traded at 5.6 cents while the companys market cap is approximately A$148.5million. Agreement to acquire Invigo On Monday, the company signed a binding share sale agreement (SSA) to acquire 100% of the issued capital of Sydney-based fintech Invigo Pty Ltd with an expected completion date of July 12. Invigo offers both buyer and seller initiated immediate payment of invoices raised by the seller or the buyer, pay-by-instalment or immediate supplier payment, for all business customers. The acquisition is expected to unlock multiple commercial opportunities, drive revenue growth and provide opportunities for Cirralto to deploy its Spenda products across Invigos customer base. This move follows several months of negotiations and builds upon the Partnering Agreement and Strategic Loan Funding Arrangement entered into with Invigo in August 2019 and April 2021, respectively. During the drilling, the company intersected quartz veining and sulphide mineralisation associated with moderate sericite alteration, which are the hallmarks of gold mineralisation. RC drill rig over the Wiles Prospect within the companys Sofala Gold Project. ( ) has completed a reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign at Wiles Prospect within its Sofala Gold Project on the highly prospective Lachlan Fold Belt in NSW. The company has completed a total of 794 metres of drilling across 14 holes with all RC samples dispatched to Nagrom Laboratories in Perth for assaying of gold, silver and base metals. MinRex has thanked local landowners in the area north of Bathurst for their support during the program. Pleased to complete first drilling MinRex Resources chief executive offer Pedro Kastellorizos said: We are pleased to have completed Minrexs first maiden drilling campaign at the Wiles Gold Prospect. We have intersected in all the drill holes quartz veining and sulphide mineralisation (mainly pyrite) associated with moderate sericite alteration which are all the hallmarks of gold mineralisation within the Lachlan Fold Belt. We look forward to updating the market as the assay results are received from the laboratory. About Wiles Prospect The Wiles Prospect is a recently discovered orogenic gold deposit on strike of the Big Oakey Fault between Whalans Hill, with an intersection of 10 metres at 1.63 g/t gold, and Caledonian, with 2 metres at 8.11 g/t. This prospect was discovered in 2018 by joint-venture partner Wattle Resources Pty Ltd. A soil sampling campaign of the previously unexplored ground was conducted by Wattle producing strong results including 10.6 g/t gold, 9.26 g/t, 4.28 g/t and 4.01 g/t. This prospectivity was confirmed by shallow RC drilling in late 2020 with results returning 9 metres at 2.43 g/t from 17 metres and 2 metres at 2.97 g/t from 6 metres. Forward planning The company has planned aggressive exploration and project development activities over the next six months, including: JORC 2012 resource reporting over the Spring Gully Prospect; Mt Pleasant prospect geophysics interpretation and target generation; Assay results from the Wiles Gold Prospect RC drilling program; JORC 2012 resource reporting over the Surface Hill Prospect; JORC 2012 resource reporting over the Wiles Gold Prospect; JORC 2012 resource reporting over the Mt Pleasant Prospect; RC drilling program at Queenslander Gold Prospect; and Resource extension RC drilling program at Spring Gully Gold prospect. The above activities are subject to change depending on the results of further exploration activities and technical analysis. ( ) is storming ahead with its two-stage plan for its wholly-owned Wickepin Kaolin Project in Western Australia as it moves towards completion of the first stage of a 200,000 tonnes per annum processing facility. The company is on target and within budget with the ongoing stage-1 work program, designed to develop a kaolin processing plant with annual production capacity of more than 200,000 tonnes of kaolin by the end of 2021. It expects to commission the fixed plant in the current quarter and believes it is on target to proceed to the start of production from the Wickepin plant by the end of the year. WA Kaolin CEO Andrew Sorensen said: As the build continues, we can see the companys future taking shape in front of us as the work program proceeds and the plant nears completion later this year." With the global market dynamics changing as demand exceeds supply and product quality gaps emerging, WA Kaolin is set to emerge into a significant global supplier, with its resource base sufficient to support the production of over 1 million tonnes per annum. Global revenue demand from 2020-2027 is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 3.5%. WA Kaolin has engineered and built a small-scale commercial plant in Kwinana, WA, validating its proprietary K99 process, which produces high-quality kaolin. Combined with the high quality of the ore reserve, the K99 process delivers high-quality ultra-bright kaolin at a lower cost than conventional chemical bleaching and magnetic separation processing. Existing customers Demand for WAKs kaolin products from existing customers is driving the expansion timing and strategy. A Taiwanese distributor has executed a 10-year distribution agreement with a target offtake of 432,000 tonnes of kaolin in the six years. In years 1 to 3 of production at Wickepin, the sum of the Stanco offtake of 271,000 tonnes, which when coupled with non-binding letters of intent of 280,000 tonnes from other customers, amounts to a total target offtake for the first three years of 551,000 tonnes. This represents 83% of the targeted production of 664,000 tonnes for those years. WA Kaolin is also continuing its marketing efforts to build on its list of existing customers in Australia, Japan, Vietnam and China who have signed contracts, letters of intent and an offtake agreement. 15-year LNG supply agreement WA Kaolin signed a 15-year contract for the supply of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) for its Wickepin Project with Mid-West LNG Pty Ltd, (MWLNG) a group company of Clean Energy Fuels Australia (CEFA). The supply of LNG will be used to fire the rotary kiln at Wickepin that dries the kaolin ore, which is the first step in the companys proprietary K99 dry processing method. This contract, which includes the supply of commissioning gas from September 1, 2021, to the end of 2021, will commence on January 1, 2022, and will run for 15 years with reviews at year 5 and year 10, and provides for two options to extend for a further five years respectively. It is valued at around $22 million over the 15-year period and provides for the storage and re-vapourisation infrastructure, including delivery of LNG by a virtual pipeline. WA Kaolin's Sorensen said: As we continue to progress our Stage 1 work program towards our target to be producing by year-end 2021, it is vital for our development program that we lock in such important long term supplier agreements like this. The Stage 1 work program at Wickepin continues on track and within budget and I look forward to providing the market with a further update of progression from onsite shortly. Through Mid-West LNG Pty Ltd, CEFA is building a new LNG plant in Mount Magnet, around 600 kilometres north of Wickepin, and WA Kaolin will be the second customer supplied from this new facility. Stage-1 The company has completed the process engineering part of the electrical components of the stage-1 plant work and has selected the electrical motor control centre (MCC) supplier. As WA Kaolin is about to complete the small power design, it is reviewing tenders to select the contractor to build the plant. It has ordered a thermal power generation plant and plans to implement a renewable energy package around mid-2022. The company plans to study operating data from the upcoming thermal plant for designing the optimum solar and battery storage system with the intention to prepare a complete hybrid energy package for the project. Global demand Global market dynamics are changing such that demand exceeds supply and product quality gaps are emerging. The Western Australian location strongly aligns WA Kaolin with the fast-growing Asian-Pacific market. Strong cash flow potential A Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) completed has delivered robust economics based on the ramp-up of kaolin production to 400,000 tonnes per annum in two stages only, with a net present value of $257 million, internal rate of return of 47% and average EBITDA of $29.2 million over a 31-year life-of-mine. There is significant scope to further increase the production. WA Kaolin intends to implement a further 200,000 tonnes per annum modular increases to capacity, subject to adequate demand and funding Staged ramp-up Stage 1 will deliver WA Kaolins plant, providing a production capacity of more than 200,000 tonnes per annum of kaolin by 2021 year-end. Stage 2 will utilise free cash flow to expand production capacity further to more than 400,000 tonnes per annum kaolin. Kaolin applications Its in-situ primary kaolin resource with high brightness and low impurities is suitable for all kaolin market applications. It has an ore reserve estimate (JORC 2012) of 30.5 million tonnes of kaolinised granite within its mining lease delivering a 31-year mine life. WA Kaolin also has access to 644.5 million tonnes of mineral resources, which provides the potential to significantly increase mine life. Kaolin is current used in paper and packaging, ceramics, paints and coatings, fibreglass, plastics, rubber, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, concrete and the agriculture industries. Future applications could include feedstock for High Purity Alumina (HPA) production. WA Kaolins deposits are the purest known in Australia and being a primary deposit, is free of any organic matter. This purity, particularly with respect to iron oxide, titanium dioxide and sodium content, renders WA Kaolins deposits an optimal feedstock for the direct synthesis of HPA 4N and 5N from kaolin ore Corporate development The company listed on the ASX on November 26, 2020, raising $22 million which capitalised the company at $56 million with 286 million shares. WA Kaolin holds the Wickepin Kaolin Project, 220 kilometres southeast of Perth, which produces kaolin products for tier-one customers. The company aims to expand its production to 400,000 tonnes per annum in a two-stage strategy. There is scope to further increase production capacity beyond the 400,000 tonnes per annum due to the extensive mineral resource inventory within the granted mining lease. Project background The company acquired the Wickepin Project in 1999 from Rio Tinto which, through exploration, had discovered and drilled out a mineral resource and commissioned engineering and feasibility studies. The acquisition included the tenements covered by the Wickepin Project and all associated engineering and feasibility studies. Since then, WA Kaolin co-founders and owners have invested over $42 million to develop and progress the Wickepin Project. The company has optimised its proprietary dry processing method for kaolin (K99 Process) to build and extend on its success as a kaolin producer and exporter to global markets. The project comprises a mining lease, a general-purpose lease, a miscellaneous licence and retention licences. It is one of the largest known remaining kaolin resources in the world and contains: A probable ore reserve of 30.5 million tonnes and a mineral resource of 109.1 million tonnes in the mining lease; and An inferred resource of 644.5 million tonnes of high-grade premium kaolinised granite across all tenements - 109.1 million tonnes of kaolinised granite within the mining lease and 535.4 million tonnes of kaolinised granite within the retention licences. The mineralised zone is free dig, open cut, a low strip ratio with overburden thickness varying from 2-9 metres and is between 15-35 metres in thickness. WA Kaolin developed the K99 Process, at its plant in Kwinana, which together with the high-grade Wickepin kaolin resource, produces an ultra-bright, high-quality kaolin product at a low cost, in comparison to other methods, which rely on chemical bleaching and multiple wet mechanical and magnetic separation methods. Just last month, the precious metals explorer opted to increase its landholding at Humboldt Range after it uncovered a suite of bonanza silver hits within the Fourth of July claims. PolarX has uncovered a major silver and gold anomaly during soil sampling within the Humboldt Range Project in Nevada. PolarX Ltd (ASX:PXX) has uncovered large silver-gold anomalies during a soil sampling program over its Fourth of July claims within the Nevada-based Humboldt Range Gold-Silver Project. The minerals explorer and developer today unveiled the assays from its latest geochemical campaign, which defined several large, high-grade silver and gold anomalies across Fourth of July. Notably, the largest silver anomaly is thought to be more than 3.5 kilometres long and 2 kilometres wide and hosts as much as 186 g/t silver. PolarX collected rock chips from the anomalys major mineralised veins, with silver hits peaking at 4,800 g/t, while eight samples returned over 1,000 g/t silver. Gold results were also promising: PolarX identified myriad gold in soil anomalies over the claims, associated with both the major silver anomaly and several standalone anomalies. Fourth of July is at the southern end of Humboldt Range and is less than 15 kilometres from the operating Rochester Mine, which hosts 400 million ounces of silver and 3 million ounces of gold. Shoot for silver During soil sampling, PolarX uncovered a prominent silver anomaly in the southwest portion of the Fourth of July claims, associated with two major north-south striking faults which form the Arizona Graben. Promisingly, multiple rock chip samples collected from veins within this very large silver anomaly assay over 60 g/t silver, while the anomaly is broadly defined as more than 0.5 g/t silver in soils. Very limited historical reverse circulation drilling has taken place over this major anomaly. Renaissance Exploration Inc drilled seven holes in the region back in 2015, but other than that, the anomaly is effectively untested. Go for gold PolarX also discovered the Arizona Graben is highly anomalous for gold, particularly along the regions fault margins. Rock chip sampling along mineralised veins returned several assays over 10 g/t gold, with grades peaking at 76 g/t gold. Meanwhile, the peak gold in soil anomalism recorded 413 parts per billion gold, while any anomalism over 20 parts per billion gold is considered highly significant. Whats next? PolarX intends to compile the latest geochemical soil sampling and rock chip results to generate a range of priority drilling targets at Fourth of July. The explorer has already started target generation will focus on permitting for drilling during the September quarter. Outside of Fourth of July, PolarX is preparing for assays from a soil and rock chip sampling program at Humboldt Ranges more gold-dominant Black Canyon claims. All data from this claim will be compiled into a 3D model and used to generate and prioritise targets for drilling, with drill permitting to commence later this quarter. (TSXV: MOON) (OTCQB: BMOOF) CEO Patrick McGrath tells Proactive the Vancouver, Canada-based group has closed $1.1M in a private placement. McGrath says the proceeds will be used to fund its upcoming drill program on its Blue Moon polymetallic VMS project in Oakland, California. The group is looking to drill 3,000 meters at the zinc, gold, silver and copper-focused project, expecting to begin by the end of July 2021. The next step is to move to a 90-day oral toxicity study to help pinpoint a safe and effective dose for human consumption Psyched is developing a line of Amanita muscaria-derived water-based extracts, teas and capsules Ltd ( ) ( ) ( ) has announced the results from a 14-day oral toxicity preclinical study that showed no adverse effects from its Amanita muscaria-derived products. The study, conducted by KGK Science, revealed no treatment-related adverse effects on animals during the study period, the company said The next step is to move to a 90-day oral toxicity study to help pinpoint a safe and effective dose for human consumption. During the study, Amanita muscaria extract was administered once daily for 14 consecutive days. Researchers looked at factors such as weight gain, feed consumption, hematology parameters and coagulation, and organ weights. All parameters were found to be normal during the duration of the study. Brian Tancowny, Psycheds scientific advisor, called the results a major milestone for the companys product development. "The 14-day and 90-day toxicological assessments of AME-1 will importantly form the foundation for all of our future preclinical studies," Tancowny said in a statement. Psyched CEO Jeff Stevens lauded the firms scientific team as doing a great job executing on the individual studies that make up pre-clinical trials. I am pleased to share the positive results of our 14-day toxicity study and look forward to communicating the results from our previously announced 90-day toxicity study when available," he said Toronto-based Psyched is developing a line of Amanita muscaria-derived water-based extracts, teas and capsules designed to help with three health objectives: promote stress relief, relaxation and assist with restful sleeping. Contact Angela at angela@proactivienvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas The company does not think the pooling will be limited to the one area as it believes there is potential for more high-grade nickel-copper mineralization to come along the 18 kilometre Tamarack Intrusive Complex Talon said it is now clear that the new 'pool' of massive sulphides identified within the CGO West area is high-grade Talon Metals Corp ( ) (OTCMKTS:TLOFF) (FRA:TAO) has provided an update on its Tamarack nickel project in Minnesota, saying latest assay results are likely to positively impact the overall economics of the project even further. The company said it is continuing to drill out the new pool of massive sulphides aggressively, with the goal of growing it in a meaningful way. It reiterated that it does not think the pooling will be limited to the one area as it believes there is potential for more high-grade nickel-copper mineralization to come along the 18 kilometre Tamarack Intrusive Complex. READ: Talon Metals says it has extended nickel-copper mineralization to the north of current Tamarack resource area The company reported assay results from drill hole 21TK0313 located outside of the projects resource area, in the area referred to as the CGO West area. Notable assays from the drill hole include: 13.92 metres (m) of mixed and massive nickel-copper sulphide mineralization grading 5.54% Ni, 2.14% Cu (6.70% NiEq1 or 17.86% CuEq2) starting at only 225.44m; Drill hole 21TK0313 represents the initial "discovery" hole in the CGO West area, which has resulted in the company identifying a 'pool' of massive sulphides; Subsequent to this "discovery" hole, the company has reported 15 follow-up drill holes, all of which have continued to intersect nickel-copper sulphide mineralization; and Importantly, the new CGO West area massive sulphide mineralization remains open in multiple directions. "It is now clear that the new 'pool' of massive sulphides identified within the CGO West area is high-grade," Talons vice president of exploration Brian Goldner said in a statement. "The fact that the mineralization sits shallow suggests that that we will be able to bring this into the mine plan early on, which will likely positively impact the overall economics of the Tamarack Nickel Project even further. The Tamarack Nickel Project comprises the Tamarack North Project and the Tamarack South Project including a large land position, with numerous high-grade intercepts outside the current resource area. Contact the author at stephen.gunnion@proactiveinvestors.com Numinus said that it plans to expand NCT into a comprehensive clinical neurology treatment centre that specializes in psychedelic treatment for neurological disorders The Neurology Centre is a fully operational clinic that treats common neurological conditions and psychological disorders Numinus Wellness Inc ( ) announced it had struck an agreement to acquire the Neurology Centre of Toronto (NCT) in a deal worth up to $1 million. The Neurology Centre is a fully operational clinic that treats common neurological conditions and psychological disorders. Numinus said that it plans to expand NCT into a comprehensive clinical neurology treatment centre that specializes in psychedelic treatment for neurological disorders. The two will work together to establish the field of psychedelic neurology and turn NCT into a centre of excellence, according to Numinus. NCT posted gross revenues of nearly $1 million for the 2020 year and net revenue of $454,000 both 25% higher than the previous fiscal year, according to a statement. The clinics founder Dr Evan Lewis will join Numinus as vice president, psychedelic neurology services along with 13 doctors and eight medical staff in various capacities. "Our collaboration with Numinus represents an important evolution in patient care for individuals suffering from common neurological illnesses and challenges that are often associated with chronic mental health conditions," said Lewis, a neurologist and clinical neurophysiologist who founded NCT in 2017. "While today's treatments help many patients, a significant number continue to suffer and, we believe, may be helped by psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy." Under the terms of the transaction, Numinus will pay $300,000 in cash and $200,000 in shares upon closing and up to $500,000 in performance-based shares. "This acquisition represents an exciting opportunity for NCT and Numinus to combine medical, clinical and academic expertise to help create a new discipline and ultimately a centre for excellence in psychedelic neurology," said Dr Evan Wood, chief medical officer at Numinus. "In doing so, this collaborative discipline could potentially make a transformative difference for many patients." Payton Nyquvest, Numinuss CEO, told investors that the acquisition of NCT reflects our thoughtful expansion strategy to add clinics that offer revenue-generating services, accretive assets and innovative leadership that maintains our position at the forefront of client care and psychedelic-assisted therapy." Vancouver-based Numinus is an integrated mental health company creating an ecosystem of health solutions to research, develop, and deliver safe, evidence-based, accessible psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas NexTech AR Solutions (CSE: NTAR NEO: NTAR OTCQB: NEXCF) CEO Evan Gappelberg joined Steve Darling from Proactive to bring news the companys LiveX Platform has been chosen by a European-based, multinational company working in the energy and automation space for the live broadcast of their global summit. Gappelberg telling Proactive, the company will design and deliver a live broadcast, global summit across several countries, concurrently, for the purposes of client engagement, education and training. This will be done across multiple languages as well. The company said all four holes completed are 25- to 35-meter offsets of hole P21-115, which included an assay of 22.35 grams per tonne gold Newrange Gold said the mineralization seen in the drill holes occurs over broad intervals ranging from 108 meters to 167 meters downhole Newrange Gold Corp ( ) ( ) (FRA:X6C) announced the completion of four diamond core holes totaling 800.6 meters (m) at its flagship Pamlico project in Nevada, following up on reverse circulation (RC) hole P21-115 that intersected several high-grade structures including an assay of 22.35 grams per tonne (g/t) gold within an overall intercept of 123.5 meters averaging 1.13 g/t gold. The company said all four holes are 25m to 35m offsets of hole P21-115 and, collectively, appear to have discovered a previously unknown extension of the historic, high-grade Pamlico Mine. We are very encouraged by the four follow up holes on this new zone, and especially with the apparent correlation with the Pamlico Mine mineralization, Newrange Gold CEO Robert Archer said in a statement. While all assays are pending, the zone appears to be open to the north, east and south. Once results have been received and compiled, we will be in a better position to interpret the potential and plan additional follow-up drilling, Archer added. Newrange noted that all four core holes (P21-122 to 125 inclusive) intersected what the company called near-surface, visually significant, oxide mineralization resembling that seen in hole P21-115, the Merritt zone and stopes on the 5428 level of the Pamlico Mine. It added that the mineralization seen in the drill holes occurs over broad intervals ranging from 108m to 167m downhole. As well, the company announced it has received the final report on the recent expansion of the Induced Polarization (IP) survey, noting that recently discovered gold-copper mineralization on surface appears to be associated with a 5.5 by 3 kilometer IP anomaly. Newrange said it now considers this to be a higher priority target than the 91 zone or the Line 5 anomaly and will be the next area to be drilled. Discovered in 1884, the Pamlico District enjoys a reputation for being one of Nevadas highest-grade districts. A new geological model being developed for the Pamlico Project by Newrange suggests that past production may be just the exposed manifestation of a much larger, and mostly buried, gold-bearing system. The Pamlico project is located 12 miles southeast of Hawthorne, in Nevada along US Highway 95, and enjoys excellent access and infrastructure. Contact Sean at sean@proactiveinvestors.com "I'm not an anti-vaxxer. I'm not a pro-vaxxer. I'm somebody that's looking at this thing and trying to figure it outI feel like a vaccination in a weird way is just generally kind of going against natureLike, I mean, if there is some disease out there -- maybe there's just an ebb and flow to life where something's supposed to wipe out a certain amount of people, and that's just kind of the way evolution goes. Vaccines kind of stand in the way of that. Do you follow what I'm saying? Does that make sense to somebody in medicine?" Newsmax host Rob Schmitt NO. Everyone in medicine Directed by Devanshu Singh, written by Manoj Kalwani, Vikrant Massey and Kriti Kharbandas film 14 Phere is all set to release on India's biggest homegrown OTT platform ZEE5 on 23rd July. A teaser of the film released recently revealed the names of the lead characters, Sanjay and Aditi. While not much about the film is out yet, the makers and actors have taken to their social media to release their new poster featuring both the lead actors. The feature has Vikrant Massey and Kriti Kharbanda looking at each other, just like a couple who is deeply in love. Kriti is seen wearing a Banarasi Saree with minimal makeup and only bangles, while Vikrant is seen wearing a simple cream kurta. After looking at the poster, one can definitely say that the film is going to make us fall in love. Apart from Vikrant Massey and Kriti Kharbanda the film also stars, Gauhar Khan, Yamini Das, and the veteran actor Vineet Kumar in pivotal roles. A quirky, contemporary social comedy that promises to be a complete entertainer - a roller coaster ride with `Sanjay` and `Aditi` on their adventures and misadventures will premiere on 23rd July on ZEE5. Amid strong buzz in the political circle about possible reshuffle in the union cabinet later this week, first in the second term of the Narendra Modi government, sources said that cabinet reshuffle is likely to take place in a couple of days and BJP MPs are asked to reach the national capital at the earliest. However, there is no confirmation from the party or the government about the time of possible cabinet reshuffle. A party insider said that BJP chief J.P. Nadda, who is on a two-day visit to Himachal Pradesh, will be returning to New Delhi on Tuesday evening. "Nadda ji has reached Himachal Pradesh to attend his personal and organisational program. He is reaching Delhi later today for some important work," he said. Sources said that ahead of reshuffle the Prime Minister is likely to hold a meeting with senior ministers and party chief Nadda in the evening but there is no confirmation about the meeting. Party functionaries claimed that calls were made to several party leaders who are expected to be inducted in the cabinet, to reach Delhi. "Following the direction of party leadership, former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia are reaching Delhi today," he said. Sources said that Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is likely to be inducted in Modi cabinet, has cut short his visit to Indore in Madhya Pradesh and is reaching the national capital in evening. "Earlier Scindia is expected to take on a flight from Indore to Delhi on July 7 at 11 a.m. But after he was asked to reach Delhi at the earliest, Scindia is leaving for Delhi from Indore at 3.30 p.m. on Tuesday. Before leaving for Delhi, Scindia took blessings at Mahakal Temple in Ujjain," said a BJP leader aware of the Scindia program. Amid the buzz, a video of former union minister late Ram Vilas Paswan's brother Pashupati Paras went viral in which he is seen buying clothes for his new 'kurta' he is likely to wear in swearing in ceremony. "Inducting Paras in the cabinet will also clarify BJP's stand that which faction of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) has the support of the Prime Minister and the saffron party," a party leader said. Some BJP MPs eyeing the ministerial berth this time, however, said that they have not received any call from either the Prime Minister office or party. "Appinting a minister is the prerogative of the Prime Minister. I haven't received any call but heard MPs are asked to reach Delhi as soon as possible," a BJP MP said. Another BJP functionary said that alliance partner Janta Dal United (JD-U) leaders -- R.C.P. Singh and Rajeev Ranjan 'Lallan' are also reaching the national capital. "JD-U who did not join the Modi government in 2019 is likely to get two ministerial berths while the party is asking for three," he said. Apna Dal chief Anupriya Patel is also likely to be made minister. She was part of the Modi government in the first term. Party sources claimed that reshuffle is due and it will happen before the monsoon session of parliament starting from July 19 but it may happen in the next few days. "Cabinet expansion is due to fill up the vaccines and it is believed that it will happen soon this week," he said. Since last month there have been speculations about possible union cabinet reshuffle and the Prime Minister held several rounds of discussion with senior party leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party chief Nadda and general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh. He (Modi) personally reviewed the performance of existing ministers. Sources claimed that few ministers will be dropped and they will be accommodated in some other position. "Union Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot has been appointed governor of Karnataka. More ministers and especially those above 70 years are likely to be dropped and might be appointed governor, Gehlot is aged around 73 years. We heard that the Prime Minister is likely to induct young faces to give a new look to his cabinet," they said. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party boycotted the proceedings of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and conducted a 'parallel session' outside Vidhan Bhavan here on Tuesday to protest against the suspension of 12 of its MLAs by the Speaker. Claiming that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was attempting to 'silence' the opposition and the media, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis launche a scathing attack on it, accusing it of corruption, utter mismanagement, absence of confidence, and blaming the Centre for all its inefficiencies. Inside the House, several ruling alliance members said the 'parallel session' held by the BJP was "illegal and an insult to the House" and demanded that it should be stopped at once. Minority Developmen Minister Nawab Malik of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Presiding Officer Bhaskar Jadhav (Shiv Sena), who had suspended the MLAs on Monday, sought to know whether the BJP legislators had been given permission to use microphones for their 'parallel session'. Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal said that the legislature secretariat had not given any such permission, following which Jadhav directed that the mikes be disconnected. Jadhav and several other MVA members demanded action against those who had organised the 'parallel session' and also those who allowed the BJP to conduct it. Malik pointed out that Jadhav, who was manhandled and allegedly abused by the BJP legislators, had been getting threats and should be given security. The demand was supported by the Sena's Sunil Prabhu. Outside, at the 'parallel session' in the Vidhan Bhavan precincts, the BJP legislators 'elected' their senior colleague Kalidas Kolamkar to chair the proceedings and raised slogans condemning the MVA government. Addressing the gathering, Fadnavis claimed that the 'parallel session' was convened to enable the opposition MLAs to voice their views, which the government was trying to suppress in an undemocratic manner, and vowed that their agitation would continue. The ongoing two-day Monsoon Session of the Maharashtra Assembly has been rocked by pandemonium, with a belligerent opposition taking on the MVA allies Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress both inside the House and outside. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Tuesday, called on his predecessor and veteran BJP leader Kalyan Singh, who is admitted in the ICU of Critical Care Medicine in the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS). According to a medical bulleting issued by the hospital, there is a slight improvement in his sensorium as he opened his eyes and gave a very mild response when the chief minister inquired about his wellbeing. A team of senior doctors is supervising his treatment and his vital parameters are under control. Kalyan Singh was admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital on Saturday following swelling in the body. He was shifted to the ICU in SGPGIMS on Sunday evening. According to an official statement, the 89-year-old politician, had developed an inflammation in the parotid gland and was also diagnosed with irregularities in his kidney function. A panel of 10 doctors are attending on the former chief minister. The Delhi government on Monday announced the new excise policy for 2021-22, which allows bars in hotels, clubs and restaurants in the national capital to operate till 3 am except those licensees who have been given license to operate round the clock service of liquor. The government also allowed hotels, clubs and restaurants in Delhi to serve Indian or foreign liquor in any area within the licensed premises, including the terrace, balcony, or lower area, so long as the liquor serving is screened off from public view. According to the 2021-22 excise policy, every liquor outlet in the city will provide a walk-in experience to its customers who will have multiple choices of brands, and the entire selection and sale process will be completed within the vend premise. Along with this, the policy document states that retail sales in the form of L-7V (Indian and Foreign Liquor) can be opened in any market, mall, commercial streets and areas, local shopping complex and other places. Under the new excise system, people of Delhi will also be able to fill their bottles or 'growlers' with freshly brewed beer from any microbrewery in the city. The policy allows microbreweries to supply draught beer to bars. After President of India Ram Nath Kovind appointed new Governors and reshuffled the charge of a few on Tuesday, the Congress has questioned -- why the West Bengal Governor has not been changed? The party has also lashed out at the conduct of Rajasthan Governor and Lakshadweep administrator. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said this while responding to questions on the new gubernatorial appointments and reshuffle. "Have they changed the Governor, who was found indulging in all kinds of constitutional impropriety in West Bengal? Have they changed the Governor, who was compulsorily selling his autobiography to Vice-Chancellors in Rajasthan? Have they changed any of those Governors? What about the administrator of Lakshadweep? So, this is a strange Government, if a Governor is found indulging in impropriety that Governor is most likely to be rewarded," Khera said. He said the only criteria before a Cabinet reshuffle, if Modi does, is to see their Twitter timeline. "How much have they attacked Rahul Gandhi? The more the tweets against Rahul Gandhi, the better it is for that minister, because the minister in the Modi Cabinet are not there to deliver, not there to do anything in terms of governance, their portfolios, the only unspoken rule for the cabinet of Mr Modi is, go attack Mr Rahul Gandhi," Pawan Khera said further. President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday appointed eight new governors giving them charge of administration of new states. While many were transferred, others were new appointments. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Kington, UK -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/06/2021 -- A QuickBooks file size that expands beyond maximum limits, lack of RAM, Virtual Memory, network interface cards, routers or network cables, power surges, improper system shutdowns or virus attacks could be the many reasons why data corruption would occur. In a multi-user environment, routers that are configured incorrectly can affect the QuickBooks performance thus increasing the risk of corruption. If a network interruption occurs due to incorrect server configuration or malfunctioning of hardware components, a QuickBooks data file could end up corrupted. Corruption easily occurs when connection issues exist with routers, issues with the operating system or persistent hardware or network driver issues. The Verify and Rebuild Data tool in QuickBooks proves to be a quick fix for common QuickBooks issues with data being scanned for possible signs of data corruption. Running this process frequently prevents problems. Before rebuilding data, QuickBooks will request a backup of the file. After the Rebuild is complete, a list of resolved and unresolved issues would be listed. The main reason for using this tool is when serious errors occur while using QuickBooks desktop or major discrepancies found on reports such as the bills or invoices. Other reasons could include deposited payments displayed in the Payments to Deposit section, balance sheet reports not displaying all accounts, data checkups are run to ensure that the file is error free, missing transactions or transactions that appear inaccurately, and missing names from lists. E-Tech's File Repair service will repair almost any version of a QuickBooks data file from the very first version of DOS to the latest Pro,Premier, Accountant or Enterprise versions, focusing on commonly known errors such as: "This is not a QuickBooks data file or is damaged", "QuickBooks Connection has been Lost", "QuickBooks has Experienced a Problem and Must be Shut Down", "An error occurred when QuickBooks tried to access the company file", "Unrecoverable Error, QuickBooks must shut down", "Some Sales Orders or Estimates may be incorrectly marked as closed or display incorrect invoiced quantities", "QuickBooks Rebuild or Verify Errors", "Error in reload.sql at line", "QuickBooks Error Code -6000, -82 | 80070057", "QuickBooks Error Code -6000,-301: An error occurred when QuickBooks tried to access the company file" For more information on E-Tech's QuickBooks File Repair service, visit https://quickbooksrecovery.co.uk/quickbooks-data-recovery/quickbooks-file-repair/. About E-Tech E-Tech is the leading service provider of QuickBooks File Repair, Data Recovery, QuickBooks Conversion and QuickBooks SDK programming in the UK and Ireland. In their 20 years plus of experience with Intuit QuickBooks, they have assisted over 1000 satisfied customers with their requirements. E-Tech UK covers US, UK, Canadian, Australian versions which include Reckon Accounts, and New Zealand versions of QuickBooks through PC and Mac platforms. For media inquiries regarding E-Tech, individuals are encouraged to contact Media Relations Director, Melanie Ann via email at Melanie@e-tech.ca. Media Contact Melanie Ann E-Tech 61 Bridge St. Kington HR5 3DJ Melanie@e-tech.ca www.quickbooksrecovery.co.uk In 2011, planetary researchers using samples of the solar wind collected by NASAs Genesis spacecraft found that solar system planetary bodies have a lower concentration of the oxygen-16 isotope than does the Sun. Early in the history of the Solar System, its primordial building blocks had been hit with a hefty dose of ultraviolet light (UV), which can explain this difference. But where did it come from? According to new research from Washington University in St. Louis, stellar neighbors of the Sun likely O- and B-type stars in a massive-star-forming region irradiated the edge of its parent molecular cloud and left the impression on the Solar Systems primordial material. We knew that we were born of stardust: that is, dust created by other stars in our Galactic neighborhood was part of the building blocks of the Solar System, said co-author Dr. Ryan Ogliore, a researcher in the Department of Physics at Washington University in St. Louis. But this study showed that starlight had a profound effect on our origins as well. In the study, Dr. Ogliore and colleagues examined Acfer 094, a carbonaceous chondrite meteorite found in Algeria in 1990. Acfer 094 is the only known meteorite that contains cosmic symplectite, an intergrowth of iron-oxide and iron-sulfide with extremely heavy oxygen isotopes. This is one of the most primitive meteorites in our collection, said lead author Dr. Lionel Vacher, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Physics at Washington University in St. Louis. It was not heated significantly. It contains porous regions and tiny grains that formed around other stars. It is a reliable witness to the Solar Systems formation. The Sun contains about 6% more of the lightest oxygen isotope compared with the rest of the Solar System. That can be explained by UV light shining on the Solar Systems building blocks, selectively breaking apart carbon monoxide gas into its constituent atoms. That process also creates a reservoir of much heavier oxygen isotopes. Until cosmic symplectite, however, no one had found this heavy isotope signature in samples of solar system materials. Thats when we came up with the idea of sulfur isotopes, Dr. Vacher said. The sulfur isotope measurements of Acfer 094s cosmic symplectite were consistent with UV irradiation from a massive star, but did not fit the UV spectrum from the young Sun. The results give a unique perspective on the astrophysical environment of the Suns birth 4.6 billion years ago. Neighboring massive stars likely of O- and B-types were close enough that their light affected the Solar Systems formation. We see nascent planetary systems, called proplyds, in the Orion Nebula that are being photoevaporated by UV light from nearby massive O- and B-type stars, Dr. Vacher said. If the proplyds are too close to these stars, they can be torn apart, and planets never form. We now know our own Solar System at its birth was close enough to be affected by the light of such stars. But thankfully, not too close. The findings were published in the journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. _____ Lionel G. Vacher et al. Cosmic symplectite recorded irradiation by nearby massive stars in the Solar Systems parent molecular cloud. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, published online June 25, 2021; doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2021.06.026 Page Content ~ No More Auction Block! ~ 158th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Abolishment of Slavery on July 1st, 1863 Good morning to everyone here in this space and within the sound of my voice. Last evening, I heard one of our Honorable Members of Parliament on the floor of Parliament, and shes here today, the Honorable Ludmila Duncan say, We are living in historical times. History is being created in times in which we now live. Even as we commemorate history and our heritage that has passed on before, today, you can, we can make history. Those words touched me. As one of our Xenials as she calls herself, in between some of us as Gen Xers, even the baby boomers, and the millennials, generation Z, all of those who are still to come; Together we can! Today, July 1st, is the ninth time since we started in 2012 to commemorate Emancipation Day in St. Maarten. We give thanks to the vision of those who recognize that this day is significant in our history. It acknowledges and should inspire us all. I recognize in that regard people like Camille Baly, Jose Lake Sr, Jose Lake Jr., Neville York, Dr. Rhoda Arrindell and many others played a pivotal role in ensuring that who we are and what we are capable of remains in our minds and I thank them. Because they did, we can and today, we commemorate all who are doing it, all who are busy making history and whose names will be called for years to come. They promoted our history, not only his story, but our collective history, our heritage and our truth. Our truth, based on humanity, strength and the perseverance of us as a people despite that period of enslavement and the continued indoctrination. That indoctrination which served to erase a great part of our culture and history by substitution and years of enslavement and discrimination. Yet, here we stand today, 158 years later made official. If you know our Ponum song, for many years massa been a hideem. Everyone knows what that phrase means right? Because St. Maarten is unique, in that two colonial powers amicably shared this 37 square miles island; this land of salt; this oualichi land. And when one side was free in 1848, guess what happened? And many first of Julys we celebrated the run for freedom over that hill in Cole Bay into Bellevue. And when that could not be sustained any longer because the property that you paid good silver for, on the same aution block, was running away and therefore your are not able to make anymore money because of capitalist reasons. There was an agreement that okay, these over here free too. But then the rest of the Dutch Kingdom; the rest of what was the former colonial dutch islands were then declared free. But today, we have to stand proud, because recognizing this true history and the lessons learned, the lives lived, exemplary of that same identity that was trying to be erased, we must learn to love our uniqueness, our strength, and our resilience through the times. We must also still look, evaluate, assess and recognize all vestiges of colonialism still present in our systems and in the way we think. Because hundreds of years of indoctrination will not be erased in 158 but every step made is a building block in that history of self-pride, self-love, and our I can do it-ness regardless. Its up to all of us but it starts in the mind. Though there is no more auction block on which we physically stand, where we can be bought and sold, we are still in meetings around conference tables and now virtually bargaining for our lives, bargaining for our souls and also for a few pieces of silver for our survival with the blood sweat and tears of our own people. I remember getting what they call chicken skin a couple years ago when the manifestation was just up the street and it was the atlantic remembers or the sea remembers. Seeing these bodies coming out of the water it reminds us that the ships remember, the sea remembers, the sand remembers, the earth remembers and all our ponds remember because our ancestors blood sweat and tears are in there. I recognize that we are in historical times and today, a concerted step was made in the city of Amsterdam whereby the Mayor apologized for the role of Amsterdam city in the history of the enslavement of people that actually was at the time, 40% of the economic development of the Netherlands. Its a start. Its a start. Recognition of the atrocities against humanity where today, we can talk about human rights, that auction block signifies that we were not regarded as human; we were things, we were posessions to them and we were seen as less. Today, we are supposed to be in a kingdom. Today, we sit as equals at a table and everyday I see the recognition and the respect growing. So we are making history and though it might not go as quickly as some of us might liked, especially me, I have learned to be patient. I have learned to take the small wins for my country. I have learned to accept that it has been a long road and the road continues and there will be more behind me. Today is for this generation of baby boomers and Gen Xers. We did not know these terms when we were growing up but I think I was born in a time when we had to do without and we came in to a time of technology where we could do alot more. That is why I say to my people today, we have no excuse. Many of us were kept back from education in the past, however, what is our excuse now? Education is right here (in our smartphones). The time we spend playing games, if a tenth of that is spent enlightening our minds, as to the power within our minds, it would be amazing what we could produce and what we could do. That is why I keep having hope. I keep saying We Can! In the time that I have this platform that will continue to be my battle cry. It doesnt have to be with aggression and it doesnt have to be with insults because as you treat someone as you want to be treated with respect, you must show respect. Respect does not mean you are going to be given your right all the time as well. Something that I have seen change lives of the students in my classroom was a concept by Rita Stein called R.I.C.E; Respect, Impulse Control, Compassion and Equity. Respect starts with yourself. I can remember when I started to say little curse words, I would hear the elders say stop disrespecting yourself and I didnt understand what that meant. We tell children respect us but we have to teach them to respect themselves. Children learn what they see so no matter what you say or what you do, it is what they will do, so start with self. Everything I do is a reflection of me. It doesnt matter what happened before, it doesnt matter what happened or what I think caused it. Start with self, respect yourself and then you can respect everyone whether theyre right or whether theyre wrong. Impulse control - If someone says something on the floor of Parliament, I would prefer to do something aggressive; that base animal instinct but I have to control that. We have to control impulses to show that we are in control of ourselves because when you dont outer forces are controlling you. Compassion - It means put yourself in another persons shoes. Try to see what they are dealing with today. Compassion; feeling for somebody. You dont have to love them; feel for them. I understand where you are coming from today, you need a win. Ill let you have that win. Equity - Equality is a word we like to use but I like equity. That is why when I found those four rules of life I use them. Not everyday I can keep them, but I wake up the next day and try my best again. That is all we are asked to do as human beings. Equity means giving each what they deserve. I always use the example as a mother with two children 10 years apart. They do not eat the same amount of food and they dont have the same requirements. The older one actually needed more love and attention, more one on one than the younger one. The younger one is a free spirit; goes as he pleases. As a parent you have to recognize what your child needs and give them what they need and when one says You love that one more than me, say No, Im giving you what you need, if you need more, tell me. And that is how we need to treat people in life; equitably. And so, as we remember what we are here for today, remember you are not a thing, you are not something to be bartered and you have a brain; the power is within you. I challenge each and everyone today, find your passion and your dream and go for it no matter what. Then we will truly have left the auction block. 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Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fc001bfbb10)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc001be7940)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fc001bfbb10)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc001be7940)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fc001bf6630)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc001be7940)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc001be7940)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc001579278)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fc001bbbd40)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fc001bbbd40)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fc00112fd20)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc00166ed70)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fc00112fd20)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc00166ed70)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fc001631958)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc00166ed70)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc00166ed70)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc000a3fbc0)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fc001645958)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fc001645958)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 Departure of SpaceX Dragon cargo freighter from ISS NASAs SpaceX Dragon cargo freighter, loaded with approximately 5,000 pounds of scientific experiments and other cargo from the International Space Station, will depart Tuesday, July 6, bound for a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean Thursday, July 8, completing the companys 22nd commercial resupply services mission for NASA. Live coverage of the departure will begin at 10:45 a.m. EDT Tuesday, July 6, on NASA Television, the agencys website, and the NASA app. NASA will not provide coverage of the splashdown. In a detailed briefing, Kao told Enlai how his investigation had led him to Chou Chu. A Taiwanese national working as a member of the ground maintenance crew of the Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company, Chu had agreed to place a time bomba weapon of choice in those daysin the Kashmir Princess. In return, he was promised a reward of 6,00,000 Hong Kong dollars. by Anusha Nandakumar & Sandeep Saket R.N. Kao was born in Benaras to a Kashmiri Pandit family in 1918. He joined the United Provinces Cadre of the Indian Imperial Police (the Indian Police Service after Independence) in 1940. After Independence, he was transferred to the IBIndias oldest Intelligence agency, formed in London in 1887 and recast in 1947 as the Central Intelligence Bureau under the Ministry of Home Affairs. One of the principal tasks assigned to Kao at IB in those days was VIP security. In this role, he had handled the security detail for Nehru himself. Kao was also in charge of VIP security for foreign dignitaries visiting India. It was the training that he received in this capacity that prepared him for this, his first major assignment: the 1955 Kashmir Princess (crash) probe in Beijing, formerly known as Peking. Kao knew he had been handpicked to lead the investigation and was well aware of the magnitude of the task that lay ahead of him. The eyes of China, Hong Kong, the UK and India were on him. It was his first special assignment and the pressure was tremendous, even for the usually imperturbable Kao. At the Beijing airport, the immigration officer asked Kao how long his visit was going to be. Kao told the officer that he would be staying a few weeks, not knowing at the time that the investigation would stretch on for almost half a year. At the Chinese premiers office in Beijing, Kaos one-on-one briefing with Zhou Enlai was held behind closed doors. Even though Kao was determined to be the neutral investigator on the case, Enlai advanced theories of a Taiwanese conspiracy behind the crash and urged Kao to expedite the investigation process and submit his findings. Little did Kao realise, as he took on the assignment, that he was going to be caught up in the crossfire of the internal politics between China, Hong Kong and Britain. From the outset, the case was rife with complications. The plane had taken off from Hong Kong, and it had crashed into Indonesian waters. The aircraft had been built in the US but was owned by India. The people aboard who had died in the crash were all Chinese. Hence, de facto, five countriesthe UK, Indonesia, the US, India and Chinabecame part of the investigation. And it fell to Kao to navigate this very complex political labyrinth in order to find out the truth. Over several months, Kao worked doggedly in collaboration with the Chinese, Hong Kong and British police to unravel the threads of the conspiracy. The investigation took him to Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong and China. His diplomatic demeanour allowed him to investigate freely and build strong friendships, particularly with MI4, British Intelligence, who were posted in Hong Kong and Indonesia at the time. While forging these connections, Kao was unaware that in the future they would be instrumental in the formation of R&AW. Throughout this period, Kao was all alone in foreign lands, with no real ally. The language, food, customs and traditions were strange and alienating. However, he did not allow himself to succumb to any kind of pressure, internal or external. He knew he had to finish what he had started. A thorough professional, he painstakingly put together an exhaustive file on the investigation and his findings. Every detail, however minor, was recorded, every lead followed up on, and every fact corroborated. His patience and rigour finally paid off in September 1955. A clear picture had started emerging of the events that had occurred on the day of the Kashmir Princess crash. Realising that he had finished his probe, Kao sent an official message to Enlai with his investigative results. In Beijing, Enlai immediately sent for Kao. The Kashmir Princess was a chartered Lockheed L-749A Constellation (representational image above) (Jon Proctor via Wikimedia Commons) In a detailed briefing, Kao told Enlai how his investigation had led him to Chou Chu. A Taiwanese national working as a member of the ground maintenance crew of the Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company, Chu had agreed to place a time bomba weapon of choice in those daysin the Kashmir Princess. In return, he was promised a reward of 6,00,000 Hong Kong dollars. The mastermind behind the plot was Chiang Kaishek, an ousted Chinese leader, who had gone on to become the ruler of Taiwan. Kai-shek was plotting to kill Zhou Enlai, and when it was publicly known that he would be taking a chartered flight from Hong Kong to attend the Bandung Conference, he made his move. The Kashmir Princess crash was the result of this ongoing political rivalry between China and Taiwan. Enlai was highly impressed with the conduct of Kaos investigation, including the dexterity of his mediations between the colonial government in Hong Kong and the communist government in mainland China. To show his appreciation, Enlai rewarded Kao with his coveted personal seal, an honour reserved for the most deserving public servants in the Chinese republic. Kao came back to India a true hero in December 1955. Excerpted from The War that Made RA&W The United States is providing a welcome boost to Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in Sri Lanka struggling with the impact of the pandemic. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is awarding a USD75M funding line to NDB Bank to support its work in expanding and strengthening the SME sector, particularly among women business owners. The funding agreement directs a portion of the loan to businesses that are owned by women, led by women, or provide a product or service that empowers women. Improving access to finance will enable women business owners in Sri Lanka to realize their full economic potential and will also help the Sri Lankan economy to grow, said U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina B. Teplitz. The United States is committed to ensuring women are employed by and in senior management positions in their own organizations. DFC is the development finance institution of the United States federal government, primarily responsible for providing and facilitating the financing of private development projects in lower- and middle-income countries. This assistance is part of DFCs 2X Womens Initiative, which aligns with NDBs Banking on Women initiatives aimed at improving financial inclusivity, gender equity, and supporting women led organizations. Not everyone who has one of these risk factors is affected. But without more research, its impossible to know who might need extra doses of the vaccines, and how many. Besides the risk of COVID-19, there is also evidence that low immunity may allow the virus to continue to replicate in the body for long periods, potentially leading to new variants. Why: Inspections spotted 13 violations (seven major), including 1 live roach crawling on top of customers food to-go box at the bagging counter, five others underneath the bagging counter and three more underneath the kitchen food-prep table and sink. They also spotted 21 dead roaches underneath the reach-in-cooler, food-prep tables, fryers and cooking equipment at cook line. Inspectors ordered Hibachi to throw out batches of day-old precooked rice for temperature abuse, and because the operator portioned the rice into big plastic containers. However, Hibachi hadnt tossed its rice before the follow-up inspection on July 2, when inspectors ordered the restaurant to throw it away again. Inspectors kept the restaurant closed July 2 after finding six more dead roaches under the prep table and in the employees bathroom and six live ones near the rear exit and employees bathroom. The restaurant was allowed to reopen later on July 2 when a third inspection found zero issues. In an attempt to diffuse the situation, the officer backed away and went into the lobby, but Brennen followed and tried to take the officers holstered gun, the department said in a statement. On display on Monday during was a massive facility, the size of a small city, that had been exclusively used by the U.S. and NATO. The sheer size is extraordinary, with roadways weaving through barracks and past hangarlike buildings. There are two runways and over 100 parking spots for fighter jets known as revetments because of the blast walls that protect each aircraft. One of the two runways is 12,000 feet long and was built in 2006. Theres a passenger lounge, a 50-bed hospital and giant hangar size tents filled with supplies such as furniture. Alex Rodriguez lives in Boca Raton, more than 60 miles north of the district to be represented, and his candidacy is now under investigation by the Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office. He had been registered as a Republican until just before the election, when he declared himself to be a No Party Affiliation candidate, and he received unexplained large donations to his campaign. Prosecutors say the goal of the scheme that led to Artiles arrest was to confuse voters and siphon away votes from Democrat Jose Javier Rodriguez, who sought re-election to the Florida Senate District 37 seat last year. He lost by 32 votes to Republican Ileana Garcia, while more than 6,000 voters cast ballots for Alex Rodriguez, an independent candidate who did no campaigning. Artiles trial is scheduled to begin on Aug. 30. Thankfully, that cuts both ways because weve had a lot of people, as our customers will know, come here to Florida to help us. When storms like Irma, which was the largest storm ever to hit our service territory and weve been in business now almost a century and Irma hit every single one of, at the time, 35 counties that we serve in Florida. At one point we had 4.4 million customers those are meters so over 9 million people were out of electricity, and Im really proud of the team because we were able to restore half of those customers, nearly 5 million people, in 24 hours or less. Challenging that bleak assessment is the fact that the status quo is unsustainable. The clashes between Israel and Hamas underscore the anger and resentment not just of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, but of Arab citizens in Israel itself. Doing nothing is a formula for escalating conflict. Furthermore, the calculus that yielded the Oslo Accords nearly 30 years ago is still true: No one has presented a plausible one-state solution that would let Israel remain both Jewish and democratic. Unless Palestinians have their own nation, its hard to see how Israel can avoid becoming the illiberal state its critics say it already is. Shelby Morgan, a Realtor at Galleria International Realty, said none of his clients have yet backed out of contracts to buy condos. But, any older condo is going to be looked at very hard, he said. In the older buildings, people will probably be more hesitant to buy. National Police officers arrested a 39-year-old British man in Fuengirola on Monday, 5 July, who was wanted by authorities in the United Kingdom in connection with the trafficking of arms, ammunition and explosives. Thanks to information received from Interpol and as the result of police cooperation between Spain and the United Kingdom, it was discovered the individual was living on the Costa del Sol and officers eventually located and arrested him in Fuengirola. The wanted man is believed to be part of an organisation dedicated to trafficking prohibited weapons. Police linked him to four other people in the same network after stopping a vehicle in Birmingham in August 2017 and finding weapons and ammunition inside the car. In addition, the man has been arrested for his alleged involvment in the falsification of documents, after he identified himself to National Police officers with a passport that did not correspond to his true identity. The detained man is now awaiting a court appearance, in connection with his extradition back to the UK. The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set the date of 19 July for the UK to ease its Covid-19 control restrictions. And, anticipating some return to normality', the hotel sector on the Costa del Sol is hopeful that the British tourists will soon start heading to the coast in greater numbers again. Before the key date, however, the UK will again review its safe travel traffic light system which places the coast at amber. The British government still recommends not going to amber-list countries and, if you do go, you must take a Covid test before returning, quarantine and then take two more tests. But there are suggestions that the UK's quarantine requirement for amber list countries could be lifted if passengers have been fully-vaccinated. And it gives some hope to hoteliers on the Costa del Sol, who are anxiously awaiting the return of holidaymakers from their largest international market. Although it is late, it could give a boost to the hotels and apartments that rely on British tourists, said Jose Luque, the head of Aehcos, the hoteliers association on the Costa del Sol. If the British Government lifts restrictions on 19 July it would be a relief for the recovery of coast, and would be great news for many of our establishments, he added. He pointed out that in 2019 some 25.9 per cent of overnight stays in the region, more than 6.6 million, were from British tourists. At the moment, 28.6 per cent of the hotels in Malaga province are still closed, but Aehcos estimates that if the British holidaymakers return the process of reopening establishments will accelerate, and some of the 6,000 workers still furloughed under the ERTE scheme could return to their jobs. Justice for Samuel. That was the main call - but not the only one - of the hundreds of people (mostly young) who gathered in Malaga's Plaza de la Constitucion this Monday, 5 July, following the murder of a 24-year-old man last weekend in A Coruna; a crime that, according to several witnesses, had homophobic motives. The square was covered with rainbow flags and the scene was far removed from the usual jovial atmosphere that normally marks LGTB rallies. A group of Malaga lesbian, gay, transsexual and bisexual associations, read a manifesto which read: Samuel was murdered in A Coruna, breaking the rights of freedom, equality and diversity inherent in every human being. During the Pride weekend celebrations, in cities like Madrid and Barcelona, there have also been attacks on people belonging to the LGTB communities," they said. The rally in Malaga was repeated in more than fifty Spanish cities, and social media networks were flooded with messages under the hashtag #JusticiaParaSamuel, given that the murder is being seen as a homophobic attack, although at this point it has not yet been confirmed by official sources. Thirteen people are currently being investigated by police in connection with the fatal beating. Samuel's murder in Galicia's A Coruna has come at a time when attacks on the LGTB community in Andalucia have increased by more than 20 per cent in the last year alone, as recently reported by SUR. The total number of incidents registered against the group in 2020 was 419, compared to 349 in 2019. Antonio Ferre, president of Andalucia Diversidad also revealed that he was worried that only six out of ten of these alleged attacks end up being reported to the police. Avner Shalev, the president of the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Centre, attended a special ceremony in Torremolinos on Monday evening to unveil a new monument in memory of victims of the Holocaust, also known as the Shoah. The monument, a six-armed menorah (Hebrew for candelabra) recalls the crimes that led to the annihilation of ethnic groups and, above all, the six million Jews murdered in the genocide during WWII. Shalev, an essential figure in the education and dissemination of the memory of the Holocaust, also donated 100 books to the Pablo Picasso Cultural Centre to be used for the education of future generations. Today is an important day in which a monument is inaugurated as a symbol of the six million Jewish victims of Nazism, he explained. Also present at the event was the towns mayor, Jose Ortiz; and Perla Hazan, a representative of Yad Vashem Spain, who said, It is a privilege to put for the first time in Andalucia, and specifically in Torremolinos, the symbol of the menorah. The five-metre-high monument was installed on a roundabout located in Calle Violeta Friedman; a street named after a survivor of Auschwitz who, through her fight for tolerance and remembrance, led Spain to reform its legal code, earning her a permanent place in history. Established in 1953 as the Jewish peoples living memorial to the Holocaust, Yad Vashem safeguards the memory of the past and imparts its meaning for future generations. The cumulative incidence rate among young people, aged between 15 and 29 years of age, in Andalucia stands at 503 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days this Tuesday (6 July), "a very high figure", in the words of the Junta's spokesman, Elias Bendodo. The regional government offical said that it worries the Junta as the population group, which has not yet been vaccinated, is the "weakest link" in the control of the virus. To underline the seriousness of the figure, Bendodo pointed out that the infection rate in those aged over 65 is just 41 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. For this reason, the Andalusian government spokesman has once again asked young people, without any intention of "criminalising" this group, to "exercise great caution and not to lower their guard". Bendodo said that the young must understand that they are not immune to the virus. He pointed out that during this fourth Covid wave, which began at the end of March, that despite having a lower health impact, has led to about 410 patients, aged between 20 and 29 years old, being admitted to Andalusian hospitals. "Young people are not stronger than the virus," said the spokesman who warned that "they will also end up in hospital if they are reckless." Bendodo also made a special appeal to town halls to ask that they redouble their efforts to stop botellon drinking parties, an activity that he reminded "is prohibited" and said it is the municipal authorities that must control them and for the Local Police to act. Bendodo has insisted that these illegal meetings to consume alcohol are a major source of infections at the moment. Just hours after experts from the Ministry of Health in Spain proposed the immediate closure of all nightlife venues, such as nightclubs and disco-bars, throughout Spain to try to contain a fifth wave of coronavirus infections, particularly among young people - the Ministry itself threw out the proposal. The warning report and response body, which belongs to the department headed by expert Fernando Simon, had sent a document to the Public Health Commission calling for the "urgent" closure of all nightclubs, regardless of the cumulative incidence rate of the area where they are located. The body also advocated restoring the curfew, a measure that would require the central government to approve a new state of alarm decree. The draft document, seen by El Mundo, was due to be discussed this Wednesday (7 July) by the Ministry of Health and the regions at the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System (CISNS). The document focused on measures to restrict the hospitality industry, and it also proposed "limiting night hours inside those establishments in which compliance with prevention measures cannot be guaranteed", such as bars or restaurants. The report also focused on "mass events" and called for their prohibition "if compliance with prevention measures cannot be guaranteed." The aftermath of the pandemic has left businesses across College Station in a rapid search for employees including restaurant owners, who seem to have been hit the hardest. Unlimited website access 24/7 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more! With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you already subscribe to our print edition, sign up for FREE access to our online edition. Thanks for reading The Henderson News. . MBABANE Eighteen alleged looters, who were arrested in Matsapha, have been languishing in jail for seven days now. They were reportedly not afforded an opportunity to apply for bail when they made their first court appearance at Sigodvweni Circuit Court last Tuesday. The accused persons have been jointly charged with housebreaking and theft and some moved an urgent bail application at the High Court. It is alleged that the accused, among other shops, entered Matsapha Need a Part where they allegedly looted. One of the accused persons, Siphiwo Mondlane, who is pregnant, was yesterday admitted to E500 bail by Judge Titus Mlangeni. This, after her lawyer Dumisani Hleta moved an urgent bail application. In her bail application, Mondlane informed the court that on June 29, 2021, while she was from Medicins San Frontieres Clinic in Matsapha Industrial Site to do her routine pre-natal check-up, along Mathangeni, she was arrested with 17 others who were unknown to her. I hasten to make mention that I was home- bound from the aforesaid clinic during the time of my arrest and I happened to stumble upon police officers who were conducting a seen on sight arrest exercise along the Mathangeni Police College Public Road, submitted Mondlane. The accused submitted that like a sheep to the slaughter, she also approached the police trap and was arrested in spite of the fact that she allegedly had no palpable goods in her possession. She averred that the only thing that was in her possession was her pre-natal medical card, which got lost when she was arrested. I humble submit that a plain-clothes police officer upon discovering that I had nothing in my possession ordered me to enter the looted Matsapha Home Collection Shop and steal an item so that he can charge me with housebreaking. I refused to take heed of the officers instruction and there and then two male co-accused were shot by the plain-clothes police officers, alleged Mondlane. Fear She told the court that in fear for her life, she had no alternative but to heed the police officers instruction and stole an item from Matsapha Home Collection Shop. The accused further informed the court that she and 15 of her co- accused were then loaded into a police van and transported to Sigodvweni Police Station, while the other two who were injured were taken to hospital. She alleged that at the Sigodvweni Police Station, she informed the arresting officer that she had lost her pre-natal medical card and he (police officer) drove her to Medicins Sans Frontieres to do another medical card. According Mondlane, like a duck to water, the police officer then locked her into a holding cell while awaiting her day in court. On June 30, 2021, the 16 of us appeared before a lady magistrate at Sigodvweni Circuit Court. When our matter was called we took the stand in a haphazard fashion, no charges were read to us, our rights were not explained to us and we were not given an opportunity to enter any plea as there was no charge. The magistrate only ordered us to come back for remand appearance on July 8, 2021. Another matter was called and we were instructed to leave the stand, submitted Mondlane. MBABANE The Asian business community has suffered a loss of about E800 million to E1 billion due to the looting and vandalism of their properties during the pro-democracy protests. The Asian businesspeople were running businesses such as grocery stores, clothing shops and car dealerships, and most of their businesses were vandalised and looted across the country. Some of the car dealerships that were affected include Logoba Motor Centre Swaziland, where 44 cars were burnt and the loss was said to be in excess of E3.5 million as spares and material was gutted by the fire. HB Motors at Sobhuza, just before Nazarene traffic lights, had 92 cars torched, resulting in losses estimated at over E10 million. A number of grocery shops that were located in towns and their outskirts were also torched after being looted. Those that were not burnt have been closed since. In a statement issued by the Asian business community, they are calling upon government to mitigate the financial loss. They said they wanted government to help them, both as investors and people who loved the country dearly. Violence They said they also wanted to add their voice to the calls for talks between government and those who were calling for change, so there could be an end to the violence and the people of Eswatini go back to enjoying what the country could offer. Over the last few days, we have witnessed unprecedented scenes of violence, hooliganism and looting, reads the statement. They said their shops had been emptied by violent protestors who went on a rampage to destroy and burn down some businesses. They said the businesses belonged to local and foreign investors, who had spent their hard-earned monies to run them and witnessing the looting and destruction was painful and difficult. They said many of them came to Eswatini to invest due to its beautiful climate and peaceful nature. We invested in this country and its people and became part of it, reads the statement. They also acknowledged that the protestors were fighting their political cause but the businesspeople, who provided jobs, helped to boost the economy and made contributions to the society, especially to the less privileged. In this way we can say that we understand fully the level of poverty in this country and share in any efforts to help improve the lives of the people of this country, reads the statement. The Asian businesspeople said this had to be done in respectful ways of the laws of the country, and where there were protests, be done in a peaceful manner. They said the people could not destroy an economy that had been built using the same money and taxes of the people. We cannot destroy the same economy that will help feed this country tomorrow, they added. MBABANE Members of the civil society and other stakeholders failed to meet with the SADC Troika fact-finding mission delegation which was in the country. As a result, the delegation of over 10 which was led by Chairperson of the Organ Troika, Botswanas Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Lemogang Kwape, left the country after only meeting government and a certain section of the church stakeholders. The meeting took place on Sunday at the Royal Villas. However, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Thuli Dladla, has refuted reports that government had not invited the civil society and other stakeholders, stating that it was all a breakdown in communication. Invited Dladla said the Troika team had arrived in the country immediately after government had invited them on Saturday and there was no time to prepare as the agenda was sent at 11pm. She revealed that when they asked the delegation for a list of the stakeholders they wanted to engage, some of the organisations were no longer in existence. She said these included the Chamber of Commerce and the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions. We asked where they had found these organisations from and it was revealed that they had been in their database, said Dladla. She admitted that they then made attempts to call other stakeholders after the meeting with government and one of these was the Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organisations (CANGO) and the Eswatini Conference of Churches. CANGO Director Emmanuel Ndlangamandla confirmed that he had received a call from a government representative on Sunday before 3pm and he rushed down to the Royal Villas. However, we found that the group was already in a meeting with the ECC, but we joined them as a meet and greet session, said Ndlangamandla. He said they were assured by the delegation that a new date would be set so that they would meet with all the stakeholders because they needed all sides of the story. Meanwhile, it was revealed that the Roman Catholic Church had asked the Anglican Church to represent it at the meeting. Call The Law Society of Eswatini also received a late call from government to attend the meeting. Dladla said they were in touch with the SADC team and through the assistance of CANGO, they were getting other stakeholders. The Troika group is still in meetings over the Mozambique issue, which is why they also left Eswatini early, according to Dladla. She said the affected parties would be informed as soon as the next meeting was arranged. PIGGS PEAK Matsamo Border was forced to temporarily close when protesters on the South African side (Jeppes Reef Border Post) blocked the road while picketing. The picketing was done in solidarity with local activists who have been calling for political reforms. Also among South African protesters were emaSwati based in South Africa (SA). It was gathered that some of the picketers were members of COSATU (Congress of South African Trade Unions), NEHAWU (National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union) SWAYOCO (Swaziland Youth Congress) and PUDEMO (Peoples United Democratic Movement). SWAYOCO and PUDEMO are proscribed entities in the Kingdom of Eswatini. A gate to SA was quickly shut by South African authorities to prevent protesters from walking into Eswatini. The Matsamo Border Gate is one of the busiest exit points in northern Hhohho leading into South Africa (SA). Travellers, including business operators who buy items in that country, rely on this border gate. Operations However, yesterday, operations were grounded when the protesters, who were on the South African side, picketed and blocked the free flow of traffic. Some of the picketers were wearing on Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) attire. EFF is a South African political party. A crowd of protesters chanted political songs as they prevented vehicles from proceeding to SA. The protesters also demanded that no vehicle from Eswatini should be allowed to enter SA. Other than the border gate, Matsamo also has shops as well as a filling station which services the surrounding areas. Some of the shop owners, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were warned on Sunday not to open their shops as South African protesters would enter the country. They said the protesters said they would do so by 9am yesterday. Just as they had promised, protesters began to gather on the South African side by around 9am. This forced officials on the Eswatini side to close the border as well. Public transport operators were warned against transporting people to the border as some South Africans may force their way into the country. Police officers as well as soldiers from the nearby army base arrived to monitor the situation after fears that some of the South Africans were attempting to enter the country by force. However, this did not happen as officials from SA also ensured that the border gate on their side remained closed. During the protest, one of the marchers spoke using the aid of a megaphone, declaring support for Eswatini activists for the call for a multi-party democracy. Mlandvo Dlamini, who is the Communications Officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs, confirmed that the border was temporarily closed. He said this was due to the picketing which was taking place on the South African side. He said the border reopened as soon as the picketing ended. Dlamini said the borders operations were back to normal. We have reached a critical juncture in the life of emaSwati where the decision making has once again been put to the test by a section of our society that reared a side of it that we never wish to see again. Finger-pointing, blame game and conspiracy theories may abound, but with or without foreign involvement, the biggest concern to our lives right now should be the fact that we have emaSwati who were agitated enough to allow it to happen. We have always been made to believe that we are capable of addressing our challenges the SiSwati way, but it is inescapable that we have a government that has inadvertently taught its people that it listens best through foreign influence. The most recent example is the removal of the soldiers at the quarry mine shortly after the American government threatened to remove the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) privileges (see page 14). When emaSwati requested this months ago, these calls fell on deaf ears.Ironically, it is foreign involvement that is being sought from SADC Troika to help the country resolve the current impasse. It comes at a precarious moment in our lives when trust in government is as good as dead. That people were misled about the internet outage simply put the nail in the coffin. Lives have been lost and no one can be blamed for not believing government figures of 27 deaths while other sources place the numbers above 40. It comes as no surprise,also, that civic groups are questioning the sincerity of the SADC Troika process. Their call for genuine dialogue has been met, at best, with the Acting Prime Minister, Themba Masuku, yesterday giving assurances that the SADC fact-finding mission would continue in due course. He has pleaded with the nation to stay calm and patient while the process is ongoing. If there is one thing the country does not have, it is time. Neither do we have patience for any more bad decision making. We are all keenly awaiting decisive action that will demonstrate important lessons learnt from this ordeal. Lives have been lost, billions worth of infrastructure has been destroyed and looted, while more than 5 000 jobs have been lost in just under a week, coming shortly after the jobs bloodbath impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people are now being arraigned before the courts to face the music. It is high time bad decision making also faced similar consequences. If it did, this episode would probably never have etched itself in the annals of our history. The Passport Index, the first real time interactive resource for individuals and government agencies on global mobility, has announced the Q3 2021 passport power rankings, with the US one of the biggest gainers and Germany and New Zealand topping the list. Overall, the increase in global mobility was up by 6.5 per cent, at the time of writing. A previous, pre-Covid holder of the number one passport ranking, the UAE moves up from 14, at the end of 2020, into joint third place the highest-ranking country of any Arab and Mena nation and the only one in the global top 10. The Passport Indexs Mobility Score (MS) is based on adding two key figures the number of countries for which a passport has visa-free entry (VF) and the number it can obtain a visa on arrival (VOA). These totals determine the passport rank, with New Zealand (92-VF/44-VOA) ranked top, going into Q3, with a score of 136. At the time of writing, the UAE passport currently has access to 86 countries, visa free, and 48 countries with visas obtainable on arrival, for a MS score of 134. Over H1 2021, the top performing passports on the index often show a correlation between a commitment by governments to openness or swift diplomacy between nations, as well as those who are better managing the global Covid crisis, within their borders. These include the UAE (+11), Israel (+13), and the US (+16). It is safe to say that the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic is behind us, as we see more and more countries safely opening up their borders, says Armand Arton, Founder and President of Arton Capital, and the creator of The Passport Index. Innovations are often born in times of crisis and we are starting to see this happening in the travel industry as well with the future of travel looking a lot different than before the pandemic, added Arton. According to The Passport Indexs proprietary World Openness Score tool, which offers both a real time and periodic barometer of global mobility, the trends at the end of H1 2021 show that while some nations such as the US (+16 places) continue to rebound, a number are still in the throes of combating Covid-19 and remain stagnant in the rankings, with government health and travel restrictions accounting for much of the lack of movement. The trends seem to suggest that as we are only approaching pre-Covid levels of openness and global mobility, the biggest gainers in 2021, so far, are those countries who have managed the pandemic most effectively and are nearing a sense of normality after all countries mobility scores fell heavily at the height of the Covid pandemic. Commenting on the platforms and the mobile apps key offerings, Vice-president of Marketing, Arton Capital, Hrant Boghossian, said: The Passport Index reinvented the way we look at passports with the worlds first interactive, real-time barometer on the state of global mobility. The Passport Index is more than just a simple ranking tool; unlike other indicators on global mobility, the Passport Indexs data engine can reflect the temporary and often disruptive geo-political or pandemic-related travel restrictions in real time. In addition, the indexs ability to offer insights across a number of socio-political influencers means that many foreign ministries around the world are already using the platform to analyse and compare their policies with others, added Boghossian. REGIONAL OVERVIEW In the GCC, only the UAE saw a significant uptick in H1 2021, gaining eight places to fifth position. Other GCC nations remain in roughly similar positions in the rankings over this period: Bahrain (-5/45), Kuwait (-7/42), Oman (-4/49), Qatar (-6/40), and Saudi Arabia (-5/50). One Middle East country saw a more significant rise in the rankings than others, in H1 2021, with the determining factors unusually being more political than health-related; and that was Israel. With many Arab countries following suit, in the aftermath of the UAE-Israel Abrahamic Accords Peace Agreement, Israeli citizens and investors have now gained access to many other Arab countries, over this period. Partly as a consequence of this historic agreement, the Israeli passport jumped 13 places to a global ranking of 13th. Europe: Outside of the EU, the biggest moves in passport power were seen for Serbia (+12/24th), North Macedonia (+13/29th), and Albania (+12/32nd). On the other hand, the two major industrialised nations, outside of the EU the UK and Norway both dropped to fifth (-1) and sixth (-3) place, respectively. Within the EU, despite the recent introductions of vaccine passports, movement in passport strength has largely been static, with most changes if any moving only by a single ranking position in either direction. That said, many EU immigration policies are unified as a bloc, so these countries will tend to move in a similar direction, as a whole; in addition to the fact that European passports are already some of the strongest for global mobility and currently dominate the top 10 list. The most improved EU passports were the Czech Republic (+2/4th), Malta (+2/5th), and Slovakia (+2/5th). The Americas: Unsurprisingly, following the ramp up of its vaccination programme during this period, the US has seen some of the biggest gains on the index (+16 places), over H1 2021. This has resulted in the worlds number one economy bouncing back from 19th place, in December 2020, to third, just after the midway point of this year. Canada (8) and Mexico (20) also gained ten and six places, respectively, with South Americas biggest gain coming from Colombia up seven places to 33. Africa: Having been affected much later than the rest of the world by the global pandemic, it was anticipated that the continent of Africa would continue to battle the impact of Covid restrictions, in 2021, and this has proved true, with very few positive changes over the last six months. In fact, only eight out of Africas 54 countries showed any positive gains, with 20 dropping down the rankings, during this time. The biggest gains seen in this region were not on the continental landmass, but actually came from offshore in Mauritius (+6/26th) and the Seychelles (+9/21st). Asia: As one approaches the opening of the summer Olympics, in Japan, reports suggest that a while a low number of Japanese nationals have received the Covid vaccine, Japans passport still remain one of the worlds strongest ranked travel documents in third place (at time of writing) and up four places from 6th, at the beginning of H1 2021, with a mobility score (MS) of 135. China, the worlds second largest economy, saw a far more modest gain over the first half of the year, moving up two places to 50, with the Kingdom of Brunei seeing the Asian regions biggest positive upswing, with an eight-place gain, at 19. EURO DOMINANCE IN TOP 10 Due to joint placements in the rankings, a total of 40 passports feature in The Passport Indexs global top 10 list; however only eight from that 40 were not in Europe (including UK), with the UAE the only Mena representative. Other than the UAE (3), they are: Australia (2), Canada (8), Japan (3), New Zealand (1), Singapore (6), South Korea (3), and the US (3). Top 10 passports WOS changes and MS scores (199 countries/territories) All rankings and MS scores are correct as of the time of writing (6th July 2021) 1st: New Zealand (+2) Total MS: 136 Joint 2nd: Germany (-1), Spain (=2), Australia (+5). Total MS: 135 Joint 3rd: Finland (-1), Austria (+1), Italy (+1), Switzerland (+1), Rep. of Ireland (+1), Japan (+3), South Korea (+2), USA (+16), UAE (+11). Total MS: 134 Joint 4th: Sweden (-2), Netherlands (=4), Denmark (-1), Belgium (+1), France (=4), Portugal (=4), Luxembourg (=4), Czech Republic (+2), Hungary (+1). Total MS: 133 Joint 5th: Malta (+2), Slovenia (+1), Greece (-1), Poland (=5), Slovakia (+2), UK (-1). Total MS: 132 Joint 6th: Singapore (+7), Norway (-3), Lithuania (-1). Total MS: 131 Joint 7th: Estonia (-1), Latvia (-1). Total MS: 130 Joint 8th. Iceland (-2), Canada (+10). Total MS: 129 Joint 9th: Cyprus (-1), Croatia (=9), Liechtenstein (-1), Romania (=9). Total MS 128 10th: Bulgaria (=10). Total MS: 127 10 weakest passports WOS changes and MS scores * All rankings and MS scores are correct as of the time of writing (6th July 2021) Joint 74th: Bangladesh (-3), South Sudan (-4), Libya (-3), Dem. Rep. Congo (-5), Sudan (-4), North Korea (-3) Total MS: 42 Joint 75th: Ethiopia (-3), Nepal (-3), Sri Lanka (-5), Rep. of Congo (-6). Total MS: 41 76th: Eritrea (-3). Total MS: 39 77th: Palestinian Territories (-3), Myanmar (-4). Total MS: 38 78th: Iran (-4). Total MS: 36 Joint 79th. Yemen (-4), Pakistan (-5). Total MS: 35 80th: Somalia (-4). Total MS: 34 81st: Syria (-5). Total MS: 32 82nd: Iraq (-5). Total MS: 31 83rd: Afghanistan (-6). Total MS: 30 -- TradeArabia News Service World Future Energy Summit, a leading business event for clean energy and sustainability, will be back next year as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, from January 17 to 19. Hosted by Masdar as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the event provides the perfect platform to showcase clean energy and sustainable projects, initiatives and developments for the Middle East. The UAE's Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure along with Beeah and EDF Renewables have signd up for the event. By bringing together the worlds most innovative technology leaders with the most powerful investors and deal makers from the Middle East and Africa at Abu Dhabis National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), the summit is an ideal and timely launchpad to accelerate sustainable development. It is also the first opportunity since the 2020 event for the clean energy and sustainability community to meet in person to do business, network and share knowledge. In the previous edition, the World Future Energy Summit hosted 34,000 attendees from 125 countries including 10 heads of state and featured an incredible 840 exhibiting companies and brands. In 2022, World Future Energy Summit will host exhibitions and forums across clean energy and sustainability: Energy, Water, Solar, EcoWASTE, Smart Cities and Climate & Environment. It will also host Climate Innovations Exchange (CLIX) which connects global start-ups to investors, and a dedicated Sustainability Business Connect programme to help connect exhibitors to qualified buyers from the Middle East and North Africa looking for technology and services for their projects. "The UAE has set itself some seriously ambitious medium- and long-term environmental targets and put in motion a strategic plan which will facilitate clean power generation and increased energy efficiency while catering for our fast economic growth," stated Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei, the UAEs Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. "Despite the challenges, we are already making significant progress as we work to achieve the goals set forth in the UAE National Energy Strategy 2050. The enormous investments we are now witnessing in clean energy, energy efficiency, carbon reduction and sustainable, secure water supplies provide a clear path for the UAEs future development as a global force for driving sustainability," he added. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), by the year 2050, sustainably produced electricity will have become the worlds most important energy carrier. Electricitys share of final energy use is forecast to increase from 21% today to 60% in 2050, a three-fold rise achievable through significant efforts to electrify our economies. Current government plans call for $98 trillion of energy system investment in the coming three decades, yet Irenas 1.5oC scenario requires an additional $33 trillion related to energy transition over the planned investments and a significant redirection of money from fossil fuels into green assets.1 Beeah, headquartered in Sharjah, is the Middle Easts sustainability pioneer and has more than 10,000 employees across its operations in UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The groups CEO, Khaled Al Huraimel, said: "World Future Energy Summit is a perfect fit for us, particularly as we continue to explore waste-to-energy and waste-to-hydrogen solutions that not only contribute to the UAEs ambitions for clean energy but also allow us to innovatively turn waste into a valuable resource." "Our Sharjah Waste-to-Energy facility, and various other upcoming projects will contribute to the energy transition and carbon neutrality in the UAE," he stated. "Through these exciting energy solutions we are promoting a circular economy and we are very much looking forward to exchanging insights around opportunities in this sector with summit delegates," he added. Laurent Clement, CEO and Managing Director of EDF Middle East, said: "We have been developing clean energy projects In the Middle East for over 25 years, actively strengthening our leading ambition." "Building a net zero energy future with electricity and innovative solutions and services is EDFs purpose, its raison detre. It is a privilege for us to bring our vast experience and technologies to this world leading event in the UAEs capital. Science, engineering and innovation are what will tackle climate change across the planet and will drive well-being and economic development," he noted. "In a leading position in this industry, we are excited to share our knowledge and expertise with like-minded companies and government entities at World Future Energy Summit 2022," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Newly crowned Miss Arkansas, Whitney Williams, stands in front of the crowd at the Robinson Center Auditorium in Little Rock as she is congratulated on her win. Williams claimed the crown over 50 other competitors, the largest Miss Arkansas contestant field the organization had seen. Moscow, Jul 6 (UNI/Sputnik) The flight recorder of the Philippine Air Force C-130 plane that crashed while landing two days ago in the Sulu province of the Philippines has been found and is being studied by experts, army chief of general staff Gen Cirilito Sobejana said Tuesday. The aircraft crashed down on Jolo Island on Sunday after missing the runway. The crash claimed lives of 49 soldiers and three civilians, Sobejana stated. "Right now, it's [the black box] with the investigators and they're looking into what the last conversation was between the pilot and crew," Sobejana said, as quoted by ABS-CBN News, adding that "It's the prerogative of Congress and anybody who wanted to investigate the incident are welcome to do so." The military official said he ordered his subordinates to probe all the military aircraft over their flight safety record. Some soldiers on board the doomed flight were reported to have jumped off the plane while others died inside. The plane crashed into residential buildings resulting in deaths and injuries among civilians. UNI/SPUTNIK GNK 1714 Moscow, Jul 6 (UNI/SPUTNIK) Israel has signed a deal with South Korea to ship 700,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine that are soon to expire to get the same amount of shots back later in the fall, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Tuesday. "According to the agreement, Israel will immediately transfer approximately 700,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to South Korea for the vaccination of its citizens by the end of July. In exchange, South Korea will return the same quantity of vaccines to Israel from a future order in September-October 2021," the statement read. Noting that the vaccine swap agreement is the first of its kind, the Israeli prime minister called it a "win-win deal." Over 15.3 million people have already received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in South Korea and over 5 million two doses, however, this number mostly comprises medical personnel, the elder generation, soldiers, teachers and diplomats. Vaccinations for residents aged 20-50 are yet to begin. By September, the country aims to vaccinate 36 million of its 52 million population and achieve herd immunity by November. South Korea authorized the use of Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Janssen vaccines for people over 18. UNI/SPUTNIK RKM 1255 New Delhi, Jul 6 (UNI) Stage appears to be set for the expansion and reshuffle of the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with names of leaders like Sarbananda Sonowal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Varun Gandhi are doing around as possible inductees. Although, the speculation has been there for last two days, it got some credence following appointment and rejig of Governors announced on Tuesday. In todays announcement, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot was moved out of the Cabinet and appointed as the Governor of Karnataka. At present, many Union Ministers like Railway and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar and Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri have additional responsibilities of other Ministries too. Former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who agreed to give up the Chief Minister's post in Assam for Himanta Biswa Sarma after the BJP's re-election in the state while it was well speculated that Jyotiraditya Scindia will be inducted to the Cabinet from the day he joined BJP. He was also Union Minister of States in the Manmohan Singh led UPA Governmnet. At present, there are 21 Cabinet ministers, nine MoS (minister of state) with independent charge, and 29 ministers of state besides PM Modi. It is believed that the BJP's allies like JD(U) and Apna Dal can also get representation in the forthcoming reshuffle and it is expected that two are from Janata Dal (United), one from Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) of Pashupati Kumar Paras group may find berth in the expansion. In view of impending Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh, names of Varun Gandhi, Rita Bahuguna Joshi are being speculated for the cabinet birth. Former Bihar Deputy CM and now Rajya Sabha Member Sushil Modi is also seen as strong contenders while Maharashtra BJP leader Narayan Rane is also expected to be inducted into the Union Cabinet. Apart from these, Member of Parliament from Ladakh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Locket Chatterjee from West Bengal, Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghoshs names are doing rounds for the possible induction in the Union Cabinet. UNI AKS SHK2018 UW in the News State, national and international media frequently feature the University of Wyoming and members of its community in stories. Here is a summary of some of the recent coverage: A climate assessment report on the greater Yellowstone ecosystem continues to be in the news. PBS NewsHour and Mother Jones published a Yale Environment 360 article on how climate change is altering the nations first national parks ecosystem. Bryan Shuman, a UW Wyoming Excellence Chair in Geology and Geophysics, is among authors of the new report. The Pinedale Roundup published a similar story. The National Science Foundation (NSF) reported that NSF-funded researchers at UW and the University of Montana analyzed a unique network of fire-history records to understand how 21st century fire activity compares to wildfires in the past. Shuman was the main co-author of a paper, titled Rocky Mountain subalpine forests now burning more than any time in recent millennia, which was published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A guest essay in The New York Times cited a study of vaccine hesitancy in Wyoming by UW economists. UW faculty members Renee Laegreid, Christine Porter and Linda Thunstrom also commented in the opinion piece, titled How Do You Convince Tough-Minded People to Protect One Another? The Arizona Republic interviewed John Koprowski, dean of UWs Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, on the changes an ecosystem goes through after a fire that can be especially threatening to species, such as the Chiricahua fox squirrel, that can only survive in certain landscapes. Koprowski is an expert on squirrels. UW researchers were awarded a $240,000 U.S. Department of Energy grant for the study of dark matter and the expansion of the universe. UW scientists will use the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument to measure the effect of dark energy on the expansion of the universe, according to Energy.Gov and ExecutiveGov. The Rocket Miner published UWs announcement noting that Adam Myers, an associate professor in the UW Department of Physics and Astronomy, will lead the study. Coal Age reported that the Wyoming Innovation Center in Gillette will feature two buildings and seven demonstration sites for pilot plants, private companies and researchers to advance coal-to-product and rare earth element processes. Once projects are operational, UW will use the site to train technicians for jobs in advanced carbon processes. Wyoming Public Media reported that five UW Grand Challenges Initiative Planning projects aimed at providing multidimensional benefits to the university and the state are moving forward with funding from a new program in UWs Office of Research and Economic Development. Scott Henkel, a UW Wyoming Excellence Chair in the Humanities, spoke with Bob Beck, Wyoming Public Radio news director, on the podcast Open Spaces. He discussed the Grand Challenges Initiative and his particular project, the Democracy Laboratory. KGAB Radio published UWs release on the five projects. UW will launch a new masters degree program this fall focused on environment, natural resources and society. The Casper Star-Tribune reported that the new program, based in the universitys Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, will allow students to enroll in one of three tracks depending on their career aspirations and research interests. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle, KGAB Radio, Sheridan Media and WyoToday.com published UWs release. Justice Kate Fox, who received her undergraduate and law degrees from UW, has been named chief justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court, according to the Associated Press and The Rocket Miner. The Powell Tribune reported that UW and the state are working together to help locate areas throughout the state with no or poor internet service as part of a Wyoming Broadband Task Force project. The Sheridan Press noted that UWs Trustees Education Initiative was among sponsors of a technology-based program that introduced Wyoming Girls School students to drones. Wyoming News Now reported that the Wyoming State Library recently digitized five titles of German POW camp newspapers from the Douglas and Cheyenne World War II camps. The newspaper project is a partnership between UW Libraries and the state library. Oil City News noted that Amanda DeDiego, an assistant professor of counseling at UW-Casper, participated in a panel discussion that covered womens safety, equality and empowerment issues last month in Casper. The Photos of J.K. Moore, a traveling exhibition organized by UWs American Heritage Center, will be on display at Fort Caspar through Sept. 12, according to Oil City News. The exhibition depicts life on the Wind River Indian Reservation from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Wyoming Livestock Roundup featured some current projects and new programs that the UW College of Agriculture and Natural Resources will use to continue its support of Wyoming agriculture and rural communities. The Rocket Miner published UWs release announcing that Anas Alrejjal, an engineering doctoral candidate from Amman, Jordan, received an award for his work in transportation research. He was named the Institute of Transportation Engineers Colorado/Wyoming Section student of the year. Nominations are now being accepted for the Wyoming Business Hall of Fame Award, reported Wyoming News Now and The Sheridan Press. The program is a joint venture among UWs College of Business, the Daniels Fund, the Wyoming Business Council and the Wyoming Business Alliance/Wyoming Heritage Foundation. Sheridan Media reported that UW Extension will present a two-day symposium on growing grapes in Wyoming. The event will take place in Sheridan next month. The Rocket Miner and The Powell Tribune noted that former UW track and field student-athlete Mason Finley is heading to the Tokyo Summer Olympics this month after recently winning the mens discus at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. MEGHAN FORTUNATO is a News Reporter for The Vidette. She can be contacted at mefortu@ilstu.edu. Follow her on Twitter at | @Meghanfortunato IF YOU SUPPORT THE VIDETTE MISSION of providing a training laboratory for Illinois State University student journalists to learn and sharpen viable, valuable and marketable skills in all phases of print and digital media, please contribute to this most important cause. Thank you. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Government Urges Caution as Pandemic Evolves - Fair and Saturday Night Live Cancelled Government has today issued a statement stating that in view of the developing COVID-19 pandemic, it has decided to adopt a cautious and prudent approach towards open events which involve a large number of people in close proximity to each other. "The number of cases in Gibraltar is starting to creep up slowly and we now have our first hospitalised patient in months." continues the statement. "It is also apparent that the dynamic of people who are becoming infected is different. This is happening in many parts of Europe including in the United Kingdom and in Spain. There are a number of reasons for this including the fact that many young people have not been vaccinated and that they are gathering in events that appeal to their age group. The vaccination of persons under 16 has not yet undergone the full process of approval in the United Kingdom, even though it is relevant to note that vaccines have already been approved for use in children aged 12 and over in the United States." The Government has also said it believes that it is important to act responsibly at this juncture in the pandemic in relation to certain events and additionally to keep others under close review. Therefore, following a discussion with the SDGG, it has been agreed, "with considerable sadness", that the fair this year will not go ahead and neither will the Saturday Night Live event. "These are both open events which appeal to a young unvaccinated cohort and which visitors from outside Gibraltar can also freely attend. The traditional National Day concert will be recorded and televised in the same way as last year." The Government says it has waited to establish the progress of the vaccination regime for persons between the age of 12 and 16 before coming to a final, painful decision on this matter. A distinction is being made for the moment between such larger activities and smaller, ticketed events, where entry is controlled and only those who have been vaccinated or who test negative on the day can attend. However, Gove have confirmed that even this second category will be kept under ongoing review as the pandemic continues to progress. The advice to the Government is to act now or to face a continuing increase in the number of positive cases which, it has been estimated, could hit 70 active cases per week shortly. "It is also important not to be oblivious to the impact of new variants like the Delta B which was originally identified in Nepal." "It is obvious from the data coming in from all over Europe that the new Delta variant is spreading everywhere like wildfire. There are people who have had COVID-19 before who are becoming infected again, and this is happening even to those who have been double-vaccinated. It is also clear that vaccinated people are better protected against the virus and this can be seen in the low number of hospital admissions, only one in Gibraltar in the last few months, since the vaccines started to provide a shield which reduces the impact of COVID-19." The Government says it reminds those travelling abroad to take sensible precautions when they are outside Gibraltar. Travellers should also familiarise themselves with the law and with the rules at their point of destination as well as during their journey. Those flying to the United Kingdom should be aware of the changes that will take effect in England as from 19 July. It is important also to remember that different rules may apply in England to those in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. There is a surge in the number of cases both in the United Kingdom and in Spain. Yesterday, Andalucia reported 2142 cases over two days, with Malaga alone accounting for about half of these. There are 1145 active cases in the province of Cadiz next door, with Algeciras reporting 87 active cases and La Linea 28. There are 42 active cases in Tarifa which attracts young people from all over Europe to its watersports and beaches, 89 in Chiclana and 150 in Conil. "Gibraltar remains a safe place by international standards, given our world-class testing programme and our effective vaccination regime. However, it is important to keep it that way and to err on the side of caution when it comes to staging large open public events." WCO Members of the Virtual Working Group (VWG) on Gender Equality & Diversity (GED) gathered through an online meeting on the 1st of July to discuss monitoring and evaluation of gender responsive and inclusive policies and practices. The meeting provided an opportunity for representatives from 20 Customs administrations (Argentina, Brazil, European Union, Guatemala, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya ROCB, Liberia, Maldives, Morocco, New Zeeland, Peru, Thailand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda and USA) to discuss how to effectively monitor gender equality and diversity initiatives within Customs. A presentation was shared on how to set up a monitoring and evaluation framework, linking it to the process of implementing gender mainstreaming. The benefits of using the WCO Gender Equality Organizational Assessment Tool (GEOAT) as a monitoring tool to assess the current state of play of the implementation of GED initiatives was addressed, while also recognizing its limitations in assessing the achievements of these initiatives. Participants were also provided an introduction to the key elements of conducting a gender analysis, as a first step of implementing gender mainstreaming. An update on the ongoing work with the development of the WCO Performance Measurement Mechanism was also provided and the potential contribution of the VWG to reflect the aspect of gender and diversity. Four Customs administrations (Iceland, Indonesia, Israel and USA) shared practices on how their respective administrations are monitoring and evaluating gender equality and diversity initiatives against established objectives, action plans or strategies. The examples covered for instance topics such as achievements of reaching increased gender balance or diversity in the workforce or in executive management position, monitoring the access to career development opportunities or trainings to ensure equal opportunities, and the achievements of work life balance initiatives or consideration of specific needs for employees and stakeholders with disabilities. For more information, please, contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org 'Rise and Shine' Visits Dolly McNutt Neighborhood By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - Paducah's Southside Rise and Shine neighborhood spruce-up event will spotlight the Dolly McNutt neighborhood this week.Tuesday through Sunday, the Public Works Department will place yellow garbage rollouts and dumpsters around the neighborhood for disposal of litter and garbage.Dumpster locations are on Bridge Court at the end of the cul-de-sac at Dolly McNutt Apartments, and on Parker Street between Bethel Street and Abell Drive.Bulky items, including tires and appliances, can be placed in front of a home next to the street for free collection.Tires taken to dumpsters should be kept separate from other items and placed beside the dumpsters, not in them.A neighborhood ice cream social will be held Sunday from 1-4 pm at Bob's Drive-in, 2429 Bridge Street. Neighbors can get to know each other, enjoy some ice cream, and discuss their beautification projects.Click the link below to see the neighborhood schedule and other information, including celebration sites and dumpster locations. There is a link to a neighborhood map searchable by address for anyone uncertain of their neighborhood's name.On the Net: Drug Charges For TN Woman in Hazel By West Kentucky Star Staff HAZEL - A Tennessee woman was arrested on drug charges after a traffic stop in Hazel on Friday.A Calloway County Sheriff's Deputy pulled over 34-year-old Michelle L. Schaefer of Sharon, Tennessee. Schafer was arrested after the deputy allegedly found a syringe containing methamphetamine.Schaefer was taken to Calloway County Jail and faces charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and various traffic offenses. Man Sought After Two Shot, Killed in Cadiz By West Kentucky Star Staff CADIZ - The cause of death has been released for two Trigg County shooting victims.Kentucky State Police went to a home in the area of Cerulean Road in Cadiz on Saturday morning, after someone reported finding two bodies.On Sunday, the names of the victims were released. Trigg County Coroner John Mark Vinson told WKDZ they were identified as 75-year-old Mildred Sue Farris and 28-year-old Matthew Blakely.On Monday, police detectives said both people died of gunshot wounds.Detectives have been searching for 29-year-old Landon W. Stinson, of Cadiz, since Saturday morning. He is wanted for questioning in reference to the shooting incident.If anyone knows the whereabouts of Stinson, they should contact Kentucky State Police, Post 1 at 270-856-3721. New Concord Man Arrested after Calloway Pursuit By West Kentucky Star Staff CALLOWAY COUNTY - A New Concord man was arrested Monday night after a short pursuit in Calloway County.The Calloway County Sheriff's Office says a deputy pulled over a vehicle with no headlights/taillights on Kline Trail at around 10 p.m. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as 43-year-old James Swindle of New Concord, attempted to flee.Following a brief pursuit, Swindle's vehicle ran off the road into a field. He then fled on foot and was apprehended by pursuing deputies. Deputies said Swindle resisted arrest and assaulted one of them. They also reportedly found suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in Swindle's vehicle.Deputies arrested Swindle and charged him with first and second-degree fleeing or evading police, third-degree assault of a peace officer, first-degree resisting arrest, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and various traffic related offenses.After his arrest, deputies learned Swindle had a warrant for his arrest out of Christian County for a probation violation.Swindle was booked into the Calloway County Jail. Tiline Teen Arrested, Juvenile Found By West Kentucky Star Staff LIVINGSTON COUNTY - A teen from Tiline was arrested on drug charges, and a missing juvenile was found Sunday.The Livingston County Sheriff's Department said a deputy pulled over a pickup truck on US Highway 60 for a traffic violation, which led to the discovery of marijuana and methamphetamine. The driver, 18-year-old Logan Griffin, was arrested and taken to McCracken County Jail.Deputies said a juvenile passenger in the truck had been reported missing several weeks ago. He was taken to the McCracken County Juvenile Detention Center.Griffin faces charges of DUI first offense, driving without a license, possession of a controlled substance (meth), trafficking in marijuana, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, and unlawful transaction with a minor. Wanted Henderson Woman Arrested in Calvert City By West Kentucky Star Staff CALVERT CITY - A wanted Henderson woman was arrested in Calvert City Thursday according to the Calvert City Police Department.The Calvert City Police Department says they arrested 32-year-old Courtney Nichole Page Thursday for failure to appear warrant out of Henderson County.They say she was also charged with operating on a suspended or revoked operators license. Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-05 13:26:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close An empty street is seen in Sydney, Australia, on July 5, 2021. Authorities of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) said compliance is key to a smooth exit from the two-week lockdown, as 35 locally acquired COVID-19 cases were reported on Monday. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua) SYDNEY, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Authorities of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) said compliance is key to a smooth exit from the two-week lockdown, as 35 locally acquired COVID-19 cases were reported on Monday. Of these local cases recorded in the past 24 hours as of 8:00 p.m. local time Sunday night, 33 were linked to previously confirmed cases or clusters, among which 20 were household contacts, and the source of infection for two cases remained under investigation. Two new overseas-acquired cases were recorded in the same period. NSW Health said among the 35 cases, 24 were in isolation throughout their infectious periods and four cases were in isolation for part of their infectious period. Seven cases were infectious in the community. The state government thanked the majority of people for following the imposed restrictions but also cited that a small number of people breaking the rules will result in more cases. "I can say that the lockdown certainly has been effective in not doubling and tripling the figures that we were worried about, it's given our contact tracers the ability to maintain control over the virus," said NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. "Unfortunately, having a party when you're not supposed to have a party is not doing the right thing ... Some of the cases today are the result of incidents where people have done the wrong thing." NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said over the past 24 hours, 125 infringement notices were issued to people in violation of the health orders. "Some of those were for people in shopping centers ... People should be particularly concerned about wearing a mask and there were many people who chose not to do that, and they were reported and infringed by police," he said. NSW's Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant refrained from comment on the potential of the lockdown being extended. "Every day brings a new set of data and a new set of challenges and what we think in the morning can change in the afternoon," Chant said. "What is most important at the moment is for the community to continue to follow the public health advice, continue to wear masks in indoor environments, and continue to come out in testing in the large numbers they have." Altogether 58,373 tests were conducted in the state in the past 24 hours. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-05 22:29:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A firefighter is seen at a blast site in a chemical factory in Samut Prakan, Thailand, July 5, 2021. An explosion and the ensuing fire killed one people and injured about 30 others in a chemical factory near the Thai capital Bangkok on Monday. The explosion rocked the plastic foam-producing factory at around 3:00 a.m. local time in Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan province and caused a massive fire, local media reported. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak) BANGKOK, July 5 (Xinhua) -- An explosion and the ensuing fire killed one people and injured about 30 others in a chemical factory near the Thai capital Bangkok on Monday. The explosion rocked the plastic foam-producing factory at around 3:00 a.m. local time in Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan province and caused a massive fire, local media reported. The fire has not been put out so far, and the cause of the explosion remains unknown. The blast reportedly happened in the factory of Ming Dih Chemical, a company established in Thailand by business people from China's Taiwan in 1989, and caused damages to 10 factories and the residential area nearby. A 19-year-old firefighter was killed at the scene and three others were seriously injured, the local police said. About 30 people were injured in the accident, including at least one Chinese employee, confirmed an official from the Chinese embassy. At about 3:00 p.m. local time, a chemical tank at the factory exploded as firefighters were trying to extinguish the blaze, the police said. It is suspected that the accident was triggered by flammable chemical substances styrene monomer stored in the factory. Due to toxic smoke still emerging out of the plant and strong winds, the evacuation radius has been expanded from 5km to 10km later Monday, a senior official of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said. Many residents have been brought to safety and provided with temporary shelters in the eastern district, chief Bang Phli district officer Somsak Kaeosena said. The Ministry of Public Health said that officials have gone to the shelters to conduct health screens on local residents, as the chemical released by the fire could affect the respiratory system. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 00:58:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan (1st L) unveils project plates during a groundbreaking ceremony of several projects in Gwadar, Pakistan, on July 5, 2021. Imran Khan said Monday that his country can benefit from Chinese expertise for development and economic stability as China has achieved rapid development and is getting stronger with each passing day. (Pakistani Press Information Department/Handout via Xinhua) ISLAMABAD, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said Monday that his country can benefit from Chinese expertise for development and economic stability as China has achieved rapid development and is getting stronger with each passing day. Taking benefit of the country's strategic location and deep-rooted friendship with China, Pakistan can materialize the dream of economic prosperity and development, the prime minister said while addressing a groundbreaking ceremony of several projects at the country's southwest Gwadar port, including the start of the construction of the Gwadar north free zone, a chemical fertilizer factory, an expo building, an animal vaccination factory and a lubricant factory. A tropical plant tissue culture center at the Gwadar port was officially put into use during the ceremony which was also attended by Chairman of Pakistan's Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, Pakistani federal ministers, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong, and ambassadors and senior diplomats from several other countries. Thanking the Chinese government for initiating various development projects in southwest Balochistan province, especially at the Gwadar port, Khan said that the port is becoming a focal point of development for Pakistan and the region at large. He said the completion of infrastructure projects in Gwadar would give impetus to regional trade and boost economic activity. "Gwadar will connect with Central Asia...We have already signed agreements with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan." To facilitate foreign investors, particularly Chinese investors, the government of Pakistan is going to initiate one-window operation facility in Gwadar to boost foreign direct investment and exports, the prime minister said. "We are encouraging Chinese investors who are investing in manufacturing of products which can be exported and help Pakistan to earn valuable foreign exchange," Khan said. He also stressed on the early implementation of projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) of which the Gwadar port is an important part, and asked the departments involved to remove hurdles in businesses related to CPEC. On the occasion, Chinese ambassador Nong said that China and Pakistan have worked hand in hand in Gwadar on port operations, free zone development, and transportation infrastructure, and completed a series of social and livelihood projects in the last few years. China will work with Pakistan to accelerate project construction to meet the time-lines, continuously enhance Gwadar's port operation, infrastructure, industry, and social development to promote the high-quality development of CPEC, the ambassador said. "By taking a comprehensive way of development, the Gwadar port is right on its track to the regional business and trade hub," he said. During the ceremony, the Chinese government also signed with the Pakistani side a Memorandum of Understanding to donate 3,000 sets of solar systems for the Pakistani people in an effort to address climate change, and also an implement agreement for the aid of a desalination plant at the Gwadar port that can produce 5,000 tonnes of fresh water daily. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 01:00:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A woman walks past a sign of COVID-19 vaccination center in Brent, northwest London, Britain, June 19, 2021. (Photo by Ray Tang/Xinhua) Britain reported another 27,334 coronavirus cases in the 24-hour period, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,930,534, according to official figures released Monday. More than 45.3 million people in Britain have received the first jab of COVID-19 vaccine and over 33.7 million people have received two doses, the official figures showed. LONDON, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Most coronavirus restrictions are set to end on July 19 as part of the final step of England's roadmap out of the lockdown, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Monday. Face masks and distancing rules will no longer be legally required in England from July 19, Johnson told a news conference at Downing Street. The rule of six inside private homes will also be removed and work-from-home guidance will be scrapped, said the prime minister. The British government is only responsible for coronavirus restrictions in England. The devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for their own policies in relation to public health matters. Johnson previously announced a four-week delay to the final step of England's roadmap out of COVID-19 restrictions until July 19, amid a surge in cases of the Delta variant first identified in India. People walk at Potters Fields Park in front of the Tower Bridge in London, Britain, June 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Han Yan) Britain reported another 27,334 coronavirus cases in the 24-hour period, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,930,534, according to official figures released Monday. The country also recorded another nine coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 128,231. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test. More than 45.3 million people in Britain have received the first jab of COVID-19 vaccine and over 33.7 million people have received two doses, the official figures showed. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the United States as well as the European Union have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. People dine under a canopy at a restaurant in London, Britain, June 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Han Yan) Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 03:57:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People wait for observation after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site in Rome, Italy, on July 6, 2021. Vaccination efforts kept going across Italy. Over 54 million doses of authorized vaccines have been administered so far, and over 21 million people, which account for more than 39 percent of the country's population over 12, have been fully immunized, according to the latest official data. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua) ROME, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Italian authorities on Monday confirmed the vaccination against coronavirus was mandatory for professionals who work in healthcare services, local media reported. "Vaccination is mandatory for all those working in healthcare facilities," Ansa news agency quoted Health Minister Roberto Speranza as saying. "We have to keep working in order for this rule to be fully implemented, since vaccination is our most important tool to put an end to this (pandemic) phase," Speranza added. The minister's remarks came two days after the reports that some 300 health care workers in the country's northern regions filed a legal appeal before an administrative court in Brescia against this requirement. The vaccination against the coronavirus is "strongly recommended" but not mandatory in the country; yet, the government has ruled health workers -- for the specific sensitiveness of their job -- are among those categories who have to vaccinate in order to keep working. The workers would base their appeal on the claim that this rule violated the article in Italy's constitution defining the citizen's right to health, which states that no one may be obliged to undergo any given health treatment against their will. While the court was expected to hear the legal case in mid-July, the issue was further discussed on Monday by the president of the Italian Federation of Medical Associations (FNOMCEO) Filippo Anelli. "I want to recall our Constitutional Court has already ruled the vaccination is not a must but a requirement for practicing the medical profession," he told Adnkronos news agency. "Therefore, professionals face a choice: if they want to be doctors, they have to get the jab." Vaccination efforts kept going across the country. Over 54 million doses of authorized vaccines have been administered so far, and over 21 million people, which account for more than 39 percent of the country's population over 12, have been fully immunized, according to the latest official data. In an interview with Il Corriere della Sera newspaper, Italy's coronavirus emergency commissioner Francesco Figliuolo said the government's target was to have 80 percent of the population immunized by Sept. 30. Meanwhile, the Health Ministry reported 480 new coronavirus cases and 31 fatalities on Monday against 808 and 12 in the previous day, respectively. Active infections have been steadily falling since mid-April, and dropped daily by 1,133 cases. Since the pandemic broke out here in February last year, Italy has registered over 4.2 million cases. This figure includes over 4 million recoveries, some 43,531 active infections and 127,680 fatalities. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 08:19:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. - - - - BUENOS AIRES -- Argentina on Monday reported 17,277 new cases of COVID-19 and 621 more related deaths in the last 24 hours, raising the accumulated number of infections to 4,552,750 and the pandemic death toll to 96,521 since the onset of the outbreak here in March 2020. Argentina is focusing on delaying the spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, after confirming five cases so far. - - - - SANTIAGO -- Chile on Monday said it will lift lockdown restrictions throughout the Santiago Metropolitan Region on Thursday, following the decrease in new cases of COVID-19. The positivity rate in the past day dropped to 3.7 percent in the capital, and active cases have also declined, Health Minister Enrique Paris said at a press conference. - - - - MADRID -- Spain registered 32,607 new infections of COVID-19 during the past weekend, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 3,866,475 since the start of the pandemic, according to data released by the Spanish Ministry of Health on Monday. The Ministry also reported 23 new deaths of COVID-19, leading the total death toll to 80,934. - - - - ANKARA -- Turkey on Monday confirmed 4,678 new COVID-19 cases, raising its tally of infections to 5,449,464, according to the health ministry. The death toll from the virus in Turkey rose by 35 to 49,959, while 4,735 more people recovered in the last 24 hours. A total of 219,737 tests were conducted over the past day, it said. - - - - JERUSALEM -- Israel's Ministry of Health reported 500 new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 843,390. The total number of active COVID-19 cases in Israel rose to 2,766, the highest since April 15, the ministry added. - - - - TEHRAN -- The Iranian Health Ministry reported on Monday 16,025 new COVID-19 cases, taking the country's total infections to 3,270,843. The pandemic has so far claimed 84,949 lives in Iran, up by 157 in the past 24 hours, the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education said in its daily briefing. - - - - LONDON -- Most coronavirus restrictions are set to end on July 19 as part of the final step of England's roadmap out of the lockdown, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Monday. Face masks and distancing rules will no longer be legally required in England from July 19, Johnson told a news conference at Downing Street. - - - - LUSAKA -- Zambian government on Monday received 2,000 oxygen cylinders which will help curtail the shortage of the commodity due to increased COVID-19 cases. The oxygen cylinders from I.K. Charitable, a non-governmental charity organization of Zambia, will enable the government to ensure the improved provision of the commodity. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 08:21:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HAVANA -- Tropical storm Elsa made landfall on Monday in the south of western Cuba with sustained winds of 95 km per hour, according to the latest report from the country's Institute of Meteorology (Insmet). "Meteorological radar confirmed that at 1:40 p.m. local time (17:40 GMT) Elsa made landfall at the Cienaga de Zapata (Zapata Swamp), on the southern coast of the western province of Matanzas," said Insmet. (Cuba-Tropical Storm) - - - - SAN FRANCISCO -- One man was killed and three others injured in a shooting in Santa Rosa, U.S. State of California, early Monday morning, local police said. Shortly after midnight, Santa Rosa police officers responded to the incident at an illegal fireworks gathering and found four gunshot victims. A 35-year-old Santa Rosa man died at the scene and his identification is not yet released. (US-Santa Rosa-Shooting) - - - - TRIPOLI -- The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Monday welcomed the launch of the voter registration by the High National Elections Commission for the upcoming elections. "The UN Support Mission in Libya congratulates the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) on the launch of the voter registration update and considers this event to be a key milestone towards the realization of the Libyan people's overwhelming demand for national elections on 24 December 2021," UNSMIL said in a statement. (Libya-Elections-UNSMIL) - - - - UNITED NATIONS -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was saddened by the loss of life and destruction caused by a mudslide in Japan, said his spokesman on Monday. Guterres extended his deep condolences to the families of the victims, the government and people of Japan. He commended the work of the emergency responders and wished a speedy recovery to those who were injured, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement. (UN-Japan-Mudslide) Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 10:11:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Australia's peak medical body has called for a national mask mandate in response to growing complacency. According to a national survey published by research agency Canstar recently, 55 percent of those polled will only wear masks if told to do so by their state or territory government. Only seven percent of respondents said they wear masks when sick and eight percent said they voluntarily wear one on public transport. Chris Moy, Australian Medical Association (AMA) vice president, urged the federal government to institute a national mask mandate. Mask rules have been determined by state and territory governments since the start of the pandemic but Moy said uniform rules were needed across the country. "The government making mandatory rules is quite critical," he told News Corp Australia. "They also need to help people understand that living with mask-wearing is another building block to living with the virus and all its variants." In Victoria, which has endured the strictest coronavirus restrictions in the country, 46 percent of respondents said they would only wear a mask if required, while in New South Wales, which is currently battling an outbreak of COVID-19, it was 48 percent. Moy said that masks should be made compulsory for anyone who is sick, all commuters on public transport and everyone who cannot socially distance indoors regardless of coronavirus outbreaks. "It would slow down the spread of COVID," he said. "It would be so much easier if we mandated it across the board, it would reduce the confusion." As of Monday afternoon, there had been 30,803 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, and the numbers of locally and overseas acquired cases in the last 24 hours were 38 and eight respectively, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 12:35:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- China's National Meteorological Center on Tuesday renewed its yellow alert for rainstorms across the country. From 8 a.m. Tuesday to 8 a.m. Wednesday, heavy rainfall and rainstorms are expected in parts of provincial-level regions Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan, Tibet, Hainan and Taiwan, according to the center. Parts of these regions will also see thunderstorms and strong winds, said the center, warning that some areas of Anhui and Jiangsu will experience downpours with up to 160 mm of rainfall within 24 hours. It advised local authorities to remain alert for possible flooding, landslides and mudslides, and recommended halting outdoor operations in hazardous areas. China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 13:29:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- A handful of wheat and a bowl of rice mean much to Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission. Some five decades ago, when he worked in Liangjiahe Village in northwest China's Shaanxi Province as a farmer, Xi saw how villagers struggled to fill their stomachs. Local villagers wished for enough chaff to eat so that they no longer had to go hungry, and their dream of having meat on the table once in a while seemed almost impossible to realize, Xi said. "At that time, I did all kinds of work -- reclaiming wasteland, farming, hoeing, herding, hauling coal, mounding and carrying manure," Xi recalled. In order to enlarge the farmland, he led the villagers in standing barefoot in ice during the winter to clean the dyke foundations. The experience gave Xi an inspiration that has endured throughout his life. He has always kept the people's "rice bowl" in mind. In the early 1980s, Zhengding County in Hebei Province was known as a poor county with a high grain yield. At that time, the country purchased more than 35 million kg of grain annually from the county. After meeting the nation's annual purchase quota, farmers did not have enough food for themselves and had to buy grain from elsewhere at higher prices. After he took office in the county, Xi wrote a letter to the country's top leadership, reporting on the situation. The purchase quota was later lowered by 14 million kg, which largely reduced the burden on farmers. "We would rather not have the crown of 'national high-yield county' and let the people live a good life," Xi said. In 2018, Xi inspected Jiansanjiang, an important grain-production base in Heilongjiang Province. In the rice field, Xi talked with farmers about grain production and asked about their livelihoods. "It is necessary to speed up the development of green agriculture and work to avoid the loss and degradation of black soil," Xi said. "China should always have control over its own food supply." In 2020, the COVID-19 epidemic brought great challenges to the global food market. "The more risks and challenges we face, the more we need to stabilize agriculture and ensure the safety of grain and major non-staple foods," Xi said. Through hard work, China has secured a bumper harvest for 17 years in a row, with its annual grain output exceeding 650 million tonnes for six consecutive years. However, the foundation of China's food security is still unstable, and the situation is still grim, Xi noted, adding that the key to ensuring food security is to guarantee sufficient production and supply. Grain production, with farmland as the fundamental element, is supported by water conservancy systems, facilitated by science and technology, and driven forward by policies. Issues relating to these key points must be addressed earnestly and properly to attain breakthroughs in grain production, Xi has said. Stopping food waste, which Xi has emphasized on many occasions, is also part of the effort to ensure food security. He has called for promoting the social custom of practicing thrift and opposing waste. For decades, Xi has attached great importance to the implementation of the food-security strategy. Efforts will be made to ensure absolute security of grain and the supply of important sideline agricultural products, and to promote legislation concerning food security, according to a blueprint for the country's social and economic development over the next five to 15 years. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 16:03:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HEFEI, July 6 (Xinhua) -- In a workshop, laborers pound Blue Sandalwood bark and rice straw to extract fibers, then use cloth to filter out impurities and dust, finally attaining a white pulp. These are some essential steps to make Xuan paper, a delicate, long-lasting type of paper traditionally used for Chinese calligraphy and painting. It is mainly produced in Dingjiaqiao, a landlocked township in east China's Anhui Province. Today, with its popularity both at home and abroad, Xuan paper has become an important source of income for residents of the township that is home to over 200 Xuan paper manufacturers. Dingjiaqiao has a 1,000-year history of producing the paper. The process of making Xuan paper was also added to UNESCO's world intangible cultural heritage list in 2009. Zhang Yueling, 47, has a job packing and shipping the paper at a local enterprise. She is one of over 10,000 people in the township engaged in the Xuan paper industry. Returning to her hometown from a city 10 years ago, Zhang found a job near her home to better take care of her child and parents. She earns about 3,000 yuan (about 463.5 U.S. dollars) a month. "It's much more convenient working here," said Zhang, who previously worked as a waitress, adding that her husband and brother also work in local Xuan paper enterprises. As China's largest production base for the paper, Dingjiaqiao produces over 1,000 types of Xuan paper products, bringing in an annual sales revenue of over 1.5 billion yuan. Some products are exported to countries including Japan, the Republic of Korea and Malaysia. Wang Juling, sales manager of Anhui Changchun Paper Co., Ltd., said the firm's export revenue reaches approximately 20 million yuan a year, accounting for one-fifth of total sales. Established in 1985, the company developed from a small, family-run workshop to a major manufacturer with stores across China. Wang said the company is eyeing an expansion into overseas markets. E-commerce has also fueled local sales. Cao Yang, 26, returned from Hangzhou, an e-commerce hub in east China's Zhejiang Province, to Dingjiaqiao several years ago. He is in charge of e-commerce at a local Xuan paper company. "We deliver over 500 parcels each day. Annual e-commerce sales were over 5 million yuan last year and keep rising," said Cao. By the end of 2019, over 500 business entities in Dingjiaqiao had engaged in e-commerce, achieving a total annual sales revenue of approximately 200 million yuan. For Cao, e-commerce offers more opportunities and possibilities for this traditional craft. His company also designs and produces many creative products related to Xuan paper, including fans and scrolls, to meet the modern demand of the market. "As more experienced migrants returned to Dingjiaqiao, the township has seen a growing number of milk tea shops, cake shops and cars, which offer us a glimpse into the vitality and influence of this intangible cultural heritage in the modern era," said Cao. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 16:29:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Farid Behbud KABUL, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan witnessed deteriorating security situation as the Taliban militants waged attacks, amid foreign forces' pullout, gaining ground and fueling concerns among the public. "We have been facing difficulties since Taliban intensified their attacks in recent weeks. The security situation is deteriorating and the economic and humanitarian situation has become increasingly vulnerable," Kabul resident Mohammad Nadeem told Xinhua on Tuesday. Security in the war-torn country has deteriorated as the Taliban militants continued heavy fighting with government forces and gained ground since the drawdown of U.S. troops on May 1. The withdrawal is expected to be completed before Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that drew the United States into war in Afghanistan. The Taliban group has captured about 100 suburban districts, out of the country's some 400 districts, in recent weeks as many of the government security forces abandoned their security checkpoints, enabling Taliban to besiege several provincial capitals. On Monday, the newly-appointed Army Chief of Staff Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai told local Tolo News TV that the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) will focus on securing big cities, key border crossing points as well as provincial highways. "The situation in Afghanistan is at a critical juncture after the U.S. and NATO-led coalition forces evacuated Bagram Airfield, the largest military base, a couple of days ago. Uncertainties also shroud the intra-Afghan negotiations and peace talks as the talks between Taliban and the government have seen setbacks rather than progress recently," resident Nadeem said. "Unfortunately the opportunists are taking advantage of the situation. They increased the price of foodstuff, especially kitchen gas and cooking oil, and the price of cooking oil is nearly double that it was a month ago," he said. "We are facing difficulties as the doomsday is coming in Afghanistan. People are suffering from Taliban-led attacks and blockage of national highways due to fightings and clashes, that resulted in the skyrocketing price of foodstuff," a vendor Mohammad Basir told Xinhua. "The prices are soaring up as people say the roads to the border points are blocked due to growing insurgencies. Sometimes I can't earn any money after a long wait on roads in Kabul," he said. "When I return home in the evening with so little daily income, I feel the doomsday is getting nearer. I fail to support my family of eight members," he said. "I have five children including two sons. None of them go to school due to poverty and my mother can not stand on her feet due to illness. I have no enough money to treat her, while my spouse is a housewife," said Basir. "We haven't got salaries for three months and now the currency devaluation added to our suffering," Sayyed Yama, a laborer from a private firm, told Xinhua. The Taliban-led clashes and fighting together with the COVID-19 pandemic and depreciating local currency have led to many of his friends and colleagues losing their income and jobs, he said. At the beginning of 2021, the afghani was traded 77 to one U.S. dollar and continued to fall. After U.S. and NATO-led coalition forces evacuated the largest Bagram Airbase on Thursday night, the afghani reached 82 over the weekend. Earlier on Tuesday a U.S. dollar was 81.13 afghanis, according to the country's national bank. However, Afghan officials described the recent devaluation of local currency against foreign currencies as a "temporary" matter. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 16:58:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Yangtze finless porpoise YYC swims with its mother in the water at the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, July 5, 2021. Yangtze finless porpoise YYC lives with its mother at the IHB of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan. The one-year-old Yangtze finless porpoise, known as "smiling angel" due to its mouth fixed in a permanent grin, was born on June 3, 2020. YYC's mother, Yangyang, 14 years old, was transferred from Poyang Lake to the institute thanks to ex-situ conservation at the age of 2; and its father, 16-year-old Taotao, is the first of its kind successfully bred through artificial breeding worldwide. During the past years, IHB has joined hands with various research and protection institutes, and gained fruits in fields such as porpoise artificial breeding and reproduction. The researches and studies help to boost people's understanding of the animal's biological characteristics and habits, and offer practical experience on ex-situ conservation and protection of the species. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 17:14:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KHARTOUM, July 6 (Xinhua) -- A leading figure of Sudan's National Umma Party said on Monday that the Communist Party of China (CPC) and World Political Parties Summit is "a pioneering humanitarian practice" that will mark a great day for both China and the world. Al-Wathiq Mohamed Ahmed Al-Birair, secretary-general of the Sudanese party, said his party will participate in the summit that will be held via video link, and wished the Chinese ruling party "all success." More than 500 leaders of political parties and political organizations from 160-plus countries, and over 10,000 party representatives will attend the summit. Al-Birair spoke highly of the remarkable achievements the CPC has made since its founding 100 years ago, noting that through the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the CPC has improved the wellbeing of the Chinese people and also brought benefits to people in other countries. It is necessary to enhance the two parties' relations, Al-Birair said, expressing the hope that the CPC would share more governance experience with the Sudanese party. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 17:24:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writer Guo Yage BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of China, France and Germany held their second virtual summit in three months on Monday, demonstrating again to the world their shared willingness to enhance dialogue and expand cooperation marked by mutual benefits, as well as their shared sense of responsibility to jointly address global challenges. The summit was both necessary and important. In recent months, the relationship between China and the European Union (EU) has seen some twists and turns amid an intensifying smearing campaign directed against China by some ill-intentioned Western politicians and media outlets. At the same time, the fast-spreading delta variant of the coronavirus and a weak global economic recovery are demanding stronger global cooperation. First of all, the video summit testifies to the leaders' joint readiness to properly handle differences between China and Europe at large. Just as Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed during the summit that the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership is where the greatest common denominators converge, it is necessary for the two sides to cherish this partnership by first adhering to the basic principles of mutual respect and mutual understanding. Without due respect for each other's national sovereignty and core interests, and without candid talks to bridge differences and foster mutual trust, there will be no ground for developing any genuine partnership. Second, the summit conveyed the positive sign that bilateral cooperation was strengthening, which both sides have every good reason to work on. For the past years, flourishing cooperation between China and European countries has brought tangible benefits to the two sides, which has proven that cooperation, instead of competition or even rivalry, is the only right way toward common development. In 2020, China became the EU's largest trading partner, and both sides also completed their seven-year negotiation on a bilateral investment treaty as previously planned. The China-Europe freight-train service has so far recorded more than 40,000 trips, with the transported goods valued at over 200 billion U.S. dollars. Amid the pandemic, the trains have boosted fragile supply chains in Eurasian countries, saved businesses in both China and Europe, and facilitated joint efforts to combat the disease. Looking into the future, China and European countries have even bigger room for win-win cooperation, in such areas as economy and trade, as well as in the strategic, cultural, digital and climate sectors. For example, the two sides can start by joining forces to overcome all kinds of obstacles in the bilateral investment treaty's ratification process. They can also boost personal exchanges in epidemic prevention and control, and advance mutual recognition and protection of products listed in the China-EU agreement on geographical indicators. Meanwhile, Brussels needs to continue to enhance its strategic autonomy, and stand up to political disruptions from any third party, so as to keep China-EU cooperation right on track. Third, the summit amplified a unified voice for supporting multilateralism. China and the EU, two major players on the world stage, have shared a firm belief in multilateralism and in their obligations to work together against common challenges facing humanity. Against the backdrop of grand changes in the global situation, such as rising protectionism and isolationism, it is more important than ever to preserve the international system with the United Nations (UN) at its core, uphold the basic norms governing international relations based on the UN Charter, and deal with global issues via consultations of all parties in a reasonably calm manner. In the face of a rampant second wave of the pandemic and a still dim global economic outlook, it is more urgent than ever for China and the EU to work together to provide help for vulnerable countries in their anti-pandemic fight, improve global health governance, ease the economic burden of poor countries, and continue to build an open world economy. In particular, the two sides, both of which have long offered much-needed assistance to Africa, can step up efforts to increase vaccine supplies to countries in the region, and support the vaccine-sharing program co-led by the World Health Organization. They also need to advance coordination on financing and education issues in Africa. "Tomorrow's post-COVID world needs a strong EU-China relationship, to build forward better," President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen tweeted at the end of last year. Indeed, joining forces to build a closer China-EU partnership featuring cooperation, reciprocity and trust will be in the vital interests of both sides, and those of the global community at large. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 18:32:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Iran's position on the Iran nuclear deal and the removal of sanctions will not change with the shift of government, the Iranian spokesman for the foreign ministry said Tuesday. "The government of (President-elect Ebrahim) Raisi will also be committed to it (potential agreement) ... because adherence to the commitments and promises is always a principle for the Islamic republic," Saeed Khatibzadeh said during his weekly press briefing. Progress has been made in the nuclear talks in the Austrian capital of Vienna and it is acknowledged by all parties to the negotiation, Khatibzadeh added. However, there are still important issues that largely need to be decided by other parties, especially the United States, as the finalization of the agreement on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, officially referred to as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), "depends on the political will and tough decisions of other parties involved," he noted. Meanwhile, "we do not set any deadline for reaching an agreement which could guarantee the interests of the Iranian people ... We are not in a hurry to reach an agreement, but we will not allow the negotiations to erode," Khatibzadeh warned. Under the deal reached in 2015, Tehran agreed to roll back parts of its nuclear program in exchange for decreased economic sanctions. However, Iran gradually stopped implementing parts of its commitments in May 2019, one year after the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned the agreement and re-imposed sanctions on Iran. The JCPOA Joint Commission, attended by the U.S. delegation indirectly, began to meet offline on April 6 in Vienna to continue previous discussions over a possible return of the United States to the JCPOA and how to ensure the full and effective implementation of the JCPOA. After six rounds of talks, the parties recently said serious differences remain between Iran and the United States for restoration of the deal. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 18:42:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Zambian music artiste Daputsa Nkhata-Zulu poses for a photo after explaining the importance of wearing a face mask correctly in the Chibombo district, central Zambia, on July 3, 2021. (Xinhua/Lillian Banda) Although the majority of people in Zambia are now aware of the danger of COVID-19, the wearing of face masks correctly has been one of the challenges for many communities. So artistes and socialites in the country are turning to their social media platforms imploring followers and the general public to wear face masks correctly. LUSAKA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Although the majority of people in Zambia are now aware of the danger of COVID-19, the wearing of face masks correctly has been one of the challenges for many communities. It is for this reason that artistes and socialites in the country are turning to their social media platforms imploring followers and the general public to wear face masks correctly, noting that doing so helps to slow down the spread of the virus. Victoria Wezi Mhone, a renowned Zambian music artiste who goes by the name Wezi, is among those who consistently urged their followers to wear face masks correctly and observe health guidelines meant to curb COVID-19. "The importance of wearing a face mask is as vital as wearing it right. There is a risk of contracting the virus if you make mistakes so please make sure you not only wear your face mask but also wear it right. Stay safe friends COVID-19 is real," Mhone wrote. Mhone goes on to explain that a face mask should cover the nose and mouth and implores her fans to wash their hands before and after wearing a face mask. "I am desperately looking forward to a COVID-19 free world. I can't wait to live in a world full of possibilities of us organizing or going to sold out stadiums and concerts both local and international. Let's stay alive, stay safe and stay healthy so that when that day comes, we celebrate together," she wrote. Zambia is a landlock country at the crossroads of central, southern and eastern Africa, with a population of more than 18 million. As of July 5, the country had registered 165,513 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 2,492 related deaths, according to the update about Zambia COVID-19 statistics given by the Zambian Ministry of Health. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, Mutale Mwanza, a Zambian socialite, implored the Zambian public to ensure that they take health measures aimed at curtailing the pandemic by ensuring that they, among other things, avoid unnecessary movements. Precious Chisulo, a face mask reseller, waits for customers at the entrance of a shopping mall in Lusaka, Zambia, on July 3, 2021. (Xinhua/Lillian Banda) "COVID-19 is a horrible (disease). It's claiming so many lives. If you really need to leave the house, please wear your face mask and wear it properly. The face mask is not meant for your chin or your forehead, make sure it covers your nose and mouth," Mwanza advises. She goes on to recount, on her facebook page, how she tested positive for COVID-19 and as well as the recovery process. "COVID-19 does not move on it's own, it's us who move it. Our health care system right now is overwhelmed. Health practitioners are doing their very best for us so let's help them by staying at home and save lives." Mwanza said. Award winning Zambian music artiste Daputsa Nkhata-Zulu, who is popularly known as Sista D, asserted that there is still a lot of advocacy that needs to be done so that people fully appreciate the need to protect themselves and others. Nkhata-Zulu, who has on a number of occasions used her social media spaces to engage the public in discussions about COVID-19 prevention measures, observed that some people are only compelled to wear face masks in order to have access to spaces like shopping malls and other public places where the wearing of face masks is mandatory. "But they remove the face masks or pull them down the chin as soon as they leave these places. They do not understand that the face masks are meant for their own good and not to please authorities," she said during an interview with Xinhua. And Precious Chisulo, a face masks reseller based in Zambia's capital of Lusaka, advised that there should be a law that prohibits people from going to public places without wearing face masks or not wearing them correctly. While the majority of people are buying face masks, a substantial number of them are either not wearing them correctly or not wearing them at all, said Chisulo. "That is one way of ensuring that everyone adheres to COVID-19 prevention guidelines, including the wearing of face masks." Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 19:29:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday that nearly 1,000 illegal migrants were rescued off the Libyan coast and returned to Libya in the past week. In the period of June 27 to July 3, the IOM said, 949 migrants were rescued or intercepted at sea and returned to Libya. So far in 2021, a total of 15,700 illegal migrants, including women and children, have been rescued, while 225 have died and 499 went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, according to the IOM. Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for illegal migrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores. Rescued migrants usually end up inside overcrowded reception centers across Libya, despite repeated international calls to close those centers. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 19:38:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Progress has been made in the recent talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiee said Tuesday. Issues have been discussed from a friendly and good-intention position in the recent talks between the two countries, and some progress has been made so far, said Rabiee during his weekly press conference. "We understand that disputes may have complexities in some areas which require time to resolve," he said. "We will continue these talks to minimize differences," he added. Meanwhile, Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Iran has always welcomed dialogue to achieve results. "Our view as per the negotiations with Saudi Arabia is positive," Khatibzadeh said during his weekly press conference. Iran has always wanted the countries of the region to maintain peace and security in the Gulf region, he noted. Iran has confirmed that it has started talks with Saudi Arabia in Iraq to defuse tensions between the two countries. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 20:00:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Workers unload oxygen cylinders from a truck at a temporary oxygen refilling station in Jakarta, Indonesia, July 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain) -- India records 34,703 new COVID-19 infections; -- Indonesia reports highest daily spikes of 31,189 cases, 728 deaths; -- Philippines logs 4,114 cases, tally at 1,445,832; -- S. Korea adds 746 cases, 161,541 in total. HONG KONG, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia-Pacific countries: NEW DELHI -- India's total tally rose to 30,619,932 as 34,703 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data. "India reports 34,703 new cases in last 24 hours which is the lowest in 111 days," added the health ministry in a statement. Besides, 553 deaths due to the pandemic since Monday morning took the total death toll to 403,281. There are still 464,357 active cases in the country with a fall of 17,714 cases during the past 24 hours. Staff members clean the floor with disinfectants in a shopping mall in Bangalore, India, July 4, 2021, as the Karnataka state government will allow the commercial establishments to reopen. (Str/Xinhua) JAKARTA -- Indonesia recorded 31,189 new confirmed cases, marking the highest daily spike and bringing the total tally to 2,345,018, the health ministry said. The ministry also reported that the death toll added by 728, the biggest daily rise since the pandemic hit the country in March 2020, to 61,868. An additional 15,863 recovered patients were discharged from hospitals, raising the total number of recoveries from the pandemic in the Southeast Asian country to 1,958,553. A man carries an oxygen tube to be refilled in Manggarai of Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Veri Sanovri) MANILA -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 4,114 new infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,445,832. The death toll climbed to 25,296 after 104 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said. The Philippines has detected the fast-spreading Delta variant in the samples taken from returning overseas Filipinos with travel history from Saudi Arabia. The detection of two new cases brings the number of Delta cases in the country to 19. The Alpha variant cases in the Philippines totaled 1,217, while the Beta variant cases rose to 1,386, the DOH said, adding that one Delta patient, 47 Alpha patients, and 47 Beta patients have died. A woman and her daughter take shelter inside an evacuation center as the Taal volcano continues to rumble in Batangas Province, the Philippines, on July 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) SEOUL -- South Korea reported 746 more cases, raising the total number of infections to 161,541. Of the new cases, 313 were Seoul residents and 224 were people residing in Gyeonggi province. Fifty-six cases were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 10,277. Four more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 2,032. Guests experience processing nuruk, a fermentation starter used in making makgeolli, at Hwaseong Haenggung Palace in Suwon, South Korea, June 26, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang) SUVA -- Fiji continued to register a record daily spike as Permanent Secretary for Health James Fong announced 636 new cases and six deaths reported in the last 24 hours. There have now been 39 deaths in Fiji, with 37 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. Fiji has recorded 7,149 cases since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 1,318 recoveries. Health workers conduct investigation to trace chains of infection to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Suva, Fiji, May 26, 2021. (FIJI SUN/Handout via Xinhua) Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 20:05:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Workers transport packages of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, July 6, 2021. Cambodia's COVID-19 vaccination drive has got another boost after the Southeast Asian nation received a new batch of COVID-19 vaccine from China on Tuesday, Cambodian health ministry's secretary of state Yok Sambath said. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's COVID-19 vaccination drive has got another boost after the Southeast Asian nation received a new batch of COVID-19 vaccine from China on Tuesday, a health official said. The vaccine, purchased from Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm, arrived in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, by a flight, health ministry's secretary of state Yok Sambath said. "It's another testament to our ironclad friendship," she said at the Phnom Penh International Airport. The kingdom launched an inoculation drive on Feb 10, with China being the key vaccine supplier. As of July 5, some 7.93 million vaccines had been administered, with 4.6 million people receiving their first dose and 3.33 million having completed the two-dose inoculation, the health ministry said. The country has planned to vaccinate at least 10 million of its 16 million population by November. Cambodia's COVID-19 infections continued to rise on Tuesday as the kingdom confirmed 935 new cases, pushing the national caseload to 56,122, the health ministry said. A total of 31 new fatalities were also recorded, taking the overall death toll to 779 so far, the ministry said, adding that 654 patients recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 48,040. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 20:49:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Asia-Pacific countries witnessed surging COVID-19 cases on Tuesday as India's tally reached 30.6 mln cases while Indonesia recorded spikes in both daily cases and deaths. India's total tally rose to 30,619,932 as 34,703 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data. "India reports 34,703 new cases in last 24 hours which is the lowest in 111 days," added the health ministry in a statement. Besides, 553 deaths due to the pandemic were reported since Monday morning, taking the total death toll to 403,281. There are still 464,357 active cases in the country with a fall of 17,714 cases during the past 24 hours. Indonesia recorded 31,189 new cases, marking the highest daily spike and bringing the total tally to 2,345,018, the health ministry said. The ministry also reported that the death toll added by 728, the biggest daily rise since the pandemic hit the country in March 2020, to 61,868. An additional 15,863 recovered patients were discharged from hospitals, raising the total number of recoveries from the pandemic in the Southeast Asian country to 1,958,553. The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 4,114 new infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,445,832. The death toll climbed to 25,296 after 104 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said. The Philippines has detected the fast-spreading Delta variant in the samples taken from returning overseas Filipinos with travel history from Saudi Arabia. The detection of two new cases brings the number of Delta cases in the country to 19. The Alpha variant cases in the Philippines totaled 1,217, while the Beta variant cases rose to 1,386, the DOH said, adding that one Delta patient, 47 Alpha patients, and 47 Beta patients have died. South Korea reported 746 more cases, raising the total number of infections to 161,541. Of the new cases, 313 were Seoul residents and 224 were people residing in Gyeonggi province. Fifty-six cases were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 10,277. Four more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 2,032. Fiji continued to register a record daily spike as Permanent Secretary for Health James Fong announced 636 new cases and six deaths in the last 24 hours. There have now been 39 deaths in Fiji, with 37 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. Fiji has recorded 7,149 cases since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 1,318 recoveries. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 20:55:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, on Tuesday said the CPC is willing to contribute more Chinese solutions and Chinese strength to the poverty reduction process worldwide. China will spare no effort to support international cooperation against COVID-19, he said, adding that the country will make extremely arduous efforts in delivering its promise of achieving carbon peak. Xi made the remarks while delivering a keynote speech at the CPC and World Political Parties Summit via video link in Beijing. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 20:57:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council Taiwan Affairs Office on Tuesday urged Japan to immediately correct its mistakes, stop any erroneous words and deeds concerning the Taiwan question, and abide by the one-China principle and the four political documents between China and Japan with concrete actions. Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the office, made the remarks in comments on the Japanese deputy prime minister's threat that "the United States and Japan would jointly defend Taiwan" as well as the wrong words and moves made by multiple Japanese officials on Taiwan. Zhu warned that the attempt by the Democratic Progressive Party authority to collude with Japan and other external forces to seek "independence" is a misjudgment of the situation and a miscalculation. Some Japanese politicians have repeatedly made wrongful remarks on the Taiwan question, and this has grossly violated Japan's political commitment to China on the issue. "We firmly oppose that," said the spokesperson. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 22:30:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -- A total of 53 people have been killed after the crash while another 50 were injured, according to the latest data. -- The crashed plane was a second-hand C-130 Hercules recently purchased from the U.S. military. -- Experts and analysts said the latest tragedy reminded them in many ways of the deep-rooted unequal nature of Philippine-U.S. military cooperation. by Xinhua writers Yan Jie, Liu Kai MANILA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Claiming 53 lives, the worst air catastrophe in the Philippines' military history in nearly 30 years has triggered some reflection on the country's military relations with the United States, from which the crashed plane came. The latest tragedy of the 33-year-old C-130 Hercules built by the U.S. firm Lockheed is the fourth deadly air accident to happen to the Philippine military this year that concerns its procurement contracts with U.S. companies. The date of the crash of the second-hand C-130 Hercules aircraft also marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the United States. While some Philippine politicians spoke out to remind the military not to procure ill-fated "second-hand stuff," the public were concerned about the reliability of U.S.-made military equipment and the unequal Philippine-U.S. military cooperation. Rescuers are seen at the crash site of a C-130 military plane of the Philippine Air Force in Sulu Province, the Philippines, July 4, 2021. (Joint Task Force Sulu/Handout via Xinhua) HORRIBLE MILITARY AIR CATASTROPHE On Sunday, the military plane was carrying newly-trained army personnel for counter-insurgency operations when it crashed and burst into flames after overshooting the runway on Jolo island. Minutes after the crash, troops and civilian volunteers rushed to the site for search and rescue. "A number of soldiers were seen jumping out of the aircraft before it hit the ground, sparing them from the explosion caused by the crash," the Philippine military said. Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP) chief of staff General Cirilito Sobejana confirmed Tuesday morning that only seven soldiers have been identified so far, as most of the dead were burned beyond recognition. Two photos went viral on social media after the air disaster unfolded how grim this tragedy was. One with the caption "Before" showed the soldiers aboard smiling for a selfie, while the other with the caption "After" displayed the black smoke rising from the burning wreckage of the plane. Major General Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson, said the plane mishap "is one of the more tragic incidents that happened in our armed forces." The latest official data showed that a total of 53 people have been killed after the crash while another 50 were injured. Photo shows the crash site of a C-130 military plane of the Philippine Air Force in Sulu Province, the Philippines, July 4, 2021. (Joint Task Force Sulu/Handout via Xinhua) GROWING DISMAY AT SECOND-HAND MILITARY EQUIPMENT Following a series of tragedies suffered recently by the Philippine servicemen, the latest air disaster further stirred up dismay among Filipinos at the purchase of second-hand U.S.-made aircraft. The Philippines, a major ally of the United States in the Asia Pacific region, is mainly equipped with U.S.-made weapons and military devices. According to the Philippine Air Force (PAF) documents, the crashed plane was a second-hand C-130 Hercules recently purchased from the U.S. military. The PAF said in an official statement that the aircraft has the tail number "5125." According to local media, the C-130 Hercules NR 5125 first flew in 1988, and had served in U.S. Air Force until it was put in storage in 2016 before being sold and delivered to the PAF in January 2021. Senator Francis Pangilinan said that while the troops risk their lives in the performance of their duties, "they deserve better equipment and hardware so they are safe whenever on flights." The United States officially handed over the plane during a ceremony in February. In his speech during the handover ceremony of the plane in February, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed that his country had acquired two C-130 Hercules aircraft through security cooperation assistance. "Out of the total cost of 2.5 billion pesos (roughly 50.89 million U.S. dollars), the Philippines will only pay 1.6 billion pesos (roughly 32.57 million dollars)," Lorenzana said, adding that the United States agreed to "shoulder" the rest of the cost. Photo shows the crash site of a C-130 military plane of the Philippine Air Force in Sulu Province, the Philippines, July 4, 2021. (Joint Task Force Sulu/Handout via Xinhua) DEEP-ROOTED UNEQUAL MILITARY COOPERATION Experts and analysts said the latest tragedy reminded them in many ways of the deep-rooted unequal nature of Philippine-U.S. military cooperation. Wilson Lee Flores, a columnist for English daily The Philippine Star, said this cooperation is a "vestige of past colonialism." "The bilateral military cooperation started out in 1946 as a very unequal arrangement between a colonized country and its former colonizer," said Flores, "with American strategic, military and other interests given more priority than the interests of the Philippines." Professor Rommel Banlaoi, chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research, said the Philippines will have to continue to receive surplus military equipment from the United States due to the defense procurement system. In January this year, seven people were killed in a PAF UH-1 "Huey" aircraft, manufactured by U.S. Bell Helicopter, that crashed in a village in Bukidnon province. Three months later, one pilot was killed and three crew members were injured when a PAF MD520MG attack helicopter, fabricated by American manufacturer MD Helicopters, crashed into the waters off Getafe town in central Philippines' Bohol province. Only ten days before the July 4 disaster, one of PAF's newly acquired S-70i Black Hawk utility helicopters, the flagship aircraft of Lockheed Martin, crashed north of Manila, killing six crew members. (Video reporter: Xia Peng; video editor: Zhang Yucheng) Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 22:39:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspects a modern agriculture technological innovation center of the Yellow River Delta in east China's Shandong Province, July 5, 2021. Han made an inspection tour to east China's Shandong Province from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) JINAN, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng has stressed efforts to strengthen ecological protection and technological innovation to make progress in the country's high-quality development. Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour to east China's Shandong Province from Monday to Tuesday. When inspecting the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve, Han underlined that the country should respect nature and science. Efforts should be made to strengthen the protection of wetlands and birds in the Yellow River Delta, reduce the impact of human activities on birds, and improve the environmental quality of bird habitats, Han said. At a modern agriculture technological innovation center, Han said the development and application of technologies in biological agriculture and saline agriculture are promising. He called for popularizing the use of the technologies when conditions mature. Han also stressed that the country should adhere to the innovation-driven development strategy, remedy shortcomings in core technologies, and promote the application of scientific and technological achievements. The country should devote more investment in basic research and encourage more Chinese equipment to go abroad to participate in international cooperation and competition, Han said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 23:34:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President-elect Ebrahim Raisi called for strengthening relations with Syria, Tasnim News Agency reported Tuesday. In a telephone conversation with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday, Raisi said Iran will continue supporting the Syrian government and its people in stabilizing security and making progress. The upcoming Iranian government has plans to actively participate in the reconstruction of Syria, Raisi added. For his part, Assad congratulated Raisi for being elected as Iran's new president, expressing hope that with the inauguration of the new government in Iran, relations between the two countries will expand in all areas. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-07 00:04:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA -- A head-on collision between a truck and a transport minibus in Ethiopia's Oromia regional state located in the central part of the country has killed nine people, local media reported on Tuesday. The accident happened on Monday afternoon in Ejersa-lefo district, West Shoa zone of Oromia regional state. (Ethiopia-Taffic-Accident) - - - - BRUSSELS -- The short-term priority for Slovenia's rotating presidency of the Council of Europe is to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and focus on a green and digital recovery for the European Union's (EU) economy, said Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa addressing European Parliament in Strasbourg. When presenting Slovenia's policy priorities holding EU presidency, Jansa warned that despite a Europe-wide vaccination campaign rolling out well, the EU is now facing vaccine hesitancy. This could jeopardize the bloc's economy, as a fourth wave is looming with the arrival of the Delta variant in Europe. (EU-Slovenia-Presidency) - - - - WASHINGTON -- The confirmed death toll in the partial collapse of a 12-story residential building in Surfside, southeastern U.S. state Florida, has risen to 32, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said on Tuesday. "Through the team's ongoing efforts, we have recovered four additional victims," the mayor said at a news briefing. (US-Collapse-Florida) - - - - MOSCOW -- All passengers and crew members were killed as a Russian An-26 plane, reportedly carrying 28 people, crashed in the Kamchatka Territory in the Far East on Tuesday, the TASS news agency reported. According to preliminary information, the wreckage of the plane, departing from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Kamchatka, was found 3.8 km away from its destination airport in the Palana village in the same region. (Russia-Plane Crash-Death) Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-07 00:22:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HARARE, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) on Tuesday introduced a new 50-Zimbabwe dollar (ZWL) note and said it would release 360 million ZWL into the banking sector starting Wednesday. "The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (the Bank) wishes to advise the public that the 50 ZWL banknote issued on July 6 through Statutory Instrument 196 of 2021 will be introduced into circulation on July 7 2021," said RBZ governor John Mangudya in a statement Tuesday. "The bank shall release 360 million ZWL through normal banking channels and banks are expected to fund their respective accounts held at the Reserve Bank and collect the cash from July 7, 2021," said Mangudya. The new note, which is about 60 U.S. cents at the prevailing foreign currency auction rate, joins the 2, 5, 10 and 20 ZWL notes which are already in circulation. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-07 01:12:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HARARE, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Some provinces in Zimbabwe are facing a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and healthcare workers at a time when the country is experiencing a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said on Tuesday. As a result, Treasury had been directed to urgently release some funds that it had committed for enforcement of the current Level 4 lockdown toward efforts to contain the spread of the disease, Mutsvangwa said during a post-cabinet media briefing. She said findings from provinces in the country had indicated a number of constraints in the fight against the pandemic, ranging from vaccine misinformation, shortage of PPE and healthcare workers, and lack of Internet access for most civil servants working from home. Some district hospitals require bulk oxygen tanks, while others require functional isolation centers, Mutsvangwa said. Mutsvangwa said following the government's directive for workplaces to decongest to 40 percent, it had emerged that most civil servants lacked tools of the trade such as laptops, and access to the Internet to be able to work from home. The minister also added that funerals had become major spreaders of the virus, and she called on relevant authorities including environmental health workers and the police to strengthen enforcement of COVID-19 preventive measures. As of Tuesday, Zimbabwe had recorded 56,014 COVID-19 cases with 1,911 deaths and 41,406 recoveries. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-07 02:10:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, attends the CPC and World Political Parties Summit and delivers a keynote speech in Beijing, capital of China, July 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday urged political parties in the world to shoulder their responsibility for the pursuit of people's wellbeing and progress of mankind. Xi, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, called on political parties to strengthen cooperation to tackle global challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, inequality, terrorism, and climate change. Addressing the CPC and World Political Parties Summit via video link in Beijing, Xi took swipes at practices of seeking technology blockade and decoupling, politicizing the pandemic, "political manipulation for the purpose of sabotaging the development of other countries," and practices of "seeking hegemony by way of group politics." The cloud summit, which gathered leaders of more than 500 political parties and organizations from over 160 countries, was convened as human society has "once again found itself at a historical crossroads" that leads to either hostile confrontation or mutual respect, seclusiveness and decoupling or openness and cooperation, zero-sum game or win-win results. "The choice is in our hands and the responsibility falls on our shoulders," Xi told party leaders. RESPONSIBILITY OF POLITICAL PARTIES Political parties, as an important force behind human progress, need to set the right course forward and shoulder their historical responsibility to ensure the people's wellbeing and pursue the progress of mankind, Xi said. Xi called on political parties to shoulder the responsibility to steer the course by shaping the shared future for mankind, and to build consensus by upholding and promoting the common values of humanity. "With a strong sense of responsibility for the future of all mankind, we need to champion the common values of humanity, foster broad-minded tolerance toward the understanding of values by different civilizations, and respect the explorations of different peoples," he said. Political parties need to shoulder the responsibility to promote development by bringing greater benefits to all peoples in a fairer manner, Xi said. Noting that all countries and nations are equally entitled to development opportunities and rights, Xi said political parties should face squarely up to major problems such as wealth gap and development divide, with particular attention and care given to underdeveloped countries and regions and impoverished people. He urged political parties to jointly oppose the practice of seeking technology blockade and divide as well as decoupling. Calling for more cooperation in addressing global risks and challenges, Xi said in the face of the pandemic, political parties should work together to close the "immunization gap," and must oppose the practice of politicizing the pandemic or attaching a geographical label to the virus. Xi also called on political parties to shoulder the responsibility to improve governance by enhancing the capacity to ensure people's wellbeing. "The judgement on whether a country is democratic or not should be made by their people, not by a handful of others," he said. CPC CONTRIBUTIONS TO WORLD It is the unswerving goal of the CPC to run China's house well, ensure a happy life for more than 1.4 billion Chinese people, and promote peace and development of all mankind, Xi said. Xi said the CPC will unite and lead the Chinese people in pressing ahead with the Chinese-style modernization to make new contributions to humanity's search for ways to modernize. There doesn't exist a fixed model for the path to modernization, and the path that suits a country will serve it well, he said. "Cutting one's feet to fit the shoes will lead nowhere," he added. The CPC will unite and lead the Chinese people in taking comprehensive steps to deepen reform and opening up to make new contributions to shared development and prosperity of all countries of the world, Xi noted. Xi said the CPC will shoulder its responsibility as a major political party in a major country to make new contributions to improving the wellbeing of mankind. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, all the 98.99 million rural residents living below the current poverty line in China have been lifted out of poverty, enabling the country to meet the poverty reduction target set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. The CPC is willing to contribute more Chinese solutions and Chinese strength to the poverty reduction process worldwide, Xi said. The country will spare no effort to support international cooperation against COVID-19 and to enhance the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries, and will contribute more to the global fight against climate change, he added. Xi said the CPC will actively improve global governance to make new contributions to humanity's joint response to common challenges. "We should stand opposed to the practice of unilateralism disguised as multilateralism and say no to hegemony and power politics," he said. "China will never seek hegemony, expansion or sphere of influence," he added. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, also president of the African National Congress, and 20 other leaders of political parties and organizations spoke at the summit. They agreed with Xi that political parties should shoulder the responsibility for the people's wellbeing, and said they are willing to work with the CPC to build a better world. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and other senior CPC officials attended the summit. Over 10,000 representatives of political parties and various circles attended the event. The summit issued a joint initiative, which expressed the common will of political parties attending the event to safeguard world peace and development and promote the wellbeing of the people. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-07 02:42:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, July 6 (Xinhua) -- A record 4.5 million children, or two out of three, in South Sudan are in desperate need of humanitarian support, said the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday, ahead of the 10th anniversary of the country's independence. Hopes that independence from Sudan would bring a new dawn for the country's children have faded. Bouts of violence and conflict, recurring floods, droughts and other extreme weather events fuelled by climate change, and a deepening economic crisis have led to extremely high food insecurity, and one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, said UNICEF in a press release. The recent peace agreement, which has only partially been implemented, has so far failed to bring about any remedy to the challenges facing the country's children and young people, it said. "The hope and optimism that children and families in South Sudan felt at the birth of their country in 2011 have slowly turned to desperation and hopelessness," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. "The childhood of many 10-year-old children in South Sudan today has been beset by violence, crises and rights abuses." Overall, 8.3 million people in South Sudan need humanitarian support, a much higher number than the levels seen during the 2013-2018 civil war, which ranged from 6.1 million to 7.5 million people, said UNICEF. South Sudan's child mortality rate is among the highest in the world, with 1 in 10 children not expected to reach their fifth birthday. High levels of food insecurity are of particular concern. Some 1.4 million children are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year, the highest figure since 2013. More than 300,000 children, the highest number ever in the country, are expected to suffer from the worst form of malnutrition and are at risk of dying if treatment is not provided, it warned. The lack of funding is impeding UNICEF's work in South Sudan. UNICEF's appeal for 180 million U.S. dollars to assist the most vulnerable children this year is only one-third funded. The wider humanitarian response plan for South Sudan remains similarly underfunded. The crisis will worsen with the approach of the lean season. Lives will be lost without urgent action, warned the fund. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-07 03:30:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese president, attends the CPC and World Political Parties Summit and delivers a keynote speech in Beijing, July 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) -- Political parties need to set the right course forward and shoulder their historical responsibility to ensure the people's wellbeing and pursue the progress of mankind, Xi said. -- In the face of the pandemic, political parties must oppose the practice of politicizing the pandemic or attaching a geographical label to the virus, Xi said. -- Xi urged political parties to jointly oppose the practice of seeking technology blockade and divide as well as decoupling. -- "The judgement on whether a country is democratic or not should be made by their people, not by a handful of others," Xi said. -- "China will never seek hegemony, expansion or sphere of influence," Xi said. BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday urged political parties in the world to shoulder their responsibility for the pursuit of people's wellbeing and progress of mankind. Xi, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, called on political parties to strengthen cooperation to tackle global challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, inequality, terrorism, and climate change. Addressing the CPC and World Political Parties Summit via video link in Beijing, Xi took swipes at practices of seeking technology blockade and decoupling, politicizing the pandemic, "political manipulation for the purpose of sabotaging the development of other countries," and practices of "seeking hegemony by way of group politics." The cloud summit, which gathered leaders of more than 500 political parties and organizations from over 160 countries, was convened as human society has "once again found itself at a historical crossroads" that leads to either hostile confrontation or mutual respect, seclusiveness and decoupling or openness and cooperation, zero-sum game or win-win results. "The choice is in our hands and the responsibility falls on our shoulders," Xi told party leaders. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese president, attends the CPC and World Political Parties Summit and delivers a keynote speech in Beijing, July 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xiang) RESPONSIBILITY OF POLITICAL PARTIES Political parties, as an important force behind human progress, need to set the right course forward and shoulder their historical responsibility to ensure the people's wellbeing and pursue the progress of mankind, Xi said. Xi called on political parties to shoulder the responsibility to steer the course by shaping the shared future for mankind, and to build consensus by upholding and promoting the common values of humanity. "With a strong sense of responsibility for the future of all mankind, we need to champion the common values of humanity, foster broad-minded tolerance toward the understanding of values by different civilizations, and respect the explorations of different peoples," he said. Political parties need to shoulder the responsibility to promote development by bringing greater benefits to all peoples in a fairer manner, Xi said. Noting that all countries and nations are equally entitled to development opportunities and rights, Xi said political parties should face squarely up to major problems such as wealth gap and development divide, with particular attention and care given to underdeveloped countries and regions and impoverished people. He urged political parties to jointly oppose the practice of seeking technology blockade and divide as well as decoupling. Calling for more cooperation in addressing global risks and challenges, Xi said in the face of the pandemic, political parties should work together to close the "immunization gap," and must oppose the practice of politicizing the pandemic or attaching a geographical label to the virus. Xi also called on political parties to shoulder the responsibility to improve governance by enhancing the capacity to ensure people's wellbeing. "The judgement on whether a country is democratic or not should be made by their people, not by a handful of others," he said. CPC CONTRIBUTIONS TO WORLD It is the unswerving goal of the CPC to run China's house well, ensure a happy life for more than 1.4 billion Chinese people, and promote peace and development of all mankind, Xi said. Xi said the CPC will unite and lead the Chinese people in pressing ahead with the Chinese-style modernization to make new contributions to humanity's search for ways to modernize. There doesn't exist a fixed model for the path to modernization, and the path that suits a country will serve it well, he said. "Cutting one's feet to fit the shoes will lead nowhere," he added. The CPC will unite and lead the Chinese people in taking comprehensive steps to deepen reform and opening up to make new contributions to shared development and prosperity of all countries of the world, Xi noted. Xi said the CPC will shoulder its responsibility as a major political party in a major country to make new contributions to improving the wellbeing of mankind. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, all the 98.99 million rural residents living below the current poverty line in China have been lifted out of poverty, enabling the country to meet the poverty reduction target set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. The CPC is willing to contribute more Chinese solutions and Chinese strength to the poverty reduction process worldwide, Xi said. The country will spare no effort to support international cooperation against COVID-19 and to enhance the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries, and will contribute more to the global fight against climate change, he added. Xi said the CPC will actively improve global governance to make new contributions to humanity's joint response to common challenges. "We should stand opposed to the practice of unilateralism disguised as multilateralism and say no to hegemony and power politics," he said. "China will never seek hegemony, expansion or sphere of influence," he added. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, also president of the African National Congress, and 20 other leaders of political parties and organizations spoke at the summit. They agreed with Xi that political parties should shoulder the responsibility for the people's wellbeing, and said they are willing to work with the CPC to build a better world. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and other senior CPC officials attended the summit. Over 10,000 representatives of political parties and various circles attended the event. The summit issued a joint statement of proposals, which expressed the common will of political parties attending the event to safeguard world peace and development and promote the wellbeing of the people. Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-07 05:54:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Visitors tour the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the United States, June 26, 2021. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) Recent COVID-19 case rates are an average of three times higher in states that have vaccinated a smaller share of their residents than the United States overall, CDC data show. WASHINGTON, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Some states in the United States are witnessing spikes in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations as the highly contagious Delta variant is spreading rapidly in the country. Increasing cases have been reported in states with lower vaccination rates, such as Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Recent COVID-19 case rates are an average of three times higher in states that have vaccinated a smaller share of their residents than the United States overall, CDC data show. "We're already starting to see places with low vaccination rates starting to have relatively big spikes from the Delta variant. We've seen this in Arkansas, Missouri, Wyoming ... those are the places where we're going to see more hospitalizations and deaths as well, unfortunately," said Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, in an interview with CNN. "And any time you have large outbreaks, it does become a breeding ground for potentially more variants," he said. Currently about 25 percent of new infections in the United States have been linked to the Delta variant, up from 6 percent in early June, according to the CDC. Experts have said the best protection against the Delta variant is to inoculate more than 70 percent of the population against the virus. People cool themselves at the beach in Alameda County, California, the United States, June 18, 2021. (Photo by Dong Xudong/Xinhua) U.S. President Joe Biden has set a goal in May of having 70 percent of American adults to receive at least one COVID-19 shot by the Fourth of July - the Independence Day. But Just 18 states and Washington, D.C. surpassed the goal, according to a Forbes report. Many in the South, Midwest and East lagged far behind in a rollout divided starkly along party lines, said the report. The country reached its highest vaccination rate in mid-April when the seven-day average of doses administered daily topped about 3.4 million. But the rate has dropped since mid April. About 47.5 percent of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and 55 percent of the population has received at least one shot as of Tuesday, CDC data show. Experts and officials are concerned that coronavirus variants, especially the highly transmissible Delta variant, will continue to drive up new cases. If the virus takes hold among the population of unvaccinated people, it could mutate into even more contagious forms. Officials stressed that the nation needs to intensify its vaccination efforts to get widespread immunity to prevent a resurgence of new cases later this year. Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-07 07:04:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, July 6 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday voiced concern over the recent developments in the Kingdom of Eswatini, notably clashes between security forces and demonstrators that have led to deaths and injuries, said his spokesman. The secretary-general reiterated his call on all stakeholders to refrain from violence and address their differences through inclusive and meaningful dialogue, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement. Guterres underlined the importance of enabling all Eswatini to exercise their civil and political rights peacefully and urged the security forces to exercise utmost restraint, said the statement. Guterres welcomed recent efforts, led by the Southern African Development Community, to find a solution to the current situation. The United Nations remains committed to working with the government and the people of Eswatini, and all partners, to ensure a peaceful resolution, it said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 01:02:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Three African countries including Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Uganda on Monday joined hands with international donors to launch an initiative aimed at improving access to reproductive health services including contraceptives. Senior policymakers said the launch of Shaping Equitable Market Access (SEMA) for Reproductive Health initiative will help reduce unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions among women and girls in Africa and other low-income countries. "When women and girls lack access to sexual and reproductive health products like contraceptives and medicines to manage pregnancy-related complications, whole societies suffer," said Kayode Afolabi, head of Reproductive Health Division at Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health in a statement issued in Nairobi. Kayode said the SEMA initiative will focus on reforming supply chains to ensure reproductive health products are available to women and girls in an equitable, cheaper and efficient manner. International donors have committed over 50 million U.S. dollars to the SEMA initiative, and aim to raise about 50 million dollars in the next five years to boost its implementation. Among key objectives of the initiative will be to build a robust market for sexual and reproductive health products and help governments mobilize funding, investments to promote universal access to contraceptives. "Realizing gender equality demands that we pool our talents and resources to stand up for sexual and reproductive health and rights," said Natalia Kanem, executive director of UN Population Fund (UNFPA). She said the SEMA initiative will stimulate investments and innovations required to boost access to reproductive health products among women and girls in resource-constrained settings. According to UNFPA, 218 million women and girls in low and middle-income countries who want to delay or avoid pregnancy lack access to modern contraceptives. Likewise, about 810 women of reproductive age die every day from pregnancy-related complications and unsafe abortion as contraceptives elude them amid poverty, harmful cultural beliefs and policy gaps. Charlemagne Ouedraogo, Burkina Faso minister for health said that the SEMA initiative which will seek a paradigm shift to ensure access to reproductive health services is at the center of maternal and child health programs in the developing world. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 09:25:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ACCRA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Ghanaian government offered to cover the total cost of surgery to separate three-month-old conjoined twins, the country's presidency announced Monday. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, chief-of-staff of the presidency, told officials at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had issued directives for the payment. The decision was made after the twins' mother Rebecca Bansah asked for help last month for the pair to undergo a separation procedure, while doctors estimated that the total cost could be about 3.0 million Ghana cedis (about 508,000 U.S. dollars). "The president sees the gesture as an opportunity to save lives and help the family of the twins," Osei-Opare said, calling on all Ghanaians to give them moral and spiritual support. Doctors at the regional hospital expressed confidence that the surgery would be successful. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 12:34:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUANDA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Wamkele Mene said on Monday that Africa will soon have a new trading standard with the development of the organization. Mene made the remarks after talks with Angolan President Joao Lourenco over issues related to challenges and development of the AfCFTA, the world's largest free trade area in terms of the number of participating countries. With trade commencing as of Jan. 1, 2021, the AfCFTA represents a reality, the secretary general said, adding that the new standard will facilitate regional trade and investment and boost continental economic integration. Mene said he was very encouraged by the commitment of the Angolan president, who has pledged to give full support to the organization's management. According to Mene, a total of 39 countries have signed and ratified the free trade zone agreement, which means they are committed to removing trade barriers and promoting integration in Africa. At the summit in Kigali, Rwanda in March 2018, 44 countries signed the agreement. A total of 54 countries have signed the agreement so far. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 17:20:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOGADISHU, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The Somali National Army (SNA) said Tuesday its forces along with Galmudug's regional paramilitary forces (Darwish) recaptured Ba'adweyn town and other surrounding areas in the dawn joint operation. The SNA said the early morning sting operation by the security forces alongside Darwish took control of Ba'adweyn town, Qaycad village, Sabeena Gawrac, and other areas which are al-Shabab strongholds after the militants fled. "The al-Shabab terrorists escaped from the area and SNA and Darwish forces took full control," the military officials said through SNA Radio. Locals in the liberated lauded the success of the security operation which was conducted in the al-Shabab hideouts. The SNA and Galmudug's regional paramilitary forces recently launched an operation to flush out al-Shabab's remnants hiding in small parts of Galmudug State. The Al-Shabab militant group which is fighting the Western-backed government has been driven out of major strongholds in Somalia in recent years in a joint offensive by the allied forces but the group still stages attacks across the country. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 17:25:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 cattle rustlers were killed and 18 others injured in a gunfire exchange with Ugandan security forces in the northeastern district of Kaabong. Chris Lochoto, a local district leader told Xinhua by telephone on Tuesday that the killings were on Monday morning. "It is true rustlers were killed on Monday morning and some guns recovered from them," Lochoto said. "Even last night some bulls were stolen in another raid by the rustlers suspected to have come from Kenya," he added. Lochoto said since the district is bordering South Sudan in the north and Kenya in the east, external raids happen. "Actually among the dead rustlers, we suspect some were Turkanas from Kenya. We need security forces to deploy more men to protect our people's animals," he said. Earlier, the spokesperson of the Criminal Investigation Department of Police tweeted that some animals had been recovered in the joint operation. "The joint security team in Karamoja sub-region has recovered 290 cows out of the 350 that were stolen by cattle raiders," Twine said. "In the process of the operation, 12 raiders were put out of action, 18 arrested and 7 sub-machine-guns recovered from them. The arrested will be charged in court," he added. In December 2020, the Ugandan military killed eight armed cattle rustlers, lost a soldier and two others were injured in a foiled cattle raid in the northeastern district of Napak. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 20:53:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC)'s experience in governing China is valuable and worth learning for African countries in terms of maintaining stability, poverty alleviation, people-centered development and COVID-19 prevention, African leaders and experts have said. They made the remarks as the CPC celebrates its centenary, saying that the CPC has led the Chinese people from one victory to another since its founding in July 1921. STABILITY, DEVELOPMENT For Africa, the most valuable experience from the CPC is "that long-term stability of political parties is absolutely necessary for sustainable development," said Peter Kagwanja, CEO of the Africa Policy Institute (API), a Nairobi-based pan-African think tank. The CPC has united China's 56 ethnic groups and guaranteed government safety and stability, which has laid the foundation for China to become the second-largest economy in the world, said Kagwanja. "As a result of the trinity of political stability, anti-corruption and green development, China has lifted nearly 800 million people out of poverty since its reform and opening up in 1978, a milestone hailed by the World Bank as one of the great stories in human history," said Kagwanja. "By first eradicating (absolute) poverty in China and then moving forward to help other countries, the CPC has played a great role in eliminating one of the greatest diseases in the world, and it should be commended for such," said Donald Rushambwa, a researcher at Harare-based China-Africa Economic and Culture Exchange Research Center, who was once a foreign student at a university in China's eastern Zhejiang Province. PEOPLE-CENTERED PHILOSOPHY Rushambwa said that the CPC's people-centered approach has played a huge role in China's remarkable development, bringing prosperity to all sections of society. Ernest Moloi, chief sub-editor of Botswana Guardian, said that "Keeping the party intact, managing inter-party democracy and maintaining cadre discipline as well as addressing pressing developmental issues and charting national policies that speak to the needs of the masses has been the CPC's trump card." Moloi said the Botswana Democratic Party should learn from that as a party that has ruled the country for over 50 years. Abdullah Juma Sadala, a senior official of Tanzania's ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi, said in a recent interview with Xinhua that "by maintaining close ties with the Chinese people, the CPC has achieved great success in economic and social development." Decades ago, the CPC led the Chinese people to overthrow imperialist oppression and achieve national liberation, and now, under the leadership of the party, China has scored a complete victory in its fight against absolute poverty, which has greatly improved the people's living standard, said Sadala. Deeming the CPC as "a party of the people, and more importantly, a party for the people," Sadala said that "when a party is close to the people, the people will respond positively to the party." COVID-19 PREVENTION Humphrey Moshi, director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, said that "there has always been close communication between the leadership and the people." "These top-down and bottom-up communications have facilitated swift execution of decisions because the people and the leaders sing the same chorus," said Moshi. "The unprecedented success in fighting COVID-19 in China was informed by this effective structure of communication, coordination, and execution," said Moshi. Despite the huge domestic demand and limited supply, China has done its best to supply more than 480 million doses of vaccines to the international community, making it the largest supplier of vaccines in the world, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular press conference on Friday. So far, China has provided vaccine assistance to nearly 100 countries from five continents. The WHO has added Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines to the Emergency Use Listing. More than 30 foreign leaders have taken the lead in receiving jabs of Chinese vaccines. Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang said Chinese vaccines have brought a ray of hope to his country's struggling fight against the epidemic. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the vaccines donated by China were like the light at the end of the tunnel. CHINA-AFRICA RELATIONS "In international affairs, China advocates seeking common ground while shelving differences with other nations, and contributes to maintaining world peace and global environmental governance through global cooperation," said Sadala, adding that China and Tanzania maintain close economic and trade cooperation as well as party-to-party exchanges. Zambian President Edgar Lungu said that China has been providing assistance to Zambia within frameworks such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which has consolidated their relations featuring mutual benefit. "China's success story anchored by vision, hard work and perseverance must provide serious lessons especially for the African continent," said Lungu. Joaquim Chissano, former president of Mozambique, who witnessed the frequent friendly exchanges between his party Frelimo and the CPC, told Xinhua in an interview that China's success is "encouraging." Speaking about China's vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, Chissano refuted claims that there are impositions and that China wants to seek hegemony or leadership in global order. "China is offering more open cooperation, which is a good vision," he said, adding that countries must identify their own needs and benefit from multilateral cooperation without sabotaging their own interests to achieve win-win outcomes. "Africa must not be detached from the world of science, technology and innovation led by China," said former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 23:41:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JUBA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Tuesday that it is short of funds required to assist 4.5 million children amid a worsening humanitarian situation in South Sudan. A new report released by UNICEF in Juba, ahead of the 10th independence anniversary of South Sudan says that hopes of a better life for these children have been dashed by intermittent violence and conflict, recurring floods, droughts and other extreme weather events fuelled by climate change and a deepening economic crisis. The report says that these conditions have led to extremely high food insecurity, and one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. And the 2018 revitalized peace agreement which has been partially implemented has failed to bring about any remedy to the challenges facing the country's children and young people. "The hope and optimism that children and families in South Sudan felt at the birth of their country in 2011 have slowly turned to desperation and hopelessness," said UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore. Fore said that the childhood of many 10-year-old children in South Sudan has been beset by violence, crises and rights abuses. UNICEF has so far only received one-third of the 180-million-U.S. dollar appeal it requires to assist the most vulnerable children in 2021. It notes that the humanitarian crisis could worsen in the upcoming lean season amid aid cuts by donors for South Sudan. An estimated 8.3 million people in South Sudan need humanitarian support, a much higher number than the levels seen during the 2013-2018 civil war, which ranged from 6.1 million to 7.5 million people. South Sudan has one of the highest child mortality rates globally with one in 10 children not expected to reach their fifth birthday. This year's integrated food security phase classification assessment estimates 1.4 million children suffer from acute malnutrition, adding that more than 300,000 children are expected to suffer from the worst form of malnutrition and are at risk of dying if treatment is not provided. UNICEF South Sudan Deputy Representative Andrea Suley noted that humanitarian organizations are responsible for almost all service delivery in South Sudan. "Without an end to the pervasive violence and insecurity threatening families and hampering humanitarian access, and without adequate funding, health and nutrition centres will be closed, wells will not be fixed and the sound of the generators keeping the vaccine fridges cool will soon fade away," said Suley. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-07 00:10:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RABAT, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Morocco's COVID-19 tally rose to 535,974 on Tuesday as 1,177 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours. The country's coronavirus death toll rose by seven to 9,336, while 262 people were in intensive care units, said a statement by the Moroccan Ministry of Health. The total number of recoveries from COVID-19 in Morocco increased to 520,963 after 856 new ones were added, according to the statement. Meanwhile, 10,160,373 people have received so far the first vaccine shots against COVID-19 in the country, with 9,194,976 having received both doses. The North African country launched a nationwide vaccination campaign on Jan. 28 after the arrival of the first shipment of China's Sinopharm vaccines. The COVID-19 epidemiological situation in Morocco has worsened during the last two weeks after the lockdown measures were gradually eased. The increase in COVID-19 cases was confirmed in all regions of Morocco, with the number of active cases standing at 5,535, the ministry of health said Tuesday. The number of patients in intensive care units has increased by 14 percent, from 207 to 262, it said, adding the number of patients under intubation devices has increased by 7.7 percent in the past two weeks. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 10:56:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Police's Counter Terrorism Department killed five terrorists during an operation in the country's southwest city of Quetta, police sources said on Tuesday. The operation was conducted at a terrorists' hideout on a tip-off late Monday in the Hazarganji area of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan province, sources from the department told Xinhua. Police cordoned off the hideout and asked the militants to surrender, but they opened fire at the police officials who retaliated, resulting in the death of five terrorists, the sources said. A huge cache of arms and explosive material were recovered from their compound, said the police, adding that the killed terrorists were planning to target sensitive installations in the province. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 11:22:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WELLINGTON, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government has agreed to establish a Consumer Data Right (CDR) framework, giving consumers more control over their personal information. A CDR is a mechanism that requires data holders, such as banks and electricity retailers, to safely and securely share data with third parties, such as fintech companies, following consent from the customer. This means New Zealanders gain access to a wider range of products and services that better meet their needs, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark said on Tuesday. "Consumers should be in the driver's seat when it comes to how their personal information is used by third parties," Clark said in a statement. Any data shared through the consumer data right will only take place with a person's informed consent, and would be strictly used for the reasons agreed upon. For example, if a person was seeking financial advice, they could ask their bank to share data, such as transaction information, with their chosen adviser, Clark said. The businesses and services wishing to receive this data would also have to meet a number of safeguards to ensure the information could be handled safely and securely, he said. "It's also my intention that the consumer data right will work hand-in-hand with the Digital Identity Trust Framework announced earlier this year. It's that piece of work which sets out the rules for the delivery of digital identity services," he added. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 14:19:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia recorded 1,643 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the national tally to 128,454, the country's health ministry said Tuesday. Meanwhile, 10 more deaths and 2,572 new recoveries were reported during the same period, raising the national counts to 663 and 89,717, respectively, the ministry said in a statement. The Asian country launched a national vaccination campaign in late February, with the aim of vaccinating at least 60 percent of its 3.3 million population. So far, over 54 percent of the country's total population have been fully vaccinated against the virus, according to the ministry. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 15:18:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DHAKA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Urgent actions were needed to increase COVID-19 vaccine supplies for Bangladesh as hospitals reached capacity and oxygen supplies ran short with a rapid surge in COVID-19 cases, a global humanitarian organization said Tuesday. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the deadly Delta COVID-19 variant was spreading fast in urban and rural areas across Bangladesh, stretching the entire health sector beyond its limits. It said hospitals in areas of Bangladesh bordering India were experiencing a sharp rise in infections and deaths. In the capital Dhaka, around 78 percent of infections had been identified as caused by the Delta strain, the government said. Around 3 percent of the Bangladesh population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 compared with half the population of countries such as Britain and the United States, according to Oxford University's Our World in Data, it said. Feroz Salah Uddin, secretary general of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, said the recent spike of COVID-19 infections in Bangladesh was deeply alarming and it was being fuelled by the more infectious and deadly Delta strain, with hundreds of people dying a week. "Bangladesh Red Crescent has ramped up ambulance services and efforts to help reduce death and suffering due to this dangerous virus. Our volunteers are working alongside health authorities to accelerate vaccinations, but a crippling shortage in supply is hurting progress," he said. He said Bangladesh Red Crescent teams were helping people with free ambulance services 24 hours a day, in 10 high-risk districts and providing oxygen cylinders across the country. Apart from this, Uddin said cooked food and other relief were also being provided to people who have lost their jobs or income. Sanjeev Kafely, head of IFRC Bangladesh Delegation, said it was critical that richer countries shared more vaccines with Bangladesh in the coming days and weeks. "COVID-19 is having devastating impacts on millions of people in Bangladesh, with many losing their incomes and livelihoods," said Kafely, "Mass vaccination is the key to ending the spiralling deaths, infections and hardships caused by this virus in Bangladesh and everywhere around the world." Bangladesh reported its highest spike of 9,964 new COVID-19 cases and 164 more deaths on Monday, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 15:46:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENTIANE, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The Lao Ministry of Health on Tuesday reported 54 more imported COVID-19 cases and two new locally transmitted cases, bringing the total number of coronavirus infections to 2,356 in the Southeast Asian country. Deputy Director General of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control under the Ministry of Health, Sisavath Soutthaniraxay, told a press conference in the Lao capital Vientiane on Tuesday that among the imported cases, 44 cases were reported in Champasak province, seven in Savannakhet province, and three in Vientiane. The Delta and Kappa strains, the COVID-19 virus' variants of concern, were detected in imported cases in Champasak, prompting the government to extend certain lockdown measures for another two weeks. Lao health authorities have advised citizens to continue to comply with the measures imposed by the Lao government in efforts to keep the virus under control, saying no one is totally safe even after having two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. As of Tuesday, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Laos stands at 2,356 with three deaths. A total of 2,045 COVID-19 patients have recovered from the pandemic and been discharged from hospitals. Laos reported its first two confirmed cases of COVID-19 on March 24 last year. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 15:55:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MANILA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 4,114 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,445,832. The death toll climbed to 25,296 after 104 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said. The Philippines, with a population of more than 110 million, has tested more than 14 million people since the outbreak in January 2020. The Philippines has detected the fast-spreading Delta variant in the samples taken from returning overseas Filipinos with travel history from Saudi Arabia. The detection of two new cases brings the number of Delta cases in the country to 19. The DOH said the two Filipinos arrived in the Philippines on May 29. Both have recovered after completing the mandatory 10-day isolation period, the DOH said. Aside from the two Delta cases, the DOH said the latest genome bio-surveillance also detected 132 Alpha variant cases, 119 Beta variant cases, and three Theta variant cases. The Alpha variant cases in the Philippines totaled 1,217, while the Beta variant cases rose to 1,386, the DOH said, adding that one Delta patient, 47 Alpha patients, and 47 Beta patients have died. The Philippines has sequenced 7,878 samples since the start of genome sequencing in January. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 16:06:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) and World Political Parties Summit, which was set to be held Tuesday via video link, will help political parties worldwide strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, and converge strength to build a community with a shared future for mankind, a senior Malaysian politician has said. "As the future and destiny of people around the world are becoming ever (more) closely intertwined, leaders of countries should uphold the idea of 'we are a family' to seek mutual understanding and consensus, and to make a joint effort in the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity," Tiong King Sing, president of the Progressive Democratic Party of Malaysia, told Xinhua in a written interview ahead of the summit. The CPC has set a fine example for political parties around the world by leading China to attain great achievements, said Tiong, who also serves as Malaysian prime minister's special envoy to China. Themed "For the People's Wellbeing: the Responsibility of Political Parties," the summit will gather more than 500 leaders of political parties and political organizations from 160-plus countries and over 10,000 party representatives. The summit will provide an ideal platform for political parties around the world to strengthen exchanges and build even closer relations, he said. "The friendly dialogue among political parties and their understanding of each other's position and needs will promote mutual trust, close cooperation in the international community as well as build a win-win relationship" based on a new type of international relations, said Tiong. Tiong noted that he was greatly impressed by the CPC's remarkable achievements in the eradication of absolute poverty nationwide and having built a moderately prosperous society in all respects. "The CPC has set an example for political parties around the world by upholding the principle to prioritize the well-being of the people," said Tiong. Noting the CPC has made a series of historic achievements since its founding in July 1921, Tiong said that "such achievements originated from CPC's political wisdom, the sense of responsibility and its ability to find a path that is suitable for China's own conditions. These achievements could serve as a significant reference for the international community to handle the change of the international situation and to solve the problems of governance." Speaking of the COVID-19 outbreak, Tiong said China has been actively participating in the global efforts against the virus and providing assistance to other countries, adding that the world needs China to play an active role in facilitating global peace, economic prosperity and a stable trade order. In Tiong's opinion, under the leadership of the CPC, China has upheld a foreign policy of peace, and has adhered to the principles of mutual benefit and win-win, which could be seen from China's continuous assistance to developing countries and pushing for global economic recovery. He said that China has not only provided new opportunities to the world but also offered a new path for developing countries to achieve modernity. On the relations between Malaysia and China, Tiong said the two countries have built friendly cooperation based on mutual trust and support, with frequent high-level exchanges and deepened cooperation in economy and trade, education, and other fields. Malaysia is looking forward to learning from China's successful experience, furthering exchanges and cooperation in such sectors as science and technology as well as public health, he noted. Tiong said he expected Malaysia and China to further deepen coordination on development strategies to create fresh opportunities in the post-pandemic era for the better development of both countries. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 18:24:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SUVA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Fiji continued to register record daily spike of COVID-19 cases as Permanent Secretary for Health James Fong announced 636 new cases and six deaths reported in the last 24 hours. Fong said on Tuesday that the first COVID-19 death is a 74-year-old woman from Suva who went to the FEMAT Field Hospital in respiratory distress and died on the same day. The second COVID-19 death is a 74-year-old woman admitted at CWMH Hospital for treatment of a serious non-COVID-related medical condition and later tested positive in hospital. Her doctors have determined that her death was caused by COVID-19 rather than the prior medical condition. She was not vaccinated. Fong said the third COVID-19 death is an 80-year-old man from Suva transferred to CWMH Hospital after being assessed to have severe symptoms including shortness of breath. Unfortunately he developed severe respiratory distress and died two days later. He had received the 1st dose of the vaccine in the first week of June. However, he had not received the 2nd dose and was not fully vaccinated. The fourth COVID-19 death is a 43-year-old woman from Makoi admitted at CWMH Hospital for treatment of a serious non-COVID-related medical condition and later tested positive in hospital. She had received the 1st dose of the vaccine at the end of April. Fong said the fifth COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old man from Nausori. He was sent to the FEMAT Field Hospital in severe respiratory distress and died on the same day. He received his 1st dose of the vaccine in the first week of June. The sixth COVID-19 death is a 63-year-old man who was treated at the FEMAT Field Hospital in severe respiratory distress and died on the same day. He was not vaccinated. He said there has been one more death of a COVID-19 positive patient. However, this death has been classified as non-COVID death by doctors. Doctors have determined that his death was caused by a serious pre-existing medical condition. There have now been 39 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 37 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. There have been 31 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 5,776 active cases in isolation. Fiji has recorded 7,149 cases since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 1,318 recoveries. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 11.9 percent and continues on an upward trend. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 18:50:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MANILA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Philippine investigators have found the "black box" from the military plane that crashed in the southern Philippines on Sunday, the military chief said on Tuesday. Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Cirilito Sobejana said that another critically injured soldier died on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 53. He said that seven of the 50 soldiers killed in the crash have been identified, while many of the victims were charred and "beyond recognition." Aside from soldiers, Sobejana said three civilians were also killed and four others injured on the ground due to the incident. The C-130 Hercules transport plane, carrying 96 soldiers and crew, crashed upon landing before noon Sunday on Jolo island in Sulu province. The newly trained soldiers were being transported to Sulu to help fight terrorists. The accident was the deadliest Philippine Air Force (PAF) plane crash in the past three decades. Quoting one of the 46 soldiers who survived the crash, Sobejana said the military plane "bounced three times before it zigzagged and attempted to lift but failed to regain power." One of the plane's wings slammed a tree, causing the aircraft to swerve to the right and crashed, he added. Sobejana said that the flight data recorder could help determine the cause of the accident. "We will hear from the black box what the last conversation of the pilots and crew members from the cockpit was," Sobejana said in a television interview. Sobejana has instructed the investigators to complete the probe "as fast as they can," adding "they should be very deliberate." President Rodrigo Duterte flew to Zamboanga City on Monday night to pay his respect to the victims and visit the survivors. "I commiserate with you. I am as sorrowful as you. I am at a loss of words so that I will end up here, or else I will end up crying also like you," Duterte said in a brief speech. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-07 03:25:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ROME, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The positive impact of Italy's vaccination campaign on the evolution of the coronavirus pandemic would also boost the country's economic recovery, enabling the eurozone's third largest economy to grow about five percent this year, the governor of Italy's central bank said on Tuesday. "Thanks to the good pace of the vaccination campaign and the related improvement of the health situation, economic recovery is strengthening," Ignazio Visco told the annual meeting of the Italian Banking Association (ABI) held via video link. At the meeting, attended by Economy and Finance Minister Daniele Franco, Visco unveiled in advance some of the forecasts the Bank of Italy will release in its next economic bulletin on July 16. In the bulletin, "we will submit an update of our projections: according to the current estimates,...annual average growth might reach values around five percent, allowing us to regain more than half of what we have lost in 2020 in terms of gross domestic product (GDP)," he explained. However, the central banker warned that this scenario depended strongly on the country's ability to keep the current pace of some 500,000 vaccine doses administered per day and to "stabilize the containment of infections." If so, Italy's growth "would be helped by a lively dynamic in investments" in the second half of the year, according to Visco. Domestic consumption is expected to resume at a slower pace, with the high household saving rates registered during the pandemic decreasing slowly. On the other hand, Italy's exports would benefit from an acceleration demand abroad. "Supported by fiscal policy -- including measures financed with European funds -- and by maintaining favorable monetary and financial conditions, the expansionary phase should consolidate and remain sustained in the next two years as well," the Bank of Italy chief noted. Italy's GDP fell 8.9 percent last year, but the decline could have been more marked "without the strongly expansive fiscal and monetary policies implemented," the economy minister told the ABI assembly. Franco recalled that Italy had posted a slight GDP increase in the first quarter of 2021. Echoing the central banker's warning, he also stressed that the country's growth prospects depend on its ability to keep the pandemic under control. "The situation has been improving since April ... allowing us to relax the restrictions on mobility and social contacts, and this has given impetus to recovery," he noted. He explained that Italy's manufacturing industry - the EU's second largest after that of Germany -- has almost returned to pre-pandemic levels by now. The only relevant exceptions are the textile and clothing sectors. Construction has already exceeded the production levels registered in early 2020, while consumer spending has been "sharply recovering" since May. "A realignment of household saving rates to pre-pandemic levels would further support consumption, which can give a crucial boost to growth starting in the third quarter," the minister said. The country's growth prospects have been further boosted by the government's National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which it has recently submitted to the European Union (EU). The massive recovery plan will be financed from EU funds to the tune of 192 billion euros (227 billion U.S. dollars) under the Next Generation EU recovery instrument. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-06 10:46:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on July 6, 2021 shows the St. Boniface Indian Industrial School Cemetery in Banning, San Bernardino County, California, the United States. James Ramos, a California State Assemblyman and historian, on Monday joined other tribal leaders across Southern California to support a federal investigation of Indian boarding schools operated under the U.S. government's cultural assimilation program in the 19th and 20th centuries. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua) LOS ANGELES, July 5 (Xinhua) -- James Ramos, a California State Assemblyman and historian, on Monday joined other tribal leaders across Southern California to support a federal investigation of Indian boarding schools operated under the U.S. government's cultural assimilation program in the 19th and 20th centuries. "U.S. Interior Sec. Deb Haaland ordered a probe into burial of students at Indian boarding schools after graves were found at Canadian sites. I cheer her historic move. SB Sun's Joe Nelson looked into California's schools and their history," Ramos tweeted on Monday afternoon. The nation-wide investigation, announced on June 22 by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, the first American Indian to serve as a cabinet secretary, came after more than 1,000 human remains were discovered in Indian residential schools across Canada, which triggered fury against the country's bloody colonial past and ongoing mistreatment of the Indigenous people. An estimated 150,000 Indigenous children across Canada were reportedly removed from their homes and forced to attend residential schools between the 1890s and as recently as 1996, during which more than 50,000 died of abuses. Ten of the over 350 Indian boarding schools to be investigated in the United States were located in California, including Sherman Indian High School in Riverside County and St. Boniface Indian Industrial School in Banning, San Bernardino County. Those boarding schools used to be built up as an extension of the Catholic mission system, according to local San Bernardino Sun newspaper. The federal government funded and oversaw the schools, and the Catholic church ran them as a means to subjugate and culturally assimilate indigenous children by forcibly removing them from their families and suppressing their American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian identities, languages and beliefs. Sherman is one of the only four remaining Indian boarding schools in the country still operated by the federal government. The other three are in Oregon, Oklahoma and South Dakota separately. St. Boniface was built in 1890 and the buildings were demolished by the City of Banning in 1974, according to the document from Banning Library District. The bricks were made by Chinese laborers and the actual construction of the school buildings was done by Indian students. A file of Los Angeles Herald newspaper issued on May 9, 1892 said the school was "built for the purpose of educating the children of the 3,000 Mission Indians." More than 100 Indian children were enrolled during the first year, and 123 in 1891. Those "merry children, little ones and tall ones of the red race inhabiting the spacious rooms of the school, eager to learn and to follow the directions of the good Sisters of St. Joseph," said the report at that time. However, Ramos described another story to the San Bernardino Sun. "Those of us who grew up on Indian reservations, we heard about St. Boniface. My grandmother was sent to Boniface. They were forbidden to speak their language and practice their culture. It's a dark part of history." He said Indigenous people long associated the purpose of the boarding schools with an infamous quote by Richard Henry Pratt: "Kill the Indian, save the man." Pratt was an American brigadier general and founder of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania. "When you tell people that, some don't believe it," Ramos said. Along with Ramos, other Southern California tribal leaders praised the investigation, noting that many Indigenous children died from disease and work-related accidents, and extreme physical and sexual abuse had not been ruled out. "We applaud Secretary Haaland and the Department of Interior for undertaking this long-overdue inquiry into the terrible legacy and historical trauma wrought by the Indian boarding schools of the past," said Charles Martin, chairman of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians in Cabazon, which used to have an access road from the reservation to the St. Boniface school. Martin was quoted by the San Bernardino Sun as saying that the recent discovery at the former Canadian boarding schools in Canada was heartbreaking, but not surprising. "We are hopeful that this necessary examination will offer opportunities to grieve, to acknowledge the suffering and loss, and to begin meaningful healing and reconciliation," Martin said. Anthony Morales, chairman of the Gabrieleno San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, told the local newspaper that roughly 6,000 Indigenous people from his tribe and others nationwide were buried in and around the San Gabriel Mission. He hoped the federal investigation into the boarding schools would shed light on what had happened. He recalled stories about federal agents whisking Gabrielino children away from their families and placing them at Sherman Indian High School, where they were locked inside their cramped dorms when not working, physically and sexually abused, and died of diseases such as tuberculosis. "Our children weren't geared to go there. They didn't want to go there. They were forcibly taken," Morales said. "The treatment, the condition bestowed upon our children, was horrific." Clifford Trafzer, a history professor at University of California, Riverside, who specializes in American Indian history, disclosed that all of the former boarding schools operated by the federal government had cemeteries, and students were treated like slaves, forced into hard labor and exposed to dangerous working conditions. Some died in work-related accidents. Proving that any physical and/or sexual abuse occurred at St. Boniface, or any other boarding school for that matter may hinge mainly on interviews with tribal members, who received that information as it was passed down through oral tradition, Trafzer said. "We've all heard about this, but you're not going to usually find that in the documents because who's going to abuse a child and then write about it?" he noted. Enditem Mutoko Rural District Council has been accused of refusing to refund US$50 000 paid by a man who wanted to be allocated land for a business venture. In February this year, the then acting chief executive Samsom Zulu allegedly sold business stand number 6940 at Mutoko Centre to Mr Clemence Mweleya without following normal procedures. Mr Mweleya deposited US$50 000 for the stand into Mutoko RDC's CBZ Nostro account number 24148840110. Zulu was arrested and the stand was withdrawn from Mr Mweleya who is yet to recover his money. Allegations are that the current acting chief executive Mr Cuthbert Ndarukwa has been blocking the release of the money. Contacted for comment, Mr Ndarukwa said the council was still getting advice from their lawyers on the issue. However, a letter from council lawyers, Rubaya and Chatambudza Legal Practitioners, dated May 14, 2021 gave the council permission to refund the US$50 000 to Mr Mweleya. "What is apparent from the foregoing is that Clement (Pvt) Ltd offered to purchase land from Mutoko RDC. The offer was supported by a deposit in the sum of US$50 000 and is subject to acceptance by council. From documents which we have been furnished, there is no proof that council accepted the offer. In the absence of acceptance, there is no valid agreement between council and Clement (Pvt) Ltd," reads the letter. Senior Court Reporter THE woman who is being prosecuted for dealing in crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as mutoriro, was last Friday granted $20 000 bail. Anisha Brenda Gumbo is arguing that crystal meth is not a dangerous drug and was freed by Harare regional magistrate Mr Stanford Maburo who said she was not a flight risk. Mr Mambanje, however, denied bail to Savieri Zuze and Tinashe Muyeiso, who are jointly charged with Gumbo on dealing in dangerous drugs. The court denied Zuze and Muyeiso bail on the grounds that they attempted to flee from the police when they were being taken to court. The State is tomorrow expected to call a science expert to interpret a document tendered in court which explains the difference between a crystal methamphetamine and methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Gumbo, through lawyer Mr Admire Rubaya, tendered the document in a bid to quash the State's argument that crystal meth is a dangerous drug named as methylenedioxymethamphetamine listed in Part II of the Schedule in the Dangerous Drugs Act Chapter (15:02). "The document filed has some scientific diagrams which calls for interpretation by an expert witness. "What usually renders this evidence (document tendered by Gumbo) credible comes from evidence qualified expert," said Mr Mambanje. Mr Mambanje said he would prefer an independent expert from the Pharmaceutical Council of Zimbabwe to attend court and testify tomorrow. Mrs Netsai Mushayabasa told the court in her response to Gumbo's application that crystal meth is a dangerous drug named as methylenedioxymethamphetamine. She said anyone found dealing or in its possession is liable for prosecution. "Crystal meth is a dangerous drug named as methylenedioxymethamphetamine in Part II of the Schedule in the Dangerous Drugs Act Chapter (15:02) and therefore the accused person's conduct of being found in possession of such is criminal offence and there is reasonable suspicion that she was dealing in the drug. "The chief ingredient in the crystal meth is methamphetamine. Methamphetamine is a derivative of methylenedioxymethamphetamine which is a dangerous drug in terms of the Dangerous Drug Act under Part II of the scheduled drugs," she said. Mr Rubaya in the application for refusal of remand argued that crystal methamphetamine was not listed in the Schedule of Dangerous Drugs Act Chapter (15:02). Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Legal Affairs Zimbabwe By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He said crystal meth cannot be classified as a dangerous drug simply because politicians and general members of the public wants to refer it as dangerous. The State alleges that crystal methamphetamine that the accused was allegedly found in possession of is a dangerous drug yet there is no such drug listed in the Schedule of Dangerous Drugs Act. A drug does not become dangerous in terms of Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act (9:23) simply because the general populace, the State and or politicians want it to be treated as dangerous drug. A drug can only be dangerous in terms of the law if it is one which fits into the definition of Dangerous Drug in terms of Section 155 of the Criminal Law Code which provides that dangerous drug means any coca bush, coca leaf, raw opium or cannabis plant, prepared opium, prepared cannabis, cannabis resin or a scheduled drug. Crystal methamphetamine does not fit in the above. A perusal of Part 1 of the Schedule to the Dangerous Drugs Act shows that there is no drug known as crystal methamphetamine or crystal meth or mutoriro in vernacular, he said. document Statement By Aspiring Zapu President Sibangilizwe Nkomo On The Occasion Of The 22nd Anniversary Of The Passing On Of Former Vice President Of The Republic Of Zimbabwe, Father Zimbabwe, Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo The 1st of July is undoubtedly one of the most significant days in the Zimbabwean calender. This is because the day marks the demise of Zimbabwe's Founding Father, Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo. There is no doubt in my mind that Joshua Nkomo ranks amongst the finest of Zimbabwe's sons as a veteran of the Liberation struggle, icon of unity, giant of the freedom that our people enjoy and indeed an embodiment of Zimbabwe's ideals. We have the responsibility to teach generations to come who this great man was, is and continues to be in the political discourse of Zimbabwe. It is our responsibility to make sure that the name Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo is never forgotten. As a result, I join the call by certain sections of our people who have been calling for this day to be declared a Public Holiday. As we remember Dr Nkomo, who I am privileged to have known as my father and humbled to at the same time see as a statesman, we must remind each other what he stood for and reflect on his legacy. This man that we rightly call Father Zimbabwe demonstrated that when we are faced with injustice or any form of oppression, we must rise and fight it. His life was that of fighting different social ills ranging from colonialism, racism, tribalism and sadly a genocide that wiped most of the people that had stood with him during the dark days of the Liberation struggle. Though persecuted by both the imperialist regime and the first government of this country, he rose above his own personal emotions and misgivings and chose a path of Peace, Unity, Equality and Forgiveness. Very few amongst us could do that. There is no doubt that Most Zimbabweans would agree with me when I say that my father bit the bullet against all the odds and took a path that many would not have taken had they been in his shoes when the situation demanded. It is an open secret that most would have wanted him to go pound for pound with government forces during the genocide of 1982 - 1987, where more than 20 000 innocent civilians were butchered by the Fifth Brigade in the Matabeleland, Midlands, and Masvingo areas. The great appetite for violence that we witness today is inconsistent with what Joshua Nkomo stood for. He would never encourage violence, worse by organs of State that must protect the same citizens that they now brutalise. Umdala, was never a blood thirsty leader who would sacrifice opportunities to make peace just to see his fellow Zimbabweans suffering and the country being torn apart just for political expedience. He rightfully chose to make peace and it is this peace that we continue to enjoy to this day, albeit the bouts of violence particularly around election periods. The gun liberated us and now must protect the ballot and pen and not be used to guide or manipulate it as at times has been the case. Some might not be in agreement today that the choice of reconciliation was the best for our country. But I believe that Umdala Wethu made a wise decision and that decision saved thousands if not millions of lives. My father was not only a peacemaker but also a great nation builder who believed in a great and economically sound Zimbabwe and African continent. The many properties that Zapu had are testament of both visionary leadership and economic foresight. It is sad that the government confiscated those properties on spurious allegations and to this day refuses to hand them back to the rightful owners. As we celebrate uMdala, I call on government to hand back Zapu and ZPRA properties to the rightful owners. The disregard for land and property rights in this country is not what my father fought for. We have many, amongst us today, who speak of the values and virtues that ubaba espoused in his political career. However, while they speak well of him and his values, they have found it very difficult to live by the dictates of those values. Dr Nkomo and many others sacrificed their lives so that we all can have a better life and not so that a few individuals can loot and enrich themselves. The levels of corruption that we witness today are a reversal of what my father's generation fought for. The fact that corruption has become so brazen and the corrupt walk free is an insult to his legacy. We must ask ourselves today if this country is reflective of what Dr Nkomo fought for. Surely, that cannot be the case. How can it be when the youth are unemployed and are instead used as tools for political violence. Joshua Nkomo led the youth to fight for a Zimbabwe where young people will be employed and not just be members of a National Service that brutalises its parents and fellow youth. The Zimbabwe dream as envisaged by Dr Nkomo has been betrayed. That is why Zapu pulled out from Zanu Pf which my father had taken temporary refuge in to protect not only his life but the lives of all that were in danger of a certain death during Gukurahundi. Surely, a currency that has no real value is a betrayal of the aspirations of our people. Surely, the brain drain is evidence that our country has no capacity to take care of our people or promote their self actualization. Clearly, our hospitals are evidence of gross incompetence and deliberate neglect by leaders who have an option of getting medical care abroad. The state of our hospitals is embarrassing and shameful. Joshua Nkomo believed in the need for decent housing for the people of Zimbabwe. He believed that a people could be respected if they had accommodation that is habitable and within the world approved standards. It is unfortunate that today we witness the destruction of people's houses on the basis that those houses were illegally constructed in areas that are either reserved for drainages or wetlands. One wonders how this is possible when we have departments that provide oversight. To respond by demolition is not only insensitive but also cruel and inhumane. Joshua Nkomo had a vision for various sectors such as health, business, water provision and many others. He had envisioned that at a certain point in time, Zimbabwe will have grown to such an extent that it would then need some services and infrastructure expanded so that it is able to carry the weight of the growing economy and population. Projects such as the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project and Ekusileni (Specialist) Medical Centre, are some projects that he had, working with some like-minded Zimbabweans developed as a way of responding to the prospects of an increased population whose demands would be diverse going forward. However, most of those projects have either gone under the water or are still said to be under progression, with the present day government making token disbursements towards the furtherance of these projects. Most of these projects have become a subject for political campaigns each time an election in Zimbabwe beckons. As we commemorate the 22 anniversary of the passing on of ubaba on July 1, I would like to implore every Zimbabwean to look back at the journey that we have traversed so far since his passing on and ask him or herself whether they have been true to themselves and their contribution to the attainment of those dreams that ubaba and other well-meaning Zimbabweans, at the time, had for Zimbabwe. We need to re-calibrate our compass and re-focus our energies towards building a Zimbabwe that people like ubaba uJoshua Nkomo and other luminaries had in their minds. There is need for us as a people to rescue our country from certain doom by going back to the vision that our predecessors had. We have a responsibility not to only correct what went wrong but also to finish the business that our fathers left unfinished. The time has come and the time is now. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Zimbabwe Governance Human Rights By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. I have made a bold decision, having been asked by our people, to lead the process of building the Zimbabwe envisaged by those who fought in the Liberation struggle and those who supported them. I have taken up the challenge to build a country that our young people desire. In a bid to do this, I have committed to taking up the mantle of the leadership of Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU). I thus call upon the children of all Zapu and ZPRA stalwarts to come home and build the legacy of our fathers. We cannot allow their efforts to go down the drain. We too cannot allow their names to fade into oblivion. Our fathers and mothers can only be celebrated as luminaries in Zapu and nowhere else. I also call upon all those who have believed in Joshua Nkomo to come back to his party so that we together can build the Zimbabwe he envisaged and liberated. I call upon every patriotic Zimbabwean to commit to this cause of securing the future of Zimbabwe for our children and for generations to come. I call upon those who for the last decade worked with the giant of our struggle and intelligence Supremo, our past president Dr Dumiso Dabengwa, to continue to hold fort in the party. There is light at the end of the tunnel. The time for Zapu has come! I would like to assure all those that believe in me that I will not disappoint them. I will work towards attaining the set goals of reviving the party and ensuring that it stands as a party of choice in Zimbabwe. Finally, I call on every Zimbabwean who has attained the age of 18 to go and register to vote. This right to vote was acquired through the blood, sweat and sacrifice of our forbearers. Let's not allow their effort to go to waste. We deserve better and I promise to play my part in achieving the dreams of a better Zimbabwe. Long live the spirit of Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo I thank you Rebel leaders in Ethiopia's Tigray region have accepted "in principle" a ceasefire with the federal Ethiopian government but laid down strict conditions for it to be formalised. Conditions include the full withdrawal of troops from the region of Eritrean forces along with fighters from the neighbouring Ethiopian region of Amhara, who have been supporting the Ethiopian army during the eight-month long conflict. They also called for the restoration of their dislodged Tigray government. The conditions were laid out in a statement signed by "The Government of Tigray" on Sunday. Statement of #theGovernmentofTigray on conditions for Negotiated #Ceasefire. pic.twitter.com/dI71rLsi7O - Getachew K Reda (@reda_getachew) July 4, 2021 The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the regional authority driven out last November by Ethiopian and Eritrean forces, returned to the region's capital Mekele a week ago to cheering crowds. Their return was followed by a unilateral declaration of a ceasefire by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government. But the TPLF spokesperson, Getachew Reda, dismissed such a move as a joke. 'Ironclad guarantees' In Sunday's statement, released by Getachew, the TPLF said it would accept a ceasefire in principle if there were ironclad guarantees of no further invasions, but a series of other conditions would need to be met before any agreement could be formalised. "Invading forces from Amhara and Eritrea must withdraw from Tigray and return to their pre-war territories," the statement said. Ethiopian government ceasefire a negative factor for domestic support: analyst Ethiopia aid effort 'severely hampered' after key bridge destroyed in Tigray Other conditions are humanitarian, including the distribution of aid to the region, the safe return to Tigray of displaced people and full provision of essential services such as electricity, telecommunications, banking, healthcare and education. It also demanded the immediate release of all ethnic Tigrayan political leaders and members of the national defence force who are being held in prisons around the country. The statement said the United Nations should establish an independent body to investigate war crimes and an international entity to oversee the implementation of any ceasefire deal. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ethiopia Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. There was no immediate comment from the Prime Minister's spokesperson and the chairman of the government task force set up to coordinate the security operation in Tigray But the federal government has refused to open any dialogue with TPLF leaders, classifying the group as a terrorist organisation by parliamentary decree. Facing famine The TPLF dominated the central Ethiopian government for decades before Abiy came to power in 2018. His government has been battling the TPLF since late last year after accusing it of attacking military bases in Tigray. Thousands have been killed. According to the UN, more than 400,000 people in Tigray "have crossed the threshold into famine" and 1.8 million people are on the brink of famine. (with newswires) Francois Lecointre, Army Chief of Staff, on an inspection visit to Mali, flying over the Malian Gourma Desert aboard a British CH47 Chinook (file image). France is to resume joint operations with the Malian Armed Forces, after suspending them early last month following Mali's second coup in less than a year. Lemine Ould Salem, a journalist specialising in the Sahel, says the French president's decision is realistic. Following consultations with the Malian transitional authorities and the countries of the region, France has "decided to resume joint military operations as well as national advisory missions, which had been suspended since 3 June, the French armed forces minister said in a statement late Friday. France has 5,100 troops in the Sahel under its Barkhane operation which spans five countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. On 10 June, President Emmanuel Macron announced a major drawdown of France's military presence in the Sahel where forces have been battling jihadist insurgents for nearly a decade. Barkhane is to be replaced by a new mission which will focus on fighting terrorism and supporting local forces. The decision to suspend the joint operations came after Mali's military strongman Assimi Goita, who led last year's coup, ousted the country's civilian transitional president and prime minister. But the decisions to suspend cooperation with the Malian army and transform Barkhane "were very badly received in the Sahel, but also in Paris", Salem told RFI. What's more the decision to stop working alongside Malian forces was taken "without consultation with the military, who were never - it seems - in favour". By resuming cooperation with the Malian army President Emmanuel Macron "has finally come to his senses, by being realistic" Salem said. The French troop withdrawal was unpopular in several other African countries, including the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) which had taken note expressed its regret, said Salem. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Mali Europe and Africa Arms and Armies By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "In other words, to stop cooperating with the Malian army on the ground could have pushed part of this army - tempted to open up negotiations with jihadist groups - to make more concessions and be much more conciliatory with these jihadist groups. "This was a disaster that many people feared." From Barkhane to Takuba France's presence in Mali is to become part of a European task force known as Takuba in which "hundreds" of French soldiers would form the backbone. Currently the Takuba force is made up of about 600 troops, half of whom are French. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Italy, Romania and Sweden have also pledged to participate. What pushed General Lecointre to step down as head of French armed forces? New Mali government meets to discuss reforms, future elections For Salem, transforming Barkhane "was foreseeable as it hadn't achieved the result everyone had hoped for" but there was no question of the French army pulling out altogether. But in its statement, the armed forces ministry said "France remains fully engaged, with its European and American allies, alongside the Sahel countries and international missions" to fight the jihadist groups which are rife in the Sahel". "The time had come to reflect and to change the system," Lemine Ould Salem said. "The Malians, the Sahelians and the French all agreed on this." The change in arrangements, he concludes, "may have pushed Macron to listen to the military, who did not agree at all with the suspension of military cooperation with the Malian army". Foune Kouyate waits to vaccinate her baby, Kadidia Goulibaly, at the Centre De Sante Communautaire De Banconi, a health clinic in Bamako, Mali on November 4, 2013. press release The World Health Organization announced multiple commitments to drive change for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in all their diversity at the Generation Equality Forum, held last week in Paris. The WHO commitments focused on ending gender-based violence; advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights; and supporting health workers as well as feminist movements and leadership. These commitments shape a progressive and transformative blueprint for advancing gender equality, health equity, human rights and the empowerment of women and girls globally. The Forum, marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action on Women, came at a critical moment, with COVID-19 having exacerbated existing gender inequalities. WHO led in two key areas of the Forum: the Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence (co-led with UN Women and other partners) and the Gender Equal Health and Care Workforce Initiative between France, Women in Global Health and WHO. Recognizing the health sector has an important role to play in preventing and responding to gender-based violence against women and girls, WHO committed to: Increasing the number of countries with clinical protocols focusing on a comprehensive, survivor-centred, empathetic health response for women and girls subjected to violence; Working with partners to scale up evidence-based prevention of violence against women and girls in 25 countries with high prevalence, guided by the RESPECT framework; Developing and supporting the uptake by health providers, policy makers and managers of a course on health responses to violence against women and girls through the WHO Academy; Supporting the implementation of the Global Plan of Action on health systems' response to violence against women and girls; Establishing a comprehensive database to monitor implementation of the Global Action Plan and regularly publishing prevalence estimates from the Global Database; Working with partners to scale up the availability of essential, multi-sectoral and survivor-centred services with functional referral mechanisms, for women and girls in all their diversity, in at least 25 high prevalence countries. WHO also committed to investing in the evidence base for sexual and reproductive health and rights, including delivering comprehensive sexuality education outside school settings; improving access to quality and rights-based family planning in 14 middle-income countries ; supporting 25 countries in increasing adolescents' access to and use of contraception; disseminating updated guidelines on safe abortion; and building knowledge among adolescents of their entitlements and ability to advocate for their needs. Together with UNFPA and UNICEF, WHO committed to work to end harmful practices like female genital mutilation and child, early and forced marriages. The health sector will be supported to end medicalization of female genital mutilation and provide quality health services to women and girls living with female genital mutilation and married girls. At a high-level focusing on the Gender Equal Health and Care Workforce Initiative, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated WHO's commitment to advocating for decent and safe work conditions for all health and care workers, especially women. Several countries and organizations announced commitments towards the four pillars of the Initiative: gender equal leadership; equal pay; protection against sexual harassment and violence; decent and safe working conditions. The Gender Equal Health and Care Workforce Initiative will convene again during the United Nations General Assembly in September 2021. WHO along with other UN agencies declared solidarity with and support to feminist movements and women human rights defenders, committing to expand an open, safe and inclusive civic space for their work. This commitment is closely linked to the UN Secretary-General's Call to Action for Human Rights and the recently published UN Guidance on Promoting and Protecting Civic Space. WHO will: Update its gender policy, strategy and roadmap; Open specific internship opportunities for individuals with feminist leadership experience; Promote civil society participation in health systems, COVID-19 response and recovery activities; Promote and encourage gender parity in World Health Assembly delegations, WHO panels and advisory groups; and Facilitate menstrual hygiene and promote awareness. WHO, as part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, also committed to support countries to address gender-related barriers to polio vaccination, collect and analyse sex-disaggregated data to ensure girls and boys are reached equally, and to increase women's meaningful participation and decision-making across all levels of the programme. WHO will partner with Wellspring, Ford Foundation, UN Women and the Government of the United Kingdom, in the launch of the Shared Agenda Advocacy Accelerator (the Accelerator) to increase resources for responding to violence against women and girls. WHO will support the implementation of the International Labour Organization Convention No. 190 on Eliminating Violence and Harassment in the World of Work including by providing training to staff on a new internal policy, Preventing and Addressing Abusive Conduct. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Women Health Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. WHO has committed to accelerating and scaling up its efforts to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. An organization-wide task team, headed by a Director reporting to the Director-General, will bring together WHO's accountability functions that deal with these issues within WHO programmes and operations the field. The aim is to increase policy coherence, address gaps, and ensure that implementation of policy and procedures has sufficient impact to protect women, their families and communities. There will be a priority focus on how allegations and cases are managed, and practical measures on how emergency and programmatic operations can safeguard people more effectively from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. The Task Team will work with partners on the ground to empower communities to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. Some of the activities currently being scaled up include awareness raising in communities; engaging female and male community focal points to empower women to be alert to and use community-based complaint mechanisms safely; and measures to strengthen survivor-based services for women through the health system and in the community. document On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, it is my pleasure to congratulate the people of Malawi on the occasion of your National Day. Our countries boast a partnership rooted in shared values and expressed through decades of close collaboration. Now more than ever, Malawi stands as a beacon of democratic success and stability. Malawian peacekeepers have risked their lives to help bring security and stability to conflicts across the continent. People around the world look to Malawi as a society that has trusted, invested in, and benefited from the independence of its institutions. Malawi will soon assume the chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community, and the region is sure to benefit from your commitment to these democratic ideals. Today, we celebrate Malawi's progress and its promise for the future. Abuja The federal government is planning to establish 'Fire Police' to arrest and prevent any mob action and vandalisation of firefighting assets all over the country. According to the Minister of Interior and Chairman of the National Council on Fire, Rauf Aregbesola, this is part of the efforts to address the challenges often faced by firefighters during operations-mob action and vandalisation of firefighting assets in the country. Speaking during the opening ceremony of the National Council on Fire held in Jos, Plateau State, at the weekend, the minister said plans were underway to create an arm-bearing unit of the Federal Fire Service (FFS) to be referred to as 'Fire Police', whose duty would be to provide armed outer cordon during operations (fire rescue). Aregbesola, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, said the ministry would initiate the process of repealing the 1963 obsolete Fire Service Act and promote the enactment of a new contemporary, vibrant, and enforceable law, through the instrument of an Executive Bill to be forwarded to the National Assembly for deliberation and eventual passage into law. He noted that fire safety management as an imperative for national security can and should become a tool for not only the national security but also national development. According to him, "When critical national assets are adequately protected against consequences of huge losses due to fire incidents, these assets are saved; the economy is further protected, because the very lean resources that would have otherwise been used to rehabilitate or reconstruct such affected infrastructure would be channeled to other areas of our national development. Our national archives and sensitive information would be preserved." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The minister assured Nigerians that the ministry under his watch would continue to find innovative ways to empower the Fire Service in order to provide timely and quality service of world class standard to the generality of Nigerians and foreigners alike. The Federal Fire Service (FFS), he noted, had enjoyed and would continue to enjoy the tremendous support of President Muhamadu Buhari. "I am confident that as this government progresses in office, the FFS would be sufficiently repositioned to deliver timely and quality service to the country," he reiterated. In his remarks, the Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, who declared the council open, thanked the ministry for choosing the state for this year's conference, noting that the theme: 'Fire Safety Management: An Imperative for National Security', was well conceived at a time the country was grappling with numerous security challenges. Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the lawyer representing the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has raised the alarm over his deteriorating health condition due to his solitary confinement and mental torture he is allegedly subjected to by the security agency. Ejiofor while featuring Monday on 'Good Morning Show' on ARISE TV, a broadcast arm of THISDAY, said there was urgent need for his doctors to attend to him before it was too late. He said Kanu was brought into the country last Sunday after being detained, maltreated and subjected to all forms of inhuman treatment and inflicted with severe injuries due to the handcuffs that were put on his hands for hours before he was brought to court. Ejiofor lamented that he was not informed by the prosecution panel that his client had been 'abducted' and 'kidnapped' from Kenya and brought into the country to appear before the court last Tuesday. He added that if at all there was transparency in what the federal government had done, the prosecuting panel should have informed him that Kanu would be charged to court that Tuesday. Ejiofor stated: "There is an underlined fact that my client will not get a fair trial in that court, that is settled. The issue of fair trial has been taken away by this collaboration. But we will keep on watching and we are going to see them in court." "I have seen him and he has given me every information and details about what transpired in Kenya, how he was arrested, how he was taken to an unknown destination and how he was maltreated and how they nearly killed him over there. And it is obvious from what he told me that it was at the behest of the federal government that they were doing those things until when they beckoned to them to come. This is against, and obvious infractions of all international laws and treaties, but we are going to address it at that level. "It is obvious from every indication that my client will not get a fair trial in this court, until when the contrary is established," he said. Ejiofor recalled that before Kanu was granted bail, he spent over two years in prison, adding that the court itself was aware that he was in prison custody before he was granted bail. He said at the point he was in prison, Kanu did not at any time make any effort to leave the prison without a judicial process. Following his abduction from Kenya, Ejiofor lamented that the Department of State Security (DSS) had made it near impossible for his relatives and well wishers to visit him, except on appointment by his lawyers since he had been remanded in custody, saying that in itself is mental torture. According to him, "He's being subjected to mental torture as I speak with you. Because when someone is in incarceration as a political prisoner, which he is, he has no access to his wife, he has no access to his brothers, he has no access to his relatives to interact with them. Even lawyers who are coming to see him are coming with a specific approval by the DG SSS. So it shows that he is undergoing mental torture and it is worse still that Nnamdi Kanu is under a debilitating health situation. He further said that his health needs to be addressed as soon as possible, stressing that it is only a living that can face trial. Ejiofor said that the fact that there was a warrant of arrest for Kanu cannot stop the country from going into extradition proceedings before the extradition can be granted by that country. He said by Section 35(6) of the constitution, Kanu is presumed innocent until proven guilty, stressing that at the moment a lot of things are going on, while alleging that people are being paid to confess against Kanu. Ejiofor insisted that Kanu never jumped bail, adding that if the federal government was serious about prosecuting him, they would have allowed him to come to court on September 14, 2017 to face his trial before his house was invaded and people killed. His lawyer pointed out that if he had been killed when his house was invaded in 2017 and over 28 people were killed, they won't be talking about his trial today. Ejiofor said all these facts would be presented before the court, while insisting that Kanu never violated his bail condition. He stressed that he would be filing a preliminary application today (Monday), which would be entertained before July 26 when Kanu was billed to appear before the court because his health was deteriorating. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Ejiofor said he would be going to court to ensure his health was attended to by his doctors. He, however, alleged that his own life was under threat because he was defending IPOB, while calling on the federal government to protect him from those who are after his life. Ejiofor recalled that before Kanu was arrested in 2015, a three-count charge were preferred against him, but added that subsequently the federal government filed an amended 11-count charge. He said he filed an injunction to the charges and the court struck out eight of it. He recalled that the court ruled that the three-count charge preferred against him cannot be substantiated, but the court gave the prosecutor the benefit of doubt to establish the charge against him. Ejiofor said those counts struck out by the court had now been reversed by the federal government. He noted that Kanu, being a political prisoner, a 45-man legal team would be out together to defend him in court. Presidente @FSagasti: Desde el #GobiernoDeTransicion hemos demostrado que podemos gobernar bien con honestidad, franqueza y eso dejaremos como principal legado al proximo gobierno. pic.twitter.com/0IuzoOmq56 The top official specified that "a president is not an arbitrator, and the National Elections Board is the only one which has the power to define (the results) ." "The vaccination of (more than) 185,000 teachers in rural areas nationwide begins today, in such a way as to ensure the return to face-to-face classes," he indicated. Moreover, the Peruvian leader specified that this return to classes will be voluntary in Ayacucho and the other 17 regions where the immunization of teachers has begun. Mr. Sagasti also reiterated his call on citizens to be immunized with the doses as it is the only way to get protected against the new coronavirus. Presidente @FSagasti: Feliz dia a todos los maestros que dia a dia ejercen su profesion compartiendo sus conocimientos con ninos y jovenes en su proceso de formacion, y de esta manera contribuyen al desarrollo de nuestro pais.#DocentesDelBicentenario pic.twitter.com/WytNRtpOCb "They will have us available for as long as they deem it necessary so that all information can guide the actions of the incoming government," he emphasized. Presidente @FSagasti: La entrega del lote de 18 720 dosis de vacunas contra la COVID-19 a la region Ayacucho nos permitira continuar con el proceso de inmunizacion de todos los adultos mayores en esta region.#PongoElHombro pic.twitter.com/OLTLcR58bW YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, His Holiness Aram I sent a letter to Pope Francis upon his return from Vatican, expressing gratitude for the warm welcome, the participation to the meeting of the Christian spiritual leaders and the special care towards the people of Lebanon, the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia reported. In his letter His Holiness Aram I stated that the meeting in Vatican once again highlighted the close cooperation of churches in areas which are of concern, at the same time drawing the attention of the world community to the crucial urgency of helping Lebanon as it faces a profound socio-economic crisis. Catholicos Aram I also wished Pope Francis a speedy recovery from a surgery he underwent yesterday. Editing and Translating by AnetaHarutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Minister of Economy of Armenia Vahan Kerobyan presented details from his current working visit to Russia. The minister said on social media that he had met with Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov on July 5. We have discussed a number of important issues in a warm friendly atmosphere relating to the Armenia-Russian commercial relations and the deepening of cooperation in the field of industry, Vahan Kerobyan said. He informed that they also discussed the prospects of expanding the activity of Russian companies in Armenias free economic zones, as well as the opportunities of participation of Russian companies into the production of solar power plants in Armenia. Mr. Kerobyan has visited Russia to participate in the 11th Innoprom 2021 international industrial exhibition which will last until July 8. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. Masdar, one of the leading global companies in the field of renewable energy, has been officially recognized by the Armenian Government as the winner of the tender for constructing solar power station with a total capacity of 200 MW, the Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF) told Armenpress. The solar power station will be located in Talin and Dashtadem communities of Aragatsotn province. The program will consist of several stages program designing, funding, construction and operation. Being the winner of the tender for constructing solar power station of industrial scale in Armenia, a new and interesting stage of cooperation with our partners ANIF and the Government of Armenia is starting. Its an important page for Armenia on its path to transitioning to clean energy. Low-cost solar energy will help to boost new fields, create jobs and lead the country to a really sustainable future. Masdar is proud to assist Armenia to achieve its targets in renewable energy, Masdar Director Mohamed Al Ramahi said. The UAE-based company will invest about 174 million dollars for the project. A new sub-station will also be built on the sidelines of the project. The project will create numerous direct and indirect jobs. The tender was part of an official agreement signed between Masdar and ANIF in November 2019 about development of renewable energy projects in Armenia with a total capacity of 400 MW. Further discussions are underway over the project of installing the next power station of 200 MW. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. At the initial period the authorities of Azerbaijan were not cooperating with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) at all over the issue of Armenian captives, or were ignoring that issue and were constantly violating the deadlines of the interim measure as applied by the Court, Representative of Armenia before the ECHR Yeghishe Kirakosyan said during an online press conference. He stated that the Court has approved most of Armenias appeals requesting to apply interim measures against Azerbaijan. With such means, of course, an attempt was made to get legal obliging information from Azerbaijan, obliging them to ensure proper attitude towards the captured persons in accordance with the requirements of the Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, so that at least two key articles the second and the third articles (right to life and prohibition of torture) were not violated, he said. Yeghishe Kirakosyan says Azerbaijan has always violated the deadlines set by the Court. Azerbaijans such behavior led to the point that we requested the Court to notify the CoE Committee of Ministers in accordance with its rules of procedure, which being the main political body in the Council of Europe, also has a certain power to control the implementation of the decisions of the European Court. The notification took place, but what happened then in the Committee of Ministers, mildly speaking, was not satisfactory, because, unfortunately, we didnt see any discussion or result about the issue because of some reasons, maybe for political reasons, he said. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian sent a congratulatory letter to First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev on the occasion of his birthday, the Armenian Presidents Office told Armenpress. The letter reads: As the leader and the first President of Kazakhstan you had and have a decisive contribution to Kazakhstans development, economic progress and social welfare, raising the countrys reputation in the international arena. I am deeply convinced that your wisdom and vision to the future will continue serving for your countrys prosperity. The multilateral mutually beneficial cooperation between Armenia and Kazakhstan are based on friendship and mutual respect, the two countries are actively cooperating within integration unions and other international platforms. Armenia highly values your personal contribution to the deepening of friendly ties and mutually beneficial political, economic and humanitarian cooperation between our countries. I sincerely appreciate your friendship. I warmly remember my recent visit to Kazakhstan which will give a new impetus to strengthening the partnership between our countries. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. The United States welcomes the July 3 release by Azerbaijan of 15 Armenian detainees and their return to Armenia, the US Embassy in Armenia said in a statement. We also welcome Armenias decision to share information with Azerbaijan that will facilitate humanitarian demining. These actions follow Azerbaijans June 12 release of Armenian detainees and Armenias decision to provide Azerbaijan information to facilitate humanitarian demining. This U.S.-supported effort, facilitated by Georgia, laid the groundwork for further cooperation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The United States also appreciates Russias efforts to support regional stability. The United States continues to call for the return of all detainees and the exchange of all data necessary to conduct effective demining of conflict regions. We stand ready to support cooperation and the resolution of outstanding issues in the region. We also continue to urge Armenia and Azerbaijan to reengage in substantive negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to negotiate a comprehensive and sustainable political settlement to the conflict, the statement says. YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. From 6 August 2021 German low-cost airline Eurowings will start operating flights on the route Cologne -Yerevan- Cologne, Armenia International Airports CJSC told Armenpress. The flights will be operated once a week, every Friday. For the availability of air tickets, their acquisition and other details, please contact the airline, the statement says. YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan sent a letter of condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the plane crash in Kamchatka, Pashinyans Office told Armenpress. Dear Mr. President, On behalf of the people of Armenia and myself personally, I extend my sincere condolences over the crash of An-26 plane in Kamchatka. At this tragic moment, please convey my deepest condolences to the families and relatives of the victims. The An-26 plane belonging to the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air Enterprise went missing on July 6. It was headed from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Palana and carried 22 passengers and six crew members on board. The plane stopped communication during its landing, TASS reported. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. FMO and AraratBank today announced the signing of a USD 10mln NASIRA loan portfolio guarantee. This innovative risk sharing program will make it easier for AraratBank to provide funding to youth, migrant, women and COVID-19 affected entrepreneurs, as losses on the loan portfolio will be carried by both parties. The NASIRA program is a risk sharing facility for local financial institutions, supported by the European Union and MASSIF, the financial inclusion fund FMO manages on behalf of the Dutch government. It is a new way of unlocking support to underserved segments, specifically young, female, COVID-19 affected and migrant entrepreneurs. In the longstanding relationship with FMO, AraratBank has proven to be a socially engaged bank, also demonstrated by their interest in the Nasira target customers. Especially in Armenia, with a large diaspora, this will also include returnees. These groups often remain underbanked due to high risks - both perceived and real - involved in lending to them, due to absence of collateral and credit history, among others. The guarantee program takes away this hurdle, by agreeing in advance to share possible credit losses. A technical assistance program is ready to support AraratBank in their plans to reach out to NASIRA target segments, stated by FMO press service. "I am delighted that the years of eraned trust has today led to the signing of one-of-a-kind agreement. The NASIRA program stands out for its risk sharing where AraratBank and FMO will jointly bear the risk of default on the loans to financially vulnerable businesses, enabling beneficiaries to establish and grow their businesses in Armenia. Another noteworthy feature of this program is that it is unprecedented also in the whole regionIts no secret that banks avoid financing financially vulnerable and high-risk businesses. We are happy that AraratBank comes up with such an offer, as we highlight the importance of providing access to finance and equal terms for all borrowers, said Mher Ananyan, Chairman of the Executive Board of AraratBank. In our longstanding relationship with AraratBank, signing the NASIRA loan portfolio guarantee is an exciting next step. By reducing the perceived and actual risk of financially underserved groups and COVID-19 affected businesses, FMO aims to contribute to reducing inequalities within Armenia and enhancing financial support to small businesses during the COVID-19 crisis and its recovery period, said Huib-Jan de Ruijter, Chief Investment Officer a.i. of FMO. ------------------- About AraratBank AraratBank open joint-stock company was founded in 1991, providing the latest and highest quality banking services to both individuals and legal entities, applying modern technologies to develop banking services and creating a special business culture in bank-client relations. With the innovative banking technologies and best practices of corporate governance, the bank has 53 branches across the country. AraratBank actively participates in the real sector of the Armenian economy, particularly in SME lending. AraratBank cooperates with 17 reputable international financial institutions. By reporting a stable growth of financial indicators year on year, AraratBank takes its unique position in the banking sector of the Republic of Armenia. Thus, as of the performance indicators in Quarter 1, 2021, total assets stood at USD 501.8 million. Loan portfolio stood at USD 281.2 million, with the share of corporate loans totaling 548% (USD 154.1 million) and the share of retail loans totaling 47.7% (USD 134.1 million) in the loan portfolio. Total liabilities in the reporting period stood at USD 426.3 million. The share of borrowings from IFIs in total liabilities stood at around 30.0% or USD 127.8 million, the share of term deposits stood at 23.5% or USD 100.3 million, while the share of demand deposits stood at 22.4% or USD 95.3 million. In Quarter 1, 2021, the Bank succeeded in reporting growth of term deposits by USD 12.9 million (14.8%). Total capital reported growth of USD 75.5 million as compared to the indicator of the previous year USD 73.2 million. In Quarter 1, 2021, net profit stood at USD 3.4 million. In Quarter 1, AraratBank provided capital adequacy of 14.73% and total liquidity of 27.49%. For more information please visit araratbank.am About FMO FMO is the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank. As a leading impact investor, FMO supports sustainable private sector growth in developing countries and emerging markets by investing in ambitious projects and entrepreneurs. FMO believes that a strong private sector leads to economic and social development and has a 50-year proven track-record of empowering people to employ their skills and improve their quality of life. FMO focuses on three sectors that have high development impact: financial institutions, energy, and agribusiness, food & water. With a committed portfolio of EUR 9.7 billion spanning over 85 countries, FMO is one of the larger bilateral private sector development banks globally. For more information please visit www.fmo.nl YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian sent a congratulatory message to Member of House of Lords of the United Kingdom Baroness Caroline Cox on birthday, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Presidents Office. The Presidents congratulatory message reads as follows, You have always stood with the Armenian people, shared our pain and sufferings and supported in every possible way our just struggle for freedom and independence. Your over 80 visits to Artsakh are the best evident of real friendship. Taking the opportunity, I want to express deep gratitude to you for the immense work you did since the first day of the war and your calls addressed to the international community over the protection of rights of the people of Artsakh. I am confident that your endless generosity and devotion to the people of Armenia and Artsakh will be remembered for centuries. " YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. Acting Minister of High-tech Industry of Armenia Hayk Chobanyan met with Ahlam Al-Salami, the Charge d'Affaires of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Armenia. As ARMENPRESs was informed from the press service of the Ministry, Hayk Chobanyan thanked the guest for the meeting and hoped that it will foster the effective cooperation between the two countries in the sphere of high-tech industry. The Acting Minister noted that he highly appreciates the platforms already established in the UAE, which implement acceleration, startups, venture fund, artificial intelligence, robotics projects. Chobanyan underlined the prospects for cooperation with IT companies, as well as highlighted the opportunities to attract UAE investors to the Armenian National Venture Fund. Ahlam Al-Salami thanked for the meeting and noted that the UAE highlights the deepening of cooperation with Armenia in high-tech industry. All issues and suggestions raised during the meeting will be conveyed to the relevant authorities of the UAE in order to develop more effective and reciprocal cooperation between the two countries. At the end of the meeting, Hayk Chobanyan invited Ahlam Al-Salami to take part in the events of the Technology Week to be held in October, as well as the "ArmHighTech" International Exhibition of armaments and defense technologies scheduled for March 2022, as well as invited to visit the engineering city of Yerevan and get acquainted with the eco-system of the city. YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. The ceasefire is maintained along the entire line of contact in Nagorno Karabakh, ARMENPRESS reports the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation issued a statement. "The Russian peacekeeping unit continus to carry out tasks in the area. The Russian peacekeepers are monitoring the situation round the clock and monitoring the ceasefire regime at 27 monitoring points. The Russian peacekeepers are ensuring the safe movement of civilians," the statement said. It is noted that the engineering teams of the Russian peacekeeping unit continue to work to clear the territory of Nagorno Karabakh from mines. "In total, 2165 hectares of land, 657.3 km of roads, 1892 buildings, including 30 objects of social significance, were cleared of unexploded devices starting from November 23, 2020, 25,640 explosive objects were found and neutralized," reads the statement. Continuous cooperation is maintained with the General Staffs of the Armed Forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan to coordinate efforts to prevent possible incidents in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. The South Australian government has unveiled detailed plans for the new Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide, with promises of increased treatment spaces, a bigger emergency department and more operating theatres. Premier Steven Marshall says the new facility, to cost close to $2 billion and due to open in 2027, will have the capacity to treat about 21,400 additional patients a year. However, the South Australian opposition says there is still no start date for construction and some areas, including obstetrics, will actually have fewer beds. "The master plan outlines key details about the benefits this state-of-the-art hospital will deliver for South Australian women, children and families," Premier Marshall said on Tuesday. The estimated $1.95 billion cost includes the base build, as well as a multi-level carpark and other roadworks, a link to the nearby parklands, biomedical engineering, furniture, fittings, equipment, IT, contingency costs and relocation costs. Health Minister Stephen Wade said with the new facility to be next to the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA would have one of the largest health and life science clusters in the southern hemisphere. "The Women's and Children's Hospital was the first Australian hospital specialising in health services for women, babies, children and young people, and the facility has provided excellent care to families for more than 140 years," he said. "However, the ageing infrastructure and inflexibility of the current site does not reflect the needs of the South Australian community today." The government said the new hospital would have 500 treatment spaces, an emergency department almost twice as big as the existing hospital, and double the amount of available car parking. In-room accommodation would also be provided to allow parents to stay with a baby or child. More children's play areas have been planned, along with more outdoor areas and respite areas. Story continues Chair of the Women's and Children's Health Network Governing Board Jim Birch said there had been significant input into the design from clinicians, other staff, consumers and volunteers. "Building a new hospital is a challenging and exciting process, and that's why we will continue to work with our doctors, nurses, staff and consumers during all phases of the project to ensure we build a new hospital that is tailored to our unique needs,'' Mr Birch said. But Opposition Health Spokesman Chris Picton said with no start date for construction, the government had also failed to provide more funds, above an initial $50 million, to ensure the existing hospital could continue to function for another six years. Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter No. 704, of Cayuga County, will partner with Cayuga Community College and the Cayuga County Community College Foundation to bring a veterans memorial to Auburn this summer. The Wreaths Across America Mobile Education Exhibit will come to the college's Auburn campus from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 9. The exhibit is free and open to the public. The 1,500-square-foot mobile museum provides information about the service of veterans and appreciation for their sacrifice, the college said in a news release. It includes interactive exhibits, short films, shared stories and family activities. Veterans will be honored with a pinning ceremony at 6 p.m., and Wreaths Across America representatives will be available for tours and questions. The goal of the Wreaths Across America Mobile Education Exhibit is to bring community together and teach patriotism while remembering the service and sacrifice of our nations heroes, said Karen Worcester, executive director for Wreaths Across America. Nearly two weeks ago, DOCCS reported that 14,100 incarcerated individuals 44% of the statewide prison population have received at least dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. A department spokesperson added that vaccination clinics have been completed at all facilities and educational videos are being shown to highlight the importance of getting vaccinated. The vaccination rate among DOCCS staff is unknown. The department isn't mandating the vaccine for employees. As of June 24, 7,550 employees received their first dose of the vaccine at a department clinic. Second doses of the Moderna vaccine or the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine were administered to 7,994 employees. The totals don't include employees who were vaccinated at community clinics outside of prisons. Michael Powers, president of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, questioned why DOCCS wouldn't offer incentives for employees to get vaccinated. "We all want a safe working environment," he told The Citizen on Tuesday. There is another potential incentive for incarcerated individuals to get vaccinated: participation in DOCCS' Family Reunion Program. A Cypress Creek spokeswoman said Tetra Tech has done work for the company, but not on Bear Ridge Solar or other large-scale projects in New York. AES confirmed Tetra Tech was working on its Somerset project. "When we read the regulations, they did not appear that they were written by agency personnel," Cremer said. She said the FOIL material showed the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority gave Tetra Tech a $1 million contract to write the regulations. "We don't want to stop these projects, necessarily. We want to have a meaningful review," said Gary A. Abraham, a Cattaraugus County environmental attorney whose law group filed the suit. If it succeeds, developers whose projects currently are being reviewed under the Section 94-c rules may revert to the state's older, slower process or wait for new regulations to be issued. The lawsuit, filed in State Supreme Court in Albany, contends that the regulations violate the state constitution's home rule provisions by allowing ORES to waive any local laws that might stand in the way of a green energy project, and that they were illegally adopted without a proper environmental review process. PHOENIX Entrenue has been named exclusive U.S. adult distributor of EngErotics, the CannaSexTech brand thats been stirring up interest for months. First to ship are six varieties of CBD-infused Soaking Sand Bath Shots: Petrichor, Tropical Escape, Jasmine Temptation, Creme Brulee, Lavender Chamomile, and the scent-free Naked. Each boasts 20mg of CBD and is packaged in a single-shot bag with a vent that keeps the salts in ideal condition while allowing shoppers to test the scent before buying. EngErotics (pronounced ENJ-Erotics) is short for Engineered Erotics and is an innovative, Black-owned, woman-owned CannaSexTech company that specializes in the design and development of intimacy devices and the formulation and manufacturing of CBD-infused intimate body care products. We are an inclusive, user-driven company that welcomes feedback, suggestions, and new ideas, EngErotics founder Raven Faber said. We aim to help normalize the conversation surrounding sexual wellness and cannabis by educating the public on ingredients, efficacy, process, and, most importantly, why all of these play an important role in enhancing sex and creating bigger orgasms. EngErotics Soaking Sand Bath Shots come in sleek, sturdy silver bags that feature images related to the scent inside. They are ideal for eye-catching displays alongside bath and body care products, the company said. EngErotics Soaking Sand Bath Shots are in demand and for good reason! Entrenue Senior Sales and Buyer Kim Maty said. So many customers have been asking for this brand and were so excited to be EngErotics exclusive U.S. adult distributor. The line smells amazing, and the salts dissipate nicely into the water evenly, which is a testament to their quality. Entrenue is thrilled to support Raven and the EngErotics team, and we look forward to offering more of their products in the future. In the meantime, we are expecting the Soaking Sand Bath Shots to be big sellers! To view Entrenues newest catalog, please log into your account at entrenue.com to start browsing. To place an order, call (800) 368-7268, email [email protected] or visit Entrenue.com. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. MobiusPay Inc., the domestic and international processing specialist, on Tuesday announced that Jonathan Corona, their former executive vice president, has been promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer. Corona began his career with Mobius Payments in 2010, assisting in their transition when the corporation rebranded as MobiusPay in 2017. MobiusPay founder and CEO, Mia Hyun, said of the promotion, Jonathan has been a great asset to the MobiusPay family, utilizing his almost 20 years of experience in the electronic payments processing industry. With the ever-changing compliance standards of both Mastercard's Business Risk Assessment and Mitigation (BRAM) Program and Visa's Global Brand Protection Program, Jonathans knowledge has proved invaluable in ensuring that MobiusPay stays in compliance as a direct merchant account provider, and is able to pass this knowledge along, as needed, to our clients. Jonathan and I have known each other and been colleagues in this industry since 2003. I had no reservations bringing him onboard with Mobius Payments in 2010, and now 11 years later I am personally proud to see him rise to his current position of Chief Operating Officer of MobiusPay, Hyun added. I am both proud and humbled by this new opportunity and look forward to continuing to help MobiusPay grow and serve the Internets entrepreneurial community, Corona stated. MobiusPay, Inc. is a registered direct merchant account provider and offers comprehensive and cutting-edge electronic payment processing solutions. Mobius facilitates the acceptance of electronic payments for products and services both online and on the go. The company features a fully secure end-to-end global payment solution supporting all major credit cards, 60-plus global currencies, support for a variety of integrated shopping carts, ACH, and a wide range of custom-tailored solutions for businesses. Visit mobiuspay.com for more information. But for Cadence Lamb, playing Hamlet demands everything from her and theres no looking toward the next show as she makes her way through the elaborate sword-fighting scenes and extended monologues. And thats the key word her. Lambs casting as gender-swapped Hamlet bucks tradition. Lamb keeps her hair long for the role, while her costuming appears slightly androgynous, letting her own personal femininity and fierceness shine through. Lamb said she wasnt worried about taking on the traditionally male part or how it would be perceived. To me, these are people and the reason Shakespeare is done all over the world is he writes real people that are still relevant and relevant to any type of person regardless of gender or background, she said. She has noticed some reaction when she tells people shes playing Hamlet, but gender-bending isnt new to her, FlagShakes or other productions. Productions have a long history of across-gender casting. We are all masculine and feminine and I love messing with that in my own life as is, Lamb explained. Im surprised its a big deal to people that a woman is playing Hamlet. It shouldnt be surprising when reading the text as hes just a really relatable person. WASHINGTON For a mostly red state, Arizona has a lot of blue-state company when it comes to states ranked by electric vehicle ownership, according to recent government data. Arizona had 28,770 registered electric vehicles as of June, according to the U.S. Department of Energys Alternative Fuels Data Center, the seventh-highest number among states. When ownership is measured per 1,000 residents, Arizona inches up a notch to sixth place, with just over four electric vehicles per 1,000 people. That rate put Arizona just behind Oregon and Colorado and just ahead of Nevada and Vermont. California was in the lead by far, with 425,300 registered electric vehicles, or one for every 10.7 residents. Arizona EV enthusiasts welcomed the ranking, which they said they have seen reflected in steady increases in group membership, but said the state can do better. Arizona is growing by leaps and bounds in major areas, but still struggling out there in the hinterlands, said Jerry Asher, vice president of the Tucson Electric Vehicle Association. He and others said the biggest challenge in Arizona, as in much of the country, is the lack of readily available charging stations for electric vehicles. The pandemic also provided a real-world opportunity to discuss the importance of reliable sources, Martinez said. We were deep into the pandemic, and all this information was out there about COVID, she said. We wanted to give power to these students by making sure they knew how to identify reliable sources of information in their research and in the news. Rodriguez said the reliable source seminars were helpful and provided her resources such as databases where she can verify information in the future. They introduced me to the importance of finding the truth and using it in my scientific research. Jeff Propster, one of the team members, appreciates how Mathew invites her students to shape the after-school curriculum. The group was close enough and we were flexible enough to tailor our help to what they wanted to learn," he said. This spring, the students asked the NAU team to act as an audience as they practiced their presentations for the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair in April. Mathew is proud of how Greyhills students have become a fixture at the state science fair: I see very few Navajo students there, but we are always there. The new ban will ensure that we protect the quality of the experience, that we protect the wildlife itself and that they are being pursued under Fair Chase Doctrine, Davis said. According to the Arizona Game and Fish Department website, the doctrine pays respect to the traditions of hunting and angling by emphasizing the development of an individuals skills rather than reliance on practices or technologies that overwhelm the quarrys ability to elude detection or take." This is not the first time that Arizona has restricted camera technology used for hunting. In 2018, the commission banned transmitter cameras, which can send live video wirelessly. With the advancement of technology, trail cameras have become widely available. Coupled with the increase in Arizona hunting licenses since 2010, the use of cameras now creates more problems than benefits, Davis said. The commission has seen an increase in hunter-on-hunter conflicts in recent years because of camera placement and access to limited water sources, Davis said. The Arizona Wildlife Federation did not take a position on the camera ban, but respected the commissions decision, said Glen Dickens, vice president of the federation. LAS VEGAS (AP) The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is proposing rounding up more than 500 wild burros in the desert north of Lake Mead. The feral donkeys are stripping the land of vegetation and could die off if the population isn't managed along the Arizona-Nevada line, the agency said. It wants to gather most of them to offer up for adoption. If approved, the government also plans to temporarily sterilize other burros and round up the animals at other points over the next decade, the Las Vegas Sun reported. No date for the roundup has been set. It could be years away or as early as this fall if a historic drought in the U.S. West dries up enough plants and grass to force starvation conditions, agency documents indicate. The proposal also includes removing a small herd of wild horses in the same area. The Bureau of Land Management estimates at least 554 burros and 36 horses live in the Lake Mead Complex, an expanse of rangeland covering about 291 square miles. It's one of the biggest herds in Nevada. But what could be more un-American than an imposed obligation to behave in ways that conflict our consciences? In fact, the United States is close to unique in its willingness to favor freedom over forced respect for our national symbols, at least in theory. For example, nearly all other countries impose penalties for desecrating their flags. Someone who burns a flag in China may be imprisoned for three years. The same in Israel. And in Germany one could spend five years in prison for desecrating a flag. In the United States, however, the Supreme Court has ruled in Texas v. Johnson (1989) that acts as outrageous as burning an American flag are protected by the First Amendment. In short, while most of the world sanctions free expression, we permit citizens to speak their minds. Our national symbols are less important than what they symbolize. Now thats exceptional. Unfortunately, plenty of Americans would like to change this, to make their fellow citizens suffer if they dont show proper obeisance to our national symbols. This column isnt about the validity of Berrys reasons for her actions. I happen to think they are legitimate. Its not hard to see why declining to show conventional respect to the flag is a reasonable response for a strong Black woman in America. Allen West, the former chairman of the Texas GOP, has announced he will challenge Gov. Greg Abbott in the GOP primary. Former GOP state Sen. Don Huffines and conservative commentator Chad Prather also announced runs for the job. On the Democrat side, former US Rep. Beto ORourke and actor Matthew McConaughey are mulling runs for governor. If the election were today, who gets your vote for Texas governor? You voted: My mom likes eating Chinese ban (BAOZIs), mom's family all good at making delicious Baozi, grandma, auntie, uncleeveryone. I had seen her failed a few times to make her own, poorly mixed and kneaded flour, bumpy dough. She was so frastrated and gave up. She ordered Baozi from outside several times, I wondered how they tasted, she never let me try. Later, she got a magical box, added flour and water, and came out a smooth dough. So she made Baozi one day, she spent the whole morning. She left them rest on the counter. Now mom was napping in sofa. Later mom would eat them with dad and sister,never gave one to me. They looked so well and I was drooling badly. Woo,woo,woo, not fair, I am a good kid, but I want Baozi... ... Baozi. Action... one Baozi, yummy... ... I couldn't stop, another baozi, another baozi... ... All of a sudden ".................................", sounded my mom's screaming " My buns!" then dad "What happened?" "What happened?" "What happened?" "What happened?" I still had one Baozi stuffed in my mouth and turned to mom with a guilty gazing. She started snatching it from my mouth. I looked at the countertop, there was one bun left. "Where are those six buns?" mom asked dad, "I didn't touch any of buns", he answered, of course he didn't, I ate six raw buns! The rest of the day, mom seemed so worry about me. Why? I just ate Baozi, maybe only because she is mom, every mom in the world is the same. I was OK. I ate OK, I played OK, I pooped OK... ... That's my story of the missing Baozi. Hi, uncles and aunties, I am a black labradoodle, and this is me and my snow sculpture. My name is grabbing Baozi from the tall counter, I am a big boy now... Sister's drawing of me stealing Baozi Fisher says he then turned to walk away, but Merritt shot him multiple times in the back and legs. Fisher fell and crawled between two cars where officers found him. Surveillance footage from the alley told a different tale. Fisher is seen on camera walking down the alley with four other people toward another group of people that included Merritt, investigators said. As the groups converged, Fisher pulled out a pistol and shot Merritt multiple times at point blank range." Merritt falls face first into the alley. Fisher shoots him two more times. While being shot, Merritt managed to fire several rounds at Fisher hitting him in the legs and ankle. In the video, Fisher falls to the ground and crawls between two vehicles. While in the hospital, Fisher bragged to cops that he was a good shot and that he lit him up," referring to shooting Merritt. This is not the first time Fisher has been shot. In December 2018, Fisher, 16 at the time, was shot by a juvenile classmate with an AR-15 at a private home in Colstrip. Authorities in Colstrip did not release any criminal information about the shooting but said the boy had been charged with criminal endangerment. Fishers mother, Jenny Small, spoke to The Gazette at the time saying Fisher had not cooperated with police when they arrived to investigate. Love 4 Funny 22 Wow 16 Sad 17 Angry 78 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. With CSCT in the school, when the kids are upset, one of the counselors would either come up or the child could go down to the office and work their way through it and try to recover and save the rest of the day, she said. The biggest difference its made for me is Im not a counselor. The vice principal is not a counselor. So its hard to approach a situation without somebody guiding us through it, and thats what CSCT has done. It keeps the kids in the classroom. And not only that, but when theyre in there theyre actually doing what they need to do and participating and learning. SANTA FE, N.M. A French treasure hunter has sued the estate of a Santa Fe, New Mexico, antiquities dealer who sparked a yearslong search across the American West by hiding a chest filled with gold, coins and other valuables. Bruno Raphoz is seeking $10 million in a complaint filed last week in U.S. District Court in New Mexico. He claims the late Forrest Fenn deprived him of the riches by moving the treasure chest after he solved a riddle that would lead him to the loot. The lawsuit comes a year after another man found the treasure in Wyoming, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. It appeared suspicious to everyone, Raphoz said in the lawsuit. Our assumption is that (Forrest) Fenn went to retrieve the chest himself, declared it found publicly and kept the content for himself. About 125 soldiers from a Bismarck-based National Guard unit will be sent to the U.S. border with Mexico later this year for an undetermined amount of time, the North Dakota guard said Tuesday. The soldiers from the 957th Engineer Company are expected to begin the deployment this fall, the military said. Mike Nowatzki, a spokesman for Gov. Doug Burgum, said the Department of the Army made the request through the National Guard Bureau. We have monitored the ongoing crisis at the southern border and have responded to the request by sending North Dakota National Guard Soldiers to support the efforts to secure our border, the Republican governor said in a statement. Nowatzki said the deployment is being funded by the federal government. Burgum is among a growing list of Republican governors promising to send law enforcement officers to Texas. Republican governors from Arkansas, Florida, Nebraska and Iowa have all committed to sending law enforcement officers for border security. Star Parker should listen to her own arguments. She claims that religious freedoms must not be impinged upon. Then she says, the essence of American religious freedom is Catholics raising children, or providing foster care, according to their biblical values. Isn't making Catholicism the standard for religious freedom making every other religious belief take a back seat, or worse, to Catholicism? Star makes the same mistake a lot of religious folks do when they claim that religious freedom must be preserved and that must start by recognizing that their particular religious beliefs are the standard for the beliefs that must be preserved. In and of itself that argument demeans or destroys the religious beliefs of every other religion. Star states that, If some government measure impinges on religious freedom, it must be demonstrably essential, according to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. If other faiths and beliefs are not allowed to have the same value as Catholicism; aren't their essential natures diminished? Star closes with, America is supposed to be about freedom. Where is the freedom for the LGBTQ community if they cannot perform the same functions that Catholics do? The Taste of Buffalo, the city's largest food festival, returns to being an in-person event this year. Niagara Square and Delaware Avenue downtown will again bustle with local restaurants selling small portions of a few of their most exciting dishes across two days, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. July 10 and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 11. The Taste is free to attend, with food items purchased using tickets, which cost $1 apiece and are sold in sheets of five at designated tents around the festival. All participants are required to offer an Independent Health "healthy option" that's designated on the menu and, while not required to, some are continuing the two-ticket "Taste"-sized portions from previous years. Although the festival features roughly half of its usual cast of restaurant participants, a few food suggestions may prove useful, as navigating 26 booths, all selling between three and five dishes apiece, can still be a daunting task. See all of the restaurant food offerings in the festival guide. Grilled apple cinnamon roll with sweet cream gelato at Chrusciki Bakery, Simply Pierogi (five tickets, booth No. 5). WIVB-TV consumer reporter Al Vaughters, former WGRZ-TV consumer reporter Mike Igoe and radio news veteran turned WKBW-TV reporter Eileen Buckley head the 2021 class of the Buffalo Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. The eight-member class, the largest in the organizations history, includes former WKBW-TV photographer Mickey Osterreicher, WGRZ-TV chief photographer Andy DeSantis, radio executive and owner Charlie Banta, radio marketing and branding expert Heidi Raphael and the late television pioneers Bob and Ellen Knechtel. Vaughters, WIVB-TVs Call for Action reporter who fights for people with legal issues they cant resolve themselves, has worked at Channel 4 for 27 years. His work with People Inc. and SABAH speaks to his involvement with people living with disabilities. He is joined in the television category with Igoe, who took a buyout from WGRZ in 2009 and has since started a second career as an assistant professor at SUNY Fredonia. He won many journalism awards, has been admitted to the New York State Bar Association and has authored several books. "We will not ever again be turning off water in the City of Buffalo," said Brown, who called access to water a right not a privilege. "We also will be helping every customer that is two quarters in arrears or has been affected by Covid through this program. We will completely wipe out their indebtedness for water and sewer bills. So they start with a fresh slate." Those granted amnesty will be enrolled in an affordability program, Brown said. The city intends to hire a company to work with those in the amnesty program to help them keep current with their bills. Oakland, Calif., and Louisville, Ky., reported a 96% payment success rate among those in similar programs in those cities. That kind of success here would not only help those in the amnesty program but the remaining rate payers, who wouldn't have to make up the lost revenue from non-payers through higher rates, Brown said. About $4.35 million of Buffalo's share of the American Rescue Plan money will be used to expand the Mayor's Youth Employment Program over three years to hire approximately 800 to 900 young people for year-round employment opportunities. About 42,000 young people between the ages of 14-21 live in Buffalo, with 40% of them in households categorized as poor. This funding will help eliminate poverty, DeGeorge said. The event included music and free food. The goal of the event, the likes of which were put on hold because of Covid-19, is for police and the public to interact so the public can deliver their ideas and concerns directly to the police. When the community and police work together, they partner to make a safer community, said Mayor Byron W. Brown. This is a critical element of building the relationship between community and police," Brown said. "To be able to effectively solve crime, we need to have a strong relationship with the community where the community feels comfortable providing information to the police on various types of criminal activity." The department conducts these community events in areas of the city where there are higher levels of shootings and of crime overall, said Police Commissioner Byron C. Lockwood. Police will be bringing this type of daylong event to other parts of the city, "but right now, this area right here seems to need some attention to it and this is why were here today," Lockwood said. In addition to police, the Mayors Impact Team and representatives of violence-interrupter organizations Buffalo Peacemakers, Buffalo SNUG and the Stop the Violence Coalition were on hand. A 3-year-old boy was critically injured when he was shot in the head as part of a quadruple shooting late Monday night as a violent holiday weekend concluded in Buffalo. A total of 21 people were shot in 13 incidents of gun violence over the three-day Fourth of July weekend, according to the Buffalo Police Department. None of the shootings were fatal. "I know the numbers are horrible right now," Captain Jeff Rinaldo said at a late morning briefing Tuesday. "The numbers are higher than weve seen in years, but we will fix this. Its just a matter of community involvement and certain other things that are in process." The most recent shooting incident was the most serious, as a 3-year-old boy was in critical condition Tuesday morning at Oishei Children's Hospital after a shooting on Donovan Drive in Buffalo's MLK Park neighborhood. The boy was among a large group of people gathered outside in a courtyard area watching fireworks just after 11 p.m. Monday when someone began shooting, according to police spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge. Donovan Drive is just south of East Ferry and is part of the Ferry Grider Homes, apartments run by the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority. Two men are in serious condition after a shooting during a large gathering in Buffalo's Kenfield neighborhood early Monday, according to the Buffalo Police Department. It was one of two overnight shootings reported by police. Police said a 38-year-old man and a 25-year-old man were shot shortly after 2 a.m. Monday while "a large group of people were outside" near the intersection of Olympic and Warwick avenues. The intersection is just south of a Kensington Expressway overpass. The two men were driven in a civilian vehicle to Erie County Medical Center, where they were listed in serious condition, police said. In a separate incident, police said a 33-year-old Tonawanda man was shot in South Buffalo just after 1 a.m. "The results are a clear indication that folks across Erie County are ready to move forward and were going to do that together," she said. "Its clear our message resonated from Buffalo to Amherst to the towns like Holland and everywhere in between." Veteran political figures can't recall a sheriff's ballot as crowded as the one voters will see this fall. Gould remains on a ballot line of his own creation but said he won't actively campaign. Healy-Case, for now, retains the Conservative line, while DiNoto also has an independent ballot line. Healy-Case and DiNoto, who opted not to run in the Republican primary, could siphon support from Republican-minded voters away from Garcia. Gallivan said voters for sheriff are willing to overlook party label a key consideration for Republicans in a county where Democrats outnumber them almost 2-1 but Garcia has to make his case that he's best qualified for the job. "He would have to do that whether theres only two people in the race or six people," Gallivan said. Howard chose not to run for re-election, but his presence looms over the race to replace him. ALBANY On primary night on June 22, Democratic insiders in the five boroughs of New York City were anxiously awaiting returns from crucial campaign contests for mayor of New York and City Council posts. Not Queens resident Zohran Mamdani, or many other left-leaning Democratic insurgents like him who are among a new breed of activists occupying the furthest left of an already leftward-leaning party in the Empire State. Instead, their eyes, as self-identified Democratic socialists, were watching from afar the returns roll in from Buffalo, as one of their own Democrat and socialist India Walton was pushing aside incumbent Byron Brown in the Democratic mayoral race. The opportunity to have Walton, endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, as chief executive of a major U.S. city has left socialists like Mamdani very jazzed up and has created elation and hope not just in New York State and New York City but across the country," said the Queens Democratic state assemblyman, who himself 12 months ago shocked party insiders in his first run for elected office by defeating an incumbent to join three other new socialists in the 150-member chamber. Now, as Walton pivots to a general election campaign against incumbent Mayor Byron Brown, who is running a write-in effort against her in November, supporters from out of the Buffalo area like the 29-year-old Mamdani are gearing up to provide whatever help money, phone and text calls to Buffalo residents and knocking on voters doors across the city she needs. Support begins at home India Waltons electoral fuel, of course, rests with the voters of Buffalo in November as she seeks to become the citys 63rd mayor. She and her non-Buffalo supporters know the hype her candidacy is gaining would not be there without city Democrats rallying to her side. But Walton will have to also turn to people outside of one of the United States poorest cities to help fund her campaign. Such outreach beyond the citys boundaries is hardly new; Brown has done it for years, as do veterans and newcomers of the Buffalo area delegation of the state Senate and Assembly. In Waltons case, she will be getting help and already has from left-leaning Democrats, an increasingly organized mix of socialists who reside both locally and around the state and country, and, importantly, supporters and campaign experts of the small but influential Working Families Party that provided key campaign help for her primary win. Browns campaign was given financial aid at least $30,000 in the closing couple of weeks from out-of-area wealthy and connected political benefactors, including those with business interests before the city, for his losing primary run. But Walton, 39, who has never sought elected office before, also attracted money and volunteers in her primary run from liberals from around New York and the nation and they are already being called on again to send money and volunteers to help her win in November. Waltons campaign officials say they understand a key moment in time is available to tap into the excitement among liberal Democrats who dont get so many such victories as hers of chief executive of a major U.S. city. Shes going to have people flooding to help her in whatever way they can," said Amanda Litman, who worked on past campaigns from Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton before several years ago co-founding Run For Something, a left-leaning national group that provides support as it did for Walton to Democrats under age 40 running for office for the first time. +5 As the fall campaign begins, India Walton confronts questions over her past "I'm prepared to take on the challenges that the majority of Buffalonians are facing, and I'm not going to back down, I'm not going to cower and I'm not ashamed," Walton says. Litman said progressive Democrats beyond Buffalo have pledged help for Walton because of her personal life story, her policy positions and willingness and energy to take on an entrenched incumbent. Inspiration is a really powerful driver for fundraising," she said. But Walton, without an elected office history, wasnt able to do the usual dialing for money effort that sees everyone from Brown to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo having to make personal, direct appeals for campaign cash. Instead, they said much of her primary money came in organically," in the words of one campaign source, as word spread on social media and through outreach by the New York chapter of the Working Families Party, which helped run the Walton campaign using its experience in such things as primary day get-out-the-vote efforts. Mamdani, the Queens lawmaker, said he and fellow Democratic socialists from New York who backed Walton werent concerned with state geographic politics. Rather, they saw Walton as a fellow traveler in the Democratic socialist movement as she shared stories of working-class struggles and took anti-establishment views on everything from taxation to health to policing issues. In Walton, they saw the potential for a major force to push their movement within the Democratic Party. I dont think India has a ceiling in the excitement she can generate," said Mamdani, who will become a long list of Democrats from outside Buffalo from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez expected to journey to Western New York in the coming months to rally troops to get out to vote for Walton in her general election campaign against Brown. A flow of out-of-region help For her primary campaign, Walton got $100 from a Boston area college professor, $150 from a North Carolina author, $500 from an emergency room doctor in Brooklyn, $125 from a museum worker in Tallahassee and $171.60 from an education researcher in San Francisco. Some of her larger out-of-area donors have been givers to liberal candidates around the country. Arden Buck, 87, a retired research engineer outside Denver, donated $1,000 to Walton in early June. Farhad Ebrahimi, a wealthy heir to a tech fortune who heads Boston-based Chorus Foundation and is a benefactor or supporter to everything from climate change groups to Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter, also gave $1,000. Other out-of-area donors to Walton include Jason Katz-Brown, an executive with a left-leaning polling company called Data for Progress, who gave her $5,000, and David Pechefsky, a Brooklyn resident who has unsuccessfully run for Congress and the New York City Council, who gave $1,000. And a national Democratic Party megadonor, Dr. Karla Jurvetson of Palo Alto, who in the past hosted a fundraiser for Obama in her home and gave a whopping $14.6 million to a super PAC that backed Sen. Elizabeth Warrens 2020 Democratic presidential primary bid, gave Walton $2,000 on June 10. One source said it came after a general fundraising appeal by the Working Families Party. Those bigger Walton donors, as is often the case in other campaigns with deeper pocket contributors, did not respond for comment. Walton provided a written comment to The Buffalo News, in which she focused on the small donations from backers living in Buffalo, including what she says is hundreds of individuals since primary day. I know what its like to live paycheck to paycheck, and I know that while $25 might not seem like a lot to some, its a lot for someone who is struggling to get by," she said. The campaign says 75% of its primary donations the final public disclosure report for the mayoral primary isnt due to be filed until July 15 came from Buffalo residents, and donations across all donors averaged about $50. On Monday, when Brown announced he would challenge her as a write-in candidate, Walton said she raised $40,000 in 24 hours from 600 supporters. It also helped that famous liberals, like Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, took to social media to celebrate Waltons win. Indias vision of a government that truly works with and for the people is galvanizing those who dont usually feel seen or heard by the political establishment," said Sochie Nnaemeka, state director of the Working Families Party. With a 2019 change in the state political calendar, the Buffalo general election campaign will be a long one four full months now that primaries in New York are held in June rather than mid-September. That extra time can be both good and bad, for both Brown and Walton. Walton backers prepare Walton, a nurse, is a Democrat and also a self-described socialist. She was supported by the Democratic Socialists of America, which has a small membership of a couple hundred people in Buffalo. But they are motivated and engage in grassroots mobilization on everything from health care and tax law changes to Waltons campaign. The DSA is not a formal party. It is member-driven without staff or offices. The New York City chapter is growing in influence, especially after helping to elect a half-dozen Democrats in the state Legislature last year. We were already out there in the community, canvassing, texting people about issues working people in Buffalo care about because we are working people," said Mo Madden, the secretary of the Buffalo chapter. The past several months, the group added Walton to its portfolio being pushed with voters. Steve Jackson, the chapters treasurer and electoral committee chair, said the DSAs work for Walton will continue to involve knocking on doors, telephone calling and other work. Its a David and Goliath story thats taking place in one of the hardest-hit Rust Belt cities in the 20th century, he said of the Walton-Brown race. Jackson said DSA chapters from Rochester, New York City, Ohio and as far away as Atlanta have expressed interest in helping Waltons fall campaign. The DSA doesnt have nearly the operation of a seasoned political campaign or party. But, members and politicians say, they have extremely motivated voters in their camp. Our membership was very excited when Walton announced her candidacy, Madden said. From Queens to Buffalo In May, Mamdani, the Queens lawmaker, joined the other five Democratic socialists now serving in the state Assembly and Senate all from New York City and endorsed Walton. It was an act that got little media attention but made many liberal Democrats take notice. It came as the entire state Democratic delegation from the Buffalo area either backed Brown or stayed on the sidelines. Mamdani said also that members of the DSA New York City chapter the people who helped elect him and the others last year grew increasingly excited by Waltons Buffalo campaign and urged the six state lawmakers to help her out. Mamdani, who moved with his family at age 7 from Uganda to New York, has been using his Twitter account to ramp up support outside of Buffalo for Walton, calling for volunteers to head to Buffalo. A week ago, he wrote a lengthy thread explaining why the six New York City Democratic socialists endorsed in the Buffalo mayors primary when some, including himself, had not taken a stance among the crowded field of candidates in the New York City mayoral primary. One answer is that our politics is one of solidarity & we made the commitment to fight for working-class people across our state from Astoria to Buffalo," he wrote. In an interview, Mamdani, a former foreclosure prevention counselor, said he knew their endorsement of Walton goes against an unwritten rule that says lawmakers should avoid straying into political minefields outside their own communities, and said there was explicit and implicit pressure from some legislative leaders for them to stay out of the Walton effort. Mamdani called Browns write-in effort selfish, a move that would be excoriated by party leaders and lawmakers if done by an insurgent loser in a primary. And he dismissed as worn-out the characterization by Brown of Walton as a radical socialist. The mayor can call her whatever he wants to, but at the end of the day hes really going to have to call her Mayor Walton," Mamdani said. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In May, Pope said she called the county's Covid-19 hotline about her father and was told the list was still being sorted through. Then in late May or early June, she said she got a call from Buffalo Homecare asking if her father still needed to be vaccinated. She said yes, and she was told that her father would be referred for scheduling but that it might take a couple of weeks. She didn't get a call, but her brother did. He was in a meeting at the time, so Buffalo Homecare left a message for him. But when he called back hours later, he was told another person had already been slotted into the schedule and his father's name would be put back on a list for rescheduling. He asked if a new appointment could be made right then, but was told no. Yuzbashev said appointments are scheduled in geographic batches so that vaccine vials are most efficiently used. If someone is placed back on the active wait list, they are contacted within a day or two. But Pope and her brother said a week passed with no call to either sibling. "That's very unusual," Yuzbashev said. "There's no reason why anyone would be neglected, especially if someone has been waiting for such a long, long time." He said his staff even works on weekends to try to keep up requests. Still, crews got a big boost when the unstable remaining portion of the Champlain Towers South building came down Sunday. The demolition prompted by fears that the structure could fall allowed rescuers into previously inaccessible places, including bedrooms where people were believed to be sleeping at the time of the disaster, officials said. "The site is busier and more active now than I've seen it since we began, now that the damaged building is down," Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said, adding that heavy equipment was now able to move freely around the site. Rescuers hoped to get a clearer picture of voids that may exist in the rubble as they search for anyone still trapped under the fallen wing of the building, but they found very few voids, Jadallah told family members late Monday. No one has been rescued alive since the first hours after the collapse, but rescuers were still holding out hope of reuniting loved ones. "We continue to remain focused on our primary mission, and that is to leave no stone unturned and to find as many people as we can and to help bring either some answers to family and loved ones or to bring some closure to them," City of Miami Fire Rescue Capt. Ignatius Carroll said. *** The U.S. left Afghanistan's Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years by shutting off the electricity and slipping away in the night without notifying the base's new Afghan commander, who discovered the Americans' departure more than two hours after they left, Afghan military officials said. Afghanistan's army showed off the sprawling air base Monday, providing a rare first glimpse of what had been the epicenter of America's war to unseat the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks on America. The U.S. announced Friday it had completely vacated its biggest airfield in the country in advance of a final withdrawal the Pentagon says will be completed by the end of August. "We (heard) some rumor that the Americans had left Bagram ... and finally by seven o'clock in the morning, we understood that it was confirmed that they had already left Bagram," Gen. Mir Asadullah Kohistani, Bagram's new commander said. U.S. military spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett did not address the specific complaints of many Afghan soldiers who inherited the abandoned airfield, instead referring to a statement last week. Leggett said in the statement that they had coordinated their departures with Afghanistan's leaders. After a career with the Consulate General of Canada in Buffalo, where I regularly wrote speeches, op-eds, etc., on the Canada-U.S. relationship for the consuls general under which I served, it is time again to put pen to paper on this theme but this time as a concerned citizen, and under my own name. Born American, but with the privilege of spending summers on the Canadian shores of Lake Erie, I always felt a special connection to Canada. That feeling amplified when working at the Canadian Consulate, where border issues were the lifeblood of our work and where building cross-border networks, understanding and cooperation were a constant. Shared interests would bring folks together, but the personal relationships that formed provided the sustaining spirit. These networks regularly gave voice (while generating some good fun) to the many ways that Canada and the U.S. were in it together a framing of interest that would ultimately serve both countries, and frequently, the border communities too. I am worried that we at the national, regional and individual level are losing that feel of in it together. In the past, this natural orientation for some has led to finding creative ways to work some things out for our friends and neighbors because we cared and because we could. If this doesnt get the attention of the vaccine-resistant, its hard to know what will. A story in Mondays News, quoting Dr. Anthony Fauci, reported that 99.2% of recent deaths from Covid-19 about as close to all of them as you can get occurred among the unvaccinated. Get it? If you get a shot proven to be effective, with no serious side effects in the overwhelming majority of cases, its just about impossible for you to die from this disease. If you dont get it, you could die and before you go, you could infect other unvaccinated people in your circle. In Erie County, about 54% of people over 12 years old are fully vaccinated. Thats better than the national rate of about 48%, but infections, while still low, are starting to rise again as the Delta variant makes inroads among the unprotected. The six-county region of Western New York has recently seen an uptick, more than doubling from about six new cases a day to 13 over the holiday weekend. While thats not an alarming figure on its own, its a reversal of the hopeful trend of declining numbers of cases. Cases are up statewide, as well. Its not a good sign. It is worth noting that Benderson owns the McKinley Plaza across from the mall, and some parcels on the mall property include its two former Macys stores. As Raymond Fink, an attorney representing the Town of Hamburg, observed, the investment Benderson has made is clear. The town recently rezoned the land under McKinley Mall and its ring properties in hopes of attracting a broader pool of potential buyers. Casting a wide net should mean an influx of fresh ideas. The jury is still out on whether KRIG, whose CEO Mehran Kohansieh also goes by the name Mike Kohan and uses several aliases, can deliver. Malls have been transformed over the last several years, many into lifestyle centers, such as those planned for Boulevard and Eastern Hills malls. University at Buffalo marketing professor Charles Lindsey said that, without commenting on the specifics of this deal, that the purchase of a failing mall could pay off in the end. That could happen when the buyer holds the property until conditions improve or secures funding to develop it themselves. Whether the McKinley Mall transforms into the mall of the future, or lifestyle center, it is the duty of Hamburg officials to ensure the next owner is not just going to purchase the property and allow it to fall into disrepair and neglect. Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing. And there is the decay. Voelker said the front door is 120 years old but the building itself is falling down. Who will step in and secure the building and then rehabilitate it? And, at what cost? Because Voelker objects to the restrictions, the city panel is putting off the decision. It is interested in receiving more community input before making a recommendation to the Common Council. Meanwhile, Voelker has given city officials and the community much to consider. She said that the building has been broken into twice in the last month and had hosted a squatter during the pandemic. Voelker wants to leave the land open for green space. City rules require any applicant for demolition to first submit redevelopment plans. The Preservation Board recommended a denial of the demolition application in April. Instead, the Preservation Board referred the property to its Landmarks Subcommittee for consideration and action. Preserving this building would only mean leaving a 30,000-square-foot behemoth that would quickly transform from a preservationist-favored structure to nuisance property. The city would then have a much bigger problem to solve. Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing. The call went right to her mailbox, but I figured maybe shed tried to call me and may have left a message, before turning her phone off because, of course, she wasnt going to use it anymore. I dialed the number for my voice messages and learned I had four of them. Since I hadnt used the phone in about three weeks, this meant that if my friend had called me it would be the last message on the darned thing. I had to listen to three other messages before I got to hers: one Id left myself and one my husband had left me when we first got our new phones and wanted to try them out, and the third one was a robocall telling me about a new method for paying off my student loans. Since my last student loan was repaid in 1972, I surmised this was a phishing ad. Is it any wonder I dont leave my phone on all the time? Anyway, the fourth call was from my friend telling me where our gang of five was meeting that morning and I was able to join them. A few days ago I was chatting with my niece and she expressed her excitement about my new phone, telling me that now I should leave it on all the time. Her reaction made me realize that the young store clerks astonishment at my lack of desire for 100% cellphone availability was not an outlier. It also made me realize that I just dont want my cellphone on all the time. I want to at least maintain a semblance of control over my contacts with the outside world. Therefore, the new phone will remain tucked away in my handbag until the next emergency. Of which making sure not to miss coffee with my friends is definitely one. Whether its Gen X, Y, or Z, there is a common thread linking these people together these days: minimalism, a style or technique (as in music, literature, or design) that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity. I witnessed this firsthand when my kids, as they entered their 20s, threw out nearly all the keepsakes I had preserved for them. There was little tangible devotion to the good old days of their childhood as far as toting around remnants of the precious years. So, I packed up what I could glom onto and for the past two decades have carried on, literally. I did the same with my own and my mothers belongings and with treasures from my fathers estate. I cherish my mementos from the lives of my ancestors such as my framed wedding certificates and college graduation degrees from up to five generations back. I am comforted with visible evidence of my heritage, and I dont apologize for any of it. And yet, even I have felt the urge to undertake the process of trimming down my belongings and paring back my knickknacks a version of a minimalist me. I have one incredible piece of sizable furniture after another (that would make two such possessions), which I aim to sell. FILE PHOTO: A vial of the Pfizer vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is seen as medical staff are vaccinated at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel By Josh Smith and Dan Williams SEOUL/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -South Korea said it will receive 700,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine from Israel on loan this week, in an attempt to speed up immunisation following a surge in infections around the capital Seoul. More than 1,000 COVID-19 cases were reported as of 6 p.m. on Tuesday, the highest since December and hundreds more than the 746 cases posted on Monday, Yonhap news agency reported, citing South Korean government health officials. Under the vaccine swap arrangement announced by both governments on Tuesday, South Korea will give Israel back the same number of shots, already on order from Pfizer, in September and October. South Korea has quickly distributed the COVID-19 vaccines it has, but has struggled to obtain enough doses in a timely manner as global supplies are tight, particularly in Asia. Briefing reporters in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the vaccines were being loaded aboard a plane within hours of the deal's announcement on Tuesday, and that South Korean officials would verify their viability. "This is a win-win deal," he said in an earlier statement. "Together we will beat the pandemic." After a stellar roll-out, Israel has administered both shots to around 55% of its population and turnout has plateaued. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Director Jeong Eun-kyeong said the deal would allow South Korea to accelerate its vaccination plans, including providing shots to employees in some sectors that have a high amount of contact with other people. Local authorities will decide who gets the vaccines, but she said priority could be given to people such as street cleaners, delivery workers and retail employees. South Korean authorities said last week they were hoping to achieve herd immunity earlier than the current November target by inoculating at least 70% of the population with a minimum of one vaccine dose, mostly mRNA vaccines such as Pfizer's. Story continues Jeong said that if the vaccination drive goes according to plan, and South Korea finds itself with surplus doses later in the year after sending back the agreed doses to Israel, it too would look to share its stockpile with other countries. South Korea has been battling persistent small outbreaks, prompting officials to delay some easing of social distancing rules. (Reporting by Josh Smith and Dan Williams; Editing by Kim Coghill, Simon Cameron-Moore and Timothy Heritage) Representative Image Jalandhar (Punjab) [India], July 6 (ANI): Punjab Police on Tuesday arrested two Army personnel on charges of spying and providing classified documents to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), therefore busting a major cross-border espionage network. Dinkar Gupta, Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab informed that the arrested personnel have been identified as 23-year-old Sepoy Harpreet Singh and Sepoy Gurbhej Singh. "Those arrested have been identified as Sepoy Harpreet Singh (23), who hails from village Cheecha in Amritsar and was posted in Anantnag. He joined the Indian Army in 2017 and belongs to 19 Rashtriya Rifles. Sepoy Gurbhej Singh (23), a native of village Punian in Tarn Taran, belongs to 18 Sikh Light Infantry and was working as a clerk in Kargil. He had joined the Indian Army in 2015," the DGP said. Sharing further details, Gupta said that Jalandhar Rural Police, while investigating a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case, recovered confidential and secret documents related to the functioning and deployment of the Indian Army from cross-border drug smuggler Ranvir Singh, who was arrested with 70 grams heroin on May 24, 2021. Ranvir, during interrogation, disclosed that he got the documents from Sepoy Harpreet Singh, who was his friend, as they belong to the same village. "Ranvir motivated and lured Sepoy Harpreet Singh with financial benefits for sharing defence-related classified documents, following which the latter induced his friend Sepoy Gurbhej into such anti-national spying activities," Gupta said. "Since Gurbhej was working as a clerk in 121 Infantry Brigade Headquarters in Kargil, he could get easy access to these classified documents containing both strategic and tactical information relating to the Indian Army," he added. Gupta further informed that the accused Army personnel had shared photos of over 900 classified documents pertaining to the defence of the country and national security to Ranvir Singh over a period of 4 months between February and May 2021. Ranvir had further passed them on to the Pakistani Intelligence Officers. Story continues The DGP revealed that Ranvir further used to send the classified documents to either the Pakistan ISI operatives directly or via Gopi, who has been identified as the main drug smuggler from village Dauke in Amritsar. Gopi allegedly has links with Pakistan-based drug-smuggling syndicates and ISI officials, who invariably work in tandem with each other. "Following Ranvir's disclosures, the police have also arrested Gopi, who has confessed to having transferred classified documents to Pakistan-based drug smuggler, one of whom has been identified as Kothar and an alleged Pakistan ISI operative identified as Sikander in lieu of supply of heroin and financial benefits," Gupta said adding that all the photographs were transmitted over encrypted mobile applications. According to preliminary investigations, the DGP said that Harpreet Singh and Gurbhej Singh got monetary inducements for sharing confidential information. "Ranvir Singh gave money to Harpreet Singh, who further used to transfer it to Gurbhej's account," Gupta added. Senior Superintendents of Police (SSP) Jalandhar Rural Police, Naveen Singla said, "The Army authorities had handed over both the accused Army personnel to Jalandhar Rural Police and further investigations were being carried out to ascertain the involvement of any other accused persons." Meanwhile, sections 124-A and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 3, 5, and 9 of the Official Secrets Act have been added after nominating the names of both the Army personnel and Gopi in the FIR which was initially registered against Ranvir under sections 21(B)/61/85 of the NDPS Act at Police Station Mehatpur in Jalandhar Rural, DGP Gupta informed. (ANI) While for Ethiopia, the dam, pictured here in 2019, is vital, Egypt sees it is as a threat to its existence Egypt has accused Ethiopia of violating international law after it received a notice saying that Ethiopia's dam upstream on the Nile is now filling up with water for a second year. The hydroelectric dam has long been a source of tension in the region. Egypt, which relies almost entirely on the Nile for its water, sees it as a possible existential threat. Ethiopia says it is vital for its development. Decade-long negotiations over the dam have failed to reach a final agreement. Recent African Union efforts have stalled and now Egypt and Sudan, which also sits downstream of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd), have asked the UN Security Council to discuss the issue. They want firm commitments over the timetable of the filling as well as the volume of water the Gerd will release. Egypt said it was informed by Ethiopia that the second year of filling had begun. This has happened as the rainy season near the dam site gets under way. In response, Egypt's Irrigation Minister Mohammed Abdel Ati said he had sent a letter to his Ethiopian counterpart informing him of "Egypt's categorical rejection of this unilateral measure", a statement said. He also said it violated a 2015 agreement which said that the development of the dam should be based on "mutual understanding". Sudan also received the notification from Ethiopia, the Bloomberg news agency reports. "They sent a nonsense letter," its chief negotiator on the dam, Mustafa Hussein, is quoted as saying. The foreign ministers of both countries, who are in New York ahead of Thursday's Security Council meeting, called Ethiopia's "unilateral move... a serious escalation [revealing] Ethiopia's bad intention". "The second filling also violates international laws and norms about the usage of resources of trans-boundary rivers," they added. Story continues But Ethiopia says that it is not deliberately filling up the dam. "Filling goes in tandem with the construction," a senior Ethiopian water ministry official told AFP news agency. Once fully operational, the Gerd is expected to supply 65 million Ethiopians with electricity. The authorities say it will transform people's lives and the country's development. In a letter to the Security Council on Tuesday, Ethiopia's foreign ministry expressed its irritation about some of the diplomatic moves around the dam. It accused the Arab League, which appears to be backing Egypt and Sudan, of meddling. Ethiopia says that it is an issue for the African Union and not the Arab League. Ethiopia dam map Click here to see the BBC interactive France is to resume joint operations with the Malian Armed Forces, after suspending them early last month following Malis second coup in less than a year. Lemine Ould Salem, a journalist specialising in the Sahel, says the French presidents decision is realistic. Following consultations with the Malian transitional authorities and the countries of the region, France has decided to resume joint military operations as well as national advisory missions, which had been suspended since 3 June, the French armed forces minister said in a statement late Friday. France has 5,100 troops in the Sahel under its Barkhane operation which spans five countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. On 10 June, President Emmanuel Macron announced a major drawdown of Frances military presence in the Sahel where forces have been battling jihadist insurgents for nearly a decade. Barkhane is to be replaced by a new mission which will focus on fighting terrorism and supporting local forces. The decision to suspend the joint operations came after Malis military strongman Assimi Goita, who led last years coup, ousted the countrys civilian transitional president and prime minister. But the decisions to suspend cooperation with the Malian army and transform Barkhane were very badly received in the Sahel, but also in Paris, Salem told RFI. Whats more the decision to stop working alongside Malian forces was taken "without consultation with the military, who were never - it seems - in favour. By resuming cooperation with the Malian army President Emmanuel Macron has finally come to his senses, by being realistic Salem said. The French troop withdrawal was unpopular in several other African countries, including the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) which had taken note expressed its regret, said Salem. In other words, to stop cooperating with the Malian army on the ground could have pushed part of this army - tempted to open up negotiations with jihadist groups - to make more concessions and be much more conciliatory with these jihadist groups. Story continues This was a disaster that many people feared. From Barkhane to Takuba Frances presence in Mali is to become part of a European task force known as Takuba in which hundreds of French soldiers would form the backbone. Currently the Takuba force is made up of about 600 troops, half of whom are French. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Italy, Romania and Sweden have also pledged to participate. For Salem, transforming Barkhane was foreseeable as it hadn't achieved the result everyone had hoped for but there was no question of the French army pulling out altogether. But in its statement, the armed forces ministry said France remains fully engaged, with its European and American allies, alongside the Sahel countries and international missions to fight the jihadist groups which are rife in the Sahel". The time had come to reflect and to change the system," Lemine Ould Salem said. "The Malians, the Sahelians and the French all agreed on this. The change in arrangements, he concludes, may have pushed Macron to listen to the military, who did not agree at all with the suspension of military cooperation with the Malian army. Some of the citations involved inadequate staffing, such as not having a psychiatrist present weekly and not having a full-time occupational therapist. Willow Creek told the state it was addressing the problems. Another inspection the following month yielded two citations, including one for not telling patients there is not a doctor present in the hospital at all times. In July 2020, the facility was cited for not having a safe physical environment after an adult patient and a juvenile patient were left unattended in an assessment area and the adult forced the juvenile to perform oral sex, according to an inspection report. Green Bay police arrested the adult, who was charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child, a felony. The facility said a staff member would monitor the hallway if more than one patient was in the assessment area. Gender, race, and disability are protected classes in most other contexts, House speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, said in a statement. Why should we allow the unborn to be discriminated against for these same traits? The message sent by this veto is that some human life is more valuable than others based on immutable characteristics. Senate Bill 359 HB453 could follow a similar path to another abortion-focused Born Alive bill, Senate Bill 359, that cleared the legislature in 2019. That bill also was vetoed by Cooper. The Senate overrode Cooper's veto by a 30-20 vote on April 30. Moore approved placing, and then removing, SB359 on the House floor calendar for 10 sessions covering all of May 2019 before a vote was held on June 5, 2019, in which the override vote failed by a 67-53 margin. Placing a veto override vote on the floor agenda indefinitely is known in legislative terms as a veto garage. "If legislative leaders dont have the numbers, but think they can change some minds, they might" employ the veto garage, Kokai said. "Otherwise, they are more likely to go ahead and vote and see where the chips fall." HOMEWOOD, Ill. (AP) More drownings have been reported in the Great Lakes so far in 2021 than by this time last year, prompting officials to urge swimmers to practice water safety measures. As of July 2, there were 32 drownings in the Great Lakes, compared to 25 as of July 4, 2020, according to data collected by the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. The nonprofit annually tracks drownings in the Great Lakes and recently issued a warning about a summer spike in deaths. Of the 2021 drownings, 15 occurred in Lake Michigan, compared to 12 a year ago. Five drownings were reported in Lake Huron this season, in addition to six in Lake Erie and six in Lake Ontario. There were 108 drownings on the Great Lakes in 2020, up from the 97 recorded in 2019. There have been a total of 978 Great Lakes drownings since 2010. Last year, 53 people drowned in Lake Michigan, setting a record for yearly drowning deaths. More drownings are recorded in Lake Michigan than any of the Great Lakes, accounting for almost half of those reported. Psychiatric beds Dane County hospitals have 100 beds for psychiatric care, including 50 at UnityPoint Health-Meriter 20 for adults at Meriter Hospital and 30 at Meriters Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Hospital on Madisons Southwest Side. SSM Health St. Marys Hospital has 22 adult beds, UW Hospital has 18 adult beds and Stoughton Hospital has 10 geriatric beds. In addition, the states Mendota Mental Health Institute on Madison's North Side has 299 beds for patients placed involuntarily through a court order, mostly for adult males but including a 22-bed unit for females and a 16-bed geriatric unit. Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center, which isnt a hospital, has 29 beds for male youth adjudicated as delinquent. A building expansion expected to start by early next year will result in a total of 93 beds, 73 for male youth and 20 for female youth, said Elizabeth Goodsitt, a spokesperson for the state Department of Health Services. David Wahlberg POYNETTE, Wis. (AP) The worlds tallest horse has died in Wisconsin. The 20-year-old Belgian named Big Jake lived on Smokey Hollow Farm in Poynette. Valicia Gilbert, wife of the farm's owner, Jerry Gilbert, said Big Jake died two weeks ago but declined to give the exact date of death when The Associated Press reached her Monday via Facebook. We would rather not remember him by a date it's been a traumatic event for our family, she said. Big Jake was 6-foot-10 (nearly 2.1 meters) and weighed 2,500 pounds (1,136 kilograms). The Guinness Book of World Records certified him as the worlds tallest living horse in 2010. Jerry Gilbert told WMTV that Big Jake was a superstar and a truly magnificent animal. He said Big Jake was born in Nebraska and weighed 240 pounds (109 kilograms) at birth, about 100 pounds (45 kilograms) heavier at birth than a typical Belgian foal. He said he plans to memorialize Big Jake by keeping his stall empty and inserting a brick on the outside of it with his picture and name. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) Employees who will avail of their company's vaccination program for their relatives can be asked to pay, but employers cannot gain profit from it. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday said companies can ask the employee to reimburse the supplies, logistics, and distribution cost. "Reimbursement for cost po 'yan at walang profit, iyan ay pinapayagan ng gobyerno. Hindi issue ang cost sharing provided inorder at hindi makakarating sa ibang tao," he said in a media briefing. [Translation: It can be a reimbursement for cost but no profit. The government allows that. Cost sharing is now a problem as long as it was ordered by the company and it will not go to someone not related to the employee.] He added the private sector can only procure vaccines through a tripartite agreement with the national government. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) The death toll in the aftermath of the military plane crash in Sulu climbed to 53, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said Tuesday. The crash was one of the country's deadliest air force disasters in at least four decades. AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Cirilito Sobejana confirmed another soldier died from his injuries, raising the number of fatalities among the military to 50. Three civilians on the ground were also killed in the crash, which also left 46 soldiers and four civilians injured. Fatalities identified In an interview with CNN Philippines, Sobejana said the remains of at least 16 fatalities have already been identified. "As we speak, 16 na po 'yung mga na-identify na (we have already identified 16) cadavers," Sobejana told News Night, adding that the bodies will thereafter be brought to their respective families. Sobejana earlier said identification of the bodies proved to be a "hard task" as the victims were burned "beyond recognition." "Sunog na sunog po sila dahil hindi sila nakalabas nung sumabog 'yung C-130," he said in a separate interview with The Source. [Translation: They were really burned as they were not able to get out of the plane when the C-130 exploded.] Most of the victims were fresh graduates from military training. Sobejana said they are using DNA tests and dental records to identify the charred remains. Critical condition Some of the wounded survivors are still in critical state, Sobejana said, as he expressed hope the death toll would not rise any further. A team of burn specialists from Davao arrived in Zamboanga to help treat the injured, he added. Sobejana said they continue to coordinate with medical facilities including those in Metro Manila, Davao, and Cebu City regarding the possible transfer of wounded survivors. Aid for victims Families of the victims are set to receive assistance from the Philippine Army, which vowed financial assistance and psycho-social support for the bereaved kin. Senator Pacquiao said he will also donate 50,000 to the families of those who died, and 20,000 for those injured. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Tuesday confirmed a high level of fish mortality in Batangas, with over 8 million worth of fish lost in the incident. "Based on initial report received by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA- BFAR), an estimated volume of 109 MT of bangus and tilapia valued at 8.999 million were lost to an incident of fish mortality in Talisay, Batangas," BFAR said in a statement. BFAR added that tests done on the waters of Taal Lake showed higher levels of ammonia and sulfides, which authorities said were "potentially harmful to fishes." Dissolved oxygen levels were also lower in Tanauan and Talisay. However, BFAR has not said whether it was these conditions that contributed to the fish mortality incident in the area. BFAR said it issued a water quality assessment report to fish cage operators around the lake, as well as local government units on July 5, as soon as the results of the assessment came out. "The local government of Talisay and the operators of the affected fish cages are coordinating for safe collection and disposal of the fishes," BFAR added. Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture said it is ready to help farmers should Taal Volcano erupt again. "As always, we are pro-active and have laid out immediate action plans and strategies for fisherfolk and farm families in lakeshore areas and adjoining barangays that may be affected," Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in a separate statement Tuesday. BFAR regional director Sammy Malvas said 6,375 cage structures for milkfish and tilapia production could be affected in case of an eruption. Produce such as rice, corn, and high-value crops (banana, coffee, mango), livestock, and poultry could be affected as well. "In the event of an eruption, the DA-BFAR 4A proposes a 282-million budget for immediate assistance, and rehabilitation and recovery initiatives," the DA said. (CNN) Just one day after ride-hailing giant Didi was banned from app stores in China, authorities have started investigating three other major technology services, citing concerns about national data security. The companies under investigation recently went public in the US stock market, even though geopolitical tensions between the two countries remain high and Chinese authorities have been cracking down on technology companies. On Monday, China's cybersecurity watchdog announced probes into truck-hailing platforms Yunmanman and Huochebang, as well as job listing site Boss Zhipin. New users cannot register for these three apps during the investigation. Yunmanman and Huochebang are China's two major truck-hailing apps and label themselves as "Uber for trucks." They merged in 2017 to create a new firm Full Truck Alliance, which listed on the New York Stock Exchange last month, and is currently valued at $21 billion. Boss Zhipin is one of China's largest online job listing platforms. Its parent Kanzhun listed in New York last month and has a market cap of nearly $15 billion. The Cybersecurity Review Office said in a statement that the probes are being undertaken to "prevent national data security risks, maintain national security, and protect the public interest." Full Truck Alliance said in a statement that it will actively cooperate with the probe and conduct a thorough check on its network security. Didi Chuxing banned The announcement came just hours after the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) banned Didi, the country's largest ride-hailing service, from app stores after saying it posed a cybersecurity risk for customers. The CAC is China's top internet regulator, and its Cybersecurity Review Office division is responsible for reviewing cybersecurity risks. "Didi Chuxing app is found to have severely violated the laws by illegally collecting and using personal information," the CAC said on Sunday. It called on Didi to fix the issue with its app to comply with the country's laws and to ensure its customers' safety. Didi, which has 377 million active users in China alone, said in a statement that it is complying with China's demands, pulling the app from stores as it works to make changes to its app to satisfy regulators. The company said customers and drivers who have already downloaded the app won't be affected. "We sincerely thank the ... department for its instruction in troubleshooting Didi's risks," Didi said. "We will rectify and improve risk avoidance and ... provide safe and convenient services to our users." The ban on Didi comes less than a week after it went public on the New York Stock Exchange in the biggest US share offering by a Chinese company since Alibaba debuted in 2014. Just two days later, on Friday, China launched a probe into Didi and suspended the registration of new users on the app. Didi's stock price tumbled Friday. The suspension was "to prevent national data security risks" and in accordance with the National Security Law and Cybersecurity Law, the Cybersecurity Review Office said in a statement on Friday. The wording was exactly the same as its Monday statement on Yunmanman, Huochebang and Boss Zhipin. Global Times, a state-run tabloid, said Sunday that Didi's ability to conduct "big data analysis" on people's behavior patterns pose potential risks. "[We] must never let any internet giant become a super database of Chinese people's personal information that contains even more details than the state, let alone giving them the right to use those data at will," the paper said in a commentary. "Especially for a company like Didi, which is listed in the United States and whose first and second shareholders are all foreign companies, the state needs to strictly regulate its information security," it said. "This is not only to maintain personal information security, but also to maintain national security." Hasty IPO Based on the laws cited by the regulators, Didi is probably being investigated over its purchase of certain products and services from other suppliers, which may threaten national data security, according to analysts from Shenzhen-based Ping An Securities. "Didi will inevitably have to check its core network equipment, high-performance computers and servers, large-capacity storage equipment, large databases and application software, network security equipment, and cloud computing services, sort them out and make necessary rectifications to meet regulatory requirements," the analysts wrote in a note on Monday. Yang Sirui, chief analyst for the computer industry at Bank of China International, said that Didi went for its public listing in the US hastily, probably due to investor pressure. "Listing Didi as soon as possible meets the demands of the capital," he said. "But if [Didi] had arbitrarily collected user privacy data, abused it, or monetized it illicitly, it will inevitably be punished by Chinese regulators." Since its founding in 2012, Didi has undergone a number of private fundraising rounds, raising tens of billions of dollars from venture capital or major tech firms. According to its IPO prospectus, SoftBank Vision Fund is currently the largest shareholder of Didi, with a 21.5% stake. Uber and Tencent followed with a 12.8% and 6.8% stake respectively. The regulatory actions against Didi and other firms are part of a broad crackdown on Big Tech companies in China. In March, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the need to regulate "platform" companies in the country. Several tech companies in the past few months have faced investigations for alleged monopolistic behavior or breaches of customer rights leading to record fines and massive overhauls. In April, Alibaba, the online shopping giant co-founded by Jack Ma, was fined a record $2.8 billion after antitrust regulators concluded the company had behaved like a monopoly. Days after the fine was issued, Ant Group, another part of Jack Ma's business empire, was ordered to overhaul its operations and become a financial holding company supervised by the central bank. Yang from Bank of China International said that Didi faces a different sort of investigation. As a big ride-hailing platform, Didi possesses sensitive data that could concern national security, such as location data, he said. Alexis Benveniste and CNN's Beijing bureau contributed to this report. This story was first published on CNN.com, "After cracking down on Didi, China probes other US-listed tech giants." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) The black box of the military plane that crashed in Sulu on Sunday has been found, the chief of the armed forces disclosed on Tuesday. This flight data recorder could help determine the cause of the incident in the town of Patikul, which is one of the deadliest military air disasters in at least four decades. Officials on Monday night said the death toll from the crash increased to 52 after the remains of two earlier missing soldiers were recovered. The tragedy left 49 military personnel dead and 47 other soldiers injured, while three civilians on the ground were killed and four others injured. "Maririnig natin from that black box kung ano iyong last conversation ng mga pilots and crew sa cockpit," AFP chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana told CNN Philippines' The Source. [Translation: We will hear from the black box what the last conversation of the pilots and crew members from the cockpit was.] Areas within the one-kilometer radius of the crash site have been cordoned off while the investigation is underway, the official also said. Sobejana said he has instructed the investigators to finish the probe "as fast as they can, but they should be very deliberate." Eyewitnesses gave different versions of the incident, the AFP chief added. He quoted one survivor as saying that the plane bounced three times. After the third bounce, the aircraft seemed to have "zigzagged." The pilot then tried to "regain power" to lift the plane but failed, Sobejana said. The aircraft slammed into a tree before crashing, he added. Some survivors said the aircraft has only one landing gear, but this observation may only be based on their line of sight, according to Sobejana. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday he wants to allocate more budget and benefits for the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The chief executive announced this plan during his visit at the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City to pay respects to the soldiers who were killed in a plane crash in Patikul, Sulu. Gusto kong maglagay ng malaking pera para sa Armed Forces of the Philippines. Iyan lang ang mabawi ko sa sundalo ko lalo na yong namatay, Duterte said during his speech. I assure you that I will add more benefits for your family." [Translation: I want to put a bigger amount of money to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. That is the only way to pay my respect especially to those who died. "Their families will be protected, that their families will be comfortable at yong (and the) daily living and education of the children will be assured," he added. The commander-in-chief also said that they will receive their retirement benefits from the Government Service Insurance System. On Monday, the AFP has concluded its rescue and retrieval operations of the Air Force C-130 aircraft that crashed in Sulu and left 52 dead, including 49 from the military. The incident is considered to be the contrys deadliest military air disaster in at least four decades. Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Source on Monday, AFP Spokesperson Major Gen. Edgard Arevalo said they have ruled out foul play in the plane crash, pointing out that prior to the incident, the aircraft still had 11,000 hours of flying time before undergoing maintenance. He also insisted on the airworthiness of the plane, which was operated by seasoned and rated pilots. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) The Lambda coronavirus variant is raising concerns as it spreads across the world in a short period. Infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante on Tuesday said Lambda, also known as the C.37 variant first detected in Peru, is believed to be more transmissible, meaning it could drive surges in new infections and hospitalizations. He said there is no scientific data yet if it could lead to more deaths, but added that it can be dangerous for elderly people or those with comorbidities. "If you talk about a variant that is highly transmissible, then that will be responsible for surge of cases and hospitalizations. Most likely for those vulnerable, that can also be higher risk of mortality," he told CNN Philippines. Solante, a member of the government's vaccine experts panel, said the Lambda variant may affect the efficacy rate and a person's reaction to antibody treatments. However, Solante stressed COVID-19 vaccines remain effective against all variants of concern and interest in preventing severe illness and death. The World Health Organization in June said this variant has been associated with "substantive rates of community transmission." Despite being classified as a variant of interest only on June 15, it has spread to at least 29 territories, including the United Kingdom. WHO said there is an increased prevalence of the variant in South American countries. In Peru the country with the highest coronavirus mortality rate , authorities are reporting that 81% of COVID-19 cases sequenced since April were associated with the Lambda variant. In nearby Chile, the variant accounts for almost a third of new cases. Health authorities have yet to report a case of the Lambda variant in the Philippines. A former adviser for the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on Tuesday expressed hope the situation stays that way. "Ito ay laganap sa South America at sa Latin America and we hope hindi makarating sa Asia," Dr. Tony Leachon, a physician and public health expert, told CNN Philippines' The Source. [Translation: It is prevalent in South America and Latin America and we hope it (Lambda) does not reach Asia.] Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) Returning Overseas Filipino Workers who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will need to have their vaccination card or certificate validated by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III announced the directive on Tuesday in compliance with the Inter-Agency Task Force Resolution No. 123-C. The Department of Labor and Employment established an online portal (https://www.onehealthpass.com.ph/e-HDC/) where returning OFWs need to upload their proof of vaccination, valid passport or travel document, and verified employment contract which will be verified by the POLO in their host country. Overseas Workers Welfare Administration chief Hans Leo Cacdac said the Bureau of Quarantine will issue the POLO-verified certification of full vaccination to the returning OFWs upon their arrival in the Philippines. "The Bureau of Quarantine will issue the certification upon arrival to the OFW, which will entitle the OFW to a seven-day quarantine stay," Cacdac told CNN Philippines' Newsroom Ngayon on Tuesday. When the returning fully vaccinated OFWs travel to their home provinces after completing their seven-day quarantine, Cacdac said the negative swab test result conducted on the fifth day of quarantine will suffice if local officials require such proof. The IATF said in its Resolution No. 123-C that travelers who have been fully vaccinated overseas against COVID-19 shall undergo shorter quarantine period. Those who have completed their COVID-19 vaccination abroad and have stayed exclusively within the 57 "green" countries or low-risk ones 14 days prior to their arrival will be subject to a seven-day facility-based quarantine. Passengers must undergo RT-PCR testing on their fifth day under quarantine in an accredited facility, the task force added. READ: IATF releases list of 'green' states The DOLE Department Order No. 226 also identifies a fully vaccinated OFW as "individuals who received more than or equal to two weeks after having received the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine in 2-dose series; or more than or equal to two weeks after having received a single-dose vaccine." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) You can still receive your missed second COVID-19 vaccine dose within six months, the Department of Health said Monday. During a virtual briefing, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the department recently had a meeting with the vaccine experts regarding the acceptable interval between two coronavirus shots. Accordingly, sinabi na rin ng ating mga eksperto, hanggang mga anim na buwan hindi mo po pa rin kailangang mag-repeat ng series. You can still give the second dose of the vaccines, she said. [Translation: Accordingly, our experts said the series may not be repeated up to six months.] The health official said this amid concerns of delayed vaccination due to limited supply in the country. Early June, Dr. John Wong, a member of the Inter-Agency Task Force's sub-technical working group on data analytics, said that more than a million people have missed their second vaccine dose. However, Vergeire pointed out that his numbers were estimates and based on certain assumptions. She added that there are several reasons why some could not get their second dose, like getting infected with the virus, or getting exposed to a COVID-19 patient that would require one to be quarantined. She also noted the experts' recommended vaccination intervals for some vaccine brands being used in the country based on studies conducted. For Pfizer and Moderna, interval could be up to 42 days, and Sputnik V up to 90 days. Acceptable interval for the two shots of Sinovac was not stated, but she noted that the second shot should be administered as soon as possible. Initially, it should take at least 21 days before vaccinees receive their second dose. As of July 4, a total of 11,708,029 doses have already been administered. Some 8.839 million have received their first doses while 2.868 million others have already completed their two doses. By November, the government aims to vaccinate 50% to 60% of the population by focusing on Metro Manila to reach immediate protection. When asked if this is still attainable, Vergeire maintained that it is still possible based on the speed and scale of the immunization program in the capital. However, she noted that there are factors to consider to conclude that population protection is achieved. She explained that of the total population vaccinated, it is important to ensure that target vaccination for the most vulnerable the senior citizens and people with comorbidities is achieved. Details on the progress of vaccination in Metro Manila alone were not provided but based on latest data from the governments pandemic task force, 788,630 senior citizens and 897,719 people with comorbidities have received their two doses. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) After nearly seven months of free use of Skyway 3, motorists will be charged toll fees starting July 12. In a statement on Tuesday, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) said the rates would be lower than those originally proposed, "particularly for motorists traveling shorter distances." "This, following the issuance of a Toll Operating Permit and a Notice to Start Collecting Toll by the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) on Skyway Stage 3. The company, through its SMC Infrastructure, will post the final approved toll rates at the toll plazas prior to the start of toll collection," SMC added. "We know from experience that times are hard for many, and even a little relief for motorists can go a long way. These toll rates reflect our deferral of the collection of a substantial amount of the cost to build Skyway 3. We also further lowered the rates for those traveling shorter distances," SMC president Ramon S. Ang said. READ: TRB OKs provisional rates for Skyway Stage 3 SMC added that the government can also start generating income from the expressway with the start of the toll collection, as a 12% VAT will be imposed on all toll fees. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) Digital wallet service provider Starpay Corp. has rejected Sen. Manny Pacquiao's allegation that there is corruption in the cash aid distribution of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The DSWD tapped Starpay to distribute the cash aid. "In a very short period of time, Starpay was able to cover more than five million beneficiaries that were successfully paid as we went above and beyond the original allocation set by the DSWD and BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas)... We have already liquidated the funds given to us and have refunded the amount for the unserved beneficiaries," Starpay said in a statement on Monday. Pacquiao has claimed billions of pesos are missing from the funds for the COVID-19 cash assistance program due to DSWD's allegedly anomalous transaction with Starpay. He said he has strong evidence to show that the government coursed over P10 billion for nearly two million beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program, or SAP, through Starpay but app downloads stood at just 500,000. Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista defended Starpay, saying those who did not use the online channel likely withdrew the money over the counter through partner pawnshops and remittance agents. He also confirmed that Starpay and five other banks returned the untouched cash aid, dismissing the allegations of Pacquiao. The agency also said all "missing" pandemic funds were accounted for. As of July 2, around 14.88 million families got their second tranche of cash aid, with over 89.8 billion disbursed. Manual payouts are being conducted and are expected to be completed by the end of July, the DSWD said. More than 17 million low-income families received their first tranche of SAP, with a total disbursement of more than 98 billion. DSWD is among the agencies tagged by Pacquiao as having corrupt practices after President Rodrigo Duterte dared him to expose corruption in the government. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) expressed concern for children affected by Taal Volcano's unrest. In a statement released on Tuesday, it warned that these children could face several risks like diseases, including COVID-19, malnutrition, and typhoons. UNICEF said children living in danger zones and in evacuation centers might catch respiratory, water-borne, and vaccine-preventable diseases. Displacement will also make children and their families more vulnerable to the coronavirus due to crowding in evacuation centers and limited hygiene facilities and supplies, it added. "During emergencies, children are especially vulnerable to disease, malnutrition and violence. UNICEF focuses on these children and their families, to save lives and support early action required to protect and safeguard their well-being. UNICEF remains ready to support the Government of the Philippines," said Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, UNICEF Philippines Representative. Meanwhile, UNICEF Philippines health officer Mark Quiazon told CNN Philippines' New Day that the arrival of typhoon season will only aggravate the situation for the displaced children. "Now, we have typhoon season upon us," Quiazon said. "And really that compounds the hazards these children and families face." He added the typhoons may affect their health, wellbeing, and access to services that would ensure their safety and protection. UNICEF also underscored the need for psychosocial interventions among children as they may experience stress while staying in temporary shelters. The agency said it is ready to bring emergency supplies to affected areas - including N95 masks, food, hygiene and water kits, and student and teacher kits. Taal Volcano in Batangas spewed a kilometer-high plume of magma and steam last July 1, over a year since its last eruption that displaced more than 100,000 people. Due to its sudden phreatomagmatic eruption, state volcanologists raised Taal's status to Alert Level 3, and ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents living within the volcano's 14-kilometer-radius danger zone. READ: EXPLAINER: 2020 vs 2021 Taal eruption Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 7) President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday lauded the bond the Philippines and China have developed through the years, while underscoring the need for sustained dialogue and engagement to further enhance their partnership. We count on China as a friend and partner for peace and development, Duterte said in his speech during the Communist Party of China and World Political Parties Summit. To further build mutual trust and confidence, we must sustain our constructive dialogue and peaceful engagement, the President stressed, adding that this is crucial as the bilateral connections between the two economies expand and deepen. We trust in the collective wisdom of the great Chinese nation that China will use its newfound strength in defense of what is good and just for all humanity, he also said. Duterte noted the ties between the Filipinos and Chinese are deep and enduring and will remain so for as long as we continue to value win-win cooperation, amity and mutual respect. The chief executive also recognized the achievements of China under the leadership of the CPC, as seen in the rise from poverty of over 800 million Chinese while also driving global growth. Indeed, a sleeping dragon no more, he said. China has realized its dream of progress and prosperity for its people. Duterte also thanked the Chinese government for the COVID-19 vaccine donations, which he said helped the Philippines contain the spread of the virus and restart the economy. The President has maintained a good relationship with the Chinese government amid sovereignty issues over the West Philippine Sea. The Philippine government has filed a number of diplomatic protests over the presence of Chinese vessels within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. RELATED: Duterte says PH arbitral win vs. China 'just' a piece of paper, trash to be thrown away Duterte has also thanked China a few times for its vaccine donations, saying the Philippines owes Beijing a huge debt of gratitude. However, he stressed that he cannot compromise on matters like those related to sovereign rights. (CNN) -- When Youras Ziankovich, a lawyer with American citizenship, returned to his Moscow hotel after a lunch date with a friend in April, he found four men waiting for him in the street. Ziankovich's wife, Alena Dzenisavets, says that according to the manager of the Nordic Rooms hotel, the men -- all in plain clothes -- put a hood over his head and bundled him into a car outside the hotel in the Moscow suburb of Ostankino. She told CNN that Youras was then spirited across the Russian border in a three-vehicle convoy and driven more than 700 kilometers (435 miles) to the Belarusian capital, Minsk. Dzenisavets says she pieced together what happened to her husband through his court-appointed lawyer in Belarus. She has not had any direct contact with Youras for nearly three months. Ziankovich's lunch companion, Alexander Feduta, was detained at the same time. He, too, was driven to Minsk. Feduta served as spokesman for Alexander Lukashenko, in 1994, before falling out with the Belarusian leader. He went on to join the country's opposition. A well-known writer in Belarus, he spent time in jail after taking part in a protest in 2010. On arrival in Minsk, Ziankovich was taken to the Belarus KGB's pre-trial detention center. He has had occasional visits from the lawyer, but US consular officials have been unable to visit him in the weeks since he was hustled off a Moscow street. For the Belarusian authorities, detaining Ziankovich was part of a bigger play -- and they were about to make some dramatic claims. Six days after the abduction, President Alexander Lukashenko told journalists in Belarus of a plot to assassinate him and abduct his children, as part of a coup attempt. "We discovered the involvement of the apparently foreign intelligence services, most likely, the Central Intelligence Agency, the FBI," Lukashenko said. "Agents flew from the United States, [someone called] Ziankovich. We were trailing and watching them." The US State Department quickly responded that "any suggestion that the US Government was behind or involved in an assassination attempt on Lukashenka is absolutely untrue." Two others were arrested in connection with the alleged plot, including Olga Golubovich, a former employee in Ziankovich's law firm. They have all been charged with "conspiracy or other actions committed for the purpose of seizing state power;" none has entered a plea. Belarus is also seeking the extradition of five others alleged to have been part of the conspiracy from the US and Lithuania. Konstantin Bychek, head of investigations for the Belarus State Security Committee, later announced that Ziankovich had confessed and was cooperating with the investigation. Bychek told Belarus state television that Ziankovich was involved in attempts to bribe members of Belarus's security forces to join the plot to overthrow Lukashenko. Alena Dzenivasets insists the charges against her husband are ludicrous and that if he confessed it was to save his life. When the Belarusian KGB found out Ziankovich was in Moscow, Bychek said, "we asked the [Russians] about the possibility of sending a group of Belarusian agents to Russia." Russia's internal security service, the FSB, said later that the arrests had been a joint operation with the Belarus KGB, aimed at preventing "unlawful activity." Russian President Vladimir Putin backed Lukashenko's claim of a coup plot, complaining in his annual state of the union address "that even such flagrant actions have not been condemned by the so-called collective West. Nobody seemed to notice. Everyone pretends nothing is happening." Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov doubled down on the claim last month, saying "It's hard to imagine that US intelligence agencies could have been unaware of such a large-scale activity." And Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had discussed the alleged assassination plot on a call with President Biden on April 13. The US embassy in Minsk says it can't discuss the case -- and because Ziankovich is a dual citizen, consular officials don't have an automatic right to see him. 'To kill the President' Dzenivasets is worried about his health; she says her husband's lawyer has told her Ziankovich's "blood pressure is jumping every day." "He had his medicine with him in a travel bag, but was not allowed to take it," she told CNN. For Lukashenko, claims of a coup plot sponsored by the US served several ends: They allowed him to portray the opposition as reliant on a foreign power, and ready to commit acts of violence. Plus, the cooperation between the Russian and Belarus security services has helped build a rapprochement with Moscow. To promote the government's narrative, Belarus state television produced a melodramatic documentary, "To Kill the President." The program included secret footage of Ziankovich, filmed in the Avignon restaurant in Minsk in 2020. It is time-stamped August 21 -- almost two weeks after the disputed election which led to an explosion of popular protest across the country. Ziankovich is alleged to say: "I spoke to some businessmen, I will see them after this, they will provide me with a restaurant venue for the first event. I also have the backing of the Jewish capital of America." But the audio in the film appears to have been doctored. Ziankovich's words don't match the movement of his lips. The documentary's narrator says: "He doesn't hide his goal. His task is to reveal a vulnerability, to recruit and to induce an armed mutiny." At the time the secret footage was shot, Ziankovich's wife Alena says, the couple were on a visit to Belarus to see family members and finalize the purchase of a property. "We wanted to have a house where we could come to meet with the family and friends in summer," she told CNN. She said they also wanted to vote in person in Belarus' presidential election, which took place on August 9. Days after that lunch in Minsk, Alena says, Ziankovich was detained. She'd noticed that they had been followed for several days after attending one of the many protests that were held against the election result, which was widely regarded as fraudulent and which gave Lukashenko a fifth term as President. Youras served ten days of what was called "administrative arrest." Alena says her husband went on hunger strike while detained, and when released headed straight for the Polish border. Soon after, she told CNN, the couple decided to close their Minsk office "because it became dangerous for Youras to come to Belarus, and because we did not want to support the dictatorship by paying rent, utilities, taxes." Ziankovich has a long history of opposing Lukashenko as a member of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) party. He was granted political asylum in the US in 2011 and became a citizen in 2017 but stayed in touch with a number of Belarusian opposition activists. In 2016 he ran for election to the Belarus House of Representatives, and he has previously tried to raise funds in the US for the BPF. His decision to visit Moscow for a number of meetings in April -- using his Belarus passport -- gave the authorities in Minsk the chance they had been waiting for: To cast at least some of their opponents as the tools of hostile governments. It's still unclear when Ziankovich and his co-defendants will go on trial. And his wife has no idea when she will be able to talk to him, let alone see him. The last time they spoke was on April 11, when he called her at home in Houston to wish her goodnight, hours before setting out for that fateful lunch date with Alexander Feduta. This story was first published on CNN.com, "An American lawyer went on a lunch date in Moscow. Now he's languishing in a jail cell in Belarus" (CNN) -- The death in India of an octogenarian human rights activist who was denied bail even as his health deteriorated in prison has sparked anger across the country, with critics decrying the government's alleged misuse of anti-terrorism laws. Jesuit priest Stan Swamy died age 84 on Monday at the Holy Family Hospital in a Mumbai suburb after suffering cardiac arrest, his doctor told the Bombay High Court later that day. The court was hearing an urgent plea for bail on medical grounds, which Swamy was earlier denied in March. Swamy was living with Parkinson's Disease and had recently contracted Covid-19 in prison. At a hearing for his bail application in May, the court noted Swamy had a "severe hearing problem" and was "physically very weak." For decades, he fought for the human rights of India's marginalized and indigenous groups, speaking and writing in depth about caste-based injustices. India's caste system was officially abolished in 1950, but the 2,000-year-old social hierarchy imposed on people by birth still exists in many aspects of life. The caste system categorizes Hindus at birth, defining their place in society, what jobs they can do and who they can marry. In October last year, Swamy was arrested and charged under the country's anti-terrorism laws, which critics have described as draconian. Swamy, along with 15 other activists and academics, was accused by authorities of being involved with a "banned terrorist organization" and for being co-conspirators in a 2018 violent incident, according to a statement by the country's anti-terrorism task force soon after his arrest. In the incident, known as the Bhima Koregaon case, bloody clashes broke out between lower-caste and other regional groups in the state of Maharashtra. Hundreds of thousands of Dalits -- who are ranked the lowest in India's caste-based system -- had gathered in the village of Bhima Koregaon to mark the 200th anniversary of a battle in which they, as part of the then-British colonial army, defeated an upper-caste ruler, when the violence broke out. Authorities accused Swamy of having ties with the organization responsible for the violence, and allege that he had links to Maoist rebels, who are considered one of the country's biggest security threats. In a video recorded days before his arrest, Swamy denied all involvement and said he had never visited the location where the violence took place. His arrest sparked outrage worldwide, prompting several opposition politicians, national and international rights groups to demand his release. 'Prefer to die in jail' Despite Swamy's worsening health, which was exacerbated when he contracted coronavirus in prison last month, authorities repeatedly rejected his lawyers' pre-trial bail pleas to allow him to recover at home. The National Investigation Agency in-charge of the case had contested Swamy's bail application on medical grounds, citing the severity of the accusations against him, and claimed he was receiving proper care within the prison. Swamy was allegedly not allowed to drink from a straw as his mobility worsened in custody -- a claim the anti-terrorism force has denied, calling it "incorrect and mischievous" in a statement last year. The activist told the court he would "prefer to die in jail, rather than get admitted to any hospital," according to court documents reviewed by CNN. On court orders, Swamy was moved to the Holy Family Hospital hospital at the end of May. A slew of opposition politicians, rights groups and academics, have expressed sadness for his death -- as well as anger for the laws under which he was arrested and denied bail. Critics have long accused India's government of increasingly using anti-terrorism laws as a means to quell any form of dissent. In a statement Monday, the Archbishop of Bombay, Oswald Cardinal Gracias, called Swamy's arrest "very painful." "One is innocent until proved guilty," the statement said. "Fr. Stan's case did not even come up for hearing." Gracias added Swamy had given marginalized groups in India a "sense of dignity and upliftment," adding that he worked "single-mindedly for the poor." Rahul Gandhi, leader of India's opposition Congress party, tweeted Monday that Swamy "deserved justice and humanness." Harsh Mander, a prominent Indian rights activist called Swamy's death a "tragedy for the nation." "A cruel state jailed him to silence his voice, the judiciary did nothing to secure his freedom," he said on Twitter. International figures have spoken out as well -- the European Union's special representative for human rights said the EU had been "raising his case repeatedly with authorities," calling Swamy a "defender of indigenous people's rights." Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said Swamy's arrest highlights "a degree of cruelty and callousness that is shameful." "The counter terror law is draconian. We see it is being used rampantly to jail peaceful critics without bail," Ganguly said. "It was for the courts to decide if Swamy was guilty, but in repeatedly stifling bail, the authorities chose not to protect," the "fragile, ailing" activist, she added. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Death of 84-year-old activist in prison turns spotlight on India's anti-terrorism laws" The theme of the assignment is oppression and freedom. Local resident Tony Lucido reviewed the summaries of all 135 books on the list. He said what he read disturbed him. There were 10 books on the list that dealt with police, he said. Every single one characterized police as killers, predators and people who would harm members of the community. There is not a single book that portrays any person in law enforcement in a positive way. Thats disgraceful. There needs to be a balance. Lucido said there are cases of rogue cops, but he challenged a future steering committee to poll law enforcement officers in the community to determine whether the books represent a fair and accurate interpretation of what they do. An attorney, Stone has represented police officers in legal matters. He said they are wonderful people just trying to do a job. They have to go into domestic violence situations and keep people from hurting each other, Stone said. They come up on accident scenes with body parts all over the road. They get shot at. These are good people. We should not be teaching anti-establishment and anti-authority. LONDON A sculpture symbolizing Britains complex colonial ties and an artwork featuring the faces of 850 transgender people will be going on display in Trafalgar Square, one of Londons highest-profile venues for public art. City officials on Monday announced the next two works to occupy the fourth plinth, a large stone pedestal in the central London square. From 2022 to 2024, the plinth will display Malawi-born artist Samson Kambalus Antelope, a sculpture of Pan-Africanist leader John Chilembwe beside European missionary John Chorley. Based on a 1914 photograph, it depicts Chilembwe as the much larger figure, revealing the hidden narratives of under-represented peoples in the history of the British Empire in Africa and beyond, City Hall said. Mexican artist Teresa Margolles 850 Improntas (850 Imprint), featuring casts of the faces of transgender people from around the world, will be installed in 2024. City Hall said the life masks will be arranged round the plinth in the form of a Tzompantli, a skull rack from Mesoamerican civilizations of what is now Central America and Mexico. With the nice warm, sunny weather, lets drive across the country. When Allan and I had driven to the Dakotas, we did not stop there, but went west to Wyoming and Montana. I fell in love with Wyoming and even went house hunting near Cheyenne. You are not serious, Allan said. Oh, yes, I was. I wanted to leave New Mexico, where we were living at that time. (Thats all another story.) I wanted pine trees, cold weather, even snow. It was not to be. To me, Wyoming is one of those places where you can take a deep breath of fresh air, feel good, and enjoy life. I do not think many people think of Wyoming as a destination unless they have business or relatives there. For scenery, it is a beautiful state, with Yellowstone National Park in the northwest corner and the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum close by. You could spend your weeks vacation in just those two places. Wyoming has a diverse population. People came from all over the world and eventually settled there. By the early 1900s, the U.S. census showed 47 different nationalities had settled in southwestern Wyoming. Most came by covered wagons. We developed an adaptable, tiered institutional response that allows us to better provide blood for patients who most need it, even when we find ourselves in the type of sustained shortage we are currently experiencing, he said. Gorham said the Health System has worked to mitigate shortages, including hiring a transfusion safety officer and creating a patient blood management program to reduce unneeded transfusions. We also work very closely with our blood supplier, the American Red Cross, on a daily basis to ensure that our inventory can meet our patients needs, he said, I think our institution is weathering the current shortage reasonably well. Of course, I always encourage people to go out there and donate. Regional and local blood shortages are not uncommon, especially during holidays and summer months. To offset those scattered shortages, blood is often shipped from one location to wherever its needed. Munson said he is concerned that the towns economic viability is at stake, as it has empty storefronts with not enough people to support those businesses, and there are people who want to live in Scottsville but theres no place for them to move to. Weve got a parcel of land that has been recommended for development for residences, and I think this zoning gives us the ability to veto really any sort of large development there that we want to, so, to me, this seems like a great way to generate some interest in people who are looking to do what wed like to do with this, he said. The former tire plant on Bird Street was purchased in 2011 by Charles W. Hurt, a local real estate entrepreneur, developer and founder of Virginia Land Co. The plant sits on 41 acres and is adjacent to the empty 20-acre parcel, both separate parcels but owned by LLCs under Hurt. Payne said he was against doing anything that could benefit Hurt. If we had just half as much aggressiveness from the developer, or the owner, as this town and its citizens have put into it, we wouldnt be having this conversation now, he said. TAYLORSVILLE, Ky. (AP) John Rogers waited months after becoming eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. It was only after talking with friends that the 66-year-old retiree from rural Spencer County, Kentucky, was persuaded to get the shot. They said, You know, the vaccine may not be 100%, but if you get COVID, youre in bad shape,'" Rogers said. You can die from it." With the nation falling just short of President Joe Biden's goal of dispensing at least one shot to 70% of all American adults by the Fourth of July, public health officials in places like Spencer County have shifted the emphasis away from mass vaccination clinics toward getting more information out in a more targeted way about the benefits of getting inoculated. Health departments have offered the vaccine at concerts, parades and fairs and plan to make it available at back-to-school events. They have encouraged local doctors to raise the issue with patients and promoted shots by way of printed materials and social media. The hope is that word of mouth will ease fears and misperceptions about the vaccine and change people's minds, one person at a time if necessary. On the first day of the trip, the three tried to spend the night in a caboose in Petersburg after riding 82 miles and Klotz having the one and only flat tire of the whole trip. Mosquitoes got so bad that they had to flee to a nearby motel. The clerk let all three stay for $8, provided they were out by 8 the next morning. It wouldnt be the first time they were run off by biting bugs. Camping on a sand dune in Jacksonville, Florida, proved to be as bad an idea as sleeping in a train car. There seemed to be more campgrounds in those days, the men said, so they regularly stopped there or the occasional motel. They guessed they must have worn the same clothes for days on end because no one carried more than a pillow-sized backpack of belongings. They all bore the smell of the road until they took the occasional shower. The first one who came out clean would then get a whiff of the others and announce: You guys stink, Klotz said. In Goldsboro, North Carolina, a policeman told them to stay off the blacktop and on the dirt shoulder along U.S. 1. They did until he was out of sight, then got back on the pavement. Taxes are how we raise the money needed to run government. The rich have the wherewithal to bear most of those costs. These points are especially connected at a time when the rich have gotten so much richer and the government needs to do so much more. But in making the case to raise taxes on the wealthy, it is counterproductive to portray such a scenario as a kind of just punishment for those who have accumulated wealth. Many on the left cant stop themselves from hurting their cause. Its true that Americas billionaires added $1 trillion to their pile during President Donald Trumps four years. But though the 2017 tax cuts mostly benefited the richest investors, a growing concentration of wealth has been going on for decades. So, raise taxes on these guys because they have the money and not because they are supposedly greedy or otherwise in need of moral teachings. The pandemic did especially nice things for Silicon Valley companies that helped stay-at-home Americans move their shopping and working online. They didnt create the pandemic. They just happened to be in the right businesses when it hit. Yes. I will do my part to conserve household energy usage, even if I'm uncomfortable in my home. No. It is too hot to conserve household energy usage. I already conserve, even before ERCOT requested it. Maybe, depending on the reason ERCOT provides and whether or not I am home during that time. Vote View Results Law enforcement arrested a suspect who stole and crashed two automobiles on Monday, and the second wreck downed power lines and the vehicle caught on fire near Scio High School, according to a news release from the Marion County Sheriffs Office. Bruce Lee Wilson, 46, of Salem, was taken to a local hospital to be treated for minor injuries. He was then taken to the Marion County Jail and lodged on charges including two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle, felony attempt to elude (by vehicle) and attempted second-degree assault. Marion County Jail records also show that Wilson is charged with reckless driving. He is being held on $10,000 bail, according to the jail's website. Shortly before 8 a.m. on Monday, Marion County deputies were dispatched to a single-vehicle crash involving a 1999 Honda Accord in the 2600 block of the Cascade Highway, near Silverton, the news release states. (Law enforcement later discovered that vehicle had been stolen from Salem.) While deputies were responding to the crash a second caller reported the driver of the Honda stole their 2001 Ford F-250 after they stopped to check on them. The law has been continually renewed even after the uprising wound down in 2005 and the number of attacks plummeted. Today, Israel allows more than 100,000 Palestinian workers from the West Bank to enter on a regular basis. Male spouses over the age of 35 and female spouses over the age of 25, as well as some humanitarian cases, can apply for the equivalent of a tourist permit, which must be regularly renewed. The holders of such permits are ineligible for drivers licenses, public health insurance and most forms of employment. Palestinian spouses from Gaza have been completely banned since the militant Hamas group seized power there in 2007. The expiration of the law will not retroactively enable Palestinian spouses to live in Israel, but those who have been denied residency will be able to submit new requests, according to the Haaretz newspaper. New applications will be subject to review by Israel's internal security agency, and if no grounds for rejection are found, it will be approved automatically. The Population and Immigration Authority declined comment. The law does not apply to the nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers who live in the West Bank, who have full Israeli citizenship. Under Israels Law of Return, Jews who come to Israel from anywhere in the world are eligible for citizenship. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! An order from Myanmars Posts and Telecommunications Department (PTD) allegedly insists that senior executives of major telecoms firms, both foreigners and Myanmar nationals, must seek special authorisation to leave the country. According to Reuters, the order was made in mid-June but appears to have come to light only now. The news service adds that in late June telecom companies were told by letter that they had until yesterday 5 July to fully implement intercept technology. The military junta wants to use this technology to monitor calls, messages and web traffic and to track users. Reuters says it has not seen the orders and the military has not commented on this allegation. However, the move does seem linked to the militarys impatience to ensure that it can monitor the countrys population more effectivity. A number of laws have already been passed involving cybersecurity and amending privacy laws to allow interception of communications. In addition internet access was cut when the military coup took place in early February and has still not been fully re-established. Telecom companies have also been receiving regular lists of websites and activist phone numbers to block. Its not clear how operators like Telenor, Ooredoo, MPT and Mytel will respond to this implied threat to their senior staff or, for that matter, how much surveillance technology is already in place; one order to telecom and internet service providers to install intercept spyware dates back to late last year before the coup took place. As we noted yesterday, Telenor has dampened speculation indicating an imminent sale, stating that its subsidiary in the country will continue to provide services in Myanmar. It added that it will examine various alternatives as the situation in the market unfolds. However, this previously profitable unit is making a loss at present. Telecommunications company Telefonica, whose operations in Brazil are branded as Vivo, has announced that the neutral fibre network operator FiBrasil has officially started operating in the country. The new company FiBrasil Infraestrutura e Fibra Otica S.A. or FiBrasil is created by Telefonica Brasil, Telefonica Infra - the companys infrastructure unit -, and the global investment group Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ). Telefonica Group and CDPQ each own a 50% stake in FiBrasil. FiBrasil will start its operations with initial coverage of 1.6 million homes and is expected to roll out FTTH infrastructure in 5.5 million households and businesses over the next four years. According to the press release, it will bring fibre infrastructure to 5.5 million homes and businesses over the next four years and will provide access to a neutral, ultra-high-speed fibre network in a wholesale model for companies that want to expand their coverage throughout Brazil. Vivo will be FiBrasils first wholesale customer, with a 10-year contract, and will rely on the infrastructure of FiBrasil to increase its expansion plan for fiber network in the coming years. With FiBrasil, Vivo will reach 24 million Brazilian households by the end of 2024. FiBrasil, as a neutral wholesale operator, will have its network open to be also accessed by other telecom companies. According to a recent announcement from the countrys telecoms regulator, Subtel, Chile will be the first country in Latin America to be served by Starlink, a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet constellation described (on its website) as ideally suited for areas of the globe where connectivity has typically been a challenge. Starlink, which will provide satellite internet access, is being constructed by SpaceX, an American aerospace manufacturer as well as a space transportation services and communications company. The Starlink constellation will consist of thousands of mass-produced small satellites in low earth orbit, which communicate with designated ground transceivers. In fact Starlink satellites are over 60 times closer to the earth than traditional satellites, resulting in lower latency and the ability to support services typically not possible with traditional satellite internet. A constellation of satellites designed to provide low-latency, high-speed broadband internet in previously unreachable places around the world is an attractive prospect for countries trying to connect remote areas. In the case of Chile, Starlink will be used for connectivity pilots throughout the country, initially to schools in two locations: Caleta Sierra (in the Coquimbo Region) and Sotomo (in the Los Lagos Region). These are one-year pilots during which Starlink will offer connectivity for the provision of internet services, with data speeds varying from 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s. The services are authorized through an experimental permit issued by Subtel for non-commercial use. The countrys telecommunications ministry, through Subtel, will conduct digital connectivity pilots to improve the quality of life of people by providing Starlink to enable access to online classes, telemedicine services and e-commerce, as well as working from home. It appears that no start date has yet been specified. Chiles vice-minister of telecommunications, Francisco Moreno, has been quoted as saying that in almost four years of government we have seen the growth of fixed internet in Chile, going from 45 percent to 60 percent of household penetration. Without a doubt, these are great advances, but the goal [of reducing the existing digital divide] is very ambitious, which is why today we are giving way to Starlink services in Chile as a concrete alternative to improve the quality of life of Chileans who live in isolated and/or rural locations, and do not have the opportunity to access a high-quality internet. The corner of Pullmans Main Street and Grand Avenue was a popular destination for coffee lovers when Cafe Moro operated there for 15 years. In August, a year after Cafe Moro closed, a new coffee shop will move into that same building with the hope of being a convenient and welcoming place for people to enjoy their favorite brew. The young midshipman needed a date one evening while he was home from the U.S. Naval Academy, so his younger sister paired him with a family friend who already had a crush. Nearly eight decades later, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter are still together in the same tiny town where they were born, grew up and had that first outing. In between, they've traveled the world as Naval officer and military spouse, American president and first lady, and finally as human rights and public health ambassadors. "It's a full partnership," the 39th president told The Associated Press during a joint interview ahead of the couple's 75th wedding anniversary on July 7. It will be another milestone for the longest-married presidential couple in American history. At 96, Carter also is the longest-lived of the 45 men who've served as chief executive. Yet even having reached that pinnacle, Carter has said often since leaving the Oval Office in 1981 that the most important decision he ever made wasn't as head of state, commander in chief or even executive officer of a nuclear submarine in the early years of the Cold War. Rather, it was falling for Eleanor Rosalynn Smith in 1945 and marrying her the following summer. "My biggest secret is to marry the right person if you want to have a long-lasting marriage," Carter said. MONTGOMERY About one-third of Alabamas counties, including most of the states heavily populated areas, are at very high risk for COVID-19 as vaccination rates continue to lag, state statistics showed Monday. While overall caseloads and hospitalizations remain far below levels when the pandemic was at its worst early this year, the potential for infection remains elevated in areas including Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery and much of two regions, the Wiregrass of southeast Alabama and the Tennessee Valley in the north. Of the states most populated areas, only Mobile County on the coast is considered as being at low risk for the illness caused by the new coronavirus, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. Nearly three dozen rural counties with sparse populations also are at low risk. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The statistics dont include the July 4 holiday period, so health officials will look to see whether holiday gatherings contribute to a rise in infections later this month. Only a relative handful of cases involving the fast-spread delta variant of the virus has been confirmed in Alabama, the state health officer, Dr. Scott Harris, told WSFA-TV last week, but the state lacks the ability to do much testing for it. I really wanted to start screaming and cursing everybody out, but that doesn't get you anywhere, and security will come and remove you from the plane, she said. At least the passengers on Milligan's flights kept their cool. Airlines have seen a surge in unruly passengers, and some experts predict it will get worse this summer as planes become even more crowded. There have been more than a dozen days in June and July when more than 2 million travelers went through U.S. airports, according to figures from the Transportation Security Administration. Airlines say that domestic leisure travel is back to 2019 levels, although the lack of business travelers means that overall, the number of passengers over the past week is still down slightly compared with the same days in 2019. For the July Fourth weekend, U.S. airlines scheduled nearly twice as many flights between Thursday and Monday as they did over the same days last year, according to data from aviation researcher Cirium. MIAMI (AP) As crews peel away layer after layer of the collapsed condo tower in South Florida, the death toll increases and so does the burden of collecting and identifying the dead, as rescuers and pathologists balance the rigors of their duties with relatives' desperate need for closure. Nobody has been found alive since the first hours of the June 24 disaster that killed at least 27 people in the town of Surfside, so updating the families has so far been a matter of delivering bad news. And what crews are finding is often not intact. Its not necessarily that we are finding victims. We are finding human remains, Miami-Dade County Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah said to audible gasps and moans on a recent day when he had the delicate task of briefing relatives at a family assistance center set up in a hotel near the site. With more than 115 people still unaccounted for, the task could soon overwhelm the local medical examiners office, and the federal government has sent a team of five people from the University of Florida to help with DNA analysis. More help could be on the way, said Jason Byrd, commander of the Florida Mortuary Operations Response System. The elder Patterson had run with the promise to clean up Phenix City, which had been the most corrupt, sinful city in the South, if not the nation. It was the redneck version of Las Vegas. However, unlike Las Vegas, everything they did in Phenix City was not legal or condoned. The east Alabama town near Fort Benning and Columbus, Georgia, was run by a corrupt rural mafia. This mafia gunned down Albert Patterson in an alley behind his law office. The younger Patterson was then picked to replace his father as the Democratic attorney general nominee. John Patterson became Alabama attorney general at age 33. Just days after his election, a movie was made about the Phenix City saga. Between that and his well-publicized anti-Civil Rights actions, by the time John Patterson got ready to run for governor of Alabama he was a folk hero to many Alabamians. Wallace thought he was going to win the governors race in his first try in 1958. However, when he got into the heat of the campaign, he realized that he was running against a legend. It seemed like everybody in the state had seen the movie The Phenix City Story. The sympathy for Patterson was too much to overcome. In addition, the race issue had become paramount, and Patterson owned it. The WSTA welcomes three new Board members The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has welcomed three new Board members to its executive team. Caroline Thompson-Hill, European Managing Director at Accolade; Alexei Rosin, Managing Director for UK and Ireland at Moet Hennessy UK; and James Miles, Chairman and Managing Director (Co-Founder) at Liv-ex Ltd; all attended their first WSTA Board meeting last week. With 18 years experience in the drinks industry mainly in wine Thompson-Hill leads Accolade Wines European commercial business with a focus on customers and consumers. Before joining Accolade Wines, she worked at Treasury Wine Estates and Diageo across the Europe and Americas regions. Alexei Rosin was recently appointed as MD for UK and Ireland for Moet Hennessy UK, leading the third largest market in the world for premium wines and spirits. With over 25 years of experience within the industry, Rosin manages the Moet Hennessy portfolio in charge of iconic brands including Dom Perignon, Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Hennessy. Since joining Moet Hennessy in 1999, he has worked in operational and strategic roles across the US and key European markets, most recently as Managing Director of Central & Eastern Europe. Prior to this Rosin worked as Commercial Director for Europe, Senior Vice President National On-Premise USA and Sales Director On-Premise in the UK. James Miles brings a different perspective to the WSTA table with his expertise of fine wine and global trading. He also has excellent contact with SMEs in the fine wine and indie sector. Miles was born in Hong Kong and attended school and university in the UK. He started his career with Jardine Fleming Investment Management in Hong Kong in 1991, before becoming an equities analyst and strategist with Asia Equity (which later became Banque Paribas and then BNP Paribas). He moved to London in 1997 and left banking in March 2000 to set up Liv-ex. Liv-ex is the global marketplace for the wine trade. It helps 530 wine merchants in 43 countries to price, buy and sell wine. The new board members take up their posts following the departure of Michelle Brampton, European MD of Treasury Wine Estates, who is leaving the company and Troy Christensen, CEO at Enotria & Coe, who has served two terms on the WSTA board. Chief Executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, Miles Beale, said: The WSTA continues to build its board team and I am delighted to welcome Caroline, Alexei and James. The board will work with WSTA team to strengthen the UK wine trades global reach and enhance the UK as a hub for wine trading. The UK wine industry faces a tough trading landscape as it makes up for losses brought about by the pandemic and Brexit disruption. By working together, we can continue to campaign and secure victories for the wine and spirit trade, as well as highlighting its importance to the UK economy and bring about changes which will benefit both businesses and consumers. Michael Saunders, Chairman of the WSTA, said: I extremely pleased to welcome Caroline, Alexei and James to the WSTA board. Their wealth of experience across the wine and spirit sector will help strengthen the WSTA executive team. Their extensive knowledge of the global wine and spirit industry and SMEs will help steer the WSTA as they help members through these extremely testing times. Related articles: Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms should be isolated at home to reduce the burden on hospitals as more cases will be recorded in the coming time, experts say. Nguyen Viet Nhung, director of the National Lung Hospital, said Covid-19 patients should be categorized into different categories based on the extent of their vulnerability to the diseases potential impacts. Those with severe symptoms, the elderly and those with underlying conditions need to be treated at medical facilities, but those with mild symptoms and no serious comorbidities should be isolated in their own homes, he said. Vietnams success in controlling its Covid-19 outbreaks over the last two years has been based on rigorous detection, contact tracing and isolation protocols wherein all patients are required to be treated in medical facilities. But, as the fourth coronavirus wave has swept through the country since late April, such a strategy may not work as effectively as before due to the presence of highly transmissible variants, Nhung said. For example, HCMC, Vietnam's economic powerhouse, overtook Bac Giang Sunday to become the worst-hit locality under the fourth wave, recording nearly 7,000 local cases so far. The southern metropolis has consistently recorded several hundred cases a days, with over 700 on the peak day to date. "It is anticipated that outbreaks will only get worse going ahead, with high numbers of infections recorded, posing great difficulties for hospitals. If the number of patients goes into the thousands, it would stretch the hospitals' treatment capacities," said Nhung. Citing reports saying 84 percent of novel coronavirus patients are either asymptomatic or experience only mild symptoms that don't require medical intervention, Nhung said the usual strategy of keeping all Covid-19 cases in hospitals would be too costly and "unnecessary." For Covid-19 patients to be successfully isolated at home, certain conditions must be met, including housing and ventilation standards, requiring patients to wear oximeters and monitor their own health, and requiring all their family members to be isolated as well. "The standards and conditions need to be communicated. Covid-19 patients and family members must guarantee to abide by the protocols and violators dealt strictly in accordance with the law," Nhung said, adding that hotlines could be established to mentally and emotionally support Covid-19 patients in isolation. Agreeing with Nhung's suggestions, Nguyen Huy Nga, former head of the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health, said isolating Covid-19 patients in their own homes should be done in conjunction with isolating close contacts as well, since they too have a high risk of contracting the virus and becoming patients themselves. "Hospitals' resources should be focused on treating severe cases. Isolating Covid-19 patients and their close contacts at home would not burden the medical system. It would also be a solution to a long-term problem, where we need to learn to coexist with the coronavirus," Nga said, adding that resources are also needed to treat other serious medical conditions like cancer. In Covid-19 hotspots like HCMC and its neighbor Binh Duong, medical facilities can become overloaded in the near future, so isolation at home should be tried. To monitor Covid-19 patients in self-isolation, cameras or tracking wristbands could be used, Nga said. The fourth coronavirus wave since April 27 has infected 17,820 people in 55 of Vietnam's 63 cities and provinces. HCMC now leads the tally with 6,905, followed by Bac Giang with 5,668 cases. With its low rate of vaccination, Vietnam should wait before it relaxes preventive measures for people to live with the pandemic, experts warn. "Living with Covid" is a topic widely discussed in Asia, with several destinations making plans to open borders, following similar moves by the U.S. and Europe. But experts said Vietnam should not do that, at least not now. "For a country like Vietnam, it will be too early to say that people can live with Covid-19," Prof Yik Ying Teo, dean of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, said, explaining, "Living with it means many people in the population are protected from the short-term and long-term health effects of infection." A country's population could only feel secure when there was the confidence that when someone was infected they could be treated successfully or it was able to use vaccination to minimize the health effects of an infection. Until Vietnam, like other countries, had the necessary vaccines, it was very important for it to continue with non-pharmaceutical measures such as border controls, strict quarantine and making sure that the country was able to trace infected people and contact trace. Professor Suzanne Judd, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, the U.S, said Vietnam should wait until it got better access to vaccines to live with Covid. When people lived with the pandemic, they were starting to travel again. People from other countries could come to Vietnam for vacation or for work, and still bring the virus even if they came from locations with high vaccination rates. "So it is not time yet for Vietnam to live with the pandemic." Given the example of India, countries should maintain lockdowns to stop people from interacting with each other when new cases started increasing, Judd said. Only around 3.9 million people in Vietnam, or 4 percent of the country's population, have received their first vaccine shots against the novel coronavirus, while the rate of people having got two shots is 0.2 percent. The country has been promised 105 million Covid-19 vaccine doses from multiple sources and is stepping up negotiations to secure another 45 million doses to reach 150 million, enough to cover 70 percent of the population this year. Economic hardship Teo said Vietnam and Singapore were among the few countries that acquired a good reputation last year for keeping Covid under control, but that was due to tough measures that caused a lot of economic hardship. It meant that such measures were not sustainable any more unlike in 2020, when it was an emergent situation and they were deemed necessary. So, in 2021, one of key measures to contain the pandemic was vaccination and countries needed to look at how they could get vaccines to open up safely. While non-pharmaceutical intervention helped a nation keep infection numbers low, it came with a lot of economic hardship. In Singapore, authorities saw that they needed to find a way to protect people and at the same time allow the economy to get back to normal, and agreed that the only way was through vaccination. Sian Griffiths, Emeritus Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said Vietnam, like Hong Kong and Taiwan, adopted a zero-Covid strategy and tried to stop the spread in 2020, but when there were too many cases not everyone could be identified and isolated. Vietnam is facing its most challenging Covid-19 wave which began late April. With the more transmissible variant, Delta, infections in the fourth wave now have topped 18,000, including 94 deaths, and spread to 55 of the country's 63 cities and provinces. Ho Chi Minh City is leading the number at 7,114 cases, with around 35 percent found in the community and the rest in locked down and quarantine areas. Griffiths said that in any situation where the authorities don't know the chain of transmission or the source of infection for new cases and the disease is spreading in the community, population based public health strategies are needed. "If new strains became dominant then vaccines would need to be adapted." To what extent? Teo warned that when the majority of the population was not vaccinated, it was "difficult and dangerous" to relax any of the preventive measures. Relaxing simply meant there would be an increased number of deaths from Covid. Relaxing measures was a political and not public health decision, he said, pointing out the former took into account that joblessness and poverty were hurting the country more than the pandemic. Then it would accept a certain fatality rate as the cost but even this was going to be for the "very short term" because once a country started to see the number of infections increase uncontrollably, it would realize it had to go back to a strict lockdown. "So it would be unwise to try and open up before the country is ready." Singapore planned to relax preventive measures but had not done so yet, and authorities intended to relax them in phases in conjunction with the vaccination rate. The government expected to vaccinate all six million people in the country by the end of this year. It was expected that by the middle of July or August it would be able to relax some measures, and then more over the subsequent months. With over 50 percent of its population vaccinated, it was able to ease the restrictions on gathering size. With the immunization rate expected to soon reach 80 percent, the country could allow people to travel. Griffiths, who is in the U.K. as an advisory member of the Board of Public Health England (PHE) and chair of the PHE Global Health Committee, said though the U.K. also had Delta variants of Covid, which caused the number of new cases to increase, the country had not seen a big rise in hospital numbers. This was due to vaccination, and people could learn to live with the pandemic like they lived with flu. "Vietnam should not relax some principal measures because its vaccination rates are so low. The big message is to really drive hard on vaccination." Living with Covid is for the long term Teo said living with Covid would be inevitable in the long term given the extent of its spread globally, and the world would never be able to get rid of it. Non-pharmaceutical intervention like border control, mask wearing and social distancing were not sustainable in the long term, and countries instead needed to rely on vaccination to live with Covid, he said. Global surveillance should be stepped up, and nations should keep in touch with what was happening in other parts of the world, including the emergence of new variants and whether vaccination continued to be effective against them. Griffiths said people in the U.K. were talking about the third dose of vaccine in September to boost immunity. It was one way to live with Covid in future, and if new strains got stronger, people had to make new vaccines. Concurring with Teo that Covid would become endemic, Professor Tuan Nguyen of the School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Australia, said not just Vietnam but all countries in the world had to recognize the simple fact that the coronavirus would not disappear but would stay with people forever. Since the 1980s people had modified their way of life due to the HIV epidemic. "I expect that we have to accept that from now on, the way we live, work and socialize will never be the same as before Covid." Tuan had predicted in a Facebook post that people would see social distancing as the norm in future and social distancing would affect every aspect of life from public transport and education to work and interaction between people. It was likely that bus, train, and airplanes would have to be redesigned, people would work from home more often and there would be a surge in e-commerce and the digital economy. "It is highly likely that in the name of public health, the government will continue to use surveillance technology to monitor the movement of people, and this prospect has raised a deep concern, even ire, that people are on the verge of losing their privacy and civil liberty." Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong will attend the Communist Party of China and World Political Parties Summit to be held online on Tuesday. It will bring together more than 500 leaders of political parties and organizations and over 10,000 officials from more than 160 countries. With the theme 'For the People's Wellbeing: The Responsibility of Political Parties,' the summit would be an important multilateral diplomatic event held at a time when the CPC marks its centenary, Hu Zhaoming, spokesperson for the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, was quoted as saying Tuesday by Xinhua news agency. It aims to strengthen exchanges between the CPC and political parties from other countries and mutual learning of governance experiences, enable joint responses to challenges like the Covid-19 pandemic, enhance the philosophy and capability of seeking happiness for people, advance world peace and development, and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity, he added. ELKO Michelle L. Rodriguez was sworn in as the new Family Court Master by District Judge Mason E. Simons on Monday, filling the vacancy left by the death of Andrew M. Mierins, who died as a result of an accidental fall on May 7. Rodriguez is an Elko County native who graduated from Wells High School before attending the University of Nevada, Reno and Gonzaga University School of Law. Following her graduation from law school, Rodriguez was employed in the law office of Mathews and Wines P.C., as a staff attorney in the chambers of District Judge J. Michael Memeo, as a deputy district attorney with the Elko County District Attorneys Office, and operated her own law office based in Wells for many years. Rodriguez is likely best known for her representation of minor wards in guardianship cases and for her representation of children involved in the child welfare system, according to Simons. She also previously performed child custody mediations for the District Court in family law cases. Best honey around!! ToniJo Caetano posted on Facebook. The whipped/cream honey is the best. We use it in our coffee, teas, on toast, etc. My grandson gets so excited when we go to [farmers market] booths and Silver Sage Honey is there. Our allergies have been better the last couple of years as well. The business also offers pollination and hive removal services. She recently assisted with the recovery of hives from a trucking accident. For Amanda, keeping bees in Nevada entails feeding them nine months out of the year and taking them to California to pollinate almond trees during the coldest part of winter. In about March, Amanda brings the hives home then splits them apart, doubling the number of hives and selling some to mostly local buyers. Interest in beekeeping exploded because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its growing, Amanda said. Everyone freaked out about being able to grow their own food. The hives not sold get to spend summertime in Clover Valley, Ruby Valley, Starr Valley, Eureka and Carlin. Amanda likens putting bees in fields to putting cows on grazing land. Grizzly bear kills camper HELENA A grizzly bear attacked and killed a person at a western Montana campground early Tuesday, after previously wandering into the campsite, the Powell County sheriff said. The attack happened between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. near Ovando, a town of fewer than 100 people about 60 miles northwest of Helena, said Greg Lemon, a spokesperson with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. There was an earlier contact with the bear prior to the event, Sheriff Gavin Roselles said. The bear basically came back into the campsite. It wandered into a campsite a couple different times. A team of law enforcement and wildlife specialists has been assembled to track down the bear, officials said. An initial report said the victim had been riding a bicycle at the time of the attack. That is not the case, Roselles said. Lemon said his understanding is that the victim was part of a group on a bike trip. The identity of the victim was not immediately released and further circumstances surrounding the attack were under investigation. Our first concern is the communitys well-being. The next step is to find the bear, Lemon said. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The recent discovery of the remains of more than 200 children buried at the site of what was Canadas largest Indigenous residential school has drawn fresh attention to the laws and policies that established and supported Native boarding schools in the U.S. and Canada. During the years it operated, Stewart Indian School housed thousands of students who were cut off from their family members and forbidden from practicing traditions, speaking their languages and contacting their families. In 2021, we would call that kidnapping, Montooth said. Federal representatives of the government would physically, harshly take children and rip them from their mothers arms and bring them to boarding schools where they were beaten for speaking their language. The school about 3 miles southeast of Carson City initially had three teachers and 37 students from the Washoe, Paiute and Shoshone tribes. The school had 400 students by 1919 and focused on vocational training until the late 1960s, when it shifted to emphasize academics. It closed in 1980 because of budget cuts and earthquake safety issues. The property came under state control in the 1990s and it is used for classes, training and offices for state agencies, including the Nevada Indian Commission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Headlines: -Unemployed workers in several states file lawsuits in an attempt to maintain federal benefits. (Full story) - Michigan introduces vaccine lottery to encourage residents to get the shot (more details) - IRS reveals that many high-income households, earning more than $200,000, received a stimulus check payment (Full story) - More Californians will get a $600 stimulus check after the California Comeback Plan was approved by the state legislature: who is eligible and what do you need to do to get one? - Why did the US unemployment rate rise late month? Reasons behind the increase explored in detail. Useful information / links - Monday 2 August is the next deadline to opt out of Child Tax Credit monthly payments (find out more) - To help CTC claimants, the IRS has created the Child Tax Credit Update Portal and Child Tax Credit Eligibility Assistant - Some households may need to file taxes or use the Child Tax Credit Non-filer Sign-up Tool to get payments - Should you update your tax return information? Find out when to contact the IRS Take a look at some of our related news articles: Last December former President Donald Trump passed a $900 billion covid-19 relief bill which extended the $300 additional unemployment benefits until September 2021. The package also introduced a new $100 supplementary payment known as the Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC). However the $100 weekly boost was only applied in states that chose to provide it, with Idaho and South Dakota the first to opt out of the programme. In recent weeks more states have announced their intention to remove themselves from the federal pandemic unemployment benefits. California is one of 29 states who are still offering the MEUC although one of them, Arizona, is scheduled to withdraw from the programme from 10 July. In total 26 states have now announced their intention to cancel their participation in at least one of the federal governments pandemic-era unemployment benefits, although many of them are now facing legal challenges from unhappy residents. Who is eligible for the MEUC $100 weekly payments? The MEUC programme is designed to support those who have multiple income streams, some coming as a paid employee and some as a self-employed worker or independent contractor. Receiving traditional unemployment benefits prevents an individual from receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), and the $100 additional payment is intended to fill that gap. To be eligible for the programme you must: Be eligible to receive benefits from a Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI) claim; a Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC); or a Federal-State Extended Duration (FED-ED) extension from a Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI) claim; a Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC); or a Federal-State Extended Duration (FED-ED) extension Have a net income from self-employment totalling at least $5,000. If your claim started in 2020 the new income threshold must be met in 2019, while claims starting in 2021 will be based on 2020 earnings. How to apply for the MEUC unemployment benefits Unlike some other forms of federal support like the stimulus checks and Child Tax Credit, the MEUC payments will not arrive automatically and claimants are required to fill out an application. Californians who are eligible will get a bit of prompting from the state from 30 June onwards, after it was announced that all potentially eligible California residents will be sent a message with application instructions to their UI Online inbox, or by mail. Each state has its own online portal to allow residents to sign up for the MEUC support programme. Simply head over to your states jobs department website to find the full details on how to register for the $100 weekly boost. Throughout the pandemic the federal government has been providing additional unemployment benefits for out-of-work Americans to help them deal with the economic consequences of the pandemic. In recent months 26 states have announced their intention to prematurely withdraw from the pandemic unemployment benefits, saying that the programmes are encouraging workers to stay at home. All but two of those states have now passed their deadlines to cancel the additional federal support but they are now facing legal challenges from residents who argue that the state does not have the right to deny them access to the schemes. Indiana rules that state must continue to provide additional unemployment benefits The first state to face legal challenges was Indiana, where an estimated 230,000 lost their additional benefits from 19 June onwards. That decision stood for less than a week and on 25 June a state judge ruled that residents should continue to receive the payments until the case has gone to court. The case was brought by Indiana Legal Services and private employment law firm Macey Swanson Hicks & Sauer who argued that the decision violated a state law requiring Indiana to "procure all available federal insurance benefits to citizens. In the ruling, Marion Superior Court Judge John Hanley said that the dangers associated with cutting off additional support for out of work residents outweighs the risk of harming the states economic recovery. Hanley wrote on his decision: "A loss of housing or medical care and the inability to provide food, shelter and adequate childcare for a family constitute irreparable harm pending resolution of this cause of action and are not adequately compensable by an award of damages. Maryland follows suit with another unemployment benefits legal challenge Following the ruling in Indiana, a group of six unemployed Marylanders filed a similar lawsuit against Gov. Larry Hogan and Maryland Secretary of Labor Tiffany Robinson on 30 June. They also allege that the decision to withdraw from the federal programme violates the states constitutional obligation to secure any available support for residents. On Saturday a Maryland judge issued a temporary restraining order, preventing the state from ending participation in the scheme. The ruling came just in time for jobless residents who were due to lose the additional benefits later that day. In Maryland, where more than 300,000 residents are currently receiving unemployment benefits, 84.7% will be left without any support if the state is able to cancel the federal programme. Across the country roughly 4.1 million Americans will be affected if states are allowed to revoke access to the additional unemployment benefits. After the initial success of the Indiana and Maryland challenges expect to see more groups launch a lawsuit against other states. China has demonstrated the advantages of the socialist system under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), a Moldovan politician said. In a recent written interview with Xinhua, Vladimir Voronin, leader of the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova, said with the people-centered philosophy, the CPC has led China to precisely and systematically eradicate absolute poverty. This is "a great victory" achieved by the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC, stressed Voronin, who served as president of Moldova from 2001 to 2009. He said that although it has been nearly 10 years since his last visit to China, he has been paying close attention to China's achievements under the CPC's leadership. China has built itself into the world's second largest economy, he said, adding that "there is no doubt that the leadership of the Communist Party of China played a decisive role in all of this." He firmly believed that under the CPC's leadership, China has demonstrated the advantages of the socialist system, and the global initiatives proposed by the country can open up new paths for human development. Also, China's all-out efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic showed the CPC's adherence to putting people and their lives front and center, which is a fundamental reason for China's victory against the pandemic, he said. China took the lead in containing the spread of the virus, minimizing the losses caused by the pandemic, and quickly restoring social order, he said. "China ... extends a helping hand to countries and people lacking pandemic prevention materials by providing them with necessary medical equipment, medicines and testing reagents," Voronin added. "In the process of fulfilling its international humanitarian mission, China has demonstrated the outstanding qualities of a successful socialist country -- openness, tolerance, and support for the weak and needy," he emphasized. "The CPC's first centenary is a solid preparation to embark on a new journey," and the party will make new great achievements in the cause of safeguarding world peace and promoting the development and prosperity of mankind, he said. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said Monday that his country can benefit from Chinese expertise for development and economic stability as China has achieved rapid development and is getting stronger with each passing day. Taking benefit of the country's strategic location and deep-rooted friendship with China, Pakistan can materialize the dream of economic prosperity and development, the prime minister said while addressing a groundbreaking ceremony of several projects at the country's southwest Gwadar port, including the start of the construction of the Gwadar north free zone, a chemical fertilizer factory, an expo building, an animal vaccination factory and a lubricant factory. A tropical plant tissue culture center at the Gwadar port was officially put into use during the ceremony which was also attended by Chairman of Pakistan's Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, Pakistani federal ministers, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong, and ambassadors and senior diplomats from several other countries. Thanking the Chinese government for initiating various development projects in southwest Balochistan province, especially at the Gwadar port, Khan said that the port is becoming a focal point of development for Pakistan and the region at large. He said the completion of infrastructure projects in Gwadar would give impetus to regional trade and boost economic activity. "Gwadar will connect with Central Asia...We have already signed agreements with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan." To facilitate foreign investors, particularly Chinese investors, the government of Pakistan is going to initiate one-window operation facility in Gwadar to boost foreign direct investment and exports, the prime minister said. "We are encouraging Chinese investors who are investing in manufacturing of products which can be exported and help Pakistan to earn valuable foreign exchange," Khan said. He also stressed on the early implementation of projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) of which the Gwadar port is an important part, and asked the departments involved to remove hurdles in businesses related to CPEC. On the occasion, Chinese ambassador Nong said that China and Pakistan have worked hand in hand in Gwadar on port operations, free zone development, and transportation infrastructure, and completed a series of social and livelihood projects in the last few years. China will work with Pakistan to accelerate project construction to meet the time-lines, continuously enhance Gwadar's port operation, infrastructure, industry, and social development to promote the high-quality development of CPEC, the ambassador said. "By taking a comprehensive way of development, the Gwadar port is right on its track to the regional business and trade hub," he said. During the ceremony, the Chinese government also signed with the Pakistani side a Memorandum of Understanding to donate 3,000 sets of solar systems for the Pakistani people in an effort to address climate change, and also an implement agreement for the aid of a desalination plant at the Gwadar port that can produce 5,000 tonnes of fresh water daily. At present, the COVID-19 pandemic is still spreading globally. The variants of the virus have increased the uncertainty of the global anti-epidemic work. Vaccine is a critical tool against the pandemic and the process of vaccination decides if the anti-epidemic work could succeed or not. However, some developed countries, such as the United States, have demonstrated undisguised Vaccine Nationalism and hoarded vaccines in large quantities, contributing significantly to unequal global allocation of vaccines and hindered the process of pandemic containment. Widening gap in vaccine allocation Medical scientists believe that herd immunity can be achieved after the vaccinated population reaches 70% to 90%. At present, in some developed countries including the United States, Britain, Israel, and Canada, more than 50% of the population have received at least one dose of the vaccine. According to data of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, considerable waste of vaccines has occurred in several regions of the country. The federal government distributed 371 million doses of vaccines to the states, while only 301 million have been inoculated and 70 million have been left unused. In contrast, Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, recently warned that the third wave of the pandemic is raging in the African continent and many people are in danger, while the first-dose vaccination rate of in Africa still remains at 2%, even 1% in Sub-Saharan Africa. Vaccine Nationalism draws widespread criticism Since the beginning of this year, developed countries such as the United States have stubbornly clung to the domestic-need-first principle, which, along with some interest groups purposes for personal gain, have worsened Vaccine Nationalism, the phenomenon that who developed the vaccine, who has exclusive access to it. In February, the Biden administration cited the Defense Production Act to impose export control over the raw materials of vaccines and emphasized that vaccines would be preferentially supplied for Americans. The move not only has largely prevented other countries from obtaining vaccines from the United States, but also seriously influenced vaccine production in regions outside the United States. In the face of criticisms, Biden claims that the United States could be a base to supply vaccines to other countries only if every American has the opportunity to be vaccinated. While advanced countries go to great lengths to compete for and swoop up large quantities of vaccines, many developing countries have found themselves simply left out. Ignoring the spread of the pandemic in less developed countries is equivalent to supplying natural petri dishes for the variation of the virus. Chinese vaccines help bridge the global immunity gap China has proactively boosted research and development of COVID-19 vaccines and promised to use it as a global public good, which shows Chinas sense of responsibility as a major country. By early June, China had donated vaccines to more than 80 countries and exported to more than 40 countries, 350 million doses in total, and cooperated with several developing countries to produce vaccines. Compared with other vaccines, Chinese vaccines dont need extreme refrigeration and can better adapt to the sanitary conditions and current situation of developing countries. Nowadays, two vaccines, from SINOPHARM and SINOVAC, have been approved for emergency use by the WHO, which demonstrates that the safety, validity, and convenience of China vaccines have been globally admitted, which also means Chinese vaccines will bring new solutions to bridging the global immunity gap. The COVID-19 pandemic is a common challenge for all mankind, which needs countries to cooperate. China appeals for all parties to adhere to multilateralism and abandon Vaccine Nationalism to ensure such public goods as vaccines and diagnostic reagents are fairly allocated, to guarantee the pandemic prevention and response mechanisms can become sustainable, to help developing countries obtain more vaccines sooner via more practical actions, to promote the construction of human health community, and to work together to protect a better future for global public health. Contributed by Yao Kun, Deputy Director of Institute of World Political Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations Translated by Fei Jinglun [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] Screen image taken at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 4, 2021 shows a Chinese astronaut conducting extravehicular activities (EVAs) out of the space station core module Tianhe. Chinese astronauts have completed extravehicular activities (EVAs) and returned to the space station core module Tianhe, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Sunday. The first EVAs during the construction of the country's space station were a complete success, the CMSA declared. The Shenzhou-12 spaceship crew, after approximately 7 hours of extravehicular activities (EVAs), have completed all the scheduled tasks, and astronauts Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo returned to the space station core module at 2:57 p.m. (Beijing Time), according to CMSA. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese astronauts have completed extravehicular activities (EVAs) and returned to the space station core module Tianhe, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Sunday. The first EVAs during the construction of the country's space station were a complete success, the CMSA declared. The Shenzhou-12 spaceship crew, after approximately 7 hours of extravehicular activities (EVAs), have completed all the scheduled tasks, and astronauts Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo returned to the space station core module at 2:57 p.m. (Beijing Time), according to CMSA. Astronaut Nie Haisheng has been staying inside Tianhe in cooperation with Liu and Tang for their EVAs. This was the second time that Chinese astronauts have performed EVAs after the Shenzhou-7 mission in 2008. The scheduled tasks of the EVAs, including equipment installation and panoramic camera lifting, were accomplished with close coordination between space and the ground, as well as between the astronauts inside and outside of the spacecraft. The EVAs tested the performance and function of the new-generation homemade extravehicular mobility units and the coordination between the astronauts and the mechanical arm, as well as the reliability and safety of related EVA supporting equipment. This has laid an important foundation for subsequent EVAs for the space station construction, said the CMSA. The three astronauts on board the Shenzhou-12 spaceship were sent into space and entered Tianhe on June 17 and have since carried out a number of tasks as planned. Currently, they are in good health and will perform EVAs for a second time during their stay in orbit, the CMSA said. BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Against the evidence-free reports of some U.S. media outlets on the Wuhan lab leak hypothesis, many experts and readers have spoken out, noting that the press coverage has only created a diversion from the real problems in the United States and chipped away at the media's credibility. In a June 23 article on The Conversation, an online media outlet that publishes news stories and articles written by academics and researchers, Keith Grehan and Natalie Kingston of the University of Leeds said, "While a natural origin seems likely -- and many have long warned about the danger of wildlife circulating viruses -- scientists shouldn't jump to conclusions." Noting a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report about the hypothesis, the researchers added, "The origin of Sars-CoV-2 may remain unresolved, but there is no evidence presented in the WSJ piece that scientifically supports the concept of a lab leak of a genetically engineered virus." FAIR, a U.S. media watch group, on Monday bashed the unfounded reporting. It is certainly true that people like former U.S. President Donald Trump and former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "are notorious for being shameless liars, and blatantly promoted the lab leak theory in a cynical attempt to scapegoat China for the U.S.'s disastrous handling of the pandemic," it said. "Besides relying on unnamed officials," FAIR added, "another issue with the Journal report is that its lead author, Michael R. Gordon, co-authored (with Judith Miller) the notorious New York Times report ... that was perhaps the single piece of journalism most responsible for deceiving the nation about Saddam Hussein's imaginary weapons of mass destruction." Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs of Columbia University published a commentary on the Project Syndicate on June 22, mentioning that the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has not yet revealed the actual research that it has financed and supported. "It is in fact common knowledge in the U.S. scientific community that NIH has indeed supported genetic recombinant research on SARS-like viruses that many scientists describe as GOFROC," the professor pointed out. Added to this, the poor performance of the media and politicians has also let readers down. In a letter published Tuesday to the San Francisco Chronicle, a reader said, "In general, the treatment of the origins of COVID-19 by politicians and polemicists has ignored or distorted the science to the point of embarrassment for an advanced nation." "Let us call on our politicians to end the China bashing and negotiate a framework for a peaceful and prosperous world," the reader said. [ Editor: WXL ] Ukraine and China have signed an intergovernmental agreement providing for the expansion of cooperation between the two countries and the promotion of joint projects in the infrastructure construction sector, as well as the raising of Ukrainian funds on concessional terms from the People's Republic of China. According to the statement on the website of the Infrastructure Ministry of Ukraine on Tuesday, June 30, the relevant agreement was signed by Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov and Minister of Commerce of the People's Republic of China Wang Wentao. Among the priorities of cooperation are rail transit, airports, ports, communications and municipal engineering. Under the agreement, Ukraine and China will encourage companies and financial facilities in both countries to cooperate actively in the construction of infrastructure facilities, as well as to promote closer economic ties between the two countries and to provide necessary assistance and accompaniment in the implementation of joint projects. The agreement also provides for the mobilization of funds on concessional terms from the Government of the People's Republic of China necessary for the implementation of infrastructure projects. As a result of the joint consultations, the sides will approve potential cooperation projects, which will be supported by PRC funds. Attorneys-at-law of the fifth President of Ukraine, MP (European Solidarity) Petro Poroshenko filed a lawsuit against President Volodymyr Zelensky demanding that "wiretaping" concealment from the public be illegal and that all so-called "Bihus tapes" in their original form, attorney Ihor Holovan said. "Bihus must relased all 'tapes!' The spectacular interview of Zelensky's channel 1+1 vividly confirmed the obvious implication of the presidential office in the video BIHUS.info with the so-called 'Medvedchuk tapes.' The interview left no doubt also that the action directed from the presidential office and executed by BIHUS.info, directed not against Medvecchuk and his interlocutors, but against the main political opponent of Zelensky Petro Poroshenko," the European Solidarity press office said on Tuesday, citing attorney. Holovan said the journalists' investigation was "more like a cover operation," and also said that Denys Bihus' promise to release all his recordings of conversations had not been fulfilled. "Instead of releasing recordings in the form that Bihus and the team received from their source (it is clear that from the President's Office, but this is a hypothesis), BIHUS.info has given the society three more videos with mounted-remodeled audio. And they are trying to fool us with the timing. First, Bihus said he had six hours of records. Then he 'corrected' not six, but 36. In fact, the timeline of the three videos with all the tapes, according to Bihus, is 35 hours, 9 minutes, 14 seconds," the attorney said. He accused the journalists of deception and also assured that there might be voices of "active authority" on the tapes, as well as that the originals of the tapes "are of considerable public interest and should therefore be made public." "Therefore, we filed a lawsuit on behalf of Petro Poroshenko to President Zelensky and the Volume 14 public organization with the demand to declare illegal the concealment of 'wiretaps' from the society and to oblige the publication of all records in the original form," Holovan said. The founding summit of the Crimean Platform, which will be attended by world leaders, will be held in Kyiv on August 23 at the Parkovy convention and exhibition center, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova said. "The organization of the summit and the process of developing its joint declaration demonstrated two important things. We managed to form the core of the international coalition for the liberation of Crimea, the number of which is constantly growing. We also managed to develop a joint understanding among our most important partners that distraction and delay in responding to the occupation Crimea and related crimes, in fact, gave Russia and other authoritarian regimes carte blanche to further attack the rules of the democratic world," Dzhaparova said at the "Ukraine 30. International Politics" All-Ukrainian Forum in Kyiv on Tuesday. She said that the joint declaration, which is planned to be adopted during the summit, besides the formal launch of the Crimean platform, will confirm the invariability of the "Crimea is Ukraine" formula, condemn Russia's crimes in Crimea and around it, outline the parameters of the international policy of de-occupation. "But, at the same time, we must clearly realize that Russia is not just watching the Ukrainian initiative, it has declared it a threat to territorial integrity and security, and has begun large-scale work to discredit this platform, its tasks and goals, as well as, in fact, knocking down participation in the Crimean Platform summit," Dzhaparova said. The Deputy Foreign Minister said that the President of Ukraine, the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, the Prime Minister, the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, the heads of foreign delegations, and a representative of the newly created expert network of the Crimean Platform will speak at the high-level segment of the summit. "Further, the work of the summit will continue in the format of four panel discussions and discussions on the policy of non-recognition and sanctions, security challenges, the protection of human rights in the temporarily occupied Crimea and the renewal of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people as an element of de-occupation," Dzhaparova said. According to her, after the summit, the activities of the Crimean platform will not end. "The intergovernmental level of the platform will act in the form of consultations of foreign ministers, coordination meetings and specialized working groups on priority areas, conferences. In particular, we also plan to establish an annual forum dedicated to security of the wider Black Sea region and beyond," Dzhaparova said. Since the beginning of the occupation of the Crimean peninsula, Russia has called up about 30,000 citizens of Ukraine for military service, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova said. "The Kremlin is violating international humanitarian law, using the population of the Ukrainian peninsula to replenish its army. Since the beginning of the occupation, about 30,000 Ukrainian citizens have already been called up for military service in Russia. Russia is artificially and deliberately replacing the composition of the Crimean population, it squeezes out disloyal and replaces them with hundreds of thousands citizens, which, in fact, commits a war crime," Dzhaparova said at the Ukraine 30. International Politics all-Ukrainian forum in Kyiv on Tuesday. She said the most acute problems created by the occupying Russian authorities are unprecedented militarization, massive violations of human rights and persecution of religious communities, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Muslims of Crimea, violation of international humanitarian law and, in particular, the replacement of the population of the occupied territory by citizens of Russia, transformation of Crimea and surrounding waters into a military outpost in the Azov-Black Sea region. "Russia is constantly increasing the number of servicemen and equipment in the occupied Crimea. Recently, the Kremlin went even further. Under the guise of military exercises, it closed part of the Black Sea for six months, including in the direction of the Kerch Strait, to foreign warships and state vessels. In addition, the Russian president gave the Russian National Guard the right to block the waters of the Black and Azov Seas. This really creates significant obstacles to international navigation, threatens the security and stability of Ukraine in the world and South-Eastern Europe," the deputy minister said. Dzhaparova also said that Russia is actively developing the Crimean military infrastructure for its nuclear weapons, reconstructing the infrastructure of Soviet-era nuclear warhead storage facilities. "Potential carriers of nuclear weapons have already been deployed on the peninsula. Russia is trying to strengthen its planning in Crimea by turning it into a huge military base. At the same time, it suppresses all possible forms of opposition to the occupation, forms of resistance. The main factors of this process are unprecedented and harsh repression against dissidents, and first of all, we are talking about Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars," she said. The increase in the incidence of coronavirus (COVID-19) in European countries and the holiday season are an external threat to the situation with COVID-19 in Ukraine, experts from Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) said. "The growth of the incidence in Europe is accelerating the incidence increased by 44% in a week. Accordingly, the vacation period is an external threat for Ukraine. The outbreak in Ukraine may already be at the end of July-August, depending on how much the British, South African and Indian variants will spread," Head of the KSE Health Economics Center said Yuriy Hanychenkov said on Tuesday during an online presentation of an analysis of the situation with COVID-19 spread. According to him, the outbreak in the UK has already reached the peak of the autumn wave, and Spain has caught up with the incidence rate in Russia and Portugal in a week. Experts associate the increase in Spain with the incidence among young people who are not vaccinated, and note the need for vaccination. "According to a study by British scientists, vaccination remains effective, in particular when we talk about two doses. Despite the rapid increase in morbidity in the UK, hospitalizations and mortality remain at a controlled level. This means that if there are vaccinated among the sick, then the vaccine protects against severe disease," Hanychenkov said. At the same time, according to him, the situation in Ukraine in relatively large European countries is gradually improving. "There are no signs of an outbreak in Ukraine, mortality continues to fall. The occupancy of COVID-19 beds is at one of the lowest levels ever in Ukraine: resuscitation beds are occupied by 15%, beds with oxygen by 9%, ventilators by 3%," the expert said. At the same time, he said that Ukraine is still lagging behind the national vaccination plan and it is necessary to increase the rate of vaccination and its coverage. According to him, the vaccination rate is currently 5.4%. "Ukraine has four times underfulfilled this plan in June. In order to implement the national plan, it is necessary to carry out 250,000 vaccinations per day, currently an average of 71,000 vaccinations are being carried out. It is absolutely realistic to increase the pace based on the average European vaccination rate," Hanychenkov said. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov said that France and Germany bear moral responsibility for the occupation by Russia of part of the territories of Georgia and Ukraine due to the blocking in 2008 in Bucharest of Ukraine's NATO Membership Action Plan. "Our international partners reproach us that we cannot overcome corruption. There is also corruption in other countries. The French, for example, in 2008 were engaged in negotiations between Georgia and Russia, and as a result, the Georgians lost part of their territory, and the French received an order for the Mistral from Russia. I do not know if they received anything for part of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and Crimea, but there is moral responsibility," Danilov said in an interview with the Ukrainian edition of Forbes. He said "Russia attacked Georgia and Ukraine after France and Germany in 2008 in Bucharest blocked our NATO membership action plan." "When we meet behind closed doors with German and French representatives in Kyiv, I tell them about it," Danilov said. At the same time, according to the NSDC secretary, "Germany has recently changed its tone." "Ukraine is now returning its status as a subject, they are beginning to communicate with us, they are beginning to perceive us separately from Russia," Danilov said. An active phase has started in a coastal component of the Sea Breeze 2021 international military exercise, the press service of the Ukrainian Marine Corps Command has reported on Tuesday. "After receiving a combat order, the multinational tactical groups moved from a basing point to concentration areas. During the march, the subunits received a lot of input. In particular, the tactical groups repel ambushes of a hypothetical enemy, carry out actions while blocking the routes of the local population's advance," according to a report posted on Facebook. It is noted that tactical actions to repel ambushes are practiced using electronic warfare, that is, the training is planned in such a way that the conditions are as close as possible to combat ones. "Also, on the eve, American and Ukrainian reconnaissance groups parachuted into the rear of the hypothetical enemy in order to identify the bases of illegal armed formations and important infrastructure facilities, expose the defense system of the militant camps and transfer information to the multinational training forces," the report says. It is specified that servicemen of a separate battalion of the Marine Corps of Ukraine, the U.S. Marine Corps, the Armed Forces of Georgia, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova, and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine participate in the coastal component. "Also there are 3rd-year cadets of the faculty of training specialists for airborne assault troops in the Ukrainian units. Future officers undergo training in primary command positions," the press service says. Consultations at the political working group of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on Donbas, scheduled for July 6, again did not take place due to the presence of the so-called representative of the temporarily occupied districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, Maya Pirogova, invited by Russia. "At official meetings, the Ukrainian side can be represented only in its entirety, with the ORDLO representatives from Ukraine [...] In Donetsk, they decided to disrupt the dialogue that had begun and 'dragged' Maya Pirogova into a studio, who is convicted by the Ukrainian court for terrorist activities. We, like warned, in this case were forced to leave a virtual 'negotiation room.' Subsequently, all others left as well," Representative of Donetsk in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on Donbas Serhiy Harmash said on his Facebook page. He also said that "for the first time, the newly appointed OSCE moderator, Sylvie Bermann, was present at the failed meeting of the political working group." "In personal communication, she is a very pleasant woman. But at the general informal session, the new moderator announced the preservation of old 'practices' [...] Namely: 'not to be interested in the status of the working group members' [...] The package of measures directly states that the working groups 'reflect the TCG composition,' and today 'people from Donetsk and Luhansk' do not officially represent any of the TCG members," he said. "In essence, this means that in the process there will never be a second party to the conflict: Russia will state that it is a mediator, and its persons from Luhansk and Donetsk will continue to self-proclaim themselves 'parties to the conflict,' without having any subjectivity," he said. According to Harmash, "in such a situation, a constructive dialogue is impossible." The EU attaches utmost importance to its relations with Ukraine, and support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity is unshakable, President of the European Council Charles Michel has said. "The support to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering. To President Zelensky the reforms your country is pursuing are essential. We are united by our democratic values. The EU attaches utmost importance to its relations with Ukraine," Michel wrote on his Twitter page following a meeting with Zelensky in Vilnius. As reported, Zelensky is on a visit to the Republic of Lithuania to participate in the fourth international Ukraine Reform Conference, which will be held in Vilnius. OSCE Special Representative in Ukraine Heidi Grau to soon withdraw from TCG talks source Special Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Heidi Grau, will soon withdraw from the negotiation process, a source close to the negotiation process has told Interfax-Ukraine. "The replacement in the TCG concerns the OSCE. Grau [...] she is leaving this is a fact," a source said in a comment. The source also drew attention to the fact that at the TCG meeting, which will be held on July 7 at the level of heads of delegations, "the withdrawal of Heidi Grau may not yet be officially announced or it will be announced on July 21." The reasons for the withdrawal of Ambassador Grau from the Minsk process are not reported. According to the source, "Grau's successor has already been determined and this is not a representative of the United States, which is also a member of the OSCE." At the moment, Interfax-Ukraine has no official confirmation of this information. Swiss diplomat Heidi Grau has been holding the post of OSCE Special Representative in Ukraine and the TCG since December 2019. She replaced Austrian diplomat Martin Sajdik. Court extends term of arrest of Ukrainian journalist Yesypenko, detained in Crimea, for six months Denisova The so-called "district court in Simferopol" has extended the term of arrest of Ukrainian journalist, freelance correspondent for Radio Liberty Vladyslav Yesypenko for six months, Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Liudmyla Denisova said. "Today, the so-called 'district court in Simferopol' controlled by Russia has extended the term of arrest of illegally detained citizen of Ukraine Vladyslav Yesypenko for six months. I call on the international community to respond to the trial and increase pressure on the Russian Federation in order to protect the rights of citizens who remain in the temporarily occupied Crimea and release all Ukrainian citizens illegally detained by the aggressor country," she wrote on her Facebook page. The Human Rights Commissioner also asks international organizations and human rights institutions to delegate their representatives to court sessions in the temporarily occupied Crimea in order to prevent violations of the rights of Ukrainian citizen Yesypenko. Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the world community to join Ukraine in its call to Russia to release Ukrainian journalist Yesypenko. The Senate Egypt's consultative upper house voted Monday against lifting the parliamentary immunity of prominent political analyst and appointed senator Abdel-Moneim Said. A report prepared by the Senate's legislative and constitutional affairs committee recommended that the request to strip Said of parliamentary immunity, submitted by Prosecutor-General Hamada El-Sawy, be rejected because it is based on malicious foundations. "All members of the committee met to discuss the request and after reviewing it in legislative terms, they came up with the conclusion that it should be rejected," said the report. Abdallah Al-Assar, the chair of the Senate's legislative and constitutional affairs committee, said Article 230 of the Senate's internal bylaws states that in reviewing requests submitted by the prosecutor-general or the minister of justice on dropping the immunity of any senators, the legislative and constitutional affairs committee should focus on investigating whether these requests are based on malicious intentions. "The committee concluded that the request against Said was lacking evidence and that it was clearly motivated by malicious intentions," said Al-Assar. According to the request, Said, while he was chairman of the board of Al-Ahram Press Organisation between 2009 and 2011, was involved in misusing public funds, and for this reason he should be stripped of parliamentary immunity and face trial. Said is a prominent political analyst who was the manager of Al-Ahram's Centre for Strategic and Political Studies. In 2009, Said was appointed chairman of the board of Al-Ahram Press Organisation. After leaving Al-Ahram in 2011, Said was appointed chairman of the board of the private newspaper of Al-Masry Al-Youm. Following the Senate elections last year, Said was named by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi as a member of the Senate. Short link: Sudanese Irrigation Minister Yasser Abbas has called for applying external pressure on Ethiopia to return to the negotiations table to settle the dispute caused by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) by reaching a legally binding deal that satisfies all parties as well as prevent filling the dams reservoir unilaterally. In a meeting with Frances Ambassador to Khartoum Emmanuel Platman on Monday, Abbas said that the GERD issue has become complicated and more of a political issue rather than a technical one, reported Egypts state news agency MENA. He warned that the benefits of the dam, which drove his country to support the project at the beginning, would turn into damages and disasters in the absence of a legal agreement, which Ethiopia refuses to sign and seeks instead a package of non-binding guidelines. The Sudanese authorities have kept one billion cubic metres of water stored in the reservoir of the Blue Nile Roseires Dam and have not emptied the White Nile Jebal Aulia Dam in a bid to spare the country the consequences of the second filing due to a lack of information and data exchange with Ethiopia concerning the step, according to Abbas. Such steps have implications on hydroelectric generation and that is the reason why Sudan calls for signing a binding agreement with Ethiopia, he stressed during Mondays meeting. Abbass remarks were made just hours before Ethiopia announced the resumption of the filling of the GERD reservoir for the second year unilaterally despite the lack of accord with downstream countries Sudan and Egypt, the other parties of the dispute. The Ethiopian step could further escalate the ten-year-old tensions with the downstream countries, who have raised the matter with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which is set to convene to discuss the issue later this week. The decision to resort to the UNSC was made by Sudan and Egypt as there seems to be no sign that an agreement is on the horizon after 10 years of tripartite talks, including last years African Union (AU) sponsored rounds. Ethiopia, which hopes the controversial multi-billion-dollar hydropower dam will support its economic development goals, seeks to sign non-binding guidelines on the dams filling and rules of operation, as opposed to both downstream countries, who seek a binding deal. Sudan fears the unilateral filling of the reservoir would threaten the lives of millions of its people living downstream of the dam, jeopardise the operational safety of its own dams, and consequently risk Sudans national security. Egypt, which depends on the Nile for over 95 percent of its fresh water, fears the dam will significantly affect its water share if a legally binding deal is not reached. The Sudanese irrigation minister asserted Khartoum will not engage in any negotiations unless the methodology of the process is changed and observers and experts are given a greater role. The AU sponsored tripartite negotiations with Ethiopia, which saw the participation of the US and EU as observers, reached a deadlock in February, with Addis Ababa refusing to upgrade the observers role. Earlier this year, Addis Ababa also rejected a proposal made by Khartoum and backed by Cairo to include the US, the EU, and the UN in the talks as mediators alongside the AU to revive the stalled talks. The proposal of resorting to quartet mediation is not an alternative to the African Union, Abbas stressed to the ambassador of France, who will preside over the anticipated UNSC session on the issue. The three African countries, said Abbas, reached an agreement on 90 percent of the outstanding points before the onset of the AU negotiations in June 2020. Now, after the [AU sponsored] rounds of talks were over, the percentage of points of disagreement ratcheted up, he pointed out. Abbas also reiterated his countrys refusal to discussing the Nile Rivers quotas in the GERD negotiations, saying the GERD talks should only focus on the dams filing and operation rules. The [GERD] negotiations have been limited to the filling and operation process only for nearly 10 years, but Ethiopia shifted its position starting July 2020 by talking about water quotas, MENA cited Abbas as saying at Platmans meeting. Short link: Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Ati said on Tuesday that Egypt was not against development projects in Ethiopia or any Nile basin countries, but those projects should be implemented within the framework of international law and take into consideration the concerns of downtown stream countries. This came in a video conference held earlier Tuesday between Minister Abdel-Ati and UN Environment Programme Director Inger Anderson where they discussed the latest developments of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and its dispute according to the irrigation ministry. In the meeting, Abdel-Ati stated Egypt has already assisted Nile basin countries in building dams according to a cooperative framework and that Egypt was seeking to achieve cooperation with Ethiopia though a legally binding agreement for the filing and operation policies of the GERD that would meet the best interests for all parties. The minister recounted how Egypt was flexible in the GERD talks that continued for ten years, whereas this flexibility was met by inflexibility from Ethiopia, as it seemed the upstream country did not have the political will to reach an agreement. Abdel-Ati accused Ethiopia in his meeting with Andersen of seeking to evade any obligation it has towards the downstream countries. The online meeting with the UN environment programme director came less than 24 hours after Ethiopias declaration that it already started the second filing of the GERD in a letter to both Egypt and Sudan without reaching a legally binding agreement. Egypt has already expressed its categorical rejection to the Ethiopias unilateral action. The Egyptian irrigation minister hinted in his talk on Tuesday to the dire consequences of Ethiopias decision on both Egypt and Sudan, especially if the filing or the dams operations come in a time of drought. He also spoke about the dire consequences Sudan had to endure following the first filing of the GERD by Ethiopia in July 2020 as it suffered an extreme drought followed by a huge flood, as Ethiopia went on with the filing without coordination with the downstream countries. He also referred to how Ethiopia unleashed large quantities of silt-laden water during last November without informing the downstream countries, which caused an increase in turbidity in drinking water stations in Sudan. According to the ministry, Abdel-Ati spoke about Egypts limited water sources and how they have been affected by climate change and the unilateral actions of Ethiopia. Abdel-Ati stated that Egypt is already suffering from a scarcity it water, unlike Ethiopia, which has plenty of water sources, including rainwater, rivers, and lakes. On her part, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme Inger Andersen stated in the meeting that the UN secretary-general asserted that the UN was ready to participate in supporting the GERD talks if the three countries agreed to reconvene. Sudan has suggested the formation of an international quartet made of the African Union, UN, European Union, and the United States in order to push forward the talks between the three countries that reached a deadlock since last April. Egypt supported the suggestion while Ethiopia rejected it. Currently, Egypt and Sudans foreign ministers are in New York meeting with UN officials and members of the UNSC to explain the dispute before the meeting of the security council on Thursday that will discuss developments regarding the GERD as per the two countries requests. Members of Egypts negotiations team in the GERD talks, as well as representatives of Egypts embassy in Kenya participated in the online meeting. Short link: Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry continued meeting with UN officials and ambassadors of different countries on Monday to explain the Egyptian position on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated. Sudanese Foreign Minister Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi is also in New York to discuss the GERD dispute. On Thursday, the Security Council is going to hold a session per the request of the two countries to discuss the GERD issue. According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Shoukry held a series of meetings on Monday with ambassadors of the Arab Committee concerning the GERD developments file where they discussed coordination at the Security Council. He also discussed the latest developments with the permanent representatives of the Africa Group to the UN Security Council, as well as with permanent representatives of Estonia, Ireland, Mexico and Norway, currently non-permanent members of the Security Council. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ambassador Ahmed Hafez stated that Minister Shoukry reviewed the Egyptian position during these meetings regarding the GERD, which is based on the need to reach a binding legal agreement on the filling and operation of the dam that takes into account the three countries interests and preserves Egypt's water rights. Hafez added that these intensive meetings are taking place as part of the preparations for the upcoming session of the Security Council on the GERD issue. Short link: Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Sudanese counterpart Mariam Al-Sadiq met in New York on Monday evening to coordinate their efforts before the upcoming UN Security Council (UNSC) session scheduled for Thursday over the dispute caused by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The meeting comes only hours after Addis Ababa notified Egypt on Monday that it has begun filling the GERD's reservoir for the second year despite the lack of a legally binding agreement between the three African nations. Shoukry and Al-Sadiq voiced their categorical rejection of Ethiopias announcement, saying it reveals Ethiopia's ill intention to impose a fait accompli on downstream countries and indifference to the foreseeable negative impacts and damages, according to a statement released by the Egyptian foreign ministry on Tuesday. Both ministers also said the unilateral filling represents a blatant violation of the Declaration of Principles (DoPs) Agreement and a violation of international laws and norms governing the exploitation of transboundary river resources, the statement added. The DoPs is an agreement signed between the three countries in March 2015 that obliges Ethiopia to cooperate with Egypt and Sudan in filling and operating the dam. The agreement also mandates the use of mediated negotiation in the event of a dispute arising from differences in the interpretation or application of the DoPs. Addis Ababa targets storing up to 13.5 billion cubic metres of water in the GERDs reservoir during the current years flood season, which started in July. The UNSC is set to meet on Thursday upon the request of Egypt and Sudan, who raised the matter with the 15-member body after the African Union-sponsored tripartite negotiations with Ethiopia reached a deadlock earlier this year. Egypt and Sudan have been negotiating with Ethiopia for a decade to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and rules of operation for the dam, with both downstream countries blaming Addis Ababa for the failure of the talks. Ethiopia, which hopes the controversial multi-billion-dollar hydropower dam will support its economic development goals, seeks to sign non-binding guidelines on the dams filling and operation, as opposed to both downstream countries, who seek a binding deal. Egypt, which depends on the Nile for over 95 percent of its freshwater, fears the dam will significantly affect its water share if a legally binding deal is not reached. Sudan fears the unilateral filling of the reservoir will threaten the lives of millions of its people living downstream of the dam, jeopardise the operational safety of its own dams, and consequently risk Sudans national security. Shoukry and Al-Sadiq agreed, during Mondays meeting, on continuing to intensify contacts and consultations with the UNSC members to urge them to support the position of Egypt and Sudan, which is based on reaching a legally binding agreement that takes into account the interests of the three countries. Over the past few hours, both ministers held several talks with their counterparts, permanent delegates of the UNSCs member states, and UN officials. The talks included meetings and phone calls with African and Arab representatives at the UNSC, in addition to others. Short link: A Cairo criminal court upheld on Monday an order to seize funds of renowned Egyptian businessman Hassan Rateb, who has been detained pending investigations over accusations of funding illegal archaeological excavations. The court's council chamber rejected an appeal lodged by Rateb, who is not allowed to dispose of his assets, including cash, stock market shares, bonds, and bank deposits, at the judicial order. Rateb was arrested on 28 June over his alleged involvement in financing a gang of 17 people led by former MP Alaa Hassanin, according to a prosecution statement. He was ordered to be detained for 4 days pending investigation then his detention was extended for another 15 days. Rateb's arrest came four days after MP Alaa Hassanin, alongside others, were caught with tens of artefacts in their possession. The investigations of the Public Prosecution revealed that Rateb funded Hassanin, his brother, and the gang members with millions of pounds to illegally excavate antiquities. Rateb, the former owner of the privately owned Al-Mehwar satellite channel, is the chairman of Sinai University, Sama Group, and the Sinai Cement Company. Egypt imposes tough penalties on antiquities trafficking as there has been a rise in antiquities theft and illegal digging for artefacts in the country since the 2011 revolution. Illegal archaeological digging, antiquities trafficking, and smuggling offences carry penalties varying from 7 years to life imprisonment. Over the past several years, Egypt has returned hundreds of antiquities that had been looted and smuggled abroad, the latest of which was a shipment of 114 pieces that was retrieved from France last week. Short link: The Ismailia Economic Court agreed on Tuesday to lift its impound order against the giant Ever Given ship that had blocked the Suez canal for nearly a week in March, allowing it to leave the Canal on Wednesday per the request of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) so it can continue its voyage to Rotterdam. The SCA announced on Sunday that it would sign a settlement agreement on Wednesday with the owner of the Ever Given ship. The ship will be allowed to depart the Suez following the signing of the agreement. Shoei Kisen, the Japanese owner of the vessel and its insurers said last month they had reached an agreement in principle with the SCA. The SCA had demanded $916 million in compensation to cover salvage efforts, reputational damage and lost revenue before publicly lowering the request to $550 million. The giant Ever Given ship will leave the Suez canal accompanied with two tug boats and the guidance of two transit guides from the SCA. Short link: Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry continued his meetings on Tuesday in New York with UN officials and met with the permanent representatives of Russia and China, who he discussed the latest developments of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) with, said the Egyptian foreign ministry. Russia and China are permanent members of the UN Security Council. According to the ministry, Shoukry asserted in the meeting Egypts stance concerning the GERD dispute and the necessity to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Ethiopian Dam. Shoukry and his Sudanese counterpart Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi are currently in New York preparing for the UN Security Councils session on the GERD next Thursday. On Monday evening Shoukry met with his Sudanese counterpart Mariam Al-Sadiq met in New York to coordinate their efforts before the UNSC session. Shoukry and Al-Sadiq voiced their categorical rejection of Ethiopias announcement, saying it reveals Ethiopia's ill intention to impose a fait accompli on downstream countries and indifference to the foreseeable negative impacts and damages, according to a statement released by the Egyptian foreign ministry on Tuesday. Both ministers also said the unilateral filling represents a blatant violation of the Declaration of Principles (DoPs) Agreement and a violation of international laws and norms governing the exploitation of transboundary river resources, the statement added. The foreign minister held a series of meetings on Monday with ambassadors of the Arab Committee concerning the GERD developments file where they discussed coordination at the Security Council. He also discussed the latest developments with the permanent representatives of the Africa Group to the UN Security Council, as well as with permanent representatives of Estonia, Ireland, Mexico and Norway, currently non-permanent members of the Security Council. Short link: Sudan said on Tuesday a notification by Ethiopia on the start of the second filling of its mega dam on the Blue Nile isuseless unless a final agreement on the process is reached. The Sudanese foreign ministry said a final binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) would be the only proof of the Ethiopian desire in cooperation, state-run Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported. Sudan also slammed attempts to block the path of international support to the fair Sudanese demands on the GERD dispute as futile. The ministry reiterated its rejection of Ethiopias unilateral step to start filling the dam for the second year in a row. Such step represents an explicit violation of the international law, the Declaration of Principles (DoPs) and the established principles and agreements regulating the exchange of benefits of common rivers, the ministry stated. The DoPs is an agreement signed between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia in March 2015 that obliges Addis Ababa to cooperate with Cairo and Khartoum in filling and operating the dam. The agreement also mandates the use of mediated negotiations in the event of a dispute arising from differences in its interpretation or application. Sudan reaffirms that the unilateral filling [of the dam] for the second year without an agreement constitutes an imminent danger and threat to Sudan, the ministry added. Sudanese Foreign Minister Mariam Al-Sadiq, currently in New York, notified the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) of Ethiopias unilateral move, the ministry said. The ministry added that such step from the Ethiopian side would aggravate tensions and instability in the region. Al-Sadiq met with Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Monday evening in New York as they are both set to take part in the UNSC session scheduled for Thursday over the GERD dispute. Their meeting came only hours after Addis Ababa also notified Egypt in a letter on Monday that it has begun the second stage of filling the GERD's reservoir despite the lack of a legally binding agreement between the three African nations. Ethiopias latest step brushes aside Egyptian and Sudanese demands of the need that a legally-binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam is reached before the second filling. Shoukry and Al-Sadiq voiced their categorical rejection of Ethiopias announcement, saying it reveals Ethiopia's ill intention to impose a fait accompli on downstream countries and indifference to the foreseeable negative impacts and damages, according to a statement released by the Egyptian foreign ministry on Tuesday. Both ministers also said the unilateral filling represents a blatant violation of the DoPs agreement and a violation of international laws and norms governing the exploitation of trans-boundary river resources, the statement added. Shoukry and Al-Sadiq agreed on continuing to intensify contacts and consultations with the UNSC members to urge them to support the position of Egypt and Sudan, which is based on reaching a legally binding agreement that takes into account the interests of the three countries. Over the past few hours, both ministers held several talks with their counterparts, permanent delegates of the UNSCs member states, and UN officials. The talks took place during meetings and phone calls with African and Arab representatives at the UNSC, in addition to others. In remarks to Saudi broadcaster Al-Arabiya, Shoukry said both Egypt and Sudan are capable of defending their water interests, reiterating that all options are open. The minister said the GERD negotiations cannot run indefinitely and that Egypt resorted to the Security Council in pursuit of reaching a GERD agreement. Short link: Egypt seeks to resolve the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute peacefully through negotiations that serve the interests of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia and defuse any tension or escalation, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Tuesday. The top diplomats remarks in New York come ahead of a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) session that will be held on Thursday at the request of Egypt and Sudan over the GERD dispute. Shoukry told Extra News TV channel that he held several intensive meetings in preparation for the planned UNSC session, in which he highlighted the Egyptian goal to reach a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam. Shoukry said he also stressed the need to enhance negotiations under the auspices of the African Union within a new framework that facilitates reaching an agreement among the three concerned countries. Ethiopia on Monday notified Egypt and Sudan it began the second stage of filling the GERD's reservoir despite the lack of a legally binding agreement between the three African nations. Ethiopias step brushes aside Egyptian and Sudanese demands of the need that a legally-binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam is reached before the second filling. Shoukry affirmed that Egypt and Sudan have announced rejection of this unilateral act, which he said makes reaching an agreement more complicated. Holding a UNSC session for a second time in two years on GERD affirms the importance the international community attaches to the issue and its probable effect on the stability and security of the region, he said. The top Egyptian diplomat said the all the Egyptian state institutions attaches utmost importance and priority to the GERD issue due to its direct connection with the national security and the interests of its people. Shoukry affirmed that the GERD issue is existential and that all the state authorities and institutions are involved and have the capabilities and determination to defend the Egyptian water interests and peoples resources. The minister said these institutions will spare no effort to achieve the interests of the Egyptian citizen at the individual level. Shoukry and his Sudanese counterpart Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi are currently in New York preparing for the UNSC session. The Egyptian foreign minister held intensive talks in New York ahead of the UNSC session to explain Egypts stance on the GERD dispute. On Tuesday, he met with the permanent representatives of Russia, China, Britain, the US, and France, the five permanent member states of the UNSC. In remarks to Al-Arabiya TV, Shoukry said both Egypt and Sudan are capable of defending their water interests, reiterating that all options are open. He said the GERD negotiations cannot run indefinitely and that Egypt resorted to the Security Council in pursuit of reaching a GERD agreement. Short link: The new British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, the British Royal Navy's newest and most powerful warship, and the Type 23 ASW frigate HMS Richmond both transited the Suez Canal on Tuesday as part of the UK-led Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) operational deployment. A hazy day as we pass through the Suez Canal Flag of Egypt, next the Red Sea and then onto the Indian Ocean, HMS Queen Elizabeth Twitter account wrote. In June, the 3 billion HMS Queen Elizabeth carried out its first combat missions, within the framework of the Global Coalition Fighting Daesh in the Middle East. British Ambassador to Cairo Geoffrey Adams hailed the crossing of the HMS Queen Elizabeth as a historic moment and underscores our global commitment to peace, free trade, maritime security, and the bonds between our nations. Entering service in 2017, the 65,000-tonne HMS Queen Elizabeth is currently leading the CSG21 deployment as its first. The CSG21 is a joint deployment between the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy and is the largest concentration of both air and maritime force to leave the UK in a generation. Today, @HMSQNLZ the @RoyalNavys newest and most powerful warship passed through the Suez Canal, leading the UKs Carrier Strike Group #CSG21 into the Red Sea to continue its global mission, securing maritime navigation and free trade pic.twitter.com/9MRIvaiTWD UK in Egypt (@UKinEgypt) July 6, 2021 Short link: The Arab League slammed on Tuesday Ethiopias clear endeavour to drive a wedge between the pan-Arab body and the African Union (AU) over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam dispute between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. Addis Ababa said on Tuesday it sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) protesting the unwelcome meddling of the Arab League on GERD, asserting that the league addressed the UN on the GERD issue which does not fall within its purview. The Ethiopian letter to the UNSC claimed that the leagues approach on the issue undermines the relations between the AU and the league. The Ethiopian endeavour is unfortunately trying to portray the issue as an Arab-African conflict, an Arab League statement cited an official source at the General Secretariat of the league as saying in response to the letter. The source said this Ethiopian attempt is wrong and causes alarm and regret, calling on Addis Ababa to review this unconstructive approach. The statement said the Arab League is not planning to engage in any form of confrontation with the African Union, especially as ten of the leagues member countries are also members of the AU. The statement affirmed that the league maintains diverse frameworks and mechanisms for consultation and joint work with the AU and is keen to coordinate stances with the AU on many issues. The statement also highlighted the special, friendly relations gathering Ahmed Abul-Gheit, the Secretary of the Arab League, and Chairman of the African Union Commission (AUC) Moussa Faki. Ethiopias message [to the UNSC] included several inaccuracies, but the most dangerous was the clear attempt to drive a wedge between two regional organizations that have always maintained the closest and firmest relations in the past and the present, the statement added. The source also noted that the leagues intervention in the GERD issue is a normal and logical matter given that the issue affects two of its member states; Egypt and Sudan. The source affirmed that the stances of the two countries calling for a comprehensive, binding agreement for the filling and operation of the GERD reservoir are fair and a matter of Arab consensus. The Security Council is set to hold a session on Thursday at the request of Egypt and Sudan over the GERD dispute. Short link: The EU's humanitarian chief on Tuesday condemned Ethiopian authorities for cutting off the war-torn Tigray region after announcing a unilateral ceasefire. "There is an embargo on flights to Tigray, internet and telecommunications have been cut. Telecommunication outlets that are essential to humanitarian operators have been confiscated," EU crisis management commissioner Janez Lenarcic told the European Parliament. "Humanitarians are prevented from entering Tigray, and from delivering much needed assistance," he said. "It is not a ceasefire, it is a siege and starvation is used as a weapon of war." Tigray has been the scene of fighting since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent the army in early November to topple dissident regional authorities. The 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner accused them of orchestrating attacks on Ethiopian military bases. After early successes and a premature declaration of victory, government forces were bogged down in a vicious and months-long battle with the Tigray Defence Forces, or TDF. The Ethiopian army was backed by troops from the neighbouring Amhara region and the army of Eritrea, which borders Tigray. In late June, the TDF recaptured the capital Mekele, which had held by the Ethiopian army since 28 November. The government in Addis Ababa immediately declared a unilateral ceasefire. The rebels in Tigray on Sunday accepted "a ceasefire in principle" but posed strict conditions for it to be formalised. Lenarcic said that despite the government announcement "unspeakable atrocities continue also to be reported, with credible allegations of serious violations of international humanitarian law, human rights law and international refugee law". "Tigray borders must be opened to humanitarian relief operations. Relief actors need to be able to carry out their work independently, freely and in safety at all times," Lenarcic said. "Up to 900,000 civilians" are facing famine conditions in Tigray and another million "are one step below famine", he added. The EU has so far steered clear of imposing sanctions on Ethiopia over the crisis -- but it did last year postpone nearly 90 million euros ($105 million) in budget support to the country. Short link: Tunisian hospitals are battling to keep operating as the number of people dying of Covid-19 spikes and bodies are left in rooms because mortuaries are running at full capacity. "Some patients have died without us realising it," said Imen Fteiti a nurse at the Ibn Jazzan hospital in the central city of Kairouan, one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. Some bodies of Covid victims have been left lying in rooms, next to other patients, for up to 24 hours because there were not enough staff to organise their transfer to overstretched mortuaries. Tunisia has officially recorded more than 15,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic last year with the toll rising in recent weeks. More than 600 Covid patients are in intensive care units around the country, and authorities have set up field hospitals to cope with a crisis they have compared to a "tsunami". Doctors, nurses and non-governmental organisations have sounded the alarm particularly for Kairouan, a marginalised region where intensive care beds and oxygen supplies are lacking. "We have reached a point where we don't know who to assist first," Fteiti said. In Kairouan, 5,500 litres (195 cubic feet) of oxygen are now needed daily to treat those stricken by Covid compared to 400-500 litres two weeks ago before the number of cases spiked, regional health officials said. And there are only 45 beds in intensive care units in Kairouan hospitals, both private and public, and just 250 oxygen cylinders are available, they added. Since June 20, authorities have imposed a total lockdown on six regions across Tunisia, including Kairouan, as the number of Covid cases spiralled in the North African country. The capital Tunis has been placed under partial lockdown since last week, with weekend lockdowns from July 10 to prevent crowds at beaches. - 'Touch and go' - But the health situation in Kairouan, home to 593,000 people, is among the worst and for health workers it has become a nightmare. At the Ibn Jazzar hospital there are only three nurses for 35 Covid patients. "Our day begins very early in the morning and we never know when it will be over," said nurse Fteiti. The day starts with caring for incoming patients who have slept on the floors of hospital corridors because no beds were available when they arrived, she said. Fteiti recalled a young woman whose mother had just died of Covid who pleaded with her to check on her ill father. "Unfortunately, he too passed away," said the nurse. Health officials say the daily number of Covid deaths in Kairouan has climbed to 20, including children. "We have been through tough days with the ICU beds full," said regional health official Mohamed Rouiss. When the spike began last month, patients from Kairouan could be transferred to other hospitals in the region. "But now they too are full," he said. Slah Soui, a doctor at Kairouan's second largest hospital Aghlabides, blames the situation on "recklessness" and people failing to respect hygiene rules, including social distancing. But "a severe lack of vaccination" is also at fault, he said. Tunisia has struggled with a lack of vaccines and launched its campaign in March, a month later than planned. In the Kairouan region, just 95,000 people have registered to be vaccinated and only half of those have received a first dose. Across Tunisia, only four percent of the population of 12 million have received the full two doses. In June, the director of the Tunis Pasteur Institute Hechmi Louzir told reporters that the country had received only 1.6 million doses of vaccine. Short link: A camp in northeast Syria housing Islamic State group relatives saw at least eight murders last month, Kurdish forces said Tuesday, the latest of dozens of such killings since January. Kurdish forces have struggled to maintain security inside the sprawling tent city of Al-Hol, which is home to some 62,000 people, mostly women and children. The United Nations has warned of radicalisation inside the camp, which houses Syrians, Iraqis and some 10,000 foreign women and children linked to IS in a separate annex. In June, IS cells inside Al-Hol "carried out more killings of residents distancing themselves from the extremist ideas of the group", the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said. It said eight people of Syrian and Iraqi nationality were shot dead, among them a 16-year-old Iraqi refugee and two Syrian sisters aged 17 and 23. A Russian woman was wounded. The SDF also added that 42 women and men and 43 children, of different nationalities, were caught trying to smuggle themselves out of the camp in June. In early April, the SDF said they had captured 125 suspected IS members in a security sweep in Al-Hol, which is in Hasakeh province. At the time, the group said 47 killings had taken place in the three months since the start of the year. Syria's Kurds hold custody of thousands of suspected IS fighters in jails, and their relatives in camps, after expelling the jihadists in 2019 from the last patch of territory they controlled. The Kurdish authorities have repeatedly urged the international community to repatriate their nationals, but most countries have so far taken back only some of the children. Beyond the camps, the International Committee of the Red Cross last week sounded the alarm over the Kurdish authorities holding "hundreds of children" in adult prisons. The Kurds responded by urging international help to set up more rehabilitation centres for minors linked to the extremists. IS overran large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, before several military offensives led to their territorial defeat in eastern Syria in March 2019. However, jihadist sleeper cells continue to launch regular attacks in both countries. Short link: Saudi Arabia's deputy defense minister on Tuesday became the highest-ranking Saudi envoy to visit Washington since Joe Biden became president in January and was holding talks with senior officials on the Yemen war and threats from Iran. The minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, is the younger brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi's death would also likely come up in the talks. The Trump White House had maintained strong ties with the crown prince despite Khashoggi's death at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul. The visit with officials in both the State and Defense departments will give Saudi Arabia a sense of how relations with the United States have shifted from then-President Donald Trump's pro-Saudi policies. A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 after the Iran-aligned Houthi group ousted the country's government from Sanaa. The Houthis say they are fighting a corrupt system. Yemen President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government is now in Aden, though Hadi is based in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Tens of thousands of Yemenis, mostly civilians, have died in six years of war, and millions are on the brink of famine. Psaki said talks would also cover Saudi defense needs. "They'll discuss the longstanding partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia, regional security and the U.S. commitment to help Saudi Arabia defend its territory as it faces attacks from Iranian-aligned groups," she said. This story was edited by Ahram Online. Short link: Related Russia and Turkey open monitoring centre for Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia accused Azerbaijan on Tuesday of injuring one of its soldiers in a shootout, the latest incident between the Caucasus countries that fought a war over the Nagorno-Karabakh region last year. The Armenian army said its soldier suffered a "minor" injury and that two Azerbaijani troops were injured in the clash, which Baku denied. The longstanding dispute for the control of the Armenian-populated region inside Azerbaijan escalated in September last year in an all-out war that claimed more than 6,500 lives. Hostilities ended in November with a Russian-brokered ceasefire under which Yerevan ceded swathes of territory it had controlled for decades. The Armenian army Chief of Staff, Samvel Asatryan, told journalists Tuesday that "Azerbaijani forces opened fire near the village of Verin Zhorzha" in Armenia's eastern district of Gegarkunik. He did not report any deaths. Baku denied the clash and suspected an internal incident between Armenian troops. "Azerbaijani army units did not open fire. There are no injured among (Azerbaijani) servicemen. It could have been an incident between Armenian soldiers," the defence ministry in Baku said in a statement. Tensions between Baku and Yerevan have been running high since May, when Armenia accused Azerbaijan's military of crossing its southern border to "lay siege" to a lake shared by the two countries. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the time asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for military support. Moscow said it would help with the delimitation and demarcation of the neighbours' borders. Ethnic Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan as the Soviet Union collapsed, and the ensuing conflict has claimed around 30,000 lives. Short link: Spain's Catalonia region said on Tuesday it will reimpose virus restrictions such as curbs on nightlife to try to tame a surge in infections, especially among unvaccinated young people. Nightclubs will be closed as of this weekend and a negative Covid-19 test or proof of vaccination will be needed to take part in outdoor activities involving more than 500 people, said a spokeswoman for the regional government. "We can't pretend to have defeated the virus," she told a news conference. "The pandemic has not ended, the new variants are very contagious and we still have significant segments of the population that are not vaccinated," she said. It should also be made compulsory once again to wear a face mask outdoors, but only Spain's central government can reimpose this measure, she added. Spain on June 26 stopped requiring masks outdoors in situations where it was possible to maintain social distancing. A few other smaller regions have reimposed restrictions on social life in recent days to try to tame a rise in infections. The northern Navarra region announced that bars and nightclubs will go back to closing at 1:00 am instead of 3:00 am, while the Cantabria region has completely shut down nightlife in several towns. Just over 40 percent of Spain's 47 million people have been fully vaccinated, one of the highest levels in Europe, but the share falls to one in 10 vaccinated in the 20-29 age group. Other European countries, such as France and Portugal, have opened up vaccination to all adults, but Spain has been working through age groups, with priority given to older, more vulnerable people. Spain's nationwide 14-day infection rate reached 204 cases per 100,000 people on Monday, up from 95 cases a week ago, and neared 600 cases among younger people, according th health ministry figures. The country is one of Europe's hardest hit by the pandemic, with over 81,000 deaths and more than 3.8 million confirmed infections. Short link: The UN rights chief warned on Tuesday that the dire situation in Myanmar since its February coup was driving the country towards possible civil war and could spark regional insecurity. Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council, Michelle Bachelet lamented that Myanmar in recent months "has evolved from a political crisis to a multi-dimensional human rights catastrophe". "Suffering and violence throughout the country are devastating prospects for sustainable development, and raise the possibility of state failure or a broader civil war," she said. In addition, she cautioned, "the catastrophic developments in Myanmar since the coup... are generating clear potential for massive insecurity, with fallout for the wider region." Myanmar has experienced mass protests and a brutal military response since the February 1 coup which ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. "What began as a coup by the Myanmar military has rapidly morphed into an attack against the civilian population that has become increasingly widespread and systematic," the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said. Since the coup, nearly 900 people have been killed, while about 200,000 have been forced to flee their homes, she said. At the same time, at least 5,200 people had been arbitrarily arrested, including more than 90 journalists, according to UN numbers, while eight major media outlets had been forced to close. Bachelet also pointed to multiple reports of "enforced disappearances, brutal torture and deaths in custody", as well as arrests of relatives and even the children of people sought by the authorities. "Despair is rising," she warned, pointing out that people across the country had now taken up arms and formed self-protection groups. "These newly formed armed opposition groups have launched attacks in several locations, to which the security forces have responded with disproportionate force," she said. "I am concerned that this escalation in violence could have horrific consequences for civilians." The former Chilean president called on "all armed actors" to respect and protect civilians and civilian structures like health centres and schools. In the past five months there had been at least 240 attacks on health care facilities and personnel, she said, which had among other things "seriously disabled Covid-19 testing, treatment and vaccination." It was vital, she insisted, for the international community to "stand united in pressuring the military to halt its continuing attacks on the people of Myanmar and return the country to democracy." Short link: Marking the extension of the ongoing exhibition of Egyptian treasures held in the National Museum of Korea until March 2022, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Egypt Hong Jin-Wook emphasized that cultural exchange between Egypt and South Korea plays a leading role in increasing understanding between the peoples of the two countries. ## "Egyptian people are currently enjoying the cultural activities held by the Korean Cultural Centre in Egypt (KCC), including K-POP, movie screenings, Korean cuisine and Korean language courses, while many Koreans are seeking to explore the grandeur and glory of ancient Egyptian civilization," the Korean Ambassador explained. Ambassador Hong pointed out that despite the geographic distance between Egypt and South Korea, cultural exchanges between the two countries have rapidly developed. Ambassador Hong said that the Embassy will run a survey soon to gather information on Koreas image in the eyes of the Egyptian people. "This meaningful survey will allow us to gain valuable insights and clear feedbacks from the Egyptian people on how we further strengthen our bilateral relations", Ambassador added. Speaking about the exhibition of Egyptian treasures held in the National Museum of Korea, the ambassador pointed out that due to the popularity of ancient Egyptian antiquities, which dazzled millions of Korean people, the museum decided to extend the exhibition, which was inaugurated in December 2019, for four months, until March 2022. The Egyptian section, the first of its kind, is a part of the World Cultures Gallery. It displays 94 ancient Egyptian treasures and artifacts, including a 2,700-year-old mummy and coffin. The exhibition, which was scheduled to run until 7 November 2021, attracted many Koreans who enjoyed seeing artifacts that present tale of life, death and rebirth. Museum visitors soared by more than 30 percent after the opening of the Egyptian section. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum has been closed for a month. Alternatively, the museum launched a virtual exhibition for the Egyptian section to enable many people to see the Egyptian artifacts online. Short link: Parliament Speaker Hanafi Gibali referred a draft law aimed at banning citizens from owning dogs and dangerous animals without a licence to the Agriculture and Animal Wealth Committee for study, reports Gamal Essam El-Din. The 28 June bill, drafted by the chair of parliaments Local Administration Committee Ahmed Al-Sigini, states that citizens cannot have dogs without a licence from the Veterinary Medicine Directorate. The draft requires veterinary medicine directorates to keep electronic and paper registration files for licensed dogs, containing information including the name of the dog owner, his or her place of residence, and a detailed description of the licensed dog, adding that every dog should have a serial number displayed on a tag around its neck. In addition, dogs will be required to wear muzzles and be restrained by a leash while in public. Al-Sigini said parliaments Local Administration Committee has received many complaints from the public about dogs attacking them and their children. Everywhere on the streets of Cairo and other major cities you will find stray dogs running around residential buildings, scavenging for food, and trying to bite people, particularly children, Al-Sigini said, adding that these dogs, unsanitary and dirty, are dangerous, and so the bill is to bring this phenomenon under control. Al-Sigini said the ownership of dogs also has to be regulated. The media has repeatedly reported about privately-owned dogs attacking people and causing them serious injuries, and so the ownership of these kinds of dogs and other dangerous animals must be regulated, Al-Sigini said. He said his proposed bill on the ownership and handling of dangerous animals and dogs is consistent with international agreements signed by Egypt and regulations passed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). He also indicated that his draft law was in line with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, signed in Washington in 1973. According to the Agriculture Ministry, there were 400,000 cases of dog bites in 2017, up from 300,000 in 2014. It also said 231 people died over the past four years from wounds they received, mainly as a result of rabies. Al-Sigini said he agreed that stray dogs spread rabies, one of the deadliest diseases in the world. He also believed that the number of dog bites has largely increased over the last four years due to the big increase in the number of stray and pet dogs on Egyptian streets. Al-Sigini said his bill aims to safeguard citizens from the deadly attacks of dogs which he said are everywhere on Egypts streets. He said he considered street dogs and pet dogs a time bomb that threatens our children, adding that the cabinet had received many complaints from citizens urging the government and local councils to take action against stray dogs and regulate the possession of pet dogs. Al-Siginis draft law mandates that current owners obtain a license within six months of the laws passage, and which will cost between LE1,000 to LE15,000. It also states that the minimum age for ownership will be 16. Owning a dog without a licence will make the person subject to a prison sentence ranging from three months to one year, and a fine ranging from LE50,000 to LE100,000, the draft law states. Article 3 of the proposed bill defines dangerous animals as those which could cause serious harm or damage a human body or health. Animal owners own, keep, shelter, breed, or have guard animals on a permanent or temporary basis. The article states that the word handling will include all operations related to the selling, importing, exporting, exchanging, borrowing, displaying or transporting dangerous animals and dogs. The article states that owners of dangerous animals will be banned from walking them in public places. They will be required to take all the necessary precautions that their animals be vaccinated against diseases specified by the concerned minister (the minister of agriculture), the article said. Owners will also be required to provide healthy food for their animals and in adequate quantities. The article states that scientific research centres and institutions, animal parks, and circuses will also be required to obtain a licence before owning dangerous animals. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 July, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: A bill drafted by Tarek Radwan, a member of the parliamentary majority Mostaqbal Watan (the Nations Future) Party and chairman of the House of Representatives Human Rights Committee, was last week referred by Speaker Hanafi Gibali to the Religious and Waqf Affairs Committee for review. The bill is already endorsed by 60 MPs. Once the committee completes its report it will be discussed by the House in a plenary session. Radwan says the new bill is based on a 26 June ruling by Alexandrias Administrative Justice Court banning clerics from issuing fatwas if they are not licensed to do so by Al-Azhar or the Ministry of Waqf (religious endowments). The ruling also bans unlicensed clerics from ascending mosque pulpits, meaning they will not be allowed to deliver sermons in mosques. Mohamed Abdel-Wahab Khafagi, the Alexandria Administrative Courts presiding judge, said the ruling targets clerics who preach terrorism in mosques or post extremist fatwas on social media. Khafagi argued that mosques, especially small ones, have been repeatedly used to spread division and dissension among people. He said mosques should never be used for political or partisan goals or election propaganda, noting that this contradicts with the sanctity of the mosques and harms the state. Fatwas issued by non-specialists, including on social media platforms, have led to an increase in extremism, said Khafagi. He urged parliament to intervene to criminalise the use of Friday sermons to score political points or spread election propaganda even if the perpetrator is licensed to deliver sermons. President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi has frequently called the reform of religious discourse in a manner that combats terrorism. Earlier this month, Al-Sisi told the heads of African constitutional courts, supreme courts, and constitutional councils that judicial institutions should play a leading role in the fight against extremism. The Alexandria Administrative Justice Courts ruling came days after Salafist cleric Mohamed Hussein Yacoub was questioned by the State Supreme Security Court over allegations over his role in the issuing of online fatwas that encouraged a 12-member Islamic State (IS) cell, aka the Imbaba Daesh cell, to attack policemen, military personnel and Christians. Cell members have said their religious ideology was based on fatwas and sermons delivered by Yacoub and Mohamed Hassaan, another Salafist cleric. Testifying before the court on 25 June, Yacoub denied issuing fatwas calling for attacks on security forces or branding regime officials as infidels. Though he failed to respond to most of the judges questions, Yacoub conceded that he was not a graduate of Al-Azhar and that his thought was based on his own reading of the works of mediaeval Islamic clerics and scholars. The court has summoned Mohamed Hassaan to testify in the Imbaba cell case on 8 August. Yacoubs testimony was widely attacked by television channels and MPs who accused him of hypocrisy and demanded tighter controls on Salafist clerics delivering unauthorised religious sermons and fatwas. On 20 June the government had already moved to shut down Yacoubs YouTube channel. Salafist clerics are more dangerous than Muslim Brotherhood clerics, Radwan argues. But while the Muslim Brotherhood was designated a terrorist group in 2013, Salafist are still free to deliver poisonous sermons and fatwas calling for jihad against the Egyptian state. Salafists had enjoyed a lot of freedom under president Hosni Mubarak but they were the first to call him an infidel when he was ousted from power. Like Yacoub they have two faces, one when they are in power and one when they are out of power. In both cases they believe they are in a war against a secular society. Ali Gomaa, a former grand mufti and the current chairman of the Houses Religious and Waqf Affairs Committee, said in a press interview that there is no difference between the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists. Both adopt militant jihadist ideology, consider modern Islamic regimes as controlled by infidels, and espouse a regressive code of Islamic Sharia, said Gomaa. Brotherhood and Salafist so-called scholars are not graduates of recognised Islamic institutions, and both exploited the Muslim Brotherhoods one year in power to spread their jihadist and takfiri ideologies on a grand scale, making use of social media and private television channels. Al-Ahram political analyst Osama Al-Ghazali Harb argued in an article that though Egypts constitution stands against political parties based on religious foundations the Salafist Party Nour is still acting freely. Most Salafist clerics who issue fatwas in favour of terrorist attacks are members of this party, wrote Harb. Radwan argues that the Alexandria courts final ruling exposed the legislative vacuum regulating fatwas and MPs should now intervene to fill the vacuum. The draft legislation, he says, will impose hefty fines and prison sentences on unlicensed clerics who preach in mosques or issue fatwas. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 July, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: Last Saturday, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi inaugurated the 3 July naval base in Gargoub equidistant from the border with Libya and the Mohamed Naguib military base, opened in July 2018 west of Alexandria. The 3 July naval base, now the largest facility of its kind in Egypt, is part of the Egyptian militarys drive to upgrade the capacities of the navy. The plans include building five naval bases to defend Egypts 2,200km of coastline. The newly created Southern Fleet is already stationed at the recently inaugurated Berenice base on the Red Sea. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Abu Dhabis Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the chairman of Libyas Presidency Council Mohamed Al-Menfi, and officials from other of Egypts allies. The ceremony also saw the launching of the Qader 2021 military drill, a comprehensive training exercise involving all branches of the Armed Forces. The progress achieved in the modernisation drive can only be described as a quantum leap. Military advancement is part and parcel of the ambitious comprehensive development project Egypt initiated seven years ago, something the inaugural document of the 3 July naval base captures eloquently when it described the setting up of the base as part of our responsibility to strengthen the comprehensive power of the state, to maximise Egyptian capacities in all fields and sectors, foremost of which is the Armed Forces whose role is to protect the states wealth, and in pursuance of the process of strengthening the pillars of the Egyptian national security in all strategic directions. The keynote speech by the commander of the Egyptian Navy Lieutenant General Ahmed Khaled conveyed five key messages. The first reflected the growth of Egypts naval capacities within the context of the comprehensive modernisation programme. The 3 July base is the latest cornerstone in the development of logistic hubs that will serve Egyptian forces in the Red Sea and Mediterranean two of the most vitally strategic regions in the world in their mission to safeguard national security, protect maritime economic resources, and combat terrorism, illegal migration and smuggling. Built on 10 million square metres, the new facility houses 48 state-of-the-art vessels, including two FREMM (Bergamini) multi-purpose frigates, a Gowind-class corvette, a Type 209 submarine, and numerous long- and short-range patrol craft. The composition of vessels covers all the operational, logistical, structural and training requirements of the Egyptian navy. Above all, it meets the need for rapid deployment to address potential threats. It is noteworthy that the countries that produce some of this hardware only offer it to countries they trust and that have the capacity to use it effectively. This is the case with the Italian-made FREMM frigates and the German-made 209/1400 type submarine, one of the most advanced in the world. Some of the ships are multipurpose vessels, capable of performing air, surface, and below the surface naval tasks, as is the case with the Gowind-class corvette, an Egyptian-made vessel manufactured in the framework of the French-Egyptian partnership between the Alexandrian Arsenal and the French Naval Group. The bases second message is the added value it contributes to the Egyptian development process. This is a feature that characterises the worlds great navies, including the US Navy which has long performed strategic development functions both at home and abroad. In the case of the new Egyptian base, the dual military-civilian function can be seen in the commercial wharf, which is equipped for logistic operations that serve commercial maritime traffic. After all, 90 per cent of world trade is transported by sea, a large proportion of which travels through the Suez Canal. A quick glance at the map of the north coast shows the locations of the maritime bases, the 3 July, Mohamed Naguib, and Arish, align with three axes of Egyptian development (the New Valley, the western Delta, and the Suez Canal Corridor). The same, of course, applies to the Red Sea and the vital maritime route from the Suez Canal to the Bab Al-Mandeb. Clearly, Egypt is gearing up for a phase of growing trade and economic cooperation, starting with Libya which is on the threshold of recovery. The third message to be taken from Ahmed Khaleds address relates to Egyptian military diplomacy. The 3 July base is fully equipped to facilitate the joint training drills and manoeuvres Egypt conducts with allied and friendly nations. It was no coincidence that the Qader 2021 drills were launched in tandem with the inauguration of the base. In the last few years Egypts navy has taken part in 34 joint drills with 17 nations and 70 transit naval exercises with some of the most important navies in the world. Some of these took place within the framework of military cooperation agreements with Eastern Mediterranean states (as was the case with the Medusa drills with Greece and Cyprus), while others were conducted as part of ongoing series of military drills with world powers, from the US and Europe to Russia. To illustrate the variety of theatres involved, the Egyptian-Russian Friendship Bridge 3 drills last year were carried out in the Black Sea. Activity in the north is complemented by similar activities with allies to the south, most notably with Sudan, Djibouti and Kenya in Africa, and Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain in the eastern Red Sea and the Gulf. Not only do these drills with regional and international parties testify to the diversity and depth of Egypts relations, but they also reflect the growing quality of preparedness of the Egyptian naval forces which, in turn, has attracted Egypts partners to working more closely with them in various domains, not least being defence manufactures. The fourth message is one of peace and security. As Lieutenant General Khaled said: Without security and stability the region cannot have development. The Middle East is in the midst of one of the most conflict-ridden eras of its history. Egypt has not been directly involved in any of the conflicts, but it has been adversely affected by them, and in some cases immediately threatened. The bottom line is that Egypt is determined to avoid futile and costly wars, to which end it has developed an effective military deterrent. The damage caused by the conflicts and crises that have afflicted the region during the past decade will cost trillions to repair. According to UN experts, restoring conditions just to the point before collapse will take 45 to 50 years in Syria, 26 to 40 years in Yemen, and 15 to 20 years in Libya. In his speech at the inauguration of the 3 July naval base, Brigadier General Yasser Wahba summed up the Egyptian militarys creed. We are not advocates of wars, conflicts, or disputes. But if we are forced to fight in the defence of our rights and the gains of our people we are prepared and willing. History has affirmed to one and all that while Egypt possesses great reserves of patience it will never compromise on its rights. Wahba continued: Egypt is well aware that its national security is linked to Arab national security. Egypts unceasing quest to acquire military power derives from its desire to achieve peace. It was not surprising that the question of the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) arose during the inauguration of the 3 July naval base. In an address during a luncheon on the base, President A-Sisi said that Cairo seeks to conclude a binding legal agreement on the dam in accordance with international principles and conventions. He stressed that Egypt appreciates and understands Ethiopias development needs but that development should not be pursued at the expense of others. In this context, he said: Egypt has never threatened anyone in its history, even though it possesses the military strength, only a small part of which was seen in the Qader 2021 manoeuvre. The fifth message is clearly indicated in the choice of name for the base, the 3 July. As Lieutenant General Khaled said, it is the name of a great memory. Development and modernisation are both a working agenda and a philosophy. Egypt defeated the Muslim Brotherhood through the unity of its citizens whose shared history, culture and civilisation proved no less formidable than conventional weapons. Weapons, alone, cannot defeat extremist ideas and organisations that espouse and practise violence, and on the march that led to 3 July 2013, the turning point that marked the beginning of the process of the recovery of the Egyptian state, it was not weapons that won the day but the spirit of the Egyptian people. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 July, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: The prime minister of Egypt and the vice president of South Sudan are scheduled to chair the High Level Egypt-South Sudan Committee at its meeting in Cairo later this month, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the independence of South Sudan in July 2011. The committee is set to examine a range of cooperation projects between the two countries, mostly in irrigation, agriculture, healthcare, and education. The committee meeting is only one event in a steady flow of exchanges between officials in Cairo and Juba. Earlier this month, Minister of Irrigation Mohamed Abdel-Ati visited South Sudan for talks on bilateral cooperation that included the digging of wells and the construction of dams for irrigation and electricity generation purposes. Egypt has also been helping South Sudan to build and operate water points. Abdel-Atis visit came a few weeks after a visit by counterpart Manawa Peter Gatkuoth to Cairo. Minister of Health Hala Zayed is scheduling a meeting in Juba in the coming days. Security and military officials have also been engaged in an expanding process of consultation and cooperation. I think it is safe to say that the exchanges of visits by officials reflect the commitment of both countries to take their bilateral relations, traditionally good, onto wider avenues, said Mohamed Kadah, Egypts ambassador to South Sudan. The visit of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi to Juba in November last year was very telling of the new page of close cooperation between our two countries, he said. On 29 November, Al-Sisi made a groundbreaking one-day visit to Juba where he agreed with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir on the pursuit of strategic cooperation between the two countries. It was the first visit by an Egyptian head of state to Juba since the independence of South Sudan on 9 July 2011 after a referendum on the separation of South Sudan and Sudan conducted in the second week of January the same year. In June 2008, former president Hosni Mubarak visited Juba in another rare visit after former president Gamal Abdel-Nasser visited the city in 1962. According to a retired Egyptian diplomat who managed Sudanese-Egyptian relations in the 1990s, Egypt tried hard to encourage the unity of Sudan under ousted former Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir. But Al-Bashir had it in his mind that he would force his political Islamist agenda on the entire population, which to start with did not all subscribe to the Muslim faith. Even those who did were not in favour of Al-Bashirs political manipulations, he said. In the 1960s, he said, and after the separation of Sudan and Egypt in the 1950s, Egypt was very keen to reach out to all the Sudanese people, particularly given the strategic significance of all of Sudan for Egypt, he added. For Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan are the closest of the Nile Basin countries. Obviously, irrigation and water cooperation are key. South Sudan is a country with many water resources, but it is still working on building up its expertise in water management. We are there to share and pass on our expertise and to help South Sudan with a wide range of water projects, Kadah stated. In June, Abdel-Ati said that Egypt had signed a technical cooperation protocol with South Sudan to prepare a draft for feasibility studies for the construction of the multi-purpose Wau Dam in South Sudan. The dam, which will be built on the Siwi River, aims to generate 10.40 Megawatts (MW) of electricity, in addition to providing drinking water for about 500,000 people and allowing for the supplementary irrigation of up to 40,000 feddans of land. Egypt is also undertaking low-profile discussions with South Sudan on the potential revival of the Jongli Canal project designed to divert otherwise wasted water from the vast Sudd Wetlands into the White Nile, adding some eight billion cubic metres of water that could be shared by South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt. The project, under consideration since the early decades of the 20th century, was initiated in the late 1970s under former president Anwar Al-Sadat but was put on hold and eventually suspended in the mid-1980s due to the civil war in Sudan. A source at the Ministry of Irrigation said that no agreement had been reached on the resumption of the project. This is not just a technical matter. There are other sides to the story, including political issues for example, he said. While the Project is certainly worth the effort and the money, especially as it is more than half done, it has not been easy to find the necessary budget, he added. According to officials at the Egyptian ministry of irrigation the proposed Jongli Canal would serve the interests of South Sudan, as well as those of Sudan and Egypt, given that it is not just about the possible increase of Egypts share of the White Nilebut also about the large-scale agricultural expansion that South Sudan could see as a result of the project. However, the same sources say, Egypt and South Sudan are going through a step-by-step approach given the many details that require careful and thorough examination. According to Kadah, for now, Egypt is hard at work with South Sudan on maximising the use of its water resources, cleaning up waterweed, and building small dams and modern water stations, he said. We have an agreement to work on four dams and to pass on modern irrigation expertise, and we are moving ahead with these plans, he added. Kadah stressed that what brings Egypt and South Sudan together is not confined to the crucial bond of Nile water. I think our bilateral relations have many aspects, including economic and trade cooperation, and also of course agriculture and water and irrigation, he said. South Sudan has been the country that has received the highest number of Egyptian scholarships for students in all of Africa over recent years, he added. This is significant in itself. We are very keen on the promotion of peace in South Sudan and on promoting friendly cooperation between South Sudan and Sudan, Kadah said. Obviously, our security cooperation is also very important there. According to Ayman Abdel-Wahab, a senior African affairs and water resources expert at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, security cooperation between the two countries has been very important for state-building in South Sudan. Right from the eve of the countrys independence in 2011, Egypt has been committed to building solid relations with South Sudan, and it has been doing so systematically, he said. According to Abdel-Wahab, the Egyptian strategy of working on several small and diverse projects at the same time has been particularly helpful in consolidating bilateral relations. Egypt is aware that its priorities may not always be the priorities of South Sudan, and it is willing to work on what brings us together, he said. For Egypt, water issues might be the top priority; for South Sudan, stability and security might be the top priority. There is a mix of priorities, and this is why a regular flow of official meetings is so helpful, Abdel-Wahab said. In general, Egypt-South Sudan relations have been developing very well, and they are set to move forward on many fronts at the same time, he concluded. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 July, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: As part of the ongoing, silent war between Israel and Iran, a cargo ship flying the Liberian flag was targeted in the Indian Ocean by an unknown weapon. Owned by a company managed by an Israeli businessman, the ship named Tyndall was sailing from the Port of Jeddah on its way to the UAE, but there were no Israeli nationals on board. According to the Israeli media, none of the crew was injured and the vessel sustained no serious damage. Nor was the course of the ship connected to Israel in any way, and it did not have any Israeli nationals onboard; Iran may have made an intelligence mistake because its database of Israeli targets was outdated. Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer had actually sold the ship to a foreign shipping company. Maariv newspaper reported that the ship was sold two months ago and is no longer owned by Ofers family or any Israeli company. The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan) stated the vessel is not registered as an Israeli ship. The incident was the latest in a series of attacks targeting Iranian and Israeli interests, as both sides quietly continue a tit-for-tat exchange without either side openly claiming responsibility. In April, an Israeli ship named Hyperion and owned by the Israeli company PCC was attacked on the coast of the UAE near the emirate of Fujairah. Israeli security officials told Israeli media that the attack was carried out by Iranian forces who launched a missile from a ship or drone. In March, a cargo ship owned by Israeli businessman Udi Angel was hit by an Iranian missile in the Arabian Sea, according to Israeli officials, as it sailed from Tanzania to India. Although damaged, the vessel Lori continued on its journey. The incident took place two weeks after the Iranian Maritime Shipping Company revealed that an Iranian container ship, Shahr Kord, was damaged by an attack in the Mediterranean Sea when an explosion resulted in a small fire, but without anyone on board being harmed. The last attack on an Iranian target attributed to Israel was in mid-April when the Savez, believed to belong to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, was targeted by several limpet mines in the Red Sea. Savez served several purposes, including intelligence activities at sea. The recent attack on the Tyndall in the Indian Ocean is linked to an attack on the building of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) carried out by a drone launched from Iran, and is another attack on Irans nuclear programme from inside Iranian territories. Analysts believe the attack on the Tyndall could be Irans response to the strike on the Iranian nuclear facility. Iran announced that the AEOI building was targeted last week, but not damaged. Sources revealed that the facility located near Karaj, close to the capital Tehran, was one of the main facilities in the country for the production of centrifuges used at the two nuclear sites of Fordow and Natanz. The New York Times reported that the Iranian Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA) was on the target list presented by Israel to the administration of former US president Donald Trump in early 2020. Israel believes that targeting interests related to Irans nuclear programme will hinder Tehrans progress in this field, especially due to inconclusive talks in Vienna on the return to the nuclear deal. Tel Aviv views this deal as an attempt by Iran to buy time to make strides in acquiring nuclear weapons. Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz clearly expressed this position: If Iran continues its progress towards owning nuclear weapons, the Middle East will be on the verge of an arms race. Israel is keeping a keen eye on all types of threats and will not allow any violation of its sovereignty. According to Haaretz newspaper, he added, Our defence systems are deployed and intelligence is working to produce targets and decide intentions. We are aware of what is happening in the region, and our policy is clear. We will respond with the necessary amount of force and according to our own timing. This is what we did in the past and this is what we do today. Antoine Shalhat, an expert on Israeli affairs, said these repeated attacks demonstrate the scale of the stealth and intelligence war between Iran and Israel. Shalhat said that, while Tehran does not take responsibility for these attacks, the Israeli media in cooperation with international media tries to hold Iran responsible for any attack on Israeli facilities or targets. For Iran to respond in kind to Israels attacks whether in Tehran or Syria is normal, he said. But the question is how successful Iran can be in targeting Israeli sites. He continued that Iranian attacks are not a great concern for Israel and the government of Naftali Bennett, but Israeli attacks on Iran whether in Syria or at home are more serious for Tehran and the region. Shalhat warned that they could explode the situation at any moment. He continued that the fragile government of the new Prime Minister Bennett will handle Irans nuclear issue in a similar way to its predecessor under Benjamin Netanyahu. The only change could be the interaction between the US and Israel on the issue of targeting Iran, especially since the Biden administration is working on returning to the nuclear deal. The previous administration was aligned with Israel and did not object to any Israeli attacks, he explained. Today, there is a new administration that follows different policies. Israel will continue with its security policies on Iran, and there will be more coordination with the US administration. Shalhat noted that the broad freedoms allowed to Netanyahu by Trump have exponentially shrunk. Commenting on the impact of the attacks on the Vienna talks between Iran and the US, the Israel expert asserted it will not obstruct a new deal on Irans nuclear programme. There are predictions that progress is being made and an agreement is at hand despite tensions and the results of the Iranian elections, which produced a new player viewed as more hardline, namely the new Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Shalhat added that Iran could use these attacks to improve its negotiating position and prove it is still capable of confrontation despite years of sanctions, and in no hurry to return to the nuclear deal. Meanwhile, Israelis are facing a greater dilemma, as revealed by the Israeli media recently. The official continued that the main dilemma is the lack of good assessment whether the Iranians want to return to the nuclear agreement or are using the Vienna talks to procrastinate and establish new factors on the ground, finishing important steps in the nuclear field especially after Iran was absolved of all its obligations in the previous nuclear deal. Israel does not seem to have any concerns about attacking Iranian targets, whether inside Iran or in Syria, especially since these attacks portray a firm image in front of Iran on the one hand, and push away any accusations by strong right-wing opposition that Israel is willing to abandon its determination to block Iran from possessing nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Irans new president takes a hardline position on what he views as Irans right to possess nuclear weapons. Tehran appears more motivated to pressure Israel and respond to attacks against its interests, especially under a new US administration that is less harsh than its predecessor. This will most likely mean that the exchange of attacks between the two sides will escalate in the coming phase. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 July, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: The October 1973 War was one of the major wars Egypt has fought to liberate its occupied territory. Its success revived Egyptian and Arab morale, pride and dignity, which had been sapped by the defeat in the 1967 War even as the October War and its course took all by surprise. The Egyptian military commands plans were highly complex and minutely calculated. The tactics employed changed modern military strategic thinking after throwing into relief the importance of tactical deception in troop and equipment mobilisation and deployment. The war also changed the political and military map of the Middle East and underscored the geopolitical and economic importance of this strategically located and oil-rich region. The October 1973 War was the first time the Arabs had deployed the oil weapon as a means to put pressure on the West. Its impact was reflected in subsequent Western political and strategic literature on the new Middle East and how to bend it to the service of the West and Israel. The October War bore testimony to many positive Egyptian character traits. Huge reserves of grit, determination, selflessness and self-sacrifice were unleashed by the resolve to redress the pains inflicted in 1967. The war revealed the latent strength and fortitude of the Egyptian people, which surface in the face of hardship and grave challenges. It also demonstrated our fighting forces ability to master modern military technology and endure gruelling training under conditions simulating the ones they would face in the theatre of war. They received training in crossing the Suez Canal, infiltrating enemy units, inflicting losses on enemy lines, planting mines targeting Israeli patrols, storming fortified sites, engaging with the enemy using various types of light to heavy weaponry, destroying earthen ramparts using water cannons, and other crucial tasks. These exercises served not just to hone combat skills, but also to overcome any fear barrier created by the myth of an invincible Israeli army. Egyptian troops destroyed that myth, proving that it had been nothing but an instrument of psychological warfare aided by the general sense of defeat after 1967. The training instilled in our soldiers a spirit of initiative and a willingness to take the offensive, both of which had been shown to be necessary in the light of the experiences of 1948, 1956 and 1967, when the policy was to react, rather than to act. The War of Attrition after 1967 was effectively a real-life training ground, and it worked to immunise our troops before the October 1973 battles. Egyptian forces inflicted such heavy losses on the enemy during the War of Attrition that Tel Aviv was forced to appeal to Washington to mediate a ceasefire, which took the form of the Rogers Plan. Although military and security commands often formulate concepts of national security, numerous factors enter into shaping them. Political geography, historical background, good powers of foresight and the ability to translate understandings of political geography and history in terms of the needs of the present moment in order to forge attainable visions for the future are just some of these. In the light of such factors, concepts of national security naturally vary from one country to the next, from one region to the next, and from one era to the next. National security is thus a flexible concept and one that can change quickly to accommodate changing threats, challenges and interests. There are no absolutes where national security is concerned. Any discussion of national security involves identifying potential sources of threat. These can come from state actors or non-state actors, such as extremist religious groups, powerful economic organisations or other entities that have hostile ideological, political or economic agendas. One of the gravest threats to national security is foreign intervention in domestic affairs. This can vary from military interventions (both direct and indirect) and political measures, such as imposing sanctions, to clandestine and covert operations designed to foment domestic turmoil and uprisings, support coups, support opposition and insurrectionist groups, and engineer coups or other forms of regime change. Such interventions may also include sheltering and training opposition forces and offering refuge and political platforms to terrorist groups, or surreptitiously manipulating public opinion through targeted psychological warfare. Some types of intelligence interventions have become more effective as a result of the great advances in science and technology that have recently taken place, especially in communications and fifth-generation technology. Intervening parties are scrambling to possess these technologies and bend them to the advancement of their aims and interests. The new technologies have the advantage that they are more cost-effective than military interventions and incur fewer criticisms from the international community because they are largely invisible and those responsible are difficult to identify. At the time of the 1973 War, the Egyptian and Arab concept of national security was shaped by the foreign military occupation of Arab territory. The concept was largely limited to military and economic strength, and the aim was to acquire such strength in order to overcome the threat and the sense of weakness that had set in after 1967. In 1973, the concept of national security was also closely connected to the bipolar nature of the then world order and the parity between the western and eastern camps that created a relative equilibrium in international relations. After the collapse of the former Soviet Union after 1989, the US wielded its new powers of uncontested global hegemony in ways that exacerbated disparities in the world order and worked to multiply threats and challenges and alter perceptions of national interest. Concepts of Arab national security changed accordingly, and even more so as other types of power came to be factored in alongside military and economic power in national security equations. After the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, the Arabs saw the implanted Zionist entity as the ultimate national threat. They feared that the colonialist Zionist settler project would undermine the pan-Arab nationalist project. The Arab defeat and the Israeli occupation of Arab land in 1967 proved this, and subsequent Arab-Israeli peace agreements failed to put a stop to Israels colonialist and expansionist ambitions. But there are significant differences between the wars that Egypt has fought against Israel in the past and the wars it has been involved in since the Arab Spring Revolutions. In the past, the Israeli enemy was clear and visible, and it was easy to identify its backers. The warfare was also conventional: two standing armies typically faced each other in identifiable battle arenas on land, sea and air using familiar and similar types of military hardware. Todays wars in the Arab region, by contrast, are asymmetrical, and much unfolds beneath the surface. It can be hard to identify the boundaries of battle arenas and sometimes even the players themselves. It is often hard to tell who is friend or foe. The major world powers may be involved, but now the prime players are regional ones like Israel, Turkey, Iran and Ethiopia that may harbour expansionist ambitions targeting their Arab neighbours, share a strong hatred and condescension towards the Arabs, and thirst for Arab mineral wealth and water resources. Unfortunately, some Arab countries have colluded with these powers, Qatar being a prime example. Another characteristic of todays wars in the Arab region is that they are generally proxy wars, in which the combatants include terrorist groups, militias, mercenaries and thugs. These wars have frayed the Arab national fabric and weakened Arab and Egyptian national security. Battle arenas have long since moved beyond the land, sea and air to include space (in the form of satellites, for example), cyberspace, and the realm of artificial intelligence. A successful cyberattack can decimate a countrys information and communications infrastructure, for example, wreaking untold economic damage. Cyber-warfare can also target the Arab peoples minds, using electronically transmitted psychological operations to destroy morale, break peoples will, sow depression and foster political alienation. The writer is an expert in national security affairs. *A version of this article appears in print in the 15 October, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: On 1 July, the United States troops in Afghanistan handed over Bagram, the largest US and NATO airbase in Afghanistan, to Afghan troops. The US withdrawal from the country is expected to be over by the end of next month, 11 days before the date announced by US President Joe Biden when he said it would coincide with the 20th anniversary of the 11 September attacks. With the complete withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, one of the longest US wars will come to end. This is a war that has lasted 20 years and in which more than 2,500 US troops have lost their lives. During the presidential elections campaign last year, the then Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden promised to end Americas forever wars. He has kept his promise, but questions remain as to the future stability of Afghanistan and how the US and NATO countries will deal with Taliban military operations across the country. The Taliban now controls 80 districts out of a total of 419, and the group is moving to control the countrys provincial capitals, according to assessments by US intelligence sources. Press Spokesman of the US Defence Department John Kirby announced last Friday that as part of the drawdown of forces US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin had approved to transfer command authority in Afghanistan from General Scott Miller to General Frank McKenzie, the commanding officer of US Central Command. The transfer is expected to take place at the end of this month. Kirby described the decision as a milestone in [the US] drawdown, reflecting a smaller US force presence in Afghanistan. He said that McKenzie would exercise authority over the conduct of any and all counterterrorism operations that may prove necessary to protect the continental United States from threats emanating from Afghanistan. He will also lead US efforts in terms of logistical, financial and technical support to Afghan forces once the withdrawal of the US troops is complete. He added that as part of new arrangements of a military nature Austin had approved the establishment of United States Afghanistan Forward Forces to be led by Navy rear-admiral Peter Vasely, a one-star Navy SEAL officer. He will be supported by Brigadier-General Curtis Buzzard who will lead the Defense Security Cooperation Management Office for Afghanistan that will be based in Qatar. On 21 March, the US defence secretary visited Afghanistan and talked of bringing about a responsible end and a negotiated settlement to the war in the country. No one is sure that the future will sustain such hopes. Trusting the Taliban has never proved to be a good bet. Last year, the former US Trump administration reached an agreement with the Taliban that stipulated the complete removal of US forces by the spring of 2021. However, the agreement did not, surprisingly enough, require the Taliban to reach a peace accord with the Afghan government as a condition for the withdrawal. To make matters more worrisome, the Taliban have not cut their links with Al-Qaeda. To expect them to do so, whether today or in the future, borders on political naivete. It would have been wiser and more far-sighted for the Trump administration to link the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan to a binding peace agreement between the Afghan government and the Taliban movement guaranteed by Qatar. It would not be a surprise if the Taliban continue attacking in the provinces in Afghanistan and eventually encircle the capital Kabul either to claim a bigger share in government, or in the worst case, repeat their onslaught on the Afghan capital of back in 1996 when they seized power and the country descended into the Dark Ages. I doubt if they have reconsidered their core belief system since, meaning their narrow interpretation of Islamic Sharia Law. Appearing on ABC s This Week on Sunday, General Miller, the top American military commander in Afghanistan said, I would like us not to just turn our backs on this. In June, he referred to the conditions that the Taliban are creating on the ground which wont look good for Afghanistan in the future if there is a push for a military takeover. This is precisely what the United States should have warned against, namely, a military push by the Taliban to oust the Afghan elected government. On 25 June, Biden received Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the White House accompanied by Abdullah Abdullah, chair of the Afghan High Council for National Reconciliation. According to the White House readout of the meeting, the three concurred on the need for unity among Afghan leaders in support of peace and stability. They agreed that the strong partnership between the US and Afghanistan would continue. The US president reaffirmed the US commitment to fully supporting intra-Afghan negotiations. In remarks to reporters before the meeting, Biden stressed that the US-Afghan partnership would be sustained, whereas the Afghan president called the decision to withdraw the US forces from Afghanistan historic and added that it pushed everybody to recalculate and reconsider. This is a formulation that has left many questioning the reality on the ground arising out of this development, at least on the side of the Taliban. Ghani expressed his belief that future relations with the US would see a comprehensive partnership instead of the purely military one over the last two decades. This will be something to watch. Any discussion of the future of Afghanistan after 11 September would not be complete without taking into account US relations with both Russia and China, both powers that could help in stabilising Afghanistan if their overall relations with the US warranted it. Similarly, the triangle of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan could have a significant impact on how the internal security situation within Afghanistan will develop in the medium and long term. Be that as it may, the US Pentagon spokesperson was right last week when he said that the handing over of the Bagram Airbase to Afghan forces was a milestone. One chapter, however long, is drawing to a close, and a new one is about to begin in the heartland of the great game among the great powers of the day. One final remark: the US went to war in Afghanistan to defeat Al-Qaeda and punish the Taliban for their perceived role in the 11 September attacks. The irony is that after 20 years of the US presence in Afghanistan, the fight against Al-Qaeda is not over and new terrorist organisations have been terrorising vast territories across the Arab world, the Muslim countries, the Horn of Africa, Mozambique and the African Sahel Americas forever wars may be coming to an end, but the war against terror is still raging. The writer is former assistant foreign minister. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 July, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: From the political and economic standpoints, the alliance between Egypt, Jordan and Iraq announced at the recent Baghdad Tripartite Summit is a solid endeavour that may be the essence of further developments in the Arab world. It is an emerging alliance well worth watching. The leaders of Egypt, Iraq and Jordan had several successful meetings in 2019 and 2020 before their June 2021 meeting in Baghdad, proving that the will and intention are there and worth developing. In their August 2020 summit, the leaders focused on political issues such as external interference in Arab affairs and the Israeli annexation of Palestinian territory. However, they mainly concentrated on commercial and economic issues such as expanding investments, securing water and food supplies, establishing common energy policies and supporting each others responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as various country-specific issues. In October last year, the foreign ministers met to further discuss means of cooperation in several fields such as energy, electricity, reconstruction and the methods by which they could form a political consensus. At the same time, the ministers of trade and industry of the three countries met virtually to discuss cooperation in various sectors, namely chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles and the ceramic industries. By mid-December, Iraq, Egypt and Jordan had signed an agreement to connect Iraqs power grid to Egypt and Jordan, while the oil pipeline project from Iraq to Egypt that passes through Jordan was underway. Iraqs foreign minister said that we discussed projects in the energy field and reconstruction, especially in Iraq, where many cities have been destroyed. We focused on ways to benefit from Egyptian and Jordanian companies in this field and help the Iraqi people rebuild their cities. Prime Minister of Iraq Mustafa Al-Kadhimi proposed a new Levant Project based on mutual political and economic understandings between the three countries. Then came the Baghdad Summit in June this year, when President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi of Iraq and King Abdullah of Jordan met once more, this time on Iraqi soil, revealing many of the gains and challenges of this endeavour. Many fundamental issues have enveloped the Arab world over the last couple of decades: the US-led invasion of Iraq, and the crises in Syria, Libya and Yemen following the Arab Spring, to name only a few. As power shifted, Iran, Turkey and Israel were provided with a golden opportunity to extend their influence in the region. Today, Egypt, Iraq and Jordan are seeking to regain their power and leadership. No Egyptian president has visited Iraq since Iraqs invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and the visit to Baghdad by President Al-Sisi for the Tripartite Summit was an indicator of Egypts determination to resurrect its presence as a regional leader and its determination to forge ahead with the alliance. The summit succeeded in establishing a framework for cooperation not only politically, but also economically and commercially. A statement released after the meeting set out a series of measures intended to achieve this goal, including boosting economic and vital ties, achieving resources integration and doubling trade exchange. Al-Sisi, Abdullah and Al-Kadhimi laid special emphasis on ambitious plans to build a power grid, a gas network, an oil pipeline and a land route that would connect their three countries and facilitate their integration, Al-Ahram Weekly said at the time. Consider the population of the three countries combined 150 million. This human capital is a source of power, and capitalising on it would serve the three countries concerned and assist them in supporting one another. With a combined GDP of nearly $570 billion, its a win-win situation for the three countries. By allying with Jordan and Iraq, Egypt places itself centre stage. Egypt can also support Iraqs reconstruction efforts and provide it with the manpower and the know-how required. Egypt has already signed over 15 agreements and deals with Iraq in sectors such as oil, roads, housing, construction and trade. Iraqs foreign minister said that Egypt has extensive experience in the infrastructure sector, and Egyptian construction companies are ready to take part in the reconstruction of Iraq. Also, Jordan will be an important link between Baghdad and Cairo in any energy transfer lines. Simultaneously, Egypt will seek the backing of Iraq and Jordan on many crucial issues as a result of the summit meeting, such as Turkeys intervention in Libya and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue. In return, Iraq renewed its contract to supply Egypt with 12 million barrels of light crude oil in 2021. Jordan will transport natural gas between Egypt and Iraq. Up until now, Iraq has relied on Iranian gas and electricity imports to meet its needs. For years, Iraq has been ravaged by instability. Years of turmoil followed the US-led invasion, which brought about the rise of the Islamic State (IS) group and other offshoots, as well as Iranian and Turkish meddling in Iraqi affairs and ongoing sectarian strife. Today, Iraq hopes to regain its position and stability, and Egypt and Jordan are willing to support Iraq in its battle. Today, Iraq needs the stimulus and vitality to create what Al-Kadhimi called a new Levant. Not only will this alliance bring Iraq back into the Arab fold, but it will also boost its stance against outside intervention and bolster Al-Kadhimi as a major regional player. At the same time, there are many challenges common to the three countries, including Covid-19, especially in accessing vaccines, and terrorism, which will remain a thorn in the side of the three countries for some time to come. A number of distinct challenges also exist in each country, and these will have to be dealt with separately, but with the cooperation of others. For instance, for Egypt, the GERD is a major hurdle, and for Iraq, it is the reconstruction that the country is desperately in need of. For Jordan, it is economic issues and water shortages. By strengthening economic ties and connecting the three countries together, the alliance announced at the Baghdad Summit will gain enough strength to spin off and reach other Arab countries in the region. The writer is the author of Cairo Rewind on the First Two Years of Egypts Revolution, 2011-2013. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 July, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: The leaders of Egypt, Iraq and Jordan converged on Baghdad last week for a Tripartite Summit meeting meant to foster economic ties and coordinate political positions. The Summit could not have taken place at a more appropriate time due to the efforts that many Arab countries are exerting to maintain unity and ward off attempts at disintegration. The three countries that participated in the meeting also kept it open to welcome other Arab countries. For this and other reasons, the name of the meeting, the Baghdad Summit, is significant, since it was chosen over and above other names that were at one stage circulated, such as the Levant Project. The error here is that there is no Levant without Syria, and Egypt is not geographically part of the Levant. Some observers opined that another suggested name, that of the New Arab Mashreq, would mean excluding other Arab countries, notably those in the Maghreb, thus creating problems at an early stage of the summit projects development. Now that the issue of the name of the meeting has been cleared up, there are some other observations that it is important to make concerning the Tripartite Summit in Iraq. The first concerns the warm welcome President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi was received in Baghdad. This is the first time in 30 years that an Egyptian president has visited Iraq despite the rapid developments in bilateral relations. There was also the magnificent display of demographic and cultural diversity the Iraqi government organised to welcome participants at the summit. Many Iraqi cultures, manifested in their music and traditional costumes, were present at the reception ceremony of the summit meeting, and the scene was strongly reminiscent of the reception Roman Catholic Pope Francis received when he visited Iraq in March. The Popes visit opened many windows onto the grandeur of Iraqi history, something also done at the Baghdad Tripartite Summit. The second observation is that Iraqs investment in the summit meeting raises expectations of positive outcomes from the gathering over the longer term. These high expectations will become a challenge if they are not met with achievements on the ground. This is not about non-Arab regional powers who do not feel comfortable about the closeness manifested at the summit meeting, and nor is it related to some Iraqi ideological elites that may have their own political biases. Rather, it concerns the Iraqi public who have pinned high hopes on the Tripartite Summit as a result of their governments focus on the meeting. According to statements released by the three countries at the summit meeting, there are large-scale economic projects in the pipeline that target benefits for Egypt, Iraq and Jordan, including the linkage of the three countries electrical grids, the oil pipeline extending from Basra to Egypt via Aqaba, and a new industrial city. These projects should be implemented in the shortest possible time, particularly given the fact that many Iraqis now face daily power outages that can last for hours. Many Iraqis in the south of the country have protested against Iran due to the reduction in gas supplies. Protests against power outages have been held on a regular basis in the south of Iraq, especially in summer. Confirming the Arab identity of Iraq comes by fulfilling its basic needs. Egypt has taken great strides in the field of its own electricity production after suffering from power shortages during the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2012-2013. At that time, the country was fighting on two fronts: battling against the intentional sabotage of electricity pylons at the hands of the Brotherhood; and enhancing the capabilities of the Ministry of Electricity while establishing new power stations. Now that this suffering has become merely a bad memory in Egypt, speeding up the provision of Egyptian capabilities to Iraq and Jordan can provide a solid public base for the new gathering ushered in by the Tripartite Summit. The peoples of Egypt, Iraq and Jordan want to see the announced large-scale projects become the reality on the ground. When the Tripartite group fortifies itself with common interests, it will not only win its peoples over, but will also change the hitherto not always positive image of integrated Arab economic projects in the region. The third observation concerns the viewpoints the three countries share from a political perspective, visible in their statements following the summit meeting. Egypt, Iraq and Jordan have similar views on a number of central issues, at the top of which are the Palestinian cause, the crises in Libya, Syria and Yemen, terrorism, which is a political and security matter and the water issue, which is a political cause despite the fact that it bears an economic face. Regarding the water issue, the Baghdad Summit statement referred to the second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) reservoir planned by the Ethiopian government this summer. This was after a comprehensive framework had been laid out at the earlier Amman Summit stating that it was imperative that the rules of international law were followed in preserving the water rights of the downstream countries of Egypt and Sudan. In addition, the Baghdad Tripartite group can make various political investments. Each country enjoys advantages in different circles, and these can be employed to serve each member of the group. For example, US-Iraq relations have been tense since the assassination of Qassem Suleimani, the commander of the Al-Quds Force, a division of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, an Iraqi commander of the Popular Mobilisation Force, in January last year. Thanks to its excellent relations with the US, Jordan can cool these tensions. Easing the tensions between Iraq and the US will also deprive Iran of one of its key pressure cards in Iraq. Likewise, Egypts advanced relations with some European countries, notably France, can reflect positively on European-Iraqi relations. Iraq can also expand its role in mediating relations with Turkey. The three peoples of Egypt, Iraq and Jordan are hoping that the Baghdad Tripartite Summit meeting will be a turning point towards more accomplishments to come. These will fall well within the realm of the possible as long as there is the political will to achieve them. The writer is professor of political science at Cairo University. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 July, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: Ethiopias unilateral decision to start the second phase of filling the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a serious challenge not only to Egypt and Sudan, but also to the United Nations Security Council due to meet to discuss the threat GERD poses to regional and international peace and security today. Ethiopias message to the international community is simply: We dont care, we are going to set our own rules for how to use an international river, the Nile, even if that meant inflicting severe harm on tens of millions of Egyptian and Sudanese people. If the Security Council fails to live up to its responsibility for protecting international peace and security today, it will be a message to other countries that there are no laws or agreements regulating how to share vital water resources, and that countries can act unilaterally without any consideration for their neighbours. This fact alone shows why the international community should not hang around indifferently, or simply take note of the dispute and call upon all parties to continue negotiating. That will no longer work once the second filling starts. The request by Egypt and Sudan to convene a Security Council meeting today for the second time in less than a year follows 10 years of hectic and fruitless negotiations in which Ethiopia practised all kinds of procrastination in order to avoid reaching a legally binding agreement on the gradual filling of GERD to avoid disastrous effects on the two nations. The African Union (AU), of which Egypt is a founding member, the United States, the European Union and the Arab League have all mediated and offered proposals to Ethiopia to reach a fair and binding agreement with Egypt and Sudan. First claiming that it would only accept African mediation, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmeds government went on to ignore detailed offers during lengthy AU-led rounds of negotiations to help achieve development in Ethiopia, providing abundant electricity, while causing no harm to Egypt and Sudan. Egypt, in particular, has no source of water than the Nile; therefore, Addis Ababa can rest assured that Cairo, in close coordination with Khartoum, will take all necessary measures to protect the lives of its people. Diplomacy has always been Egypts first recourse, historically and in the current dispute over GERD. The Deputy Director-General of Ethiopias East African Policy Research Institute (EAPRI) Birhanu Lenjiso, told a local news website that the main pressure springs from Egypts durable diplomacy compared to Ethiopia. He noted that Egypt has at least three identities to work with. It wears the Arab League, African Union and Mediterranean-Europe caps. Egypts relations with the Arab League, its wealth compared with Ethiopia, and having academia in international institutions and countries strengthened the country diplomatically. Lenjiso is right. Egypt is strong on the diplomatic front, not just because of its multiple identities and its history, but also because it has a just case to present to the international community. While Prime Minister Ahmed is already facing strong international pressure and sanctions for alleged war crimes in the volatile Tigray region, this explains why his government has been strongly resisting any Security Council meeting on the GERD dispute. As soon as Ethiopia officially notified Egypt on Monday of its plan to start the second phase of filling, Cairo immediately added the Ethiopian letter to the documents being presented to the Security Council as evidence of Addis Ababas ill intentions and total disregard for international law and order. Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Ati confirmed that Egypt categorically rejects the commencement of the second filling of GERD, warning that such step could escalate tensions with downstream countries Egypt and Sudan. He described the move as a blatant and dangerous violation of international laws and norms as well as the Declaration of Principles agreement signed between the three African countries in 2015. The utilisation of Nile resources is regulated by agreements that obligate Ethiopia to respect Egypts water rights and interests. This serious development reveals once more Ethiopias ill intention and its insistence on taking unilateral measures to force a fait accompli by filling and operating the Renaissance Dam without an agreement that takes into account the interests of the three countries and limits the damage does to the two downstream countries. In this context, Ahmeds statements on Monday make no sense. Ahmed said that the only thing that Ethiopia wants is to address the countrys demand for electricity without posing a threat to the downstream countries. Ethiopias interest is just to address the countrys demand for electricity, to reduce the concerns of Sudan and Egypt as well as bring a lasting peace and prosperity for our region, he told members of Ethiopian parliament. But unilaterally launching the second phase of filling without a legally binding agreement is clearly not the way to reduce the concerns of Sudan and Egypt, or to bring about any prosperity in the region. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 July, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: The coronavirus pandemic has brought the mask back into the public sphere, and in Pandemic by Mohamed Bassiouny at the Easel and Camera Gallery in 6 October, 50 paintings and sketches in different sizes explore the phenomenon. Huge paintings showing key politicians and stars from various points in history wearing light blue masks and gloves. They include the Mona Lisa, Frida Kahlo, Ahmed Zaki and Kim Jong Un, among others. This is Bassiounys third solo exhibition. His previous one, held at the French Cultural Centre and the Saad Zagloul Museum, focused on the human body, tackling gender and identity. Based in Kafr Al-Shiekh, where he runs his own business, the artist was born in Kuwait in 1979, and lived between Kuwait and Cairo until he decided to settle in the Delta. The artist earned two diplomas in painting from the Faculty of Art Education and in restoration from the Faculty of Archeology, which gave his paintings a degree of perfection. Bassiouny is one of those contemporary artists who were inspired by the pandemic, and he uses masks as a tool to hide the fear felt by the famous more than anything else. They are also a symbol of separation and caution. Having come down with and survived Covid early on, he believes it has united the global population: I would say that everyone is scared, even the most powerful among us. The image of people wearing masks has become a universal symbol, like the outward sign of a new religion.Using acrylics, oil and ink, the works on show are both real and enigmatic. The artists expressionist realism is influenced by pop art. His palette is unlimited, even though warmer colours prevail, balanced by the blue of the masks and gloves. I used to wear a mask to protect myself during my frequent visits to China, yet I was still infected in late 2018 during a visit to Shanghai. This is how I grew obsessed with the idea. The pandemic which halted my business has forced me to stay for longer in my studio. I started this collection by drawing sketches of political leaders wearing masks. I was influenced by historical stories and paintings triggered by pandemics, namely the deadly Spanish flu which hit the world exactly a century ago. I started browsing black and white pictures from that time, and I noticed people wearing masks in the streets. The Mona Lisa was one of the figures I chose to start with. In addition to the pictures of public figures, I made modified copies of famous paintings such as Frida Kahlos self-portrait.One funny yet mysterious piece is the 100x130 cm oil portrait of the German politician Angela Merkel, wearing a red jacket in front of a darker red background. She looks serious and worried and the mask intensifies that image. The impact of portraits of politicians is especially powerful. I had the feeling that Merkels power was diminished by the mask. She looks powerless and lost. I wanted to send a message that even evil politicians like Golda Meir are frightened. Everyone is equal, Bassiouny says. And indeed you can see Mao Zedong and Abraham Lincoln hinting that Covid-19 is a capitalist joint venture gone wrong.In addition to portraits and paintings, there are over 30 sketches in ink on paper showing public including the 1980s preacher Shiekh Sharawi, Nelson Mandela, Khomeini and Gaddafi. They look strangely petty and insignificant.Also remarkable is a number of acrylic paintings featuring key scenes from famous Egyptian movies such as the 200x150 cm piece featuring Shadia and Mahmoud Morsi in Shee min Al-Khof (About Fear), and a 100x200 cm piece Mahmoud Al-Melegy in Al-Ard (The Land), as well as Dalida in Youssef Chahines The Sixth Day, about cholera. All these movies dealt with fear of loss, death or disease, he commented. Here as elsewhere the images are beautifully executed but only as replicas, with no change apart from the mask and gloves. My aim, says Bassiouny, is to document the situation from a different perspective and to send a message that we all equally face fear and uncertainty. One exception is Toy, a 100x200 cm acrylic on canvas painting, produced earlier this year, featuring a doll in a colourful short dress wearing a mask and gloves. The painting is inspired by the artists career in the manufacture and trade of toys. I am not sure I will develop this theme in my upcoming work. I was infected again a few weeks ago although I was taking severe safety precautions. I dont personally believe in the usefulness of wearing masks. I think of the mask as an illusionary symbol of separation.As no one could predict the time when this fatal pandemic ends, the exhibition is on show indefinitely. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 July, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Last Wednesday, Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli and Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Dayem inaugurated the 52nd Cairo International Book Fair (30 June-15 July) at the Egypt International Exhibitions Centre (EIEC) in New Cairo. Held under the auspices of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, the fair is taking place in the summer instead of the winter as usual following a string of cancellations since the outbreak of Covid-19. The pandemic hit within two years of the first round of the fair to be held in its new, ultramodern venue in 2019 a move marking its 50th anniversary. The fair had been held at the Cairo International Fair Grounds in Nasr City, where it was dogged by administrative chaos and encroachment from outside the publishing industry in recent years, doubling as a working- to lower middle-class outing at the expense of book people. Many had opposed the move on the grounds that a new, remote location and the less would reduce the number of visitors to the fair, but the 2019 attracted an unprecedented 2,666,000 visitors and made for a more efficient, better organised and most importantly book-focused event. Held under the slogan In reading there is life, this year the fair brings together 1,218 publishers from 25 countries including Kuwait, Morocco, Bahrain, Palestine, the UK, Spain, Jordan, Lebanon, and Greece. It is housed in four spacious halls, but to ensure social distancing only 100,000 visitors were allowed in per day (the figure was raised to 140,000 on Monday. No launches or seminars are being held there, and many events are being organised online, a dedicated portal having gone live to that end. It provides tickets (the same person is allowed a maximum of four tickets on appropriately paced days) as well as online lectures and launches. As usual, the General Egyptian Book Organisation has joined forces with the Cairo Transport Authority to provide buses to reach the location of the Book Fair from different locations around Cairo. Mahmoud Abdel-Shakour, Habiba: Hekaya Hakaha Nadim (Habiba: A Tale Told by Nadim), Al-Karma Publishing House, 2021, pp180This is the first novel by the prolific literary and film critic Mahmoud Abdel-Shakour, author of, among other books, How to Watch a Film and Searching for a Knight: Mohamed Khans Cinema. It follows the love life of a journalist named Nadim, who falls virtually in love with Habiba, an online connection, and remembers his painful experience with the love of his life Youmna, a journalist at the newspaper where he used to work. Nadim describes how he joined the newspaper at a moment of despair, encouraged by the fact that it focused on economics, and after falling in love with Youmna wrote her a letter expressing his admiration for her column.The story is told in the third person but includes extensive stream of consciousness sections, and the protagonist emerges as a kind of observer of life. Neither Youmna nor Habiba agrees to have an actual relationship with him. But, drawing on The Ring of the Dove, Ibn Hazms famous treatise on love, his discourse raises serious and complicated questions about pain and passion, and how necessary vulnerability is to art. Hassan Abdel-Mawgoud, Al-Bashar wal Sahali (Humans and Lizards), The Egyptian-Lebanese Publishing House, 2021, pp155Al-Bashar wal Sahali is a collection of ten short stories, beautifully illustrated by Amr Al-Kafrawi. It combines myth with reality to depict the endless struggle between human and animal in a seemingly primitive village. Every story features a different beast.The Boar: Adonis Returns to the Palace is set in a village where boars are cursed. Only Copts can cook boar meat while Muslims are disgusted even by the smell. A boy from a Muslim home dreams of tasting the meat. He tells his schoolmate and secret sweetheart Maha the story of Adonis and the boar so as to convince her father, Zarif to accompany him to the Palace of the Boars.In another story, a blessed child who knows he will become a prophet at 40 (the age of prophecy in Islam) must decide on an animal symbol like all other prophets, and he chooses the lizard because it possesses a sacred key to heaven.Born in 1976 in Naj Hamadi, Hassan Abdel-Mawgoud has written two novels: Ain Al-Qitta (Cats Eye), which won the Sawiris Award in 2005, and Nasiyat Batta (Battas Corner), three collections of short stories: Al-Sahwo wal-Khataa (Forgetfulness and Error), Saq Wahida (Lone Leg) and Horoub Fatena (Alluring Wars, 2018), as well as a nonfiction book, Dheaab Monfareda (Lone Wolves, 2019). Mohamed Abul-Naga, Al-Wassfa Al-Ghariba (The Strange Recipe), Tanmia Publishing House, 2021, pp288This is the second novel by the young Egyptian author Mohamed Abul-Naga, following his 2016 debut, Al-Barouny. It opens with an epigraph from Karl Marx: Human history is the history of looking for food. With chapters headed by year numbers, each opening with a kind of recipe, it tells the story of a displaced Nubian family searching for water and food who encounter a strange girl. She emerges from a cave of decaying bodies. She is the only survivor among her people, and it is thanks to the fact that she can live without food. The story is about death, difference and fate, and it puts a new spin on ancient and perennial themes. Jalal Barjas, Dafatir Al-Warraq (The Booksellers Notebooks), The Arabic Institute for Research and Publishing, 2021, pp366The winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF, or the Arabic Booker) this year, this book is set between Jordan and Moscow over the period 1947-2019. Its protagonist Ibrahim is a schizophrenic bibliophile who owns a small kiosk selling books in Jordan. He lives with his brother who has a tendency to go missing.After a seven-month disappearance Ibrahims brother returns to hang himself in the kitchen. His kiosk ends up being removed, he loses his source of income and ends up on the street. Ibrahim begins to imitate the lives of his books heroes. A voice in his head directs him to avenge his brothers death by killing all those he hated, including neighbours and friends.The book, which doubles as a critique of capitalism and injustice, takes the form of notebooks with multiple narrators.Born in 1970, Barjas is the head of the Jordanian Narrative Laboratory and hosts a radio programme, House of the Novel. His short story The Earthquakes (2012) won the Jordanian Rukus Ibn Zaid Uzayzi Prize. Dreamers Guillotine (2013) won the Jordanian Rifqa Doudin Prize for Narrative Creativity in 2014, and Snakes of Hell won the 2015 Katara Prize for the Arabic Novel, in the unpublished novel category, and was published by Katara in 2016. His third novel Women of the Five Senses (2017) was on the IPAF long list in 2019. Hisham Al-Khashin, Bel Hebr Al-Azraq (With Blue Ink), The Egyptian-Lebanese Publishing House, 2021, pp216This novel opens with an excerpt from the diaries of Sydney Boyd, a secret agent who, posing as a journalist, sets out to meet an old British woman who spent most of her life in Egypt, Lydia Stone. Stone was a nanny who joined the palace of the Egyptian prince Mustafa Bahgat Fadel, and wrote letters to a man named Henry all through 1869-1914; her story is juxtaposed with that of Nazli Fadel, the founder of a cultural salon in Egypt and, following her sister moving to Tunisia with her husband, another salon in Tunis.Set in London, Constantinople, Paris and Cairo, the book brings to life a number of real-life historical characters, imagining how they lived and experienced the period.Born in 1963, Hisham Al-Khashin studied engineering but started his career as a writer in 2010 when he published his first collection of short stories, Hekayat Masriya Gedan (Very Egyptian Tales). His novels include Ma Waraa Al-Abwab (Behind Doors), 7 Days in Tahrir (both in 2011), Grafit (2014), Hadatha fi Berlin (It Happened in Berlin, 2018) and Shelet Libon (Libon Group, 2020). Haji Jabir, Rimbaud Al-Habashi (The Abyssinian Rimbaud), Takween Publishing House, 2021, pp263Set at the end of the 19th century in the Ethiopian city of Harar while Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891) was there, this is the story of how Rimbaud meets Almaz, a secretly Christian khat seller who agrees to visit him daily to teach him Arabic on the understanding that he would teach her French. Almaz falls in love with Rimbaud, who remains of oblivious. But she never stops searching his private papers for any mention of her. At one point a man whose love for her is unreciprocated makes an appearance at one point, confronting Rimbaud.Born in 1976 in the city of Massawa on the Red Sea coast, Haji Jabir is Doha-based Eritrean writer. He has published four previous novels: Samrawit (2012), which won the Sharjah Award for Arab Creativity; Fatmas Harbour (2013); The Spindle Game (2015), longlisted for the 2016 Sheikh Zayed Book Award; and Black Foam (2018), which won of the Katara Novel Prize in 2019 and was longlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (Arabic Booker). Yasser Abdel-Latif, Moussim Al-Awqat Al-Alia (High Times Season), Al-Kotob Khan Publishing House, 2021, pp182This is a collection of seven short stories that vary greatly in length. The title story is the first, and it involves the hanging of a rapist in a notorious real-life case. Ranging widely from the Cairo suburb of Maadi to Stuttgart, where a Syrian refugee tells her story, these largely real-life narratives capture the grotesque and the lyrical in ordinary situations.Born in 1969, and based in Edmonton, Canada since 2010, Yasser Abdel-Latif writes poetry, short stories and novellas, and translates from several different languages. Two of his books, the novella, Qanoun Al-Weratha (The Law of Inheritance) and the short story collection Younis Fi Ahshaa Al-Hout (Jonah in the Belly of the Whale) won the Sawiris prize. Ezzat Al-Qamhawi, Ghorbet Al-Manazil (Alienation of Houses), The Egyptian-Lebanese Publishing House, 2021, pp207This novel, the latest by Ezzat Al-Qamhawi, traces the lives of a number of different characters brought together by the accident of living or working in the same building. Their tales of love and fear have only the flimsiest connection to each other, but through setting and mood they manage to create a whole. They include an aging gynaecologist who falls from a young woman, and a historian who gives up his practice as the pandemic hits.Born in 1961, Al-Qamhawi graduated from Cairo Universitys Faculty of Mass Communication in 1983. He has published 14 books, most recently the novel Ma Raah Sami Yacoub (What Sami Yacoub Saw, 2019) and the creative nonfiction book Ghorfet Al-Mosafereen (Passengers Room, 2020). He won the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature for his Beit Al-Deeb (House of the Wolf) in 2012. Nasser Iraq, Ayam Hesteriya (Hysterical Days), Al-Shorouk Publishing House, 2021, pp208The hero of this book, Nabil, is a famous author in his late fifties, divorced, and suffering from a trauma following a house fire which he braved alone. His fear of solitude drives to marry Nesma, a selfish woman and sedatives addict in her forties. Through this seemingly simple situation, the author tackles countless of existential questions about love, death, and human relations.The Dubai-based Nasser Iraq graduated from Cairo Universitys Faculty of Fine Arts in 1984. He is the co-founder and the managing editor of Al-Thaqafiya magazine. His books include A History of the Journalistic Art in Egypt (2002), Times of Dust (2006), From Excess of Love (2008), The Green and the Damaged (2009), The Unemployed (2011), which was on the IPAF short list in 2012, Al-Azbakeya (2016), which won the Katara Prize, and Al-Lokanda (The Inn, 2020), his latest. Ahmed Yamani, Al-Wadaa Fi Mothalath Saghir (Farewell in a Small Triangle), Merit Publishing House, 2021, pp169Eight years after his last collection of poems Montasaf Al-Hougrat (In the Middle of Rooms), the poet Ahmed Yamani comes back with a new collection of 89 poems that use the theme of love to address such topics as growing old, longing for home and finding spiritual fulfilment.Based in Spain since 2001, Yamani was born in 1970 in Cairo, and graduated from Cairo University in 1992; he eaerned his PhD in Arabic philology from Complutense University in Madrid.He has published Shawarie Al-Abyad wal Aswad (Streets of the Black and White, 1995), Taht Shagarat Al-Aila (Under the Family Tree, 1998), Wardat Fil Raas (Roses in the Head, 2001), Amaken Khateiaa (Wrong Places, 2008), and Montasaf Al-Hougrat (Middle Rooms, 2013), as well as one in Spanish translation, Refugio de huesos (Refuge from Bones, 2015). He has also translated numerous Spanish language writers into Arabic including Jose Angel Valente, Ruben Dario, Adolfo Bioy Casares, Miguel Casado, Agustin Porras and Roberto Bolano.In 2010, he was among the 40 best Arab writers under 40 chosen for the Hay Festival Beirut39 festival. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 July, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Almost four months after being stolen, the statue of King Tutankhamens sister has been recovered by the authorities, Mohamed Ibrahim, the minister of state for antiquities, told Ahram Online on Sunday. The 32-centimeter-tall limestone statue depicts Ankhesom, sister of King Tut and daughter of King Akhenaten, standing naked and holding an offering in her right hand. Ibrahim said that the statue's recovery had been undertaken along with the Tourism and Antiquities Police, after a gang of antiquities smugglers had been apprehended and one of its members tipped off the police regarding the statue's location. The statue had been stolen from the Mallawi Museum in Upper Egypt, following widespread unrest sparked by the ousting of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. Looters broke into the museum and made off with 1050 artifacts. Ibrahim said that 800 of the items have since been recovered. Short link: Following six months of plenary meetings, the Senate Egypts consultative upper house announced on Tuesday that it would adjourn for summer recess. Senate Speaker Abdel-Wahab Abdel-Razeq said today Tuesday will be the end of the Senates first legislative season before summer recess, and so lets say goodbye to a very delicate period during which we passed through the very hard circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic. Abdel-Razeq added that the Senate was keen over the last period to boost democracy in Egypt, taking into account the goals of the countrys constitutional developments and the hopes and aspirations of citizens. He indicated that during its first legislative season, the Senate was involved in discussing a new package of social and economic laws. We were keen to discuss these laws in depth so that they come to reflect the new social and economic realities in Egypt and reinforce the pillars of democracy and freedoms, said Abdel-Razeq. Abdel-Razeq noted that there was close cooperation between the Senate on one side and the government of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and the House of Representatives on the other. Cabinet ministers were keen to come to the Senate and its committees to explain policies and answer questions, said Abdel-Razeq. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Alaa Fouad said the Senate did a great job during its first legislative season. The Senates contribution to political and parliamentary life was very positive and reflected the will of the people, said Fouad. The end of the Senates first legislative season came after it gave a final approval of the new General Unified Finance Law. Abdel-Razeq said the law will be referred to the House of Representatives for study and final voting. The law, which was provisionally approved by the Senate on Sunday, aims to upgrade the system of the states annual budget. Hany Sari El-Din the chair of the Senates Financial, Economic, and Investment Affairs said the key objectives of the government-drafted General Unified Finance Law is to merge two pieces of legislation regulating the annual state budget and government accounting into a single bill. These two pieces of legislation were passed a long time ago and so have become unable to keep pace with the latest changes in the area of drafting state budgets and using digital and mechanised systems in this respect, said Sari El-Din. Senator Ihab Zakaria said the new bill is part of the governments economic and structural reforms that go in line with modern international methods in the area of budgeting and accounting. A report prepared by the Senates Financial, Economic, and Investment Affairs Committee said the government-drafted General Unified Finance Law aims to improve Egypts financial performance. However, the government believes that this will never be possible without merging two laws which regulate Egypts financial performance the states Public Budget Law 53/1973 and Government Accounting Law 127/1981, said the report, adding that the step to unify the two laws comes upon the recommendation of international financial institutions and in light of the worldwide shift to digital and mechanised budgetary and accounting systems. Article one of the new General Unified Finance Law states that all state institutions covered by the annual state budget will be subject to the law. These institutions include the states administrative units, local administration units, general and service organisations, private funds and accounts, economic organisations, and projects funded by private accounts. Search Keywords: Short link: Development projects on Nile have to abide by international law: Irrigation minister to UN environment programme director Zeinab El-Gundy , , Tuesday 6 Jul 2021 Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Ati accused Ethiopia in his meeting with Andersen of seeking to evade any obligation it has towards the downstream countries Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Ati said on Tuesday that Egypt was not against development projects in Ethiopia or any Nile basin countries, but those projects should be implemented within the framework of international law and take into consideration the concerns of downtown stream countries. This came in a video conference held earlier Tuesday between Minister Abdel-Ati and UN Environment Programme Director Inger Anderson where they discussed the latest developments of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and its dispute according to the irrigation ministry. In the meeting, Abdel-Ati stated Egypt has already assisted Nile basin countries in building dams according to a cooperative framework and that Egypt was seeking to achieve cooperation with Ethiopia though a legally binding agreement for the filing and operation policies of the GERD that would meet the best interests for all parties. The minister recounted how Egypt was flexible in the GERD talks that continued for ten years, whereas this flexibility was met by inflexibility from Ethiopia, as it seemed the upstream country did not have the political will to reach an agreement. Abdel-Ati accused Ethiopia in his meeting with Andersen of seeking to evade any obligation it has towards the downstream countries. The online meeting with the UN environment programme director came less than 24 hours after Ethiopias declaration that it already started the second filing of the GERD in a letter to both Egypt and Sudan without reaching a legally binding agreement. Egypt has already expressed its categorical rejection to the Ethiopias unilateral action. The Egyptian irrigation minister hinted in his talk on Tuesday to the dire consequences of Ethiopias decision on both Egypt and Sudan, especially if the filing or the dams operations come in a time of drought. He also spoke about the dire consequences Sudan had to endure following the first filing of the GERD by Ethiopia in July 2020 as it suffered an extreme drought followed by a huge flood, as Ethiopia went on with the filing without coordination with the downstream countries. He also referred to how Ethiopia unleashed large quantities of silt-laden water during last November without informing the downstream countries, which caused an increase in turbidity in drinking water stations in Sudan. According to the ministry, Abdel-Ati spoke about Egypts limited water sources and how they have been affected by climate change and the unilateral actions of Ethiopia. Abdel-Ati stated that Egypt is already suffering from a scarcity it water, unlike Ethiopia, which has plenty of water sources, including rainwater, rivers, and lakes. On her part, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme Inger Andersen stated in the meeting that the UN secretary-general asserted that the UN was ready to participate in supporting the GERD talks if the three countries agreed to reconvene. Sudan has suggested the formation of an international quartet made of the African Union, UN, European Union, and the United States in order to push forward the talks between the three countries that reached a deadlock since last April. Egypt supported the suggestion while Ethiopia rejected it. Currently, Egypt and Sudans foreign ministers are in New York meeting with UN officials and members of the UNSC to explain the dispute before the meeting of the security council on Thursday that will discuss developments regarding the GERD as per the two countries requests. Members of Egypts negotiations team in the GERD talks, as well as representatives of Egypts embassy in Kenya participated in the online meeting. https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/416646.aspx FM Shoukry meets China and Russia's representatives in UNSC ahead of Thursday's GERD session Ahram Online , Tuesday 6 Jul 2021 Shoukry asserted in the meeting Egypt s stance concerning the GERD dispute and the necessity to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Ethiopian Dam Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry continued his meetings on Tuesday in New York with UN officials and met with the permanent representatives of Russia and China, who he discussed the latest developments of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) with, said the Egyptian foreign ministry. Russia and China are permanent members of the UN Security Council. According to the ministry, Shoukry asserted in the meeting Egypts stance concerning the GERD dispute and the necessity to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Ethiopian Dam. Shoukry and his Sudanese counterpart Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi are currently in New York preparing for the UN Security Councils session on the GERD next Thursday. On Monday evening Shoukry met with his Sudanese counterpart Mariam Al-Sadiq met in New York to coordinate their efforts before the UNSC session. Shoukry and Al-Sadiq voiced their categorical rejection of Ethiopias announcement, saying it reveals Ethiopia's ill intention to impose a fait accompli on downstream countries and indifference to the foreseeable negative impacts and damages, according to a statement released by the Egyptian foreign ministry on Tuesday. Both ministers also said the unilateral filling represents a blatant violation of the Declaration of Principles (DoPs) Agreement and a violation of international laws and norms governing the exploitation of transboundary river resources, the statement added. ## The foreign minister held a series of meetings on Monday with ambassadors of the Arab Committee concerning the GERD developments file where they discussed coordination at the Security Council. He also discussed the latest developments with the permanent representatives of the Africa Group to the UN Security Council, as well as with permanent representatives of Estonia, Ireland, Mexico and Norway, currently non-permanent members of the Security Council. https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/416678.aspx Analysis: Libyan agreement postponed Kamel Abdallah, , Saturday 10 Jul 2021 Participants in the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum have not reached agreement on the holding of legislative and presidential elections in the country later this year The UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) has failed to reach an agreement on the constitutional basis for holding legislative and presidential elections in Libya, despite the five-day extension of the deadline. The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and most of the participants at the Berlin II Conference on Libya had hoped that the members of the LPDF plenary who met in Geneva would overcome outstanding differences and reach an agreement before 1 July so as to allow sufficient time for measures to be taken to prepare the polls scheduled on 24 December. The Berlin II Conference in its closing statement of 23 June had reiterated the need for the elections to take place on time and appealed to the Libyan House of Representatives, High Council of State, Presidency Council, Government of National Unity (GNU) and other bodies to make this possible. The failure of the LPDF plenary to reach an agreement and the accompanying acrimony may jeopardise the first major breakthrough in the Libyan crisis since 2016. Last Friday, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Coordinator of UNSMIL Raisedon Zenenga delivered remarks in which he announced the failure and what had led to it. It is regrettable that, despite all the opportunities, there is still no common ground, he said. The people of Libya will certainly feel let down as they still aspire to the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights in presidential and parliamentary elections on 24 December. This does not bode well for the credibility and relevance of the LPDF. From the onset of this process, we were committed to giving you all the opportunities to reach a compromise, he said, in remarks directed at the latter. He noted that three other proposals apart from the one developed had emerged. Some of them were consistent with the Roadmap, some of them were not consistent with the Roadmap, and some sought to establish preconditions for arriving at the 24 December date. LPDF members pointed the finger elsewhere in explaining the failure to reach an agreement. They criticised the way the sessions were run and described the facilitator as weak compared to former acting UNSMIL Chief Stephanie Williams. UN Special Envoy for Libya Jan Kubis was unable to attend the meetings in Geneva because he had been infected with Covid-19. He took the opportunity to remind participants that the meeting was your chance to live up to the commitments which you have made to the Libyan people when you adopted the Roadmap, supported by UN Security Council Resolution 2570 and the conclusions of the Second Berlin Conference. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on its Twitter account on Sunday that deputy foreign minister Sergey Vershinin had held consultations in Geneva with Kubis on Friday. Vershinin and Kubis discussed the current situation in the Libyan political process and the tasks that lay ahead, including the elections and the preservation of security, a statement said. This was the first time that the Russian Foreign Ministry has acknowledged the presence of Russian diplomats in the negotiations between Libyan representatives in Geneva. It may explain US Special Envoy for Libya Richard Norlands remarks that members of the LPDF had been trying to insert poison pills into the negotiations in Geneva. We have watched the LPDF meetings this week in Geneva closely, Norland said, including several members who appear to be trying to insert poison pills that will ensure elections will not happen, either by prolonging the constitutional process or by creating new conditions that must be met for elections to occur. The members of the LPDF fell into three camps on the constitutional basis for the elections. One favoured holding parliamentary elections and deferring the presidential elections until after a constitution is adopted. Another continued to support the current Roadmap, which calls for both parliamentary and presidential elections to be held simultaneously. The third group advocated postponing the elections until after a new constitution is adopted. According to LPDF member Zahra Langi, representatives of Libyan military leader Khalifa Haftar had supported direct presidential elections on condition that members of the military could run for the office without having to resign their posts, as required by the LPDF advisory committees proposal. Representatives for GNU Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Al-Dabaiba wanted to postpone the elections, which runs counter to the Roadmap. Langi said that the UNSMIL facilitator had chosen these two proposals as the focus for discussions on Thursday. On Friday, the bridging committee the LPDF members had created tried to find common ground. In an announcement on Saturday evening, LPDF member Ziad Daghim claimed that around 18 members of the LPDF had threatened to obstruct the vote on the proposals. They want to tailor the constitutional basis to their whims, he said, accusing the UNSMIL of colluding with them, perhaps at the bidding of international powers, in order to cancel the vote and postpone the forum. UNSMIL released a statement affirming the need to continue efforts to reach a workable compromise. It stressed that it will continue to work with the LPDF members and the Proposals-Bridging-Committee to explore further efforts to build common ground based on the Legal Committees proposal that all recognise as the reference framework for a constitutional basis for the elections. The proposals for a constitutional basis for the elections, copies of which have been seen by Al-Ahram Weekly, appear to be designed to limit the scope of the laws regulating the presidential and parliamentary elections that the House of Representatives will be responsible for drawing up. But they may subsequently provide the grounds to contest the results of the political process. The prospects of this are enhanced by the refusal of the Libyan stakeholders to budge from their positions, informed by alignments with foreign powers that are at odds over the Libyan political process and the impetus towards elections supported by the Western camp led by the US. The last session of the LPDF was a major test, and its results contrast sharply with its success in forming the new Libyan executive authority in February. The fear now is that Libya will revert to a political impasse, which could raise the spectre of a return to war if elections are not held at the time specified by the Roadmap. Although the ceasefire has continued to hold, the situation on the ground remains sharply divided. The authorities in Tripoli do not control the whole of the country, and Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander Haftar has launched operations to route terrorists and mercenaries in the south. The Libyan government is still awaiting approval by the House of Representatives of the countrys national budget, essential in order to release the funds required for improving public services and for the High National Elections Commission (HNEC). Among the reasons why the Tobruk-based House of Representatives is dragging its feet is that it is using this as leverage with regard to candidates for the heads of sovereign institutions that it insists need to be agreed before the elections. Some observers anticipate increasing pressures to reconstitute the new executive as a condition for heading into the elections by the end of the year. In contrast to last weeks negative developments, the HNEC opened this week on a positive note by announcing that it would launch voter registration for the elections in December. The last time this took place was in summer 2018 in anticipation of elections that Libyan leaders had vowed to hold during their meeting in Paris in May that year. Those elections never took place, but voters will now have the opportunity to update their information if necessary, and new voters will have the opportunity to register. UNSMIL welcomed the HNECs decision, which it described as a key milestone towards the realisation of the Libyan peoples overwhelming demand for national elections on 24 December. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 July, 2021 edition ofAl-Ahram Weekly https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/416731.aspx Tigray war, hunger weapon Mohamed Mansour, Tuesday 6 Jul 2021 For a while it appeared as though, with the recapture of the Tigrayan capital, Mekelle, by forces affiliated with the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), the Tigray war had come to an end. However, it soon became clear that hostilities were ongoing at two levels: the battlefield and the humanitarian crisis. The warfare that erupted in November 2020 between the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF), backed by Eritrean army units, and the TPLF precipitated a rapid and widespread deterioration in humanitarian conditions in the Tigray region. Conditions worsened following the ENDFs bombing of two main bridges there. One of these, the bridge over the Tekeze River, was vital to delivering humanitarian relief. The bridge is located on the 350-B road, the main transportation artery between northern Tigray and the northern portions of the Amhara region. Observers maintain that the destruction of these key bridges is proof of the Ethiopian governments intent to resort to the hunger weapon in its conflict with the TPLF. Images of captured Ethiopian soldiers being paraded through the streets of Mekelle last week have put paid to the central governments explanation of the sudden and rapid withdrawal of its forces from the region. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed claimed that the witdrawal was tactical in order to give farmers the chance to take advantage of the farming season. It is now clear that the government forces have sustained a debilitating setback and that the army is retaliating by cutting off sources of sustenance and relief. The process reportedly began during the pull-out, when withdrawing forces attacked and plundered humanitarian relief bases, killing 12 staff members. In addition to the destruction of bridges, Addis Ababa has ramped a blockade by banning flights of civilian aircraft to Tigrayan airports, closing off land routes from Afar and Amhara to Tigray, and cutting off electricity and communications systems. Contrary to Abiy Ahmeds stated desire to help farmers in the region, agriculture in Tigray has nearly ground to a halt due to continued targeting of that sector. In addition to military attacks against farms, trucks carrying seeds and other agricultural necessities have been prevented from reaching their destinations in northern and central Tigray. Meanwhile, Amhara militias fighting with the government have systematically burned fields in the western parts of the region. As conditions continued to deteriorate, the UN has warned that more than 400,000 people face famine. The US Agency for International Development fears the figure could be as high as 900,000. Samantha Power, the head of the agency, described the latest USAID findings on the humanitarian plight in Tigray as terrifying. The TPLF has indicated that it is ready to agree to a ceasefire in principle, but only under certain conditions. In a statement released on Sunday, it insisted on strict international guarantees that Ethiopian federal forces would not attack the region again and that the remaining Amhara and ENDF forces would withdraw from the Tigrayan areas they control. In addition, there had to be guarantees of unrestricted access of humanitarian relief to the region, the full restoration of electricity, communications and other essential services, and that banks, schools and hospitals could resume activities as normal. The TPLF statement also called for the immediate release of the movements detainees, concluding with an appeal for the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry to investigate war crimes and the creation of a UN mission to oversee the implementation of any ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange deals. On other fronts, there are mounting skirmishes in Oromia between government forces and the Oromia Liberation Front (OLF), especially in western parts of the Welega administrative zone where clashes erupted in April between Ethiopias two largest ethnic groups, the Oromo and Amhara. OLF forces have focused their attacks primarily on federal police forces in those areas and the police has responded with raids, arrests of OLF members, and summary executions, as occurred with a member of the front in Dembidolo, the capital of the Kelam Welega Zone. The OLF has recently broadened its attacks into parts of the Amhara region north of Oromia, particularly villages to the southwest of Gondar in northern Amhara. On 1 July, the OLF released a declaration unilaterally establishing the formation of the Oromia Regional National Transitional Government. That this occurred just as the central government was losing control of the Tigray region suggests a certain level of coordination between the OLF and the TPLF. A previous OLF document on this movements vision for a comprehensive solution in Ethiopia contained many points in common with the TPLFs recent statement. In addition to reinforcing its presence in Oromia, in recent weeks the ENDF has also begun to increase its presence along the borders with Sudan. Mai Kadra, Abdurafi and other towns also located in far western Tigray near the Sudanese borders have become staging points for rapid incursions into Sudanese territory. The most recent incident was a raid against the village of Basanda in the Fashqa region in eastern Sudan. The increasingly fraught military and security situation formed part of the backdrop to the recent general elections, the sixth time they have been held since the promulgation of the current constitution in 1994 and the first time since Abiy Ahmed took office in April 2018. After being delayed for nearly a year due to Covid-19 and other concerns, the elections were held in all but three regions. They were cancelled in Tigray due to security concerns and postponed until September in the Harari and Somali regions. The final results of this round have not yet been declared, but based on conditions affecting the electoral process and other factors, the ruling Prosperity Party is expected to receive the majority of votes in the capital. The Balderas and the Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice parties will vie for second place. The turnout was generally low, with the regions of Oromia, Benishngul and Afar recording the greatest lows. Ethnic violence in several regions in the build-up to the polls and pressures on parties competing with the Prosperity Party, especially those affiliated with the Tigrayan and Oromo peoples such as the OLF and the Oromia Federal Congress parties, contributed to keeping people away from the polls. The tensions also affected opposition parties close to the ruling party, such as the Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice, two of whose candidates were killed in Oromia and Amhara. In addition, two candidates of the Amhara National Movement Party were killed in the Amhara and Benishangul regions. Several potential candidates among the opposition had been arrested ahead of the elections. Such conditions led the EU and several other international organisations to refrain from monitoring this years polls. Clampdowns on the opposition in the capital increased following the central governments loss of control over Mekelle and most of Tigray. Numerous Tigrayan figures were arrested and several journalists were jailed. On 2 July, Ethiopian police raided the office of the independent broadcaster Awlo Media Centre in Addis Ababa, arrested at least 12 of its employees as well as some independent journalists. The move appears to be aimed at silencing voices that might stir trouble by focusing on the recent defeat of government forces in Tigray, a military debacle likely to have a profound impact on the Ethiopian federal system, especially in the light of mounting secessionist calls from northern and western regions. *A version of this article appears in print in the 8 July, 2021 edition ofAl-Ahram Weekly https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/416733.aspx KYODO NEWS - Jul 6, 2021 - 21:34 | All, World, Japan, Coronavirus The Japanese government said Tuesday it will tighten border controls for travelers from some countries including Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan and Zambia to prevent the spread of highly contagious new variants of the coronavirus. In a set of changes to border control measures taking effect Friday, those arriving from such selected countries will be asked to stay in designated facilities longer and take more coronavirus tests. Those arriving from Zambia will be newly subject to a 10-day quarantine, and the quarantine period for travelers from Indonesia and Kyrgyzstan will be extended to 10 days from six days and three days, respectively. Travelers from the United Arab Emirates are asked to observe a six-day quarantine, up from three days. A three-day quarantine will be newly applied to arrivals from Argentina, Belarus, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Fiji, Libya, Seychelles, Suriname, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Turkey, Venezuela, as well as the Republic of Karelia in Russia, the Russian oblasts of Saratov and Nizhny Novgorod, plus the American states of New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. A three-day quarantine is requested for travelers from Egypt, reduced from six days. Three-day mandatory stays at designated facilities will be lifted for arrivals from Estonia, France, Luxembourg, Nigeria, and the U.S. states of Delaware, Kansas, Maine and Minnesota, as well as the Canadian province of Ontario. Travelers from the countries and regions are still required to undergo a 14-day self-isolation after arriving in Japan, the ministry said. KYODO NEWS - Jul 7, 2021 - 00:41 | All, World, Japan A Japanese machine manufacturer and its president were referred to prosecutors Tuesday over an attempt to export to China motors that could be used for military-purpose drones, investigative sources said. The products made by Tokyo-based Tonegawa Seiko Co. could have been delivered to a firm which conducts business with the Chinese People's Liberation Army, according to the sources. Since 2006, the company has exported about 11,000 servo motors, widely used to allow for precise control of angular position, to countries including China and the United Arab Emirates. The machinery maker has made at least about 340 million yen ($3.07 million) in sales since 2014, according to the police investigation. Haruo Bando, the 90-year-old president of the company, allegedly tried to export motors in June last year, ignoring the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry's request two months earlier to submit an application for an export permit, the sources said. The trade ministry said the same day it has filed a criminal complaint against Tonegawa Seiko with Tokyo police over its attempt to export 150 motors, worth about 5 million yen, without government permission in violation of the foreign exchange and foreign trade law. The company submitted a false report to the Tokyo Customs that it was not requested to submit the application. The Tokyo police in December conducted a house search and made inquiries to the firm on a voluntary basis. "We forgot to have received (the request). It is true that we broke the law," Bando told Kyodo News. The company may face a trade ban of up to three years, according to the trade ministry. The United Nations had pointed out in a report released in January 2020 that motors made by Tonegawa Seiko have been used in Iranian reconnaissance drones. A servo motor made by the company was found in an Iranian drone that crashed in Afghanistan in October 2016, and 60 motors sent to Yemen were seized in the UAE in November 2018, according to the U.N. report. The 150 servo motors heading to China were likely to be used in unmanned aerial vehicles for spraying pesticide, according to the sources. KYODO NEWS - Jul 6, 2021 - 22:57 | World, All Chinese and U.S. special representatives on North Korea agreed Tuesday to maintain communication with each other, in their apparent first phone talks since the administration of President Joe Biden was launched in January. Liu Xiaoming, China's special representative for Korean Peninsula affairs, told Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, that matters related to the peninsula should be resolved in a political manner. Liu was quoted by the Chinese Foreign Ministry as telling Kim that the problems should be solved in a "phased and synchronized" fashion, suggesting Beijing would allow Pyongyang to get rid of its nuclear weapons step by step while gaining concessions. Kim said the United States is committed to resolving the issue regarding the divided peninsula through diplomatic means and Washington hopes that it will resume dialogue and contact with North Korea as soon as possible, according to the ministry. At a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea held in June, leader Kim Jong Un pledged to prepare for both "dialogue and confrontation" with the Biden administration. It is thought to be the first time Kim Jong Un has publicly expressed eagerness to talk with the Biden administration since he took office, as denuclearization negotiations between North Korea and the United States have been stalled. The Biden administration now plans to keep its North Korea policy flexible, while building on an agreement reached during a 2018 U.S.-North Korea summit that included Pyongyang's commitment toward denuclearization. North Korea, however, is believed to have been reluctant to hold bilateral talks with the Biden administration unless Washington withdraws what Pyongyang considers its hostile policy position. China-North Korea relations, meanwhile, have improved recently as their respective tensions with the United States have been lingering. In 1949, China and North Korea established diplomatic ties. They fought together in the 1950-1953 Korean War against the U.S.-led United Nations forces and have long been described as "blood brothers." North Korea also relies on China, its closest and most influential ally, for more than 90 percent of its trade. Pyongyang has no diplomatic relations with Washington. KYODO NEWS - Jul 7, 2021 - 01:08 | All, World Parties to a U.N. treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons are expected to discuss a deadline for complete nuclear disarmament, starting with a 10-year period at their first meeting set to be held next January, the conference's president-designate said. Alexander Kmentt, director of the department for disarmament issues in the Austrian Foreign Ministry, told Kyodo News in an interview Monday that the deadline to be discussed as part of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons aims to stop nuclear-armed states from expanding their stockpiles, and strengthen pressure from the international community. The treaty, the first international pact outlawing the development, testing, possession and use of nuclear weapons, came into effect in January this year with the support of many non-nuclear states. But the United States, Russia and other nuclear-armed states have declined to sign the pact and are not expected to participate in the first meeting next year. "We will be looking for a timeline, a deadline that is long enough to allow states, should they join in the future, to realistically eliminate their nuclear weapons even if they have a large arsenal," said Kmentt, adding that states could possibly ask for an extension if "exceptional circumstances" or technical issues arise. The United States and Russia, which possess around 5,550 and 6,255 nuclear warheads, respectively, account for around 90 percent of the world's nuclear weapons stockpiles. Recognizing the efforts that the two countries have already made to reduce their arsenals, Kmentt said that while total disarmament itself is possible in 10 years, verification would take more time. The treaty stipulates that an international authority or authorities should be established to verify countries have eliminated their nuclear weapons. When asked whether the International Atomic Energy Agency could play a role, Kmentt said it is "too early to talk about who...should." He stressed that a decision need not be made at the first meeting, which will prioritize discussions on "rules of procedure." With measures to support victims of nuclear weapons also among the important agenda items, Kmentt, expressing hope that Japan would join as an observer, said, "I would find it regrettable if we have a very strong focus on victim assistance and the government of Japan would not take part in this discussion." Japan, the only country to have experienced nuclear attacks, has not joined the treaty, apparently in light of its security alliance with the United States that provides nuclear deterrence against potential adversaries. "I think that I can say with a high degree of certainty that states parties will want to be very welcoming to the hibakusha and of course to the mayors (of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) as well," Kmentt said, referring to the survivors of the wartime U.S. atomic bombings of the two cities. Austria spearheaded the efforts that led to the adoption of the treaty in 2017 with the support of 122 countries and regions. The first meeting, which must be held within one year of the treaty coming into force, is currently scheduled for January in Vienna. But there is a chance it may be rescheduled to avoid clashing with the review conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the dates of which remain undecided having been pushed back multiple times from April last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. By Siti Rahil and Chananthorn Kamjan, KYODO NEWS - Jul 6, 2021 - 09:43 | World, All Five months since the military toppled a democratically elected government in Myanmar, ASEAN has not been able to appoint a special envoy to help defuse the member country's political crisis and a major obstacle seems to be disunity within the group. Disagreement among ASEAN countries over the envoy's selection appears to be helping Myanmar's military, which wants to buy time to solidify its rule, but that has also led to frustrations for some within ASEAN who want to engage in the issue more actively. Leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations had agreed on a "five-point consensus" at a summit in the Indonesian capital Jakarta in April that included appointing a special ASEAN envoy to Myanmar. The envisaged envoy would try to mediate in the dialogue process between various parties in the country, where pro-democracy forces were ousted from power in the Feb. 1 coup, with civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi put under house arrest. ASEAN sources say there are three nominees -- Virasakdi Futrakul, a former Thai deputy foreign minister and veteran diplomat, Hassan Wirajuda, a former Indonesian foreign minister, and Razali Ismail, a Malaysian who was a U.N. special envoy for Myanmar in the 2000s tasked with facilitating national reconciliation and democratization in the country. Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia all want their man to be the envoy. But putting the onus squarely on Indonesia, one ASEAN source said the appointment of the ASEAN envoy is now delayed "because some countries are adamant that their nominee should be the envoy, namely Indonesia." "We have to discuss further to resolve this," the source added, speaking on condition of anonymity. Amid the horse-trading and digging in of hooves among some member countries, Myanmar's military does not feel pressured to take any action on the envoy issue. A month since Brunei's second foreign minister, Erywan Pehin Yusof, met with coup leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing and submitted a list of nominees for the special envoy during his visit to Myanmar in early June, there has been no official letter from the military about its choice. Indonesia believes Hassan as the special envoy can bring momentum toward a solution, and wants to get on with the process, a second ASEAN source said. But the military seems to be leaning toward the Thai candidate. The source said that is partly because the Tatmadaw, as Myanmar's armed forces are also known, "is no longer interested in the Indonesian model of democratic transition but prefers the Thai model where the military wields superior political leverage and policy influence." Signs of disunity among ASEAN members on the issue were already apparent when Thailand's prime minister skipped the special summit in April held to discuss the Myanmar situation. Muhadi Sugiono, an expert in international relations at Indonesia's Gadjah Mada University, observed that while the summit can be considered a "breakthrough" for ASEAN given its longstanding policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of member countries, the group would have a hard time taking a strong stance against Myanmar's military. "We all know that the Thai military junta came to power by ousting the country's democratic government. This will surely be a big problem for ASEAN in taking strong measures against Myanmar." Malaysia is also interested in filling the envoy's post but has not been pushing for it as strongly as Indonesia, according to the sources. So far, Singapore has not nominated any candidate. Meanwhile, Brunei as current chair of ASEAN is pushing for a compromise by trying to convince Myanmar's military to choose a slate of three ASEAN envoys instead of just one. But "ASEAN and Myanmar have not yet made the final agreement about the special envoy after ASEAN asked the Myanmar junta to decide on the number of special envoys," said an official from one of the three countries pushing to have their nominee appointed. "There is no response so far," the official added. The envoy issue also appears to have become intertwined with the domestic and strategic agendas of the nominating countries. The objective for these countries has become "more than solving the crisis in Myanmar," the second ASEAN source said. Indonesia wants to play a role in stabilizing the situation in Myanmar to demonstrate its usefulness and strengthen the power position of President Joko Widodo and others, while Thailand wants to "ensure its border security and commercial interests vis-a-vis Myanmar are secured," the source said. On the other hand, Malaysia "feels it should not let Indonesia and Thailand have their ways without due regards to Malaysian interests," such as the issues related to Rohingya refugees and the issue of Myanmar migrant workers in Malaysia, the source added. Hikmahanto Juwana, an international law professor at the University of Indonesia, said the role of the special envoy is to "listen to the voice of the Myanmar people and propose the establishment of an interim government that will hold an election monitored by ASEAN." "ASEAN must also communicate with other countries, especially China, on which Myanmar relies a lot, to push Myanmar," Hikmahanto said. Rather than intervene in Myanmar's internal affairs, "China must show support for what ASEAN does," he added. (Christine T. Tjandraningsih contributed to the story) Related coverage: Japan ratifies world's biggest trade deal involving China, ASEAN China vaccine doses to ASEAN top 120 million, 4.8 times U.N. program Japan defense chief seeks greater EU military presence in Asia Chennai: Luxury car maker Rolls-Royce has introduced the 8th generation Phantom which is priced at Rs 9.5 crore. The event was held in Chennai with the sole authorised dealership of KUN Exclusive in the city of Chennai and Hyderabad. KUN Exclusive is the authorised Rolls-Royce Motor Cars dealer in the city of Chennai and Hyderabad. Phantom VIII is a 6.75-litre twin turbocharged V12 engine with 563hp and ca produce 900Nm of torque and 1700 rpm. It can achieve 0-100 kmph in just 5.4 seconds with the help of 8-speed Satellite-aided transmission. The luxury car is equipped with laser light technology headlamps which can provide 600-metre range of light for safer travel. Talking about some of the special features, Phantom VIII comes with Active Cruise System, Pedestrian and cross-traffic warning, visible assistance which includes panoramic view, helicopter view, night vision and all-around visibility. Phantom VIII comes with sound-proof technology which makes the cabin of the car extremely silent. The Phantom Standard Wheelbase version is priced at Rs 9.5 crore while the Extended Wheelbase is available at 11.35 crore and includes 4-year service package and regional warranty. Vasanthi Bhupati, MD of Rolls Royce Motor Cars Chennai and KUN Exclusive said, "Phantom has always been a sign of success and a symbol of authority in India. New Phantom is the latest iteration of the revered flagship of the Rolls-Royce brand, with a bold yet elegant design underpinned by engineering attention to detail. It is a moving showcase of luxury, world-class technology and handcrafted quality. Paul Harris, Asia Pacific Regional Director of Rolls Royce Motor Cars said, "For well over a century, Rolls-Royce has been a global icon for luxury manufacturing excellence, with India an important part of the brand's history. New Phantom has again been reinstated as 'The Best Car in the World,' setting the new benchmark in India for authentic, bespoke luxury. It is yet another original masterpiece discerning Indians have come to admire. New Delhi: Amidst the multi-agency probe into Indias biggest banking scam, RBI on Friday said it had confidentially cautioned banks thrice since August 2016 on the risks arising from malicious use of SWIFT system, and has decided to set up a panel to look into the rising incidence of frauds. State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) was defrauded of Rs 11,400 crore allegedly by firms related to jewellery designer Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi through fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs). The fraud is being probed by several agencies including Enforcement Directorate, CBI, SFIO and Income Tax Department. In a statement, the Reserve Bank of India said that as part of the ongoing efforts for strengthening of the supervisory framework in the country, it has been issuing necessary instructions to banks from time to time on a variety of issues of prudential supervisory concern, including the management of operational risks inherent in the functioning of banks. The risks arising from the potential malicious use of the SWIFT infrastructure, created by banks for their genuine business needs, has always been a component of their operational risk profile. RBI further said it had, therefore, confidentially cautioned and alerted banks of such possible misuse, at least on three occasions since August 2016, advising them to implement the safeguards detailed in the RBIs communications, for pre-empting such occurrences. Banks have, however, been at varying levels in implementation of such measures, it added. In the wake of SWIFT-related fraud involving significant amount, reported recently by PNB, RBI has today reiterated its confidential instructions and mandated the banks to implement, within the stipulated deadlines, the prescribed measures for strengthening the SWIFT operating environment in banks, the statement said. The central bank said it has decided to constitute an Expert Committee under the chairmanship of Y H Malegam, a former member of the Central Board of Directors of RBI. The committee, RBI said, has been set up in view of large divergences observed in asset classification and provisioning in the credit portfolio of banks as well as the rising incidence of frauds in the banking system. The panel will look into the reasons for high divergence observed in asset classification and provisioning by banks vis-a-vis the RBIs supervisory assessment, and the steps needed to prevent it. It will also look into factors leading to increasing incidents of frauds at banks and the measures (including IT interventions) needed to curb and prevent them. The Malegam committee has been also asked to look into the role and effectiveness of various types of audits conducted in banks in mitigating the incidence of such divergence and frauds. The members of the committee are, Bharat Doshi (Member, Central Board of Directors, RBI), S Raman (former CMD, Canara Bank and former whole-time Member, SEBI); and Nandkumar Saravade, (Chief Executive Officer, Reserve Bank Information Technology). A K Misra, Executive Director, RBI will be the Member-Secretary of the committee. SWIFT (Society For Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) is an infrastructure to provide secure financial messaging services across the globe. SWIFT messages and data flows are encrypted, and both logical and physical security measures are implemented and monitored for continued effectiveness. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: A former top adviser to President Donald Trump's election campaign pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy and false-statements charges in the special counsel's Russia investigation. The plea by Rick Gates revealed that he is planning to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation as it continues to probe the Trump campaign, Russian election interference and Gates' longtime business associate, Paul Manafort. Gates, 45, of Richmond, Virginia, made the plea at the federal courthouse in Washington. He admitted to charges accusing him of conspiring against the U.S. government related to fraud and unregistered foreign lobbying as well as lying to federal authorities in a recent interview. With his cooperation, Gates gives Mueller a witness willing to provide information on Manafort about his finances and political consulting work in Ukraine, and also someone who had access at the highest levels of the Trump campaign. Gates' plea came a day after a federal grand jury in Virginia returned a 32-count indictment against him and Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, accusing them of tax evasion and bank fraud. The indictment in Virginia was the second round of charges against Gates and against Manafort, who has denied any wrongdoing. The two men were initially charged last October with unregistered lobbying and conspiring to launder millions of dollars they earned while working on behalf of a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party. Gates' decision marks the fifth publicly known guilty plea in the special counsel probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin during the 2016 campaign. The plea also comes quickly on the heels of the stunning indictment last week that laid out a broad operation of election meddling by Russia, which began in 2014, and employed fake social media accounts and on-the-ground politicking to promote Trump's campaign, disparage Hillary Clinton and sow division and discord widely among the U.S. electorate. The charges to which Gates is pleading guilty don't involve any conduct connected to the Trump campaign. They largely relate to a conspiracy laid out in his indictments, but they do reveal that Gates spoke with the FBI earlier this month and lied during the interview. That same day, his attorneys filed a motion to withdraw from representing him for "irreconcilable difference." The court papers accuse Gates of lying about a March 19, 2013, meeting involving Manafort, a lobbyist and a member of Congress. Gates said the meeting did not include discussion of Ukraine, when in fact prosecutors say it did. The charges don't name the lobbyist or the lawmaker but filings with the Justice Department show Manafort and lobbyist Vin Weber of Mercury Public Affairs met with Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., on that date as part of a lobbying campaign on behalf of Ukrainian interests. On Friday, Manafort said in a statement that he maintains his innocence. "I had hoped and expected my business colleague would have had the strength to continue the battle to prove our innocence. For reasons yet to surface he chose to do otherwise," Manafort said. "This does not alter my commitment to defend myself against the untrue piled-up charges contained in the indictments against me." In court filings over the past few months, Gates gradually began to show the strain the case was placing on him and his family. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Odisha: India on Friday successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable 'Dhanush' ballistic missile with a strike range of 350 kms from a naval ship off Odisha coast, defence officials said. The surface-to-surface missile, a naval variant of the indigenously-developed 'Prithvi' missile, was test-fired from the ship positioned near Paradip in the Bay of Bengal at around 10.52 am, the officials said. 'Dhanush' missile is capable of carrying a payload of 500 kg and hitting both land and sea-based targets, the sources said, adding that its trial was carried out by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the defence forces. ''The missile launch was part of training exercise by the SFC of Indian Navy,'' one official said. Describing the test launch as ''a complete success'', the officials said all mission objectives were met during the trial. Also Read: Watch | India successfully test-fires nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni-V off Odisha coast ''The missile launch and its flight performance were monitored from DRDO telemetry and radar facilities in the Odisha coast,'' they said. The single-stage, liquid-propelled 'Dhanush', has already been inducted into the defence services. It is one of the five missiles developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). The last trial was successfully tested on April 9, 2015, the sources added For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Juba: The witness accounts remain appalling. One South Sudanese man returned home after hiding from government soldiers to find they had blinded his mother, gouging out her eyes with spears. She had tried to defend her 17-year-old daughter from being raped by more than a dozen soldiers and didnt succeed. Seventeen soldiers then raped her. The familys father was beheaded. The latest report on human rights abuses in South Sudans five-year civil war, released by a United Nations commission, for the first time identifies more than 40 senior military officials, including three state governors, who may bear individual responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity. I did not expect to be confronted with so much ritual humiliation and degradation deliberately done for multiple reasons. The suffering and cruelty was worse than anyone could have imagined, Andrew Clapham, a commission member and international law professor, told The Associated Press. One South Sudanese woman told the commission that her 12-year-old son was forced to have sex with his grandmother to stay alive, the report says. The findings, with sufficient evidence against both President Salva Kiirs government forces and rebels, will be presented to the U.N. Human Rights Council next month. They also will be made available to judicial mechanisms such as a hybrid court for South Sudan, which long has been urged by the international community but has never appeared. The names of alleged perpetrators, kept private to help protect witnesses, are being given to the U.N. human rights office in Geneva. Untold tens of thousands have been killed in South Sudan since the conflict erupted in December 2013, just two years after independence from Sudan. More than two million people have fled the country, the largest refugee crisis since the Rwandan genocide 24 years ago. Millions who remain at home face hunger. The new U.N. report is an account of the gang-rapes, castrations, ethnic violence and other abuses that have left much of the impoverished East African nation in despair, while international frustration with the warring sides grows. An attempt at a cease-fire in late December was violated within hours. Disgusted, the United States announced a largely symbolic arms embargo and urged the U.N. Security Council to do the same. South Sudans government said it was asking the U.N. commission for the names of the accused senior military officials and will investigate. We cant condone anyone committing crimes and taking the law in their own hands, spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said, though he added that such reports can sometimes be cut-and-paste and based on hearsay. Opposition spokesman Lam Paul Gabriel told the AP: The human rights body should start putting the blame directly on the regime instead of blaming both sides. The report, based on 230 witness statements and other materials, is the second since the U.N. commission was established in 2016 and the first since it was given a stronger mandate to preserve evidence and conduct investigations instead of simply monitoring and reporting. South Sudans conflict is splintering into chaos, the new report says. What began as a power struggle between Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar has fractured into an estimated 40 armed groups across the country, with many fighting each other. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. United Nations: North Korea sharply criticised U. N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday for supporting sanctions to pressure the country into negotiations with the US on denuclearising, saying he appears to be acting as a 'henchman' representing the United States. North Korea's UN Mission stressed in a statement that there would be no nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula if there was no "hostile policy" by the United States from its founding over 70 years ago and if that policy hadn't intensified "into nuclear blackmails and threats." The mission called Guterres' remarks to the Munich Security Conference on February 16 "reckless" and "ill-minded behavior based on extreme prejudice without any consideration of impartiality" and without saying "even a single word against the US who is (the) main culprit for all aggravation of current situation." Guterres told the conference that for the first time since the end of the Cold War the world is facing the "threat of a nuclear conflict."Successively tougher sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council to pressure North Korea are "absolutely essential to be maintained," he said. "The pressure also creates the opportunity for diplomatic engagement aiming at the denuclearising of the Korean peninsula," he told the conference, urging international efforts to promote talks between the US and North Korea. Guterres noted improved relations between North Korea and South Korea at the Winter Olympics in recent weeks. "But even if the relations between the two Koreas improved, let's be clear that is not the central question we are facing," he said. "The central question remains the question of denuclearising." North Korea's Mission asked Guterres "to refrain from his behavior acts like somnambulist" and understand that the nuclear threat is from the U. S. which is developing more sophisticated nuclear weapons and has disclosed "its ambition for nuclear pre-emptive attacks" against the North. The statement reaffirmed that North Korea's nuclear forces are serving as a "strong deterrent to any nuclear threat and reckless, risky military provocation of the US". If Guterres really wants to solve the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula, the mission said he should urge the Security Council to welcome "the process of improved inter-Korean relations" and discourage neighbouring countries "from disturbing the process. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Raipur: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan 106-year-old mascot, Kunwar Bai died on Friday morning after suffering from a prolonged illness. She breathed her last at Ambedkar Hospital in Raipur. According to hospital offcials she died around 10: 40 am. Bai was admitted in the hospital on the directions of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh. Singh expressed grief over her death and described her as Swachhta Doot (messenger of cleanliness). The 106-year-old woman became famous and won hearts of millions across the globe after Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated her for raising awareness about open defecation in Chhattisgarhs hinterlands. She came in news, last year when PM Modi during the launch of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission, he touched her feet to seek her blessing. Bai determined to stop the ritual of open defecation in her family and village Kotabharri village, sold off at least 10 goats she owned to build toilets. Also read: Jalandhar woman furious of husbands cheating cuts off his genitals, flush them in toilet Kunwar Bai, who lived with her family in Dhamtari's Kotabharri village, was known for spreading awareness about the importance of using toilets in villagers. According to Chhattisgarh government all houses in Bais village have toilets, earning the village title of Open Defecation Free Status. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: US President Donald Trump on Friday imposed the 'heaviest-ever' sanctions on North Korea's shipping companies in a bid to prevent the reclusive nation from acquiring nuclear weapons and developing intercontinental ballistic missiles. Trump in his remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference said he hoped "something positive" will come out of the latest round of tough sanctions. "North Korea - we imposed the heaviest sanctions ever imposed on a country before," he said. "But hopefully something positive can happen. But that just was announced, and I wanted to let you know we have imposed the heaviest sanctions ever imposed," Trump said soon after the Department of Treasury announced a series of tough sanctions. "This action targets the deceptive shipping practices that have enabled the Kim regime to fund its dangerous weapons programmes," US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters at a White House news conference. The latest American actions target shipping and trade companies, vessels and individuals across the world who are working on North Korea's behalf, he said.Mnuchin said the sanctions were against 27 entities, 28 vessels and one individual and added that all of them were involved in sanctions evasion schemes. These shipping and trade companies, vessels and one individual, totaling 56 designations are located, registered or flagged in countries all over the world, including North Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Marshall Islands, Tanzania, Panama and Comoros, he said. "This actions will significantly hinder North Korea's ability to conduct evasive maritime activities that facilitate illicit coal and fuel transports, and limit the regime's ability to ship goods through international waters," Mnuchin said. The American action is part of the ongoing maximum economic pressure campaign to cut off sources of revenue that the North Korean regime derives from the UN and US prohibited trade to fund its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, he added. The US is also issuing a global shipping advisory in conjunction with the Coast Guard and the State Department to put everyone on notice of North Korea's illicit maritime tactics and underscore the significant sanctions risk of engaging in maritime business with North Korea, Mnuchin said. "We are releasing new imagery of the deceptive shipping practices used by those who aid and profit from illicit trade with North Korea. "These images from December 2017 reveal ship-to-ship transfers of fuel and other products destined for North Korea in an attempt to evade sanctions," he said.Mnuchin said the sanctions shine a spotlight on the practices employed by the government of North Korea to falsify identifying information on ships, and conceal illicit cargo. These sanctions evasion tactics are prohibited by the UN Security Council resolutions and we are fully committed to shutting down those who engage in trade with them, he asserted. "Through today's actions, we are putting companies and countries across the world on notice that this administration views compliance with US and UN sanctions as a national security imperative. Those who trade with North Korea do so at their own peril," Mnuchin said. The Treasury Secretary warned that the countries who do business with North Korea will not be able to do business with the US. A senior administration official told reporters that these designations are a critical part of the US' maximum pressure campaign to diplomatically and economically isolate North Korea. "These actions represent the latest development in the coordinated, whole-of-government US effort to disrupt, deter and dismantle North Korea's illicit maritime shipping activities that Pyongyang uses to skirt UN sanctions, and to fund its WMD programmes and delivery systems," the official said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday said that the Indian army will give Pakistan a reply sooner rather than later for the February 10 terrorist attack on a military camp in Jammu. Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists barged into the Sunjuwan military station in Jammu and killed six soldiers and a civilian in a deadly fidayeen attack. Soon after the incident, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that Pakistan, which she accused of backing the attackers, would pay for its misadventure. Pakistan thinks it is fighting a war that is paying them dividends but we have several options, including surgical strikes, the army chief said in an interview on Wednesday, without giving details that would compromise Indias tactical and strategic response. Rawat said that he would order a ceasefire at the Line of Control (LoC) as soon as Pakistan stops sending terrorists to India. The Indian Army will honor the ceasefire and de-escalate tensions the day Pakistan stops sending terrorists across the line of control, Rawat said, referring to the 2003 agreement put in place as a confidence-building measure. Ceasefire violations at the LoC have spiked over the last year. There were 860 such violations recorded in 2017 from either side, as compared to 271 the previous year, according to government data. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Niger: A large number of children have once again been kidnapped in Nigeria. Here gunmen kidnapped 140 students studying in a boarding school. A school official reported in this regard on Monday. School students have been hunted several times in this country in the past and are kidnapped every day. These criminal groups usually come with weapons and also attack villages. The miscreants steal cattle from the villages and then demand ransom. Such incidents are most commonly reported from northwest and central Nigeria. But since the beginning of this year, kidnapping of students studying in schools and colleges has increased considerably. According to reports, the gunmen arrived at Bethal Baptist High School in Kaduna state on Monday morning and kidnapped and took with them about 165 people present there. Jyoti Das unique strategy helps her fashion brand Jyo Shop get the global appreciation Virat-Anushka's funny photo goes viral, cricketer seen in different style IPO Market: Zomato offer may open for subscription on July 19 at price band Rs 70-72 During a market monitoring in Salyantar the Dhading district, assistant chief district officer Gokarna Prasad Upadhyaya saw something that startled him. There was a bottle of cold beverage that looked like Coca-Cola. To make sure that it was Coca-Cola, he asked the shopkeeper for one. When he got the bottle in his hand, he was shocked as it was Cold Cola, a fake version of Coca-Cola that looked exactly like the international brand. This was shocking, he wrote on Facebook. If you dont look at it properly, anyone can mistake it for Coca-Cola. It was not just Coke. Other beverages also had their cheap lookalikes with almost similar names. Fanta had become Fantu and Funny, Sprite had become Sport and Strike while Mountain Dew had become Maintain Dew. These bottles have the same packaging, design, font and colour. What was shocking was these drinks were produced in Dhading itself, he writes. A few days later on June 9, Prem Lal Maharjan, a consumer rights activist posted a similar photo. In the photo, he questioned why Bikajis and Centurys Bikaneri bhujia looked the same. He also posted how Centurys Kurmure and Pepsi Cos Kurkure looked similar. If anything happens to anyone due to these fake products, who will be responsible, he wrote on Facebook. These two examples shed light on how poor consumer and industrial laws in the country have resulted in an increase of fake and substandard goods in the market. After these examples made the rounds on social media, people have also started to question if the everyday products that they use are fake like the bottle of Coca-Cola found in Dhading. Even officials involved in monitoring shops for these fake goods admit that fake goods are prevalent in Nepal. They say that everything from clothes to food have the tendency to be fake. This goes to show the risks consumers face while purchasing things in Nepal. Fake liquor kills In 2015, six men from Arnama rural municipality in Siraha died of alcohol poisoning. All six had slept after drinking alcohol available in the market. Before going to bed, they all had the same symptoms as they complained of nausea, headache and eye pain and all of them died around 10 hours after. According to the District Administration Office, around 30 people in the village have died due to alcohol poisoning. In 2012, eight men in the same villages had died after they showed similar symptoms following drinking. The BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, where these men were taken to for postmortem, had confirmed they died because of alcohol poisoning. Incidents like these are quite common as fake alcohol is prevalent in a lot of areas across the country. Madhav Ghimire from Kathmandu died after drinking fake alcohol in 2001. This death has even been recorded at the Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights-Nepal. The forums president, right activist and lawyer Jyoti Baniya says a CPN-UML leader, Thakkar Prasad Sharma, had lost his eyesight after drinking fake alcohol in the early 2000s. After that, the forum had even filed a complaint against the shop which sold Sharma the Royal Stag whiskey leading to him being blind. There have been a lot of complaints at the Department of Industries about these fake alcohols as a few Nepalis have been using the same name to sell these poorly made alcohols. According to the department, fake alcohols are sold under the brand names of Royal Stag, Blue Riband and Golden Oak. These companies have been regularly asking the department to take action against people using their brand to sell substandard products. But even though the department says it is investigating, not much has been done. Were doing our best to find out where these items come from because this is a serious issue, says the departments undersecretary Dipak Ghimire. Is that Coca-Cola? Duplicate cold drinks in Nepal can mostly be found in remote areas of the country. Fake cold beverages produced in Kailali, Rupandehi and Jhapa are available all over Nepal. These products look exactly or similar to products like Coca-Cola, Fanta, Real Juice, Frooti and Slice, as people buy them unknowingly. According to the Department of Commerce, these items are mostly found in rural areas and border areas. At first glance, these look original, says Sagar Mishra, an official at the department. One will only know that these are fake after they look at the labels. I think its time we started to check the quality of these products as well. This makes it clear that government bodies are not bothered about the health of Nepali citizens as it seems to have turned a blind eye to this recurring problem. North Face from Nepalgunj Nepals police raided various shops in Thamel after The North Face filed a complaint that various Nepali companies were using its name to sell jackets. Photo by Andrea Rondon on Unsplash Counterfeiting is also quite prevalent when it comes to clothing. Brands like Adidas, Puma, Fila and North Face are available everywhere in the country. These brands have made a name for themselves in the international market due to their quality and durability. But, people in Nepal have been using logos of these brands on various clothes and selling them at stalls around bus parks to air-conditioned shops in shopping malls. As these brands have not filed a case against them, regulatory bodies have not done anything as these fake items continue to sell all over the country. Rupesh Pandey, the president of RP Group, a wholesaler of various international brands, says that government bodies do not care about this issue. Pandey says people have been buying substandard products for the price of originals as the traders are coning them. Only a few people in Nepal know about these international brand and they buy them from specific shops. Others, based on the advertisements, go and purchase these branded items from anywhere they can. That is when these people are cheated as they are sold fake items, says Pandey. On August 14, 2020, officials from the Department of Industries raided shops in Thamel that were selling fake North Face jackets and trousers. The raid was done after North Face filed a complaint at the department asking it to take action against shops selling jackets with their tag. Hundreds of kilos of clothes were confiscated by the department as it took action against The Mountain Wear, World Kalapathar Outdoor Collection and Galaxy Trekking Store. These stores were found to be selling fake North Face goods for original prices without seeking permission from the company. Going for fake beauty The demand for beauty products in Nepal is quite high. But, not all of these products are originals as people have been complaining about substandard beauty products being sold in the market. In April, the Department of Industries and Nepal Police raided a warehouse in Kalanki suspected of selling fake and substandard goods. In the raid, the officials found out that the company was using the cover of branded creams to sell products that had harmful chemicals. After the raid, one owner of the warehouse was arrested while the stores, production factory and warehouse were all sealed. The raid happened after Hindustan Unilever, Fair and Lovelys parent company, filed a complaint claiming that the Nepali company had stolen its intellectual property. Action was also taken against a company in Sunsari for selling chewing gums that looked exactly like Centre Fresh and Mentos produced by Italian Company PVM. After PVM found out about it, it had filed a violation of trademark complaint against the Nepali company. The case, according to the department, is currently on trial at the Supreme Court. Fake water Aqua Hundred has been selling mineral water in Nepal for the past 29 years. Recently, however, a lot of similar-looking mineral water bottles have been seen in the market. According to the companys manager Chandra Mani Ghimire, he has been asking the department to take action against companies that are imitating Aqua Hundred. Weve already taken action against a few, but these water bottles keep popping up, he says. Shiva Raj Sedhai, the spokesperson of the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection says that these things are quite common. Patanjali recently launched its water. But, people have already started to copy it, he says. Olis financial advisor also caught cheating Dugar Group of Companies is fighting a case against Pepsi Co after Pepsi Co claimed that it stole its product. Many argue that these fake items are made in Nepal by people who have political backing and influence. A good example is Century Spice and Snacks owned by Dugar Group which has been producing Kurmure and Bikaneri bhujia. The company that produces these snacks is owned by Moti Lal Dugar, former state minister and PM KP Sharma Olis financial advisor. Two separate complaints have been filed against Dugar accusing him of stealing someone elses trademark without seeking permission. The first is by Pepsi Co which has accused Dugar of producing Kurmure and Bikaneri bhujia copying its brand names. Another complaint was filed by the Bawa Masala Company (BMC) that accuses Dugar of copying its spice names. The cases against Dugar are still on trial, but the items are still easily available in the market. Dugar, on the other hand, says that the cases are baseless and have been filed to defame him. He says that his brands (Kurmure and Century Masala) are Nepali and have always been Nepali as he says he has been able to provide jobs to over 1,000 people. Kurmure is a Nepali brand. I dont understand why they are calling it a stolen product, says Dugar. He even says the cases were already won even though they are still sub-judice. Intellectual property theft cases galore According to the Department of Industry, there are 900 pending cases against trademark fraud in Nepal. Out of them, 536 cases from last year are yet to be settled while a further 364 cases have been registered at the department in the ongoing fiscal year. This year, due to Covid-19, only 70 cases were settled, according to the departments spokesperson Gyanendra Parajuli. He says Royal Stag, Golden Oak and Blue Riband had filed complaints at the department claiming their trademarks had been stolen. But, using packaging of known brands to sell local products is a common affair, says undersecretary Ghimire. He says that a case has also been filed against the KKFC by the KFC as the later claims that the former has copied it entirely. Unaware industrialists Every product has its own unique identity and it makes the product a global product, the one known by people all over the world. There are hundreds of cold beverages available in the world, but brands like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Mirinda and 7 Up have their own uniqueness. These products look different, have different bottle designs and a unique taste. These companies register these drinks and obtain a patent so that no other company can replicate them without their permission. If found copying, the companies can face damages claim of millions of dollars. But, things are different in Nepal. Binda Acharya, the director at the Industrial Property Section of the department, says there are numerous cases of Nepali companies copying international companies. She says that Nepali businesspersons are not aware that they have to register their products. People are ignorant in Nepal and things are not going to change anytime soon, says Acharya. Cases closing at snails pace Italian company PVM filed a case against Nepali companies for copying its product over five years ago. The case has now reached the Supreme Court through the department and the high court. When a decision will be made is still unsure. Both real and fake products are in the market. The companys goodwill and revenue are both at a loss. We dont know when a decision will be made, says advocate Janak Bhandari who is fighting the case on behalf of the Italian company. The role of monitoring and managing patent, trademark and design is up to the department. But, it says that it does not have the human resources to do all of that. Hence, it admits that cases are being heard at a very slow pace. We are busy with administrative work and have to set aside fixed time to tend to these cases, says Ghimire. This year, due to Covid-19, we havent been able to call all parties to discuss the issue further as well. A reason why verdicts are slow, according to the department, is that the case goes through many layers. The complaint is first seen by the department itself, after which it goes to the district and then the Supreme Court. That causes a lot of delays, say officials from the department. Nepals laws are archaic and due to that, it might take a decade for a verdict to come out. No wonder foreign companies are reluctant to do business here, says an official from one of these companies. Scattered laws and little punishment To manage patents, trademarks and design, the Patent, Design and Trade Mark Act was drafted in 1965. But, officials from the department say the act is archaic and ineffective. Ghimire says the punishment is not strict enough as the law also does not talk about harsh compensation as the only punishment that people producing these fake items face is a fine of Rs 100,000 and confiscation of all items. In 1965, that amount was a lot. But right now, it isnt and we need to amend it, says Ghimire. " " Humpty Dumpty is often portrayed as an egg but the nursery rhyme makes no mention of this. HowStuffWorks The nursery rhyme "Humpty Dumpty" is one of the most well-known verses for English-speaking kids, telling the story of a character who fell off of a wall and no matter how anyone tried, couldn't be put back together. Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall All the kings horses and all the kings men Couldnt put Humpty together again So, what's the story behind this? And why couldn't poor Humpty be put back together? In popular culture, Humpty Dumpty is portrayed as an egg with human-like qualities like legs, arms, a face and clothing. But if you read the lines of the poem, it doesn't say that Humpty is an egg anywhere. The key to understanding this poem is to realize it is actually a riddle. "In Iona and Peter Opie's 'The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes,' they talk about the origins of the riddle and its recurrence in different European cultures. The earliest traces come from 1848, in a magazine description of girls gathering their skirts together and pretending to be eggs while trying to retain their balance," emails Katherine Magyarody, an independent academic researcher with a Ph.D. in children's literature. Advertisement Theories About Humpty Dumpty The Humpty Dumpty rhyme first appeared in 1797 in a book titled "Juvenile Amusement," by Samuel Arnold. In the original poem, the third line reads, "Four-score men and four-score more," meaning 80 men plus 80 more, since a score is equal to 20. Regardless of which version you read, there are several curious answers to the riddle that is this nursery rhyme. One theory is that Humpty Dumpty is supposed to be England's King Richard III. In the tragedy written by Shakespeare named after the notorious king, he's depicted as "a poisonous hump-backed toad," though it's probably because the Bard had to write plays that would please his patron if he wanted to stay employed. (Shakespeare's patron Ferdinando Stanley was a direct descendent of one of Richard's enemies). In reality, King Richard III who ruled for only 26 months, fought for the rights of the ordinary person and enacted many laws against corruption and bribery. Poor Richard was part of just another chapter in England's dramatic political theater, killed in battle at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, kicking off the reign of the Tudors. It's claimed that Richard III's horse was named 'Wall' and that he fell off and was so severely bludgeoned that he couldn't be saved. He was the last English king to die in battle. (Richard III's body was found in a parking lot in Leicester, England in 2012.) Humpty Dumpty also appeared in an 1803 edition of "Mother Goose's Melody," where he's depicted as a fat boy, with a last line says, "Couldn't set Humpty up again." In 1842, the popular British satire weekly, Punch, claimed that Humpty was a symbol for Cardinal Wolsey. Others have agreed. Apparently Wolsey was a plump man, who enjoyed sitting on the walls of Cawood Castle's high tower in York; fell from grace with Henry VIII for not getting permission from the pope so he could divorce his first wife and marry Anne Boleyn; and was arrested by the King's men. Advertisement Egg on Your Face (or Face on Your Egg?) " " This illustration of Alice and Humpty Dumpty by Sir John Tenniel is taken from the 1889 book "The Nursery Alice" by Lewis Carroll. (The watercolor is by Gertrude Thomson.) Carroll made Humpty's portrayal as an egg famous. Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Humpty Dumpty rose to popularity again with the publication of Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass," in 1871 where the egg-man has an entire chapter dedicated to him. "[T]he egg only got larger and larger, and more and more human: when she [Alice] had come within a few yards of it, she saw that it had eyes and a nose and mouth; and when she had come close to it, she saw clearly that it was Humpty Dumpty himself. 'It can't be anybody else!' she said to herself. 'I'm as certain of it, as if his name were written all over his face." A humanoid egg fits right in with the story's bizarre cast of characters, but this is also the first time Humpty Dumpty is depicted as the character we are familiar with today. Lewis Carroll invented the character as an egg. In a 1903 edition of "Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes," Humpty Dumpty is printed as a riddle, with the solution at the bottom reading 'An egg,' with an illustration to match. "Humpty Dumpty sticks in our imaginations because of his iconic appearance in Lewis Carroll's 'Through the Looking Glass,' the second of the 'Alice in Wonderland' books. I think that John Tenniel's illustrations become the touchpoint for all later images of Humpty," says Magyarody. "In Alice and Humpty's encounter, Alice repeats and therefore establishes a version of the Humpty Dumpty rhyme. What's interesting is that Alice's version is a distortion she replaces 'Couldn't put Humpty together again' with 'Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty in his place again,' thereby removing the violent egg-breaking of the original into something gentler. (Humpty isn't satisfied with her innovation, and dislikes being called an egg.)" In the 1950s, an article in Oxford magazine wrote a spoof article whose theory ended up taking hold. It purported that Humpty Dumpty was in fact a cannon in Colchester, England, that was used during a 1648 siege during the English Civil War. The village, including its churches and its castle, were surrounded by a protective stone wall. At St. Mary's at the Wall Church, the forces defending the town put a cannon on top of the church tower and nicknamed it Humpty Dumpty. When it came under fire by Parliamentary armies (who targeted the foundations the cannon was on), the tower toppled, killing 'one-eyed' Jack Thompson, who was manning the cannon. Both tower, man and cannon were destroyed and couldn't be put back together again. However, historians doubt this is the real explanation. Another theory holds that Humpty Dumpty is really a drink. The first appearance of the word Humpty Dumpty in print was in 1690, in a slang dictionary, where it is defined as "ale boiled with brandy," with a possible connection being that strong beer was commonly called "hum." By 1785, Francis Grose, in his book "A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue," notes both the drink definition and the definition of "a short, clumsey (sic) person of either sex." As for the cocktail, modern-day mixologists have revived it with this unique recipe. Now That's Cool DC Comics portrays Humpty Dumpty as Humphry Dumpler, a man with an egg-shaped head that speaks in rhyme and whose attempts to 'fix' things that he perceives as 'broken' always end in disaster. In the animated movie, "Puss in Boots," Humpty Alexander Dumpty, an egg with a face and limbs, becomes Puss in Boots' brother at the orphanage where they're raised, but his life of crime later makes him the suave cat's archenemy. He's also the name of a song released by indie pop trio AJR about a person who puts on appearances but falls apart in private. NEW YORK, July 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The baby bath products market is expected to grow by USD 1.95 billion during 2021-2025, according to the latest market research report by Technavio. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Baby Bath Products Market by Product and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 Request a free sample report including COVID-19 analysis The continuous changes in the needs and changes of consumers are compelling baby bath product manufacturers to focus on developing and launching new and innovative products. For instance, Johnson & Johnson Services offers HEAD-TO-TOE baby wash. It is an ultra-mild cleanser for baby's skin, which is a hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested and approved skin product. Also, with new product launches, vendors are focusing on expanding their product portfolios and differentiating their products from the products offered by pharmaceutical companies. Such developments among vendors are expected to boost the growth of the global baby bath products market during the forecast period. To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR70668 As per Technavio, the increase in product penetration due to initiatives by governments and NGOs in developing markets will have a positive impact on the market and contribute to its growth significantly over the forecast period. This research report also analyzes other significant trends and market drivers that will influence market growth over 2021-2025. Baby Bath Products Market: Increase in product penetration due to initiatives by governments and NGOs in developing markets The growth in the awareness about baby bath products has increased their demand in developing regions such as APAC and MEA. The growth in awareness can be attributed to various initiatives undertaken by government and private organizations in these regions. For example, UNICEF has been working with many Chinese government agencies to spread awareness about the importance of baby hygiene and basic sanitation. Similarly, Mercy Corps in Indonesia has been spreading awareness about health and hygiene, better sanitation, and disaster preparedness. Such efforts are creating significant demand for baby bath products, thereby driving the market growth. Story continues "Matured consumer awareness regarding baby health and hygiene in developed markets will further boost market growth during the forecast period," says a senior analyst at Technavio. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Baby Bath Products Market: Segmentation Analysis This market research report segments the baby bath products market by Product (Baby bath soaps and washes, Baby shampoos and conditioners, and Baby bath accessories) and Geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA). The North American region led the baby bath products market in 2021, followed by Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA respectively. During the forecast period, North America is expected to register the highest incremental growth due to the increasing sales of baby bath products in supermarkets and hypermarkets in the region. Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request a free sample report Related Reports on Consumer Discretionary Include: Global Online Baby Products Retailing Market Global online baby products retailing market is segmented by product (baby toys, baby gear, baby apparel, baby diaper products, and others) and geography (APAC, North America, Europe, MEA, and South America). Download Exclusive Free Sample Report Global Baby Diaper Pails Market Global diaper pails market is segmented by distribution channel (offline and online) and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA). Download Exclusive Free Sample Report Some of the key topics covered in the report include: Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Competitive scenario About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Report: www.technavio.com/report/baby-bath-products-market-industry-analysis Newsroom: newsroom.technavio.com/news/baby-bath-productsmarket Technavio (PRNewsfoto/Technavio) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baby-bath-products-market--post-covid-19-analysis--technavio-301325741.html SOURCE Technavio By Ruma Paul DHAKA, July 6 (Reuters) - Bangladesh could receive 1 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from the WHO-backed COVAX facility this month, and the Serum Institute of India could resume supplies from August, its health minister said on Tuesday. Densely populated Bangladesh is in desperate need of vaccines as a jump in infections has filled up hospitals and depleted supplies of medical oxygen. "We may receive 1 million doses from COVAX this month," Zahid Maleque told reporters, without elaborating if they would be produced by the Serum Institute (SII). He said SII could resume direct supplies of Covishield, a licensed version of the AstraZeneca shot to Bangladesh from next month. Indian producers including SII, the main supplier to COVAX, stopped all vaccine exports in the middle of April to meet local demand as infections shot up. "We are told that they (SII) will start sending vaccine doses in August," Maleque said. "They haven't specified the number of doses but assured us it won't be small." An SII spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. SII said in May it hoped to restart exports only by the end of this year. Bangladesh has a deal for 30 million Covishield doses with SII but has only received 7 million, which it has used to fully immunise about 3% of its 170 million people. The country urgently needs 1.5 million doses to fully immunise other recipients of a first dose, and has sought help from the United States, Canada and others. Bangladesh has also received 2 million of the 15 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine it has ordered, as well as 2.5 million doses of Moderna's vaccine and 100,000 of Pfizer's through COVAX. "It's critical that richer countries share more vaccines with Bangladesh in the coming days and weeks to help avoid the horrors caused by COVID-19 in India," said Sanjeev Kafely, Bangladesh head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. (Reporting by Ruma Paul; Additional reporting by Krishna N. Das; editing by John Stonestreet) Development will increase country's energy independence LONDON, July 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A critically important hydro power plant which will play a significant role in Albania reaching its ambition of energy self-sufficiency is to be delivered by Bechtel. Andrew Patterson, Bechtels Infrastructure Global M&BD & Major Project Development Manager, (second left), Ergys Verdho, KESH CEO General (second right) at the signing ceremony for the Skavica Dam with Belinda Balluku, Albania Governments Minister of Infrastructure and Energy (centre right), Justin Siberell, Region President, Europe & the Middle East, Bechtel (centre left) with Ela Ruci, Bechtel Business Development Manager and Alex McFarlane of the US Embassy in Tirana (far left and right) Today, Albania's Power Corporation (KESH) and Bechtel signed an agreement to begin the early works for the 210 MW Skavica plant on the Drin River under a fast-track delivery approach. Work will begin immediately with a technical investigation, preliminary construction roads and the environmental and social impact assessment which will meet international best practice to expedite the start of construction. Andrew Patterson, Bechtel's Infrastructure Global M&BD and Major Project Development Manager, said: "Bechtel is delighted to be selected as a partner in the delivery of the Skavica Dam. We recognise that this is a nationally important project and we look forward to working with KESH as partner, and engaging local companies, supply chains and local people to achieve the immediate and long-term economic benefits which come with infrastructure of this size and scale." "Skavica will be located upstream of the Drin cascade, which is home to four hydro power plants. The combination of these existing projects currently produces the largest energy production in the Balkans, with a combined power output of 1,350MW. Skavica will increase the cascade's output and bring significant additional safety and environmental benefits. As a regulating dam, it will give greater protection against the devastating floods which impact the downstream communities annually." Belinda Balluku, Albania Government's Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, said: "Skavica is different from the other hydropower plants in the Drin Cascade because it will regulate the plants which already exist. It will also increase the domestic production of electricity by hydropower plants in Albania by 20%, while also optimizing and increasing their production capacities." Story continues "Another important element of this project is the minimization of floods in the area of Nen Shkodra by optimising the cascade and controlling all flow and discharges during rainfall from autumn to spring." Ergys Verdho, KESH CEO General, said: "Skavica is a much-anticipated dream; one that we have had since the design of the Drini River Cascade in the 1970s. This project will transform Albania not only into an absolute leader in the regional electrical power sector but also into an electrical power exporter." KESH says the development of Skavica will reduce Albania's annual electricity imports by an average of 55% annually, increasing the security of the country's electricity supply. Bechtel has delivered major renewable projects worldwide and is currently completing the 695-MW Keeyask Generating Station in Manitoba, Canada. The company has been supporting civil infrastructure projects in the Balkans since 1992, and we are proud to continue to support the growth of clean energy to the region through infrastructure projects. https://fb.watch/v/1rVwu6_Mu/ About Bechtel Bechtel is a trusted engineering, construction and project management partner to industry and government. Differentiated by the quality of our people and our relentless drive to deliver the most successful outcomes, we align our capabilities to our customers' objectives to create a lasting positive impact. Since 1898, we have helped customers complete more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries on all seven continents that have created jobs, grown economies, improved the resiliency of the world's infrastructure, increased access to energy, resources, and vital services, and made the world a safer, cleaner place. Bechtel serves the Energy; Infrastructure; Nuclear, Security & Environmental; and Mining & Metals markets. Our services span from initial planning and investment, through start-up and operations. www.bechtel.com Media contact: Aileen Easton C : (+44) 07714 597155 afeaston@bechtel.com Andrew Patterson, Bechtels Infrastructure Global M&BD & Major Project Development Manager, (second left), Ergys Verdho, KESH CEO General (second right) at the signing ceremony for the Skavica Dam with Belinda Balluku, Albania Governments Minister of Infrastructure and Energy (centre right), Justin Siberell, Region President, Europe & the Middle East, Bechtel (centre left) with Ela Ruci, Bechtel Business Development Manager and Alex McFarlane of the US Embassy in Tirana (far left and right) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bechtel-signs-contract-with-albanian-government-for-skavica-hydro-project-301326199.html SOURCE Bechtel COLOMBES, France, July 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bostik, the Adhesive Solutions division of Arkema, has implemented an ambitious development programme strengthening its polyurethane (PU) sealants with a particular focus on Sealing & Bonding applications for the construction market. This new range of products enables Bostik to be well positioned in this business driven by new construction in emerging countries and steady demand for higher quality solutions. Bostik, an Arkema company logo With state-of-the art production facilities in Europe and the Asia Pacific region, and innovative technology, Bostik, a longstanding player on the PU market, is developing a new range of products meeting the requirements of both higher technical properties and sustainable performance such as low isocyanates and solvent-free formulations, bubble-free, and outstanding easiness to use for professional and occasional consumers. This programme aims to increase Bostik's position on its targeted markets of construction in emerging countries. According to Marc-Antoine Mallet, Sealing & Bonding Director at Bostik, "This ambitious programme has helped us address the market's growing expectations in terms of quality and sustainability for PU products. It also enables us to provide our customers with a unique mix of local presence and outstanding quality standards. Thanks to a very positive feedback from the market, particularly in the EMEA region, we're convinced that this is just the beginning of promising opportunities." The next steps of this development programme are focused on industrial markets, and perfectly aligned with Bostik's growth strategy in engineering adhesive solutions. About Bostik, an Arkema company Bostik, a subsidiary of the Arkema Group and a global player in specialty adhesives for the construction, consumer and industrial markets, develops innovative and multifunctional sealing and bonding solutions that have been shaping our daily lives for over 130 years. With an annual sales of 2.1 billion euros in 2019, a presence in more than 40 countries, and 6,000 employees, the company is committed to meeting the major ecological, energy and technological challenges through its innovations. It is focused on continuous improvement and operational excellence to meet the expectations of its customers and partners. www.bostik.com Hortense BLAZSIN, hortense.blazsin@bostik.com SOURCE Bostik, an Arkema company CareSource PASSE approved with the state to serve Medicaid members with complex behavioral health, developmental and intellectual disabilities in the states PASSE Program Jason Bearden - CareSource PASSE President Jason Bearden - CareSource PASSE President LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, July 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CareSource PASSE has officially been approved for a license to participate in the Provider-Led Arkansas Shared Savings Entity (PASSE) Program and will become a new option for Arkansans with complex behavioral health and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. CareSource PASSEs office will be in Little Rock and employ local, community-based care coordinators statewide. CareSource is excited to partner with Arkansas expert providers, caregivers, members and families to support individuals with complex needs, said Jason Bearden, CareSource PASSE President. With our person-centered model and community-based approach, CareSource has the experience to make health care and support services easier for members and their circle of support, who play a critical role in supporting an individuals overall health and well-being. We plan to leverage CareSources vast experience in Medicaid and its legacy of innovation to make health care and community-based services more accessible for people in Arkansas, while helping members holistically. Five leading Arkansas health care organizations and CareSource, a multi-state health plan recognized as an innovative leader in managed care, form this PASSE. Together they will collaborate to support complex populations by improving outcomes related to health, well-being and activities that promote a meaningful day. The founding organizations include: James A. Zini D.O., P.A. and the Zini Medical Clinic Chenal Family Therapy, PLC Ashley County Medical Center (ACMC) Rehabilitation Network Outpatient Services (Rehab Net) Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc., (Acadia) CareSource This group of Arkansas health care professionals brings a depth of expertise from multiple perspectives and a history of experience serving their fellow Arkansans. They are leaders and innovators in their own right and bring passion for change to the PASSE program and a desire to provide innovative, quality-based community care for Arkansans. Story continues The CareSource PASSE business model was designed in partnership with collaborative feedback from Arkansas health care providers, caregivers and members with the overall goal of allowing each member the opportunity to live independently within their own community. This new model of service delivery is beyond traditional health care services and will be inclusive of services that positively impact an individuals well-being to include employment assistance, social determinants of health supports and critical life services programs designed to build key skills in support of a successful life within communities throughout Arkansas. In addition to offering a unique model of the PASSE program, CareSource PASSE is committed to community reinvestment and dedicated the last year to meeting with stakeholders across the state to better understand the needs of individuals and communities. "CareSource is unlike any insurer we've encountered in our decade of serving Arkansans. Their 30-year track record of caring for the whole person, serving the entire community and honoring the providers who are on the front lines, paired with the PASSE program's goal of lowering the cost to taxpayers, aligns deeply with who we strive to be as a company, said Ken Clark, Practice Director, Chenal Family Therapy. We sincerely believe that the introduction of CareSource as a new option for Arkansas families will energize our state's discussion about how to create a winning partnership for the public, the providers, and the payer sources." CareSource PASSE is founded on the belief that serving Arkansans well means developing a unique model that ensures their medical needs are taken care of while also supporting the social and community structures around them. This model is committed to giving patients, their caregivers, and providers the tools they need for patients to flourish in their communities, said Gabe Freyaldenhoven, President of Rehab Net. CareSource PASSE brings together a unique group of providers with an innovative payer partner to create a new, innovative model to serve our communities. Our goal is to ensure that both formal and informal support are provided enabling individuals to thrive at home, find meaningful employment, integrate into their communities, connect with their loved ones and achieve personal life goals, dreams and aspirations. We are new, we are different and we are innovative, said Bearden. About CareSource PASSE CareSource PASSE is a Provider-Led Arkansas Shared Savings Entity. The entity was formed to serve Arkansas Medicaid recipients with complex behavioral health, developmental and intellectual disabilities. The provider-led partnership includes health care and community leadership from across Arkansas with a shared commitment to transforming the delivery of care for its members by creating innovative community solutions focused on a person-centered approach and engagement through caregivers, providers, and community-based organizations. For more, visit https://www.caresource.com/arkansas /Arkansas , follow @caresource on Twitter, or like CareSource PASSE on Facebook. Attachment CONTACT: Joe Kelley CareSource 513-509-8466 joseph.kelley@caresource.com (Reuters) - Chinas cybersecurity watchdog suggested Didi Global Inc delay its initial public offering and urged it to review its network security, weeks before the Chinese ride-hailing giant went public, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. It isnt known whether Didi carried out its own review, according to the WSJ report. [https://on.wsj.com/3jKuGWx] But a person close to the company told the newspaper the company ultimately decided to go ahead with the IPO as it faced increasing investor pressure for a big payout. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) launched the investigation into Didi on Friday, just two days after the company began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. On Sunday, the agency ordered a suspension of app downloads for Didi after it found the company illegally collected personal user data. Didi said in a statement on Monday it had no knowledge before its $4.4 billion listing that CAC would start to investigate the company and order its app to be taken down. Officials in Beijing, especially those at CAC, were wary of the ride-hailing giants troves of data potentially falling into foreign hands as a result of the greater public disclosure associated with a U.S. listing, according to the WSJ report. Chinese internet regulators have tightened rules for the country's tech giants in recent years, asking companies to collect, store and handle key data properly. Didi, which offers services in China and more than 15 other markets, gathers vast amounts of real-time mobility data every day. (Reporting by Rithika Krishna in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall) TORONTO, July 6, 2021 /CNW/ - Drone Delivery Canada Corp. (TSXV: FLT) (OTC: TAKOF) (Frankfurt: A2AMGZ) or (Frankfurt: ABB.F) (the "Company" or "DDC") is pleased to announce that on June 8, 2021, the United States Patent Office granted a patent 11,027,858 for DDC's patent application titled 'Location for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Landing and Taking Off'. Drone Delivery Canada Logo (CNW Group/Drone Delivery Canada Corp.) This patent is directed to DDC's drone delivery technology and processes related to managing UAV landing and takeoff. In particular, the patent relates to controlling access to and managing departure and destination locations for UAVs engaged in transporting articles between such locations. Corresponding Canadian application is pending. "This is our fourth United States Patent Office grant issued. As we continue to grow our intellectual property portfolio, this patent again demonstrates our innovation as a leader in the drone delivery industry. And with recently released customer announcements, we continue to mark commercial successes as well," commented Michael Zahra, President & CEO of Drone Delivery Canada. "On behalf of the Company, I would like to thank all of our dedicated staff who were integral to this patent accomplishment." DDC is currently seeking patent protection for other aspects of its technology. For information on DDC's first patent, see press release from July 17, 2019: https://dronedeliverycanada.com/resources/drone-delivery-canada-awarded-its-first-us-patent-for-its-proprietary-drone-delivery-technology/ For information on DDC's second patent, see news release from April 22, 2020: https://dronedeliverycanada.com/resources/drone-delivery-canada-awarded-its-second-us-patent-for-its-proprietary-drone-delivery-technology/ For information on DDC's third patent, see news release from May 12, 2021: https://dronedeliverycanada.com/resources/drone-delivery-canada-awarded-third-patent-for-its-proprietary-d/ Story continues About Drone Delivery Canada Corp. Drone Delivery Canada Corp. is an ISO 9001 certified, award-winning drone technology company focused on the design, development, and implementation of its proprietary logistics software platform, using drones. The Company's platform will be used as a Software as a Service (SaaS) model for government and corporate organizations globally. Drone Delivery Canada Corp. is a publicly listed company trading on the TSX.V Exchange under the symbol FLT, on the U.S. OTCQX market under the symbol TAKOF and on the Frankfurt exchange in Germany under the symbol A2AMGZ or ABB.F. Read more about the Company at: www.DroneDeliveryCanada.com or on DDC's social media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/drone-delivery-canada https://www.youtube.com/dronedeliverycanada https://www.facebook.com/dronedeliverycanada https://www.instagram.com/dronedeliverycanada https://twitter.com/DroneDeliveryCa/ Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Notice Regarding Forward Looking Information: Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking information that involves substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Such statements often contain words such as "expect," "may," "can," "believe," "forecast," "estimate," "goal," "target," "will," and other similar words. This forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, market acceptance, and dependence upon regulatory approvals (both in Canada and internationally). Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward looking information. Except as may be required by applicable securities law, the parties undertake no obligation to update forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE Drone Delivery Canada Corp. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2021/06/c7934.html Exclusive program offers patients more time, support and service from their personal physician ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y., July 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Concierge Choice Physicians (CCP) , the nation's leading full-service concierge medical service provider, today announced that Paul W. John, MD, a family physician with a long-standing private practice in Austin, Texas, has enrolled in the company's Hybrid Choice program - an enhanced service that provides patients with more time, support and greater connectivity between doctor and patient. Dedicated to providing real options for patients and physicians, Concierge Choice Physicians (CCP) is the largest private provider of the full range of concierge programs available. CCP announced today the addition of 10 new practices, highlighting that in an uncertain healthcare marketplace, both physicians and patients want practice models that assure and protect provider choice and relationships. For more information visit www.choice.md. (PRNewsfoto/Concierge Choice Physicians) The Hybrid Choice program by CCP is a unique membership medicine model that allows Dr. John to offer concierge medicine while maintaining a traditional practice and accepting insurance plans. Patients have the option to select an enhanced practice experience, but the practice does not require patients to join. No patients are dismissed. The program is simply an option for patients who want additional healthcare support along with the assurance of knowing that, when they have a medical concern, their personal physician will be available to them. Dr. John decided to launch this new program in part because the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant anxiety among his patients, especially those in vulnerable population groups who found themselves separated from loved ones and concerned about their short- and long-term health. These patients wanted to know that Dr. John, their trusted physician, would be the one to advise them regarding new safety protocols, testing, treatment, and general ongoing wellness concerns. "This has been a chaotic and stressful time in healthcare. The demand for my personal attention and support was increasing to the point where, I knew I had to think creatively to meet my patients' need and provide them with options that would give them peace of mind," says Dr. John. "In such a high-pressure environment, this program is a great solution. I can provide this enhanced service to the patients who want it, while continuing to treat all the families in my practice." Story continues Patients who enroll in the Hybrid Choice pay an annual fee that allows Dr. John to provide services that go beyond what could be offered in a traditional practice. They include: a greater focus on wellness with a comprehensive annual exam that includes specialty lab work through Cleveland Heart Lab; easy to secure, unhurried appointments that generally start on time; Dr. John's private cell phone number and HIPAA compliant email address to make communication easy and direct, even after hours; enhanced medical advocacy and coordination with all other healthcare providers; house calls and social rounds at select area hospitals, when necessary. Children between ages 11-26 also receive complimentary membership when their parent joins. "This is the kind of highly personalized medicine that makes it a joy to practice," says Dr. John. "I am looking forward to getting back to that old-school kind of family medicine, taking all the time I need with patients, without worrying about reimbursements rates and the pressure to see more and more patients." Dr. John's Hybrid Choice program is available for a membership fee. For more information, patients can call (877) 888-5590 or email members@choice.md. About Paul W. John, MD Dr. Paul John, a Family Practice doctor for 25+ years, graduated, cum laude, from The University of Dallas with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry. He obtained his medical degree from The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and completed his internship and residency in Family Practice at the U. S. Naval Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina. Dr. John practiced as a staff physician for two years for the US Navy at the Naval Hospital in Guam, a U.S. Territory. He then practiced as a staff family practice physician and a member of the teaching staff of the Puget Sound Family Medicine Program at the U. S. Naval Hospital in Bremerton, WA from 1994-1995. In 1995, Dr. John moved to Austin, Texas and practiced medicine for the Seton Hospitals where he served as the Chairman of the Family Practice Department of the Seton Hospital Network in 1997. In 2000, Dr. John established his private family practice office in Northwest Austin. Dr. John is Board Certified through the American Board of Family Medicine and holds memberships with the American Academy of Family Practice, The Texas Medical Association and the Travis County Medical Society. About Concierge Choice Physicians (CCP) Dedicated to providing real options for patients and physicians, Concierge Choice Physicians is the largest private provider of the full range of concierge programs available todayHybrid and FullFlex. For nearly 20 years, the company has provided innovative, flexible and affordable models proven to work in medical practices of any sizefrom solo physicians to large medical practice corporationsboth independent and affiliated with hospitals or health systems. Headquartered in Rockville Centre, NY, the company has worked with over 500 physicians in 26 states. For more information, please visit www.choice.md . Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/family-practice-specialist-now-offers-austin-families-the-hybrid-choice-concierge-program-from-concierge-choice-physicians-301325991.html SOURCE Concierge Choice Physicians NOIDA, India, July 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A comprehensive overview of the GCC e-pharmacy market is recently added by UnivDatos Market Insights to its humongous database. The GCC e-pharmacy market report has been aggregated by collecting informative data of various dynamics such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. This innovative report makes use of several analyses to get a closer outlook on the GCC e-pharmacy market. The GCC e-pharmacy market report offers a detailed analysis of the latest industry developments and trending factors in the market that are influencing the market growth. Furthermore, this statistical market research repository examines and estimates the e-pharmacy market at the regional level. The GCC E-Pharmacy Market was valued at US$ 2,073.33 million in 2020 and is expected to reach US$ 5,347.6 million by 2028, registering a CAGR of 15.4% during the forecast period. Univdatos Logo Market Overview The GCC e-pharmacy market is experiencing significant growth on account of the increasing patient pool and higher mortality rate due to chronic diseases all over the world. For instance, according to World Health Organization, In Bahrain, nearly 83% of deaths were attributed to Non-Communicable Diseases in 2020 followed by 77% deaths in UAE and 73% in Saudi Arabia. Owing to these alarming facts, demand for medicines and other healthcare products is rising as there is an increased demand for daily medicines to be taken over the long term. The ever-growing demand for drugs makes it difficult for offline retail providers to meet the increasing needs and thus offer a huge potential for online health retailers to cater to the large consumer base. Thus, People are opting for online Pharmacy owing to lucrative offers, such as price discounts, ease in availability of drugs, and home delivery services. Request To Download Sample of this Strategic Report-https://bit.ly/3hCfLev Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way healthcare is delivered due to the worldwide adoption of social distancing and quarantining norms which eventually discourage regular visits to hospitals and clinics. However, pharmacy stores were categorized as essential services, online pharmacies still emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the pandemic-induced lockdown in GCC as people chose to buy medicines online to reduce the risk of contamination. Story continues Additionally, the growth of the smart inhalers market is also attributable to the growing penetration of smartphone and internet users coupled with the numerous pharmacy applications available across gulf cooperation company. For instance, As of April 2019, Saudi Arabia had 30.36 million internet users, followed by UAE with 30.26 million internet users. Furthermore, in recent years (2009-2019), the internet penetration rate in the Middle East is higher in comparison to the rest of the world and the global average penetration rate. As of April 2019, the internet penetration rate in the Middle East was 67.2% among the local population while the internet penetration rate for the rest of the world was around 56.8% Ask for Price & Discounts @ https://bit.ly/3hCfLev GCC e-pharmacy market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated. By Product Type, the market is primarily segmented into Skincare Cold & Flu Dental Weight Loss Vitamins Others Amongst products, skincare, cold & flu, dental, weight loss, vitamins, and others are the key products. The cold & flu products segment of the GCC e-pharmacy market was valued at USD 644.6 million in 2020 and is likely to reach USD 1,583.9 million by 2028 growing at a CAGR of 15.68% from 2022-2028. However, the skincare product segment is also anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR of 16.87% during the projected timeframe owing to the increasing awareness regarding the benefits of skincare products among people. By Drug Type, the market is primarily fragmented into Over-the-counter(OTC) Drugs Prescription Drugs By drug type, the over-the-counter(OTC) segment dominated the GCC e-pharmacy market and will row at 15.39% CAGR to reach US$ 3,836.4 million by the year 2028 owing to the increasing use of OTC drugs and self-medication trends. By Platform, the market is primarily segmented into Applications Website Amongst platform, the applications segment accounted for the largest market share in 2020 is likely to maintain its dominance during the projected timeframe owing to the increased usage of shopping applications. For instance, In UAE, 66% of internet users aged 16 to 64 that has used a shopping app on a mobile phone or a tablet as of January 2021. However, the website segment is also expected to grow at 15.75% CAGR to reach US$ 2,480 billion by 2028. GCC E-Pharmacy Market Geographical Segmentation Includes: Saudi Arabia UAE Kuwait Bahrain Qatar Oman Geographically, Saudi Arabia dominated the GCC e-pharmacies market with almost US$ 1,179.9 million revenue in 2020 owing to the increasing disposable income of the consumers and the number of key players in the region such as Nasser Pharmacy, Nahdi Pharmacy, Al-Dawaa Pharmacy, and others. In addition to this, the rising geriatric population count, the surging prevalence of chronic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, and the increase in internet adoption in the country are few factors, among others, expected to further augment the GCC e-pharmacy market. Furthermore, UAE is also predicted to grow at an exponential rate with a CAGR of 17.11% over the forecast period. Ask for Report Customization @ https://bit.ly/3hCfLev The major players targeting the market includes Four Seasons Pharmacy Medisouq Kulud Pharmacy BinSina Al-Mutawa Pharmacies Competitive Landscape The degree of competition among prominent global companies has been elaborated by analyzing several leading key players operating in the sector. The specialist team of research analysts sheds light on various traits such as market competition, market share, most recent industry advancements, innovative product launches, partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions by leading companies in the GCC e-pharmacy market. The major players have been analyzed by using research methodologies for getting insight views on regional competition. Key questions resolved through this analytical market research report include: What are the latest trends, new patterns, and technological advancements in the GCC e-pharmacy market? Which factors are influencing the GCC e-pharmacy market over the forecast period? What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the GCC e-pharmacy market? Which factors are propelling and restraining the GCC e-pharmacy market? What are the demanding global regions of the GCC e-pharmacy market? What will be the market size in the upcoming years? What are the crucial market acquisition strategies and policies applied by companies? We understand the requirement of different businesses, regions, and countries, we offer customized reports as per your requirements of business nature and geography. Please let us know If you have any custom needs. Request for full report- @ https://bit.ly/3hCfLev About UnivDatos Market Insights UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI) is a passionate market research firm and a subsidiary of Universal Data Solutions. We believe in delivering insights through Market Intelligence Reports, Customized Business Research, and Primary Research. Our research studies are spread across topics across the world, we cover markets in over 100 countries using smart research techniques and agile methodologies. We offer in-depth studies, detailed analysis, and customized reports that help shape winning business strategies for our clients. Contact UnivDatos Market Insights Pawnendra Pawan Client Development Lead Ph: +91-7838604911 Email: pawnendra@univdatos.com Website: https://univdatos.com/ Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gcc-e-pharmacy-market-to-reach-us-5-347-6-million-by-2028--cagr-15-4-univdatos-market-insights-301326014.html SOURCE UnivDatos Market Insights International Blockchain Consulting IBC Group have responded to the Chinese governments clampdown on cryptocurrency by closing down all of its Bitcoin and Ethereum mining facilities across China. Large parts of the business will move to North America and South America, as well as across Europe and the Middle East. Background Founded in 2014 it spans 40 countries offering blockchain consulting on anything from ICO supports to institutional training. The group has over 1,500 employees and has worked with start-ups and established players, while also consulting governments and institutions over the past 7 years. Most recently they played a key role in the launch of Ethereum 2.0 by staking around 100,000 Ethereum. Noted crypto investor and Chairman of the IBC Group, Khurram Shroff, had the following to say on the matter. As far as our own cryptomining operations, within the IBC Group, are concerned; we are closing down all our Bitcoin and Ethereum mining facilities across China, and moving our staff to multiple new locations globally, including UAE, Canada, USA, Kazakhstan, Iceland and various South American countries, As part of the move staff will be relocated to the UAE, Canada, USA, Kazakhstan, Iceland, and some South American countries. Chinas crypto crackdown This mass relocation of operations out of China to direct economic competitors wont come as a shock to anyone. Since acting as a catalyst in Mays crypto crash the Chinese government and their Central Bank, The Peoples Bank of China, have continued to impose restrictive regulations on cryptocurrencies. In fact, BTC China announced only last week that they would be pulling out of the Chinese market due to this new modus operandi. Bitcoin enthusiast Michael Saylor even referred to the decision by the Chinese as a trillion dollar mistake. DUBLIN, July 06, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Kuwait Facility Management Market - Growth, Trends, Forecasts (2020-2025)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Kuwait Facility Management Market was valued at USD 1,176.22 million in 2019, and is expected to reach USD 1,774.87 million by 2025, registering a CAGR of 9.26%, during the period of 2020-2025. Facility management (FM) includes management methods and techniques for building management, infrastructure management for an organization and also the means of overall harmonization of the work environment in an organization. This system standardizes services and streamlines processes for an organization. The Facility Management (FM) market in Kuwait is relatively new in GCC despite multiple local companies operating in the country since past two to three decades. The players in the market have recently being trying to push awareness specifically amongst the governmental sectors. This is preferred because most of the buildings constructed in the country are from the government investment and are emerging as smart buildings. Also, the new technologies being used in those building offer the existing players with a potential of upskilling their FM services in tandem with it. Multiple local players shared plans on offering a defined structure and business streams to offer client with a cradle-to-grave solution. The inclusion of FM providers from design to decommissioning has been considered as a competitive edge and simultaneously attracting GCC or Global entrants to the market. Moreover, the real estate owners and government officials are considered as forerunners after MNCs are becoming increasingly aware of the added value to their assets. This has been fueling adoption of comprehensive and fully integrated service platforms delivering all facility management services, and thus, not to have each service delivered through different companies. For instance, companies such as ENGIE, UFM, Kharafi National, EcovertFM in Kuwait have shared plans to continue to bank on IFM as a service model. Story continues Furthermore, the COVID-19 outbreak has acted as a catalyst for change and has reiterated the need to pay attention to how facilities are being managed and services are being delivered. All built environments, owned or leased offices, warehouses, retail stores or manufacturing facilities, will require careful consideration and tailored plans. Digital technologies have offered ways on changing how real estate functions and facilities are used. It has altered how, when, and where people work, redefining the workplace and the way of living. Key Market Trends Construction Activities in Kuwait Major projects in tandem with Vision 2035 have been contributing to county's growing investment towards construction sector. Also, multiple renovation activities have been observed too. For instance, launched back in 2018, a USD 60 million work renovation scheme for Al Zour power plant was being resorted for. The country's Minister of Oil and Minister of Electricity and Water signed a deal inclusive of the cost of refurbishing all units of the power facility, as well as upgrading all equipment used on site to ensure it is as energy efficient as possible and this gas-fired power station's renovation program is expected to span 60 months. In August 2020, Saudi Arabia's King Salman Energy Park (SPARK) and Kuwait's National Petroleum Services Company (NAPESCO) invested SAR 375 million towards opening an oilfield services equipment facility. It recently signed another deal with Target United Energy to invest in another oilfield equipment and services facility. The construction of Phase 1 of SPARK has reached 60% in July 2020, and the project is expected to be completed by 2021. Further, most construction projects in Kuwait are driven by public spending. As of August 2019, Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC) awarded Veolia via its Middle East subsidiary a contract for the operation and maintenance of its refinery wastewater treatment plant in Al Zour in southern Kuwait. The same led investment of USD 63 million contract for a period of 7 years. Infrastructure development to aid demand for outsourced FM Kuwait has recorded projects worth USD 60 billion toward its Vision Kuwait 2035 strategy as of late 2019, according to Asad United Group. The country has been focusing on the development and constructional activities and programs on creating more opportunities for contractors alike. For instance, as of April 2020, TAM with Job Order Contracts in Kuwait awarded an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Job Order Contracting (JOC -- for sustainment, restoration, and modernization projects) Single Award Task Order Contract (SATOC) for the District's Kuwait program. Work performed is not limited to, Camp Arifjan, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Camp Buehring, Al Jaber Air Base, Camp Patriot, Udari Range, Kuwait Naval Base. Moreover, there are several huge projects to construct new electricity generators to join the highly advanced electrical grid, which is worth about USD 17 billion. There is also the construction of 8000 housing units and the construction of new hospitals to enlarge the health sector to be able to cover the increasing populations needs. Competitive Landscape Kuwait Fcility Management Market is framgmented and has few major players who has adopted various growth strategies, such as mergers and acquisitions, new product launches, expansions, joint ventures, partnerships, and others to strengthen their position in this market. The major players in the market are PIMCO KUWAIT, KHARAFI National, ECOVERT FM, Al Mazsya Holding Company KSCP, among others. Companies Mentioned Tanzifco Company W.L.L Magnaflux Corp. Al Mulla Group Alghanim International General Trading & Contracting Co. W.L.L. (Falghanim) United Facilities Management Company K.S.C.C ENGIE Services General Contracting for Buildings Company WLL Al Mazaya Holding Company KSCP EcovertFM Kharafi National FM PIMCO Kuwait For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/poiazt View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210706005444/en/ Contacts ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 (Bloomberg) -- Brent oil extended gains after OPEC+ ended days of talks without a deal to bring back more halted output next month, depriving the market of vital barrels as the global economic recovery gathers pace. Futures in London traded above $77 a barrel after rising 1.3% on Monday. The failure to reach an agreement means current production limits will remain in place for August unless talks are revived. A disagreement over how to measure output cuts upended a tentative proposal to boost supply and devolved into a public spat between allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The situation is fluid and negotiations may be reactivated in time to add more output in August. However, the breakdown has damaged the groups image as a responsible steward of the market and raised the specter of a repeat of last years destructive price war that sent oil crashing. In theory, if the group keeps output unchanged in August that should be bullish for the market, said Warren Patterson, the head of commodities strategy at ING Group NV. However, in reality, what is the likelihood that members actually keep output unchanged? I dont think its very high. The global market has tightened significantly over the past few months amid a robust rebound in fuel demand in the U.S., China and parts of Europe, draining stockpiles built up during the pandemic. The International Energy Agency last month urged the OPEC+ alliance to keep markets balanced as worldwide demand accelerated toward pre-virus levels. The market has moved further into a bullish structure after the breakdown of talks. The prompt timespread for Brent was 98 cents a barrel in backwardation -- where near-dated contracts are more expensive than later-dated ones -- compared with 87 cents on Friday. OPEC+ had restored about 2 million barrels a day halted during the pandemic from May to July. The alliance was close to a deal to raise daily output by a further 400,000 barrels in each month from August through December, as well as extend the supply pact beyond April 2022. The UAE, however, said it would only accept the proposal if it was given better terms for calculating its quota. Story continues The UAE said throughout that it would accept the output increase without the deal extension, but the Saudis argued that the two elements must go together. With no imminent boost to OPEC+ supply, the market is likely to tighten further and could result in Brent climbing to $80 a barrel by September, according to UBS Group AG. Its unclear if the no deal will translate into lower compliance rates next month, although the the release of Saudi Aramcos official selling prices for August should provide more clarity, the bank said. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. CALGARY, Alberta, July 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Parkland Corporation (Parkland, we, our, or the Company) (TSX:PKI) is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement to acquire Petroles Crevier Inc. (Crevier) (a subsidiary of Crevier Group), which is a well-established retail and wholesale business based in Montreal, Canada. This is Parklands eighth acquisition announced year-to-date, each of which supports our growth strategy and moves us toward our ambition for $2 billion of run-rate Adjusted EBITDA by the end of 2025. This acquisition extends our existing retail network in Quebec and expands our presence in key markets, said Donna Sanker, President of Parkland Canada. We believe we can add significant value by deploying our proven retail capabilities, proprietary Marche Express (ON the RUN) convenience and Ultramar forecourt brands, and JOURNIE Rewards loyalty program. We look forward to continuing to provide Creviers customers with essential products and exceptional service. Creviers operations extend across Quebec, serving customers through a portfolio of 36 company-owned retail locations and 138 retail dealer locations. In addition, Creviers large wholesale business and significant unbranded volume enhance our supply advantage and import optionality. This transaction is expected to add annual fuel and petroleum product volume of approximately 700 million litres, of which 70 percent is attributable to wholesale, and annual run-rate Adjusted EBITDA of approximately C$12 million, prior to additional growth and synergy upside. 75 percent of the transaction consideration will be funded out of existing credit facility capacity, and the remaining 25 percent with Parkland common shares issued from treasury. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022 and is subject to approval under the Competition Act (Canada) and other customary closing conditions. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information and statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). When used in this news release the words "expect", "will", "could", "would", "believe", "continue", "pursue" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements with respect to, among other things, the successful completion of the acquisition of Crevier and the timing thereof; expected benefits of the acquisition, including potential organic growth, post-closing synergy opportunities, Parkland's ability to add value to the acquired network through its Marche Express (ON the RUN) convenience and Ultramar forecourt brands, and JOURNIE Rewards loyalty program, the expected product volume and annual run-rate Adjusted EBITDA contributions resulting from the transaction and the anticipated funding of the acquisition. Story continues These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Parkland does not undertake any obligations to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements except as may be required by securities law. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of numerous risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, failure to complete this acquisition; failure to satisfy the conditions to closing of the acquisition, including approval under the Competition Act (Canada); failure to realize all or any of the anticipated benefits of the acquisition; general economic, market and business conditions; competitive action by other companies; refining and marketing margins; the ability of suppliers to meet commitments; actions by governmental authorities and other regulators including but not limited to increases in taxes or restricted access to markets; changes and developments in environmental and other regulations; and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Parkland. See also the risks and uncertainties described in "Forward-Looking Information" and "Risk Factors" included in Parkland's Annual Information Form dated March 5, 2021 and in "Forward-Looking Information" and "Risk Factors" in Parklands annual MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2020 dated March 4, 2021 and in the interim MD&A for the three month period ended March 31, 2021 dated May 3, 2021, each as filed on SEDAR and available on the Parkland website at www.parkland.ca. About Parkland Parkland is an independent supplier and marketer of fuel and petroleum products and a leading convenience store operator. Parkland services customers across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean region and the Americas through three channels: Retail, Commercial and Wholesale. Parkland optimizes its fuel supply across these three channels by operating and leveraging a growing portfolio of supply relationships and storage infrastructure. Parkland provides trusted and locally relevant fuel brands and convenience store offerings in the communities it serves. Parkland creates value for shareholders by focusing on its proven strategy of growing organically, realizing a supply advantage and acquiring prudently and integrating successfully. At the core of our strategy are our people, as well as our values of safety, integrity, community, and respect, which are embraced across our organization. For Further Information Investor Inquiries Brad Monaco Director, Capital Markets 587-997-1447 Brad.Monaco@parkland.ca Media Inquiries Simon Scott Director, Corporate Communications 403-956-9272 Simon.Scott@parkland.ca The current pandemic has highlighted the importance of real-time access to extensive, regularly updated, precise and usable real-world data in responding quickly and effectively to the emergency. Cegedim Group (EURONEXT: CGM), a technology and services group specialised in digital data management in healthcare, has made its THIN (The Health Improvement Network) database available in Italy. With the Italian data, THIN now includes the anonymized health records of an unprecedented 69 million patients, or over 490 million patient-years. This data will benefit medical and scientific research and innovation, and is available to all health sector players. Milan, July 6, 2021 The THIN (The Health Improvement Network) database was created to broaden scientific knowledge, foster more timely diagnoses, improve treatment pathways, support research into new drugs, and provide healthcare systems with valuable information for public health policy planning based on real-world evidence. Now a major European real-world database recognised for its statistical robustness, THIN is used by the health authorities of several European countries and cited in over 1,600 indexed international scientific publications. Today, THIN expands into Italy, enhancing its relevance with Italian data from the outpatient software of a panel of GPs. This ever-growing panel is already representative at national and macro-regional levels with over 900,000 patients monitored, an average history of 12.6 years, and a total of 11.4 million patient-years. The THIN European database now boasts an exceptional 69 million medical records and a total of 490 million patient-years, with data available for scientific research and all health ecosystem players. THIN is an unobtrusive medical data collection scheme that assembles anonymized patient data from the management software of GPs and specialists. THIN uses a common European data model which makes the collected information easy to compare. It can be queried via advanced real-time insight and evidence web platforms to improve the medical-scientific knowledge of health authorities, universities, research centres, medical and scientific organizations and pharmaceutical companies. Story continues Gilles Paubert, Global Head of Cegedim Health Data, comments: "The coronavirus pandemic has made very clear how crucial it is for healthcare professionals to have access to constantly updated real-world data in order to monitor the evolution of the disease in patients. Our goal is to provide public institutions, clinicians and pharmaceutical companies with robust, accurate information to address emergencies and make increasingly informed public health decisions, now and in the near future". Pasquale Palladino, Cegedim Italia Country Manager, adds: "We are proud and honoured to be able to make our anonymized data, know-how and analysis platforms available to healthcare stakeholders, especially since the pandemic has dramatically highlighted the need for a technological and digital transformation of healthcare systemsparticularly in Italy. Cegedim Group is the specialist in coded and structured data collection and analysis. Our data is secure, robust, precise and near real-time to enable in-depth understanding, factual decision-making and rapid action. With our data, we hope we can facilitate a better understanding of diagnostic and therapeutic pathways and consequently improve patient management and care. Elena Zanzottera Ferrari, Operations Director of Cegedim Italia, concludes: "The THIN project is the fruit of the efforts of an international team with great knowledge of the sector, supported by a highly technological and innovative group like Cegedim. Its strength lies in the fact that it is a multi-country database of anonymized patient data, based on an easy-to-consult 'common data model' and a web platform that enables interaction between all operators in the sector". The THIN project also has an Advisory Board composed of physicians, academics, epidemiologists, data scientists, and members of patient associations, and includes representatives of the Italian scientific community. The Advisory Board ensures that the database is used in the publics best interests in order to maximise its research value whilst protecting the rights of its data subjects. The Advisory Board may authorise health institutions and research centres to use THIN data for studies of purely scientific value, free of charge. About Cegedim Health Data: Cegedim Health Data is part of the Cegedim Group, an innovative technology, services and real world data group that has specialized in healthcare for more than 50 years. Cegedim Health Data provides anonymized Real-World Data and Evidence (RWD-E) platforms and advanced studies to drive cutting-edge improvements in patient outcomes in the interests of public health. Through THIN (The Health Improvement Network), a data history of over 25 years and millions of anonymized patient records are immediately accessible. Our life science users can use THIN data across the pharma value chain, from R&D, market access, and medical, to marketing. To learn more, visit https://www.cegedim-health-data.com/ and follow us on Linkedin @Cegedim Health Data and Twitter: @Cegedim_CHD. About THIN: THIN (The Health Improvement Network is an unobtrusive medical data collection scheme that collects anonymized patient data from its members. Our aim is to enable advancements in patient care and outcomes by assisting leading healthcare authorities, academics and research organisations with healthcare research and analysis. To learn more, please visit: https://www.the-health-improvement-network.com/it/ About the Cegedim Group: Founded in 1969, Cegedim Group is an innovative technology and services group in the field of digital data flow management for healthcare ecosystems and B2B, and a business software publisher for healthcare and insurance professionals. Cegedim employs almost 5,000 people in more than 10 countries and generated revenue of nearly 500 million in 2020. Cegedim SA is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: CGM). To learn more, please visit: https://www.cegedim.com And follow Cegedim on Twitter: @CegedimGroup, LinkedIn and Facebook. Aude Balleydier Cegedim Media Relations and Communications Manager Tel: +33 (0)1 49 09 68 81 aude.balleydier@cegedim.com Sandra Carnall Cegedim Health Data UK Marketing Director Tel: +44 (0)7702 790381 sandra.carnall@cegedim.com Josephine Timmins Neo PR, on behalf of Cegedim Health Data UK Account Director Tel: +44 (0)1296 733867 cegedim@neopr.co.uk Attachment (Bloomberg) -- New Zealands currency and short-dated bond yields surged after an upbeat business survey drove traders to bring forward rate-hike expectations, with markets now pricing a total unwind of pandemic-fueled rate cuts by the end of 2022. The kiwi jumped 1.1%, while the benchmark 2024 bond yields gained as much as nine basis points on Tuesday to hit the highest level since February 2020. A survey by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research published Tuesday showed more companies expect improved business activities. The optimism led economists at ASB Bank Ltd. and Bank of New Zealand to forecast rate hikes by November, when the central bank conducts its final policy meeting of the year. Traders dialed up bets as a result, with overnight index swaps pricing around a 90% chance of a hike by then versus around 50% as of Mondays close. Swap markets are priced for the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to hike rates to 1% by the end of 2022, which would erase the 75 basis point cut in response to the pandemic from March 2020. The benchmark 10-year bond gained five basis points. Market expectation for RBNZs first hike is now between November this year and February 2022 -- before the Fed will begin its tapering, and well before any hikes as gleaned by the dot plot, said Patrick Bennett, head of macro strategy for Asia at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in Hong Kong. The RBNZ has often been a leader and looks to be the same again, he added. With a hike seen for November, the RBNZ is set to be one of the most hawkish across all the Group-of-10 nations, second only to Norway, which had highlighted a likely hike in September. Central banks everywhere are grappling with whats been termed the Pandexit by some researchers, with the Federal Reserve, U.K., Canada, Sweden and South Korea among those charting a course toward a pullback in easing. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. Motley Fool Shares of Novavax (NASDAQ: NVAX) soared 90% in the first half of 2021 as the company reported plenty of good news that served as catalysts. Probably the most important, though, was its announcement on Jan. 28 that its COVID-19 vaccine candidate NVX-CoV2373 achieved 89.3% overall efficacy in a late-stage clinical trial conducted in the U.K. The company also initially expected to file for Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) of NVX-CoV2373 in the second quarter of 2021 but announced in May that it was pushing the timing of the regulatory submissions back to the third quarter. The State Fair of Virginia returns this fall, Sept. 24 through Oct. 3, to Meadow Event Park in Caroline County, after taking a hiatus last year due to the coronavirus. Visitors can expect the return of many fair favorites, such as midway rides, racing pigs and chainsaw artist Ben Risney. The fair will host a variety of live music performers and two nights of rodeo. And get ready for lots of fair food, such as funnel cakes, cotton candy and turkey legs. We could not be happier to bring back the State Fair this year, and we thank everyone for bearing with us through the 2020 cancellation, Marlene Jolliffe, the fairs executive director, said. The fair is part of autumn in Virginia for so many families, and we cant wait to welcome them back. I promise you the racing pigs will be ready to run, the funnel cakes and turkey legs will be just as tasty as you remember, the quilts and cakes will be as amazing as ever and the giant pumpkins will be just as bigif not bigger. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The fair typically draws more than 250,000 people during its 10-day run. The fair will operate with safety guidelines in place, including a more spread-out footprint, to allow some social distancing. A man who dumped a womans body in a ditch in Stafford County after she overdosed while they were using drugs together was ordered Tuesday to serve 15 years in prison. Dontae M. Sanders, 28, of Woodbridge was sentenced in Stafford Circuit Court to a total of 45 years with 30 years suspended. He had previously been convicted of distributing illegal drugs and concealing a dead body. Judge Victoria Willis sentence exceeded the recommended state sentencing guidelines, which called for a maximum active sentence of seven years and nine months. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The body of 28-year-old Stafford resident Ashley Childs was found early Oct. 6, 2019, in a ditch near a pond off Whispering Pines Lane. Her cause of death was later determined to be acute fentanyl and oxycodone intoxication. The evidence presented by prosecutor Amy Casey showed that police went to West Virginia to interview Sanders after identifying him as a suspect. Sanders told police that hed picked up Childs that morning to use drugs together, something they had done before. After a short time, according to Sanders story quoted in court records, Childs started acting all crazy. After attempts to revive her failed, Sanders said he panicked and decided to leave her on the side of the road. Such a prohibition is certainly not racially discriminatory, since it affects all voters equally. And the new Georgia ban on food and water is virtually identical to a New York election law that prohibits giving voters any meat, drink, tobacco, refreshment or provision unless it has a retail value of less than one dollar. Yet the DOJ has not sued New York over this long-standing prohibition or claimed that it is racially discriminatory. Georgia also allows government officials to send absentee ballot request forms to voters, but only after a voter or an authorized relative makes the request. Clarke claims this discriminates against Black voters by not allowing third parties to send unsolicited absentee ballot request forms to voters. The Justice Department also claims it is discriminatory that Georgia has banned permanent absentee ballot lists. This means a voter must request an absentee ballot for each election. This is, in fact, an election best practice. No reasonable person would think there is anything discriminatory about any of these provisions regarding absentee ballot requests, particularly given how notoriously inaccurate voter registrations lists are and how hard it is for states to keep them up to date and remove individuals who have died or moved away. A VIRGINIAN facing a psychiatric crisis can also be faced with limited options, or no option at all. A story in the Virginia Mercury recently reported on the case of a Gloucester County teen with a substance-abuse disorder who self-reported to a local hospital. During withdrawal, he became increasingly uncontrollable. For 90 hours, the hospitals only option was to confine him to the emergency room, guarded by deputies. Why? Because there were no inpatient treatment beds at any of the states 10 mental hospitals. This is an ongoing crisis that seems to be getting worse. The new Central State Hospital in Petersburg will have 25 fewer psychiatric beds than the one thats in use now. The legislature has denied a request for 56 new beds at Catawba State Hospital outside Roanoke. At Eastern State Hospital in Williamsburg, total admissions have doubled in the past four years. Only one facility, Western State in Staunton, has added to its capacity, but those beds wont be available until hospital workers can be found and hired. Crews could be seen climbing a mound of debris at the site Monday alongside a piece of heavy equipment that was picking up rubble. Jadallah said rescuers focused on a stairwell section, but inclement weather hampered the search, particularly in a garage area that was filling with water. Crews had to pump out water. The latest forecasts showed the storm moving westward, mostly sparing South Florida, but the area near the collapsed building experienced thunderstorms, and the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Miami Beach, which is just south of Surfside. Lightning caused temporary stops to the search, frustrating rescue crews, Levine Cava said. Truly they live to save lives, and theyve pushed ahead no matter what is thrown in their way. After the demolition, workers immediately began clearing some of the new debris, and the search resumed around midnight, officials said. It had been called off Saturday to allow specialists to drill holes for explosives needed for the demolition. As a result of the contractor who brought it down, he did it in such a way that literally we actually were back on the original pile in less than 20 minutes, Jadallah told family members of those missing earlier Monday, drawing applause in a rare upbeat moment for the twice-daily meetings. Afghan authorities say they have deployed hundreds of commandos and pro-government militiamen to counter the Taliban's rapid advance in the country's north. The militants have primarily focused on a devastating campaign across the northern countryside, seizing dozens of districts in the past two months as international troops exit Afghanistan. Fawad Aman, a Defense Ministry spokesman, said the government was now planning a major offensive to recapture "the lost territories from the enemy." "Our forces are being organized on the ground for this operation," Aman told the AFP news agency on July 6. Troops and pro-government militia were deployed on July 6 in the northern province of Takhar and northeastern Badakhshan, where the Taliban have captured swathes of territory in recent weeks, often without any fighting. Underscoring the rapid collapse of Afghan security forces, 1,030 Afghan troops fled into Tajikistan overnight, Tajik border guards said on July 5. Hundreds of Afghan security forces have fled swift Taliban advances in the north, but the latest retreats were the largest yet confirmed. Tajik authorities say that two-thirds of the 1,357-kilometer-long border with Afghanistan is under Taliban control and they are preparing for an influx of refugees to enter the country. Following a top security meeting on July 5, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon ordered 20,000 reserve officers to the Tajik-Afghan border. Russia, which operates a 7,000-strong military base in Tajikistan, says it's closely monitoring the situation in northern Afghanistan. On July 6, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said the military base was fully equipped to help secure Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan, but he pointed out that Moscow was ready to take "additional measures" if needed. Speaking to reporters in Kabul on July 6, national-security adviser Hamdullah Mohib said that Afghan authorities had been in close contact with Central Asian countries who "are very concerned" about the deterioration of security situation in Afghanistan. "If the situation worsens in Afghanistan, it will directly impact their own security situation, as there are many militants [from Central Asia] fighting alongside insurgents in Afghanistan, and they will inevitably raise the threats for Central Asian states," Mohib said. Since President Joe Biden in April announced U.S. troops would withdraw, the Taliban has unleashed a quick offensive and now controls about one-third of the country's 421 districts and district centers. With Washington aiming to exit the country in the coming weeks, there are increasing concerns that the Western-backed government in Kabul may collapse. On July 2, all international troops left Bagram Airfield, the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan. With reporting by AFP, Reuters, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan, and RFE/RL's Tajik Service Germany has granted 2,400 visas so far to Afghan employees who assisted German forces in Afghanistan and are now seeking protection as the Taliban takes control of much of the country, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Berlin. The last contingent of German soldiers left Afghanistan on June 29, as international forces withdraw from the country after a deployment that lasted nearly 20 years. Germany had the second-largest foreign contingent in Afghanistan after the United States. Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said in April that Germany had a "deep obligation" not to leave behind unprotected locals who helped German forces at risk to themselves. Before the troops' withdrawal, 446 local employees and their relatives -- a total of 2,250 people -- were given travel documents, Defense Ministry spokesman David Helmbold said on July 5. At that point, "a relatively small number" of applications remained open, he added. Helmbold said that not all of those who received the travel documents wanted to leave Afghanistan immediately. "There were many local assistants who said they wished to stay in Afghanistan for as long as possible, but would like to have the option to leave if the security situation deteriorates," he told reporters. The U.S. military last week vacated its biggest airfield in Afghanistan, advancing a final withdrawal that Washington said will be completed by the end of August. U.S. media reported that Washington is asking Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan to temporarily house some 9,000 Afghans who worked with the U.S.-led international forces in Afghanistan, pending approval of their permanent residency visas to be relocated to the United States or European allies for their safety. Based on reporting by dpa and AP Pakistan has closed a key border crossing with Afghanistan, without giving a time frame for its reopening. Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad announced that the Torkham terminal will be closed starting July 6, until further guidance from the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), the body responsible for Pakistan's coronavirus response. Earlier, the NCOC reported an uptick in new COVID-19 cases over the previous seven days and issued a warning that a fresh wave of the pandemic may hit Pakistan in July. Pakistan has reported 964,490 confirmed cases, with 22,452 deaths from coronavirus since last year. The decision to close Torkham in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province comes as the security situation has been worsening in Afghanistan, with the international troops leaving the country and the Taliban rapidly gaining ground. Pakistan and Afghanistan also accuse each other of hosting terrorist groups that launch attacks on the neighboring country. In March 2017, Pakistan began fencing off its 2,600-kilometer-long border with Afghanistan to restrict the movement of militant groups and end allegations of cross-border incursions. The fencing work was expected to be completed this month. Based on reporting by dpa and AP But the limited ban on single-use plastic bags may not be the last word on the subject. The law also allows local governments to enact stricter plastics bans than what Polis signed Tuesday. Tuesdays bill signings added a mix of measures to state law on health care ranging from efforts aimed at lowering insulin costs to cross-training health care professionals to broaden their expertise in case of emergencies, as well as a host of measures in between. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Cloudy this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 82F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 56F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. 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. City Editor Tom Roeder is the Gazette's City Editor. In Colorado Springs since 2003, Tom has covered the military at home and overseas and has cover statehouses in Denver and Olympia, Wash. His main job, though, is being dad to two great kids. A Gazette investigation shows an increasing number of soldiers, including wounded combat veterans, are being kicked out of the service for misconduct, often with no benefits, as the Army downsizes after a decade of war. Investigators with the El Paso County Sheriffs Dept. and Manitou Springs Police were on the scene of a death investigation of a juvenile dead body near the Maggies Farm Dispensary in Manitou Springs on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 81F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 56F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. District 49 board member Dave Cruson advises caution regarding a resolution to ban the teaching of critical race theory during a June 10 board meeting. "The question I ask in my world is, 'What does this mean'," Cruson said. I need further understanding. I think we all do. Tsushima ventured to southern California as well but decamped to San Diego. Though they were two North Iowa skateboarding kids living about 120 miles away from each other in the Golden State, Miller said that they didn't see each other much. "We kind of lost touch," he said. "He was out in California living his dream. He was getting sponsors and getting paid to film skateboarding." When things changed That changed one day when Tsushima was out skating a pool in Carlsbad. "He slipped out and smacked his head and suffered a traumatic brain injury. He was in a coma for a couple weeks. He was in the hospital for six months or so," Miller said. Miller was in Los Angeles filming something then, so he didn't find out until a cousin got in touch. According to a 2015 article from the Ames Tribune: About two months after the accident, Tsushima returned to Ames to live with his mother and stepfather while entering recovery at the On with Life brain rehabilitation center in Ankeny. "He was recovering for about a year and things were looking good. He wasnt fully back to normal but it was feeling promising," Miller said. A Clear Lake man has been sentenced with a criminal mischief charge after additional charges of stalking and tampering with a witness were dismissed. Alejandro Ramirez, 33, was originally charged with stalking, tampering with a witness, and 2nd degree criminal mischief, which is a Class D felony. Ramirez has been dismissed of the charges of stalking and tampering with a witness, both aggravated misdemeanors, and sentenced with a third-degree criminal mischief charge for pleading guilty. On Jan. 31, 2021, Ramirez went to a residence and swung a ball and chain causing damage to two vehicles at North 20th Street and First Avenue North in Clear Lake. Ramirez was upset that the victim was not answering their door, according to the criminal complaint. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The total cost for the damages to the vehicles was totaled at $2,234.24. Two witnesses saw Ramirez damage the vehicles, according to court documents. His attorney motioned to lessen the criminal mischief charge on the condition that Ramirez pleaded guilty to the charge. The charges of stalking and criminal mischief were dismissed due to the plea agreement and that the charges were added to trial information based on probable cause. Currently the ages of their members span from infants to 105-year-olds. Gerrietts said that their congregation is deeply rooted in Lutheran traditions, but is working hard to adapt to changing times in a changing world. Building additions have been made to the church with an education area and office area. Trinity is constantly being used throughout the week with opportunities being offered to the community like youth activities, health ministries, seminars, funerals, exercise groups, Wednesday Night Alive classes, and other special events. Their services currently run with a 5 p.m. Saturday, a 9 a.m. Sunday in their outdoor courtyard and a 10:30 p.m. livestreamed service due to COVID-19. In the fall, they hope to return to four in-person services with a 5:00 p.m. service on Saturday, 8:15 a.m. on Sunday, 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, and a 10:45 a.m. on Sunday. For the future, Trinity Lutheran is looking to see how they can use their numbers to help inside and outside the community, including helping other congregations. I think what we have going on here is not ours but to open our hands and extend it to whoever is interested in what it that we have to offer, Graves said. The family of David K. Burke say the decorated Air Force pilot would still be alive today if not for the faulty steps installed on the family' It has been an honor to serve Minnesotans in this role. However, I will not allow the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to be politicized. The work is too important, Bishop said in the governors statement. I look forward to continued work to protect our states waters, air, land, and climate for future generations of Minnesotans. MPCA Deputy Commissioner Peter Tester was named temporary commissioner of the agency. The governors office announced Bishops resignation as a hearing was underway on the confirmation of Jennifer Ho, commissioner of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. Ho faced some tough questions about the implementation of the RentHelpMN pandemic rental aid program, but none that indicated any senators were building a case for firing her. And at a separate hearing before an environment committee, Sarah Strommen, commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources, got a ringing endorsement from the Republican chairwoman. Sen. Carrie Ruud, of Breezy Point. LONDON (AP) The British government plans to give itself powers to turn asylum-seekers back at sea or send them abroad while their applications for protection are processed, a move intended to deter migrants from making perilous journeys across the English Channel in small boats. Legislation introduced in Parliament on Tuesday could pave the way for migrants to be held outside the U.K., a highly contentious idea modeled on Australias island detention centers. If passed, the Nationality and Borders Bill would allow the U.K. to send asylum-seekers to a safe third country while their claims are considered. No country has yet agreed to host U.K.-bound migrants, however. The bill also would make knowingly arriving in Britain without permission a crime punishable by up to four years in prison and give people who arrived by approved routes an advantage in having their applications reviewed. Home Secretary Priti Patel said the fair but firm legislation would help fix an ineffectual asylum system. Britain's Conservative government is seeking ways to deter growing numbers of people 6,000 so far this year from reaching the U.K. by boat, sometimes with the help of people smugglers. The IDA owns the White Mill property, which is 600,000 to 700,000 square feet built in 1920 and formerly part of a sprawling Dan River Inc. textile operation. 424 Memorial Drive LLC will retain control of the property, and the White Mill building will be divided into three individually-controlled sections, with 110,000 square feet of commercial space, 150 apartment units (with an additional 100 units in the future) and 219 interior parking spaces. Alexander Company will lease Phase I of the residential portion , and the IDA will lease the commercial part. The IDA will receive income from the commercial tenants and an additional 25% of the projects stabilized cash-flow. Site Collaborative, an architectural firm in Raleigh, North Carolina, that is designing a nearby riverfront park, will design the building renovation, too. The apartments will come in 1-, 2- or 3-bedroom units, with 1-bedroom units renting for between $840 and $980 a month, and the 2- and 3-bedroom apartments will rent for $1,000 to $1,200 and $1,170 to $1,490, respectively. A quarter of the apartments would be set aside to make housing available for individuals and families earning between $30,000 and $50,000 a year. Not long after Robertsons initial appearance on the federal charges, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies began to suspect that he was ordering firearms online. The motion to revoke his bond cites an arsenal of 34 guns that were ordered since Jan. 6. According to the motion, Robertson paid $3,600 for what was falsely described as Wedding Photos. Records from an online gun dealer show that other orders he placed amounted to more than $12,000. But Roberson never collected any of the guns, which were described by his attorney as antiques from the World War II era. As for the M4 carbine found when federal agents arrived at Robertsons home last month with a search warrant, he says he was away that day to meet with his pretrial case manager and that the gun belonged to his son, who had just been honorably discharged from the U.S. Army. And the partially assembled pipe bomb found in a garage was a prop for a law enforcement class taught by Robertson, and had been there previously when police searched his home, the motion states. Robertson remains free on bond. A court date for his hearing has not been scheduled. He is one of more than 300 people nationwide including three others from Western Virginia who have been charged with storming a special session of Congress that was being held to certify the results of an election that Donald Trump lost to now-President Joe Biden. With the Delta variant emerging, having vaccinated employees is even more important, according to the release. We know that vaccination is the most effective tool to protect our workforce and our community, Mulhare said in the release. Those employees who are not vaccinated will be required to participate in the universitys surveillance COVID-19 testing program during the semester. More details on fall testing will be shared in the coming weeks, according to the release. If there is not continued progress in the vaccination rate of the Virginia Tech community, the university will require additional mitigation strategies and operations likely will be impacted, Mulhare said in the release. The push for vaccinations, particularly within universities, is an important step toward the community resuming a healthy, pre-pandemic life, said Noelle Bissell, health director of the New River Health District, during a meeting with the news media earlier this week. Virginias most glaring deficiency was its handling of legacy costs how well it is meeting retirement obligations for public employees. The commonwealth earned a D average, but shortcomings were worse in seven other states that earned a D-minus (the lowest possible grade). Only seven states were worthy of an A grade. This five-year snapshot only takes us so far. Our world looks far different than it did at the end of FY 2019 (June 30 of that year). The economy was doing well, with low unemployment. Masks largely were reserved for professional settings, like a health care operating room or a construction site. Social distancing markers were not part of floors across indoor atmospheres, from grocery stores to offices. But regardless of a historic public health crisis impact on daily life, government budgets always should tell the truth and be premised on integrity. The Government Finance Officers Association an organization representing more than 20,000 public finance officials in the U.S. and Canada has helped push that message for decades. Its not an accident that the Internet, and Black Twitter specifically, called the story The Thotyssey, Harris said in a release. In calling it that, they compared her to Homer, and in a lot of ways she was. As Homer wrote the first epic poem of the Western Canon, AZiah wrote the first big poem of the digital era. I made people who probably wouldnt want to hear a sex trafficking story want to be part of it, because it was entertaining, King told David Kushner in November 2015 in Rolling Stone. Humor in general is something that everybody can relate to we can heal through laughter, King stated in the release. I tried to intertwine a serious topic with a sense of humor, and it became relatable to people even if they thought something like this only happens in movies, or could never happen to them. The humor made them want to dig deeper into the story, and they realized its something that could happen in their backyard I was their waitress. I was the girl they walked past in the grocery store or hotel lobby. RALEIGH As North Carolina approaches a marijuana milestone potentially legalizing the drug for medical use nearby states are split in their approach. The Southeast is coming late to the marijuana scene. The region is home to several of the 14 states that do not have comprehensive medical marijuana programs or full marijuana legalization, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. With nearly 80% of voters approving the use of medical marijuana in North Carolina, support is also building in the state legislature where a Senate committee approved a medical marijuana bill Wednesday. Heres a look at the condition of marijuana laws in some other Southeastern states. South Carolina South Carolina has not legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use. A bill legalizing marijuana for medical use passed a Senate committee in a 9-5 vote in May but did not advance further. Tennessee Tennessee is another Southern state that does not allow for the use of marijuana for medical or recreational purposes. EDEN The body of Teresa Villano, 35, was recovered from the Dan River on Monday afternoon, ending a 19-day search for the last of five family members to die in a dam-related tragedy here. Rockingham County Emergency Services personnel and Swift Water Rescue team members located Villano's remains at around 4:30 p.m. near the Draper Landing, an access point at N.C. 770s crossing of the river. Villano was six months pregnant and had moved to the area in the spring to live closer to family, relatives said. Rodney Cates, director of the county's Emergency Services Department, and Sheriff Sam Page were at Draper Landing during the recovery, a spokesman said in a news release from the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office. Villano and eight other members of her family were tubing on June 16 and traveled over a low head dam near Duke Energy's Dan River Steam Station. They didnt know what it was,' Villano's sister Angelica Villano of La Porte, Indiana, said of the 8-foot-high dam earlier this month. Instead, her family members guessed the dam's ripples were nothing more than small rapids, Villano explained, citing accounts from survivors of the ordeal. Grand Shores released their first album, "Tradewinds," in 2020 on Robust Records. It was recorded in a single-room, 100-year-old chapel in rural North Carolina. Jazz Xpressions featuring Lydia Salett Dudley from Youngsville is a group of educators who enjoy composing and performing different genres of music. Among its releases is a self-titled CD Jazz Xpressions of arranged jazz standards. This is Christmas also was released in 2019. It is working on a third project, "Lets Do The Work, to be released in late 2022. The Lorena Guillen Tango Ensemble (www.lorenaguillen.com) from Greensboro has created arrangements of Argentine tango standards and original compositions that create a tango and pan-Latin fusion, heard on its 2018 debut album, "The Other Side of My Heart." The ensemble has advocated for overlooked communities in the history of tango. The Other Side of My Heart" is an oral-history musical piece based on interviews with Latina immigrants. In The Embrace of Tango" explores Argentine tango and its crossed path with the Jewish diaspora. The ensemble is recording its second album, "Tango-Diaspora." Learn more about the festival and the contest at www.ncfolkfestival.com. Contact Dawn DeCwikiel-Kane at 336-373-5204 and follow @dawndkaneNR on Twitter. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WINSTON-SALEM Investigative journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones announced Tuesday that she will not join the faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill after an extended fight over tenure there, and instead will accept a chaired professorship at Howard University. The dispute over whether North Carolinas flagship public university would extend the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist a lifetime faculty appointment has prompted weeks of outcry from within and beyond its Chapel Hill campus. Numerous professors and alumni voiced frustration, and Black students and faculty questioned during protests whether the school values them. These last few weeks have been very dark. To be treated so shabbily by my alma mater, by a university that has given me so much and which I only sought to give back to, has been deeply painful, Hannah-Jones said in a written statement. Hannah-Jones who won the Pulitzer Prize for her work on The New York Times Magazines 1619 Project focusing on Americas history of slavery said Tuesday that her tenure application had stalled after political interference by conservatives and objections by a top donor at the journalism school. She lamented the political firestorm that has dogged me since The 1619 Project published, with conservatives including former President Donald Trump criticizing the work. GREENSBORO A fox that was found on Coronado Drive tested positive for rabies on Friday, the Guilford County health department said in a news release Tuesday. This is the fifth confirmed case of animal rabies in 2021, the health department said. North Carolina law requires that all pets (cats, dogs and ferrets), whether living inside or outside, aged 4 months or older be vaccinated against rabies. The health department urges pet owners to supervise their pets when they are outdoors, which might prevent contact with wild animals that may have rabies. Rabies circulates throughout the year. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Here are some tips from the health department to help prevent you or your family from being exposed to the rabies virus: Avoid direct contact with wildlife, dead or alive. Do not approach, try to play with, touch, rescue or treat any wildlife. If you find a sick or injured animal, contact animal control at 336-641-5990. Avoid any animal displaying unnatural behavior. Wild animals are not usually friendly so be very careful if one approaches you. Do not try to separate fighting animals. By then, Goff was developing an identity, which chef John Fleer of Rhubarb pointed out while politely declining to hire him. He said, You already have your own thing, Goff recalled. Youre not moldable; you have a thing you already do. Fleer was right, and Goff was soon brought on as partner and executive chef of a new project called King James Public House, located across the street from the woods where Goff once slept on a dingy mattress. The restaurant opened in early 2014 under the ownership of Peter Slamp of Zambra and a group of investors. It was the perfect fit at first. Rise and fall of King James It was at King James where Goff truly came into his own. It was a kitchen where Goff could indulge his love of British food and fascination with the sort of culinary history found in Escoffiers Le Guide Culinaire. He also came to terms with his new status as a southern chef and began delving deep into the history of the South, devouring work by Toni Tipton-Martin and Michael Twitty and perusing the Foxfire Series, a collection covering the heritage of Southern Appalachia. BANGKOK (AP) Lawyers for ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi argued strongly Tuesday against the introduction of evidence by prosecutors against her on a sedition charge, saying it did not follow established judicial procedures. Suu Kyi is under detention and is being tried on several charges, including an allegation that she illegally imported walkie-talkies for her bodyguards use and used the radios without a license, and violated COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on two occasions during the 2020 election campaign. She went on trial on June 14 in a closed court in the capital, Naypyitaw, in proceedings that the military-installed government is widely seen as using to discredit her and consolidate its control. The military took power in February after ousting Suu Kyis elected government and arresting her and other top officials in her government and National League for Democracy party, which was about to begin a second five-year term in office after a landslide election victory last November. The sedition charge, which is sometimes called incitement, provides for up to two years imprisonment for anyone found guilty of causing fear or alarm that could provoke an offense against the state or public tranquility. It has been criticized as a catch-all statute used for political repression. Grand Shores released their first album, Tradewinds, in 2020 on Robust Records. It was recorded in a single-room, 100-year-old chapel in rural North Carolina. Jazz Xpressions featuring Lydia Salett Dudley from Youngsville is a group of educators who enjoy composing and performing different genres of music. Among its releases is a self-titled CD Jazz Xpressions of arranged jazz standards. This is Christmas also was released in 2019. It is working on a third project, Lets Do The Work, to be released in late 2022. The Lorena Guillen Tango Ensemble (www.lorenaguillen.com) from Greensboro has created arrangements of Argentine tango standards and original compositions that create a tango and pan-Latin fusion, heard on its 2018 debut album, The Other Side of My Heart. The ensemble has advocated for overlooked communities in the history of tango. The Other Side of My Heart is an oral-history musical piece based on interviews with Latina immigrants. In The Embrace of Tango explores Argentine tango and its crossed path with the Jewish diaspora. The ensemble is recording its second album, Tango-Diaspora. Learn more about the festival and the contest at www.ncfolkfestival.com. Contact Dawn DeCwikiel-Kane at 336-373-5204 and follow @dawndkaneNR on Twitter. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. "We dont anticipate threats to other people in the area," Roselles said. "Were not encouraging people to come into the area. Ovando is a popular resting point for bicycle tourists traveling Highway 200 across the Continental Divide. A large number of bicyclists had stopped there over the Fourth of July weekend. The victim was part of a group of long-distance bicycle tourists camping at a popular waypoint for people traveling along the Continental Divide. On Tuesday afternoon, many of those bikers gathered at Trixi's Antler Saloon, busy rethinking their plans for the next stop. "I think we'll be OK going north," said Jim Drake of Las Cruces, New Mexico, who was just four or five days short of completing his seven-week trip. "We carry bear spray and keep our food in a bear-proof bag. Bears are always a threat, but as long as we take precautions, we're not too worried. I think we're more likely to be hit by a car than attacked by a bear." Another group of four bicyclists were searching for hotel rooms with their phones, with little luck. Many were coming from Lincoln, Seeley Lake or Missoula and just hearing about the incident at their lunch break. "We're riding out of the feeding zone," said one man who declined to give his name. "This has really changed the trip." As the popularity of America's national parks continues to surge, Parks co-creators and Santa Fe-based multimedia journalists Mary Mathis and Cody Nelson urge visitors to educate themselves about and acknowledge the Indigenous tribes whose ties to these sacred spaces span millennia. The aim of the documentary podcast is to explore the history of tribes on these lands, the ways in which the lands were dispossessed, issues the Indigenous communities face today, and how they've kept their culture and traditions alive. "There's so much that was written, but when it was written, it was from the point of view of Eastern colonizers," said Mathis, 25, a former photo editor at National Public Radio and Outside magazine who serves as the host of Parks. "It wasn't every story, it was just one story the quote, unquote 'winner's' story. We see that a lot in our education system and I think that was where the idea (for Parks) kind of came from." The first episode follows a format the Parks team plans to replicate throughout the project, one where Indigenous guests are closely involved in each step of the editing process so as to maintain complete ownership of their stories. The guests' feedback is considered at every point in the editing of an episode, creating a collaborative environment of storytelling. Juneteenth will become the high holy day of the Lefts calendar, a Lenten repentance to Pride Months Easter celebration. It will serve as a day to recollect all of the gravest of Americas sins. There will be educational programs about the brutality of slavery, with no mention of the national agony of the Civil War or how the nation has struggled mightily to live up to its founding creed. There will be specials on the Tulsa Race Riot, the Birmingham Church Bombings. There will be retrospectives on George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin. The Left will put forward these things not because they are evil or because the events themselves are false or unimportant, but because their current political project relies on the creation of a historical memory where Americas story is one long racist nightmare. No one is going to defund their police unless the police are tools of white supremacy. No one will radically overturn voting laws unless every ballot security measure is Jim Crow. No one will pay reparations unless the black experience in America today is as bad as it was during 1860. What goes through the mind of a farmer? There are a lot of folks who would like to know, beginning with the spouse. But focusing on the farm decision-making, and staying away from the family relationships, one only has to look at last weeks planted acreage data to enter a state of befuddlement. What were farmers thinking about when they finally settled upon what they were going to plant this year? Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana farmers are predictably boring. They rotate corn and soybeans and rarely change more than a percent or two from year to year. Illinois farmers planted 1% less corn acres this year than last. No big deal. And increased soybean acreage by 4%. Nothing to get excited about there either. Iowa farmers dropped corn acres by 4% and increased soybean acres by 5%. There are a lot of plausible reasons for that. And the folks in Indiana made no change in their acreage from 2020. Lets call it stable, instead of boring. Around the rest of the Corn Belt, numbers shifted considerably more up and down from one commodity to another. But that happens from year to year. But what does not happen that often, and creates a real head-scratching, were in a handful of other states. Lets begin with North Dakota, or should we say North Drought-kota. North Dakota is expected to have the largest increase of corn planted acres 85%, with 3.6 million acres in 2021, compared to 1.95 million acres in 2020. This was not the year to plant a thirsty crop, but they did. And it is thirsty with the state currently categorized as in an exceptional drought. Other significant increases in corn acreage also occurred. Arizona has the second-largest increase of corn planted acres 27%, going from 75,000 acres of corn in 2020 to 95,000 acres of corn in 2021. Mississippi has the third-largest increase 25%, rising from 510,000 acres in 2020 to 640,000 acres in 2021. And South Dakota increased its corn acres by 21%, along with Arkansas. But the North Dakota folks also increased their soybean acreage, by a significant 25%. Georgia is expected to have the largest increase in soybeans planted 30% going from 100,000 acres in 2020 to 130,000 acres in 2021. Texas has the second-largest increase 29% going from 120,000 acres of soybeans planted in 2020 to 155,000 acres in 2021. The third-largest increase is expected in South Carolina 26% going from 310,000 acres in 2020 to 390,000 acres in 2021. Yes, many of those states have less than one million acres, and total volume is minimal. But they dont have the infrastructure and markets to absorb the large volumes they are expecting to raise either. Nevertheless, some significant shifts in the minds of farmers were revealed last week. Some farmers will ask themselves, "What do I do with all of this corn now?" But those in North and South Dakota will be happy they increased acreage, because their eventual production will not be much different than any other year due to the drought. Stu Ellis is an observer of the Central Illinois agriculture scene. In addition to his weekly column, you can view his From The Farm and Harvest Heritage reports on WCIA 3 News. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Kyle Rittenhouse's attorney wants a judge to allow him to argue that one of the men his client fatally shot during a Wisconsin protest was a sex offender, saying it supports a defense theory that he attacked Rittenhouse and intended to take his gun because he couldn't legally possess one. As the Kenosha News first reported last week, Mark Richards maintained in court filings Thursday that Joseph Rosenbaum was convicted of having sex with a minor in Arizona in 2002 and was prohibited from possessing firearms. Rosenbaum started the altercation with Rittenhouse in hopes of making off with his assault-style rifle, which only bolsters Rittenhouse's self-defense argument, Richards wrote. Kimberley Motley, an attorney representing Rosenbaum's estate, said Tuesday morning that she hadn't read the motions yet and had no immediate comment. Richards also filed a motion to dismiss a charge that Rittenhouse couldn't possess a gun because he was too young under Wisconsin law, arguing that statutes prohibit minors from possessing short-barreled shotguns and rifles, and Rittenhouse's assault-style rifle doesn't meet that definition. Rittenhouse, who is white, traveled to Kenosha from his home in Antioch, Illinois, on Aug. 25 to answer a call from local militia to protect businesses from protesters. The demonstrations began after a white Kenosha police officer shot Jacob Blake, who is Black, during a domestic disturbance, leaving Blake paralyzed from the waist down. The protests turned chaotic that night. According to prosecutors, Rittenhouse opened fire on Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber and Gaige Grosskreutz. He killed Rosenbaum and Huber. Grosskreutz was hit but survived. Rittenhouse was 17 years old at the time. Now 18, he maintains he fired in self-defense but prosecutors have charged him with a litany of counts, including reckless homicide, recklessly endangering safety, attempted first-degree intentional homicide and being a minor in possession of a dangerous weapon. Black Lives Matter supports have painted him as a trigger-happy white supremacist. Conservatives have made him into a symbol for gun rights, generating $2 million for his bail. His trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 1. Prosecutors filed motions last week asking a judge to allow a video from July 2020 which they said shows Rittenhouse striking a teenage girl in the back on Kenosha's waterfront. They also want to argue that Rittenhouse is affiliated with the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group. Photos taken in January show Rittenhouse drinking in a Mount Pleasant bar and gesturing with what appeared to be a white power symbol. Prosecutors said in their motions they have learned the people Rittenhouse was with included the leader of the Proud Boys' Wisconsin chapter and several of its high-ranking members. Richards filed another motion on Thursday arguing evidence related to the altercation between Rittenhouse and the teenage girl is irrelevant. He also argued that there's no indication Rittenhouse knew any of the Proud Boys before that night in the bar or that he has associated with the group. What's more, nothing supports the argument that race was a factor in the shootings, Richards said. Huber and Grosskreutz were part of a mob" that was chasing Rittenhouse. Huber hit Rittenhouse with a skateboard and tried to grab his gun, and Grosskreutz pointed a pistol at him, Richards wrote. Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder has scheduled a hearing on the motions for Sept. 17. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 I made people who probably wouldnt want to hear a sex trafficking story want to be part of it, because it was entertaining, King told David Kushner in November 2015 in Rolling Stone. Humor in general is something that everybody can relate to we can heal through laughter, King stated in the release. I tried to intertwine a serious topic with a sense of humor, and it became relatable to people even if they thought something like this only happens in movies, or could never happen to them. The humor made them want to dig deeper into the story, and they realized its something that could happen in their backyard I was their waitress. I was the girl they walked past in the grocery store or hotel lobby. This story is a reflection of the Internet, and in a sense it is the Internet, Bravo said in the release. Its a product of growing up with a phone in your hand and a computer in your face. But its also about finding freedom through writing without the use of filters. Zolas story is a love letter to how social media unites us. Do a wellness check-in: Ask yourself "Am I protecting my sleep? Am I eating right? Am I getting some kind of physical activity into each and every week?" "It's back to basic self-care," Carpenter said. "Many of us have developed great habits with our time at home, but many of us evolved into bad habits. It's time for a check-in." Do the same for your emotions: "We have to be more mindful, give ourselves time and space to assess how we're doing psychologically and emotionally," Carpenter said. "It's important to set aside time to disconnect, unplug from all the various things we are now plugged into and ask: 'How am I feeling?'" She advises her patients to begin tracking their activities, mood and energy over the course of each day, including weekends, for at least two weeks. "Is there a rhythm to the way I feel, to my stress, to my energy level, to my mood? Lots of us don't notice we are struggling until we're kind of halfway or maybe three-quarters of the way there," she said. "Once you start to notice what that rhythm is you can start to implement change for the better." PILGRIMS KNOB, Va. A man was in critical condition Tuesday after being shot in the head in the Spruce Pine area of Pilgrims Knob on Monday, according to the Buchanan County Sheriffs Office. Kaseya said it believes only about 800 to 1,500 of the estimated 800,000 to 1,000,000 mostly small business end-users of its software were affected. They are customers of companies that use Kaseyas virtual system administrator, or VSA, product to fully manage their IT infrastructure. Cybersecurity experts said, however, it is too early for Kaseya to know the true impact given its launch on the eve of the Fourth of July holiday weekend in the U.S. They said many targets might only discover it upon returning to work Tuesday. Ransomware criminals infiltrate networks and sow malware that cripples them by scrambling all their data. Victims get a decoder key when they pay up. Most ransomware victims dont publicly report attacks or disclose if theyve paid ransoms. In the U.S, disclosure of a breach is required by state laws when personal data that can be used in identity theft is stolen. Federal law mandates it when healthcare records are exposed. Security researchers said that in this attack, the criminals did not appear to have had time to steal data before locking up networks. That raised the question whether the motivation behind the attack was profit alone, because extortion through threatening to expose sensitive pilfered data betters the odds of big payoffs. The U.K. had been in the top risk category since May 23, and was joined last Tuesday by Russia and Portugal, one of Germanys partners in the European Union. Airlines and others are restricted largely to transporting German citizens and residents from virus variant areas, and those who arrive must spend 14 days in quarantine at home. People arriving from high incidence areas can avoid quarantine if they can prove that they are fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19. Others can cut short a mandatory 10-day quarantine by testing negative after five days. Transport is no longer restricted. Officials have said the listings would be reviewed as the proportion of infections caused by the delta variant in Germany rises. Although overall case numbers are very low, more than half of new cases are now believed to be caused by delta. LONDON Prime Minister Boris Johnson says people in England will no longer be required by law to wear face masks in indoor public spaces and to keep at least 1 meter (3 feet) apart as soon as later this month. The Virginia Retirement System Trust Fund has topped $100 billion, a historic high that represents a dramatic turnaround from a year ago, when poor investment performance in the stock market caused a dip in pension funds for hundreds of thousands of public employees. VRS officials still don't know the final return on investment for the fiscal year that ended last Wednesday night, but the $18 billion increase in the trust fund represents a 22% increase from a year ago that is likely to keep contribution rates "relatively stable" for state and local government employers in the two-year budget that Gov. Ralph Northam will propose in December. "The health of the trust fund is strong," said O'Kelly McWilliams, an employment attorney who serves as chairman of the VRS Board of Trustees, which will set pension contribution rates this fall for state employees, teachers and other state and local government workers. Investment income generates about two-thirds of the money necessary to fund current and future benefits for more than 772,000 public employees, retirees and others who have contributed to the VRS, the 18th largest public retirement system in the country. The return on VRS investments for the first 10 months of the fiscal year - through April 30 - was 22.3%. So what kind of liberal tree-hugger is pushing this green energy agenda (although in rural Texas, it might be more of a sagebrush-hugger)? None at all, actually. The writer was John Davis, who for 16 years was a Republican state legislator in Texas. And a pretty darned conservative one, too. He got an A rating from the National Rifle Association, once got an 84% favorable rating from Phyliss Schlafys Eagle Forum. He voted to return corporal punishment to schools. He voted for bills that LGBT organizations considered hostile. He voted for drug testing those receiving unemployment benefits. The point being: He sure seems a pretty hard-core conservative, right? Yet hes also gained the nickname of the energy rancher for his support of renewable energy. Davis sits on the advisory board of a group called Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation. It recently produced a report that documented just how much renewable energy facilities are pumping into rural Texas. Oldham County in the Texas Panhandle has a history as an oil and gas county. In the best of times, oil and gas revenues make up about 20% of Oldham Counties operating budget, but times are not always the best and those payments are hard to count on, the report says. In fact, over the past decade, oil and gas revenues have dropped 80-90%. That sounds a lot like counties in Virginias southwest coalfields that have seen their revenues from coal severance taxes plummet along with coal production. However, now six wind farms have located in Oldham County and they account for 50% of the countys tax revenue. Put another way, wind farms now account for 2.5 times as much revenue as oil and gas did. Because of the agreements that school districts are able to make with wind farms, three out of the four school districts in the county were able to hold bond elections and build new facilities, something that would have never happened without the wind industry coming to town, the report says. Three-quarters of the cost of the new school facilities can be attributed directly to the wind industry. Furthermore and this is something that really ought to get conservatives attention thanks to all the wind farm tax revenue, Oldham County has been able to cut the countys real estate tax rate. Thats right more services and a tax cut, all at the same time, thanks to wind. The same detective who arrested him in 2013 interviewed Harvey again in 2018, according to court documents. Harvey told the VCU detective: You know my story. I dont have a choice, but to be like this. In his apology, during which he turned and read aloud to the three women hed violated, he blamed urges he could not control. He made it about him, Katie said. Its not what happened to him. Its what happened to us thats been forgotten here. *** Now, three years later, long after the physical wounds have healed, Katie and the women he victimized are grappling with unseen scars. I have lived every day in fear. Justin Harvey robbed me of the ability to feel safe and comfortable in my own home, one of the survivors wrote in an impact statement read at trial. Harvey saw me [ and my friend] that night and decided that we were nothing more than objects to be violated. I live every day in fear that no matter what I do that someone else will see me that way again. A week after the lions confiscation, Cambodias Prime Minister Hun Sen reacted to sympathetic social media posts by saying the animal would be returned to its owner. (South China Morning Post ) An 18-month-old lion seized from a Chinese nationals Phnom Penh villa last month has been returned to its owner thanks to a bizarre intervention by Cambodias Prime Minister. The lion, which weighs 70 kilos, was removed from a property in the citys Boeng Keng Kang district by Forestry Administration officials on 27 June. The lion has been defanged and declawed, according to the nonprofit, Wildlife Alliance, that helped raid the house of its owner. The South China Morning Post reported that the authorities had been alerted to the lions existence in the villa after seeing it appear in a TikTok video in April. Neth Pheaktra, the countrys environment ministry spokesman, told the media that the lion had been imported from overseas by the owner, a Chinese national Zhai Xinjiang, to be raised in his home. Since then, Mr Zhai had been making appeals for the lions return on his social media and in several interviews. On Sunday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen responded to Mr Zhais pleas in a Facebook post. He wrote that he had a discussion with the agriculture minister and has agreed to allow the lion to be returned to its owner in perfect condition and if the animal was kept in a proper cage. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The PM also ordered authorities to reimburse any penalty paid by Mr Zhai, who was reportedly fined $30,000 (21,600) for keeping the exotic animal in his villa. However, the Wildlife Alliance, the group that helped confiscate the lion, had said that the conditions at the owners home were inappropriate for a wild animal. Meanwhile, Mr Zhai has thanked the Prime Minister and expressed his gratitude to the people of Cambodia for their help and support. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Batting allegations of mistreatment of the lion, Mr Zhai told the Khmer Times that he wasnt troubled by the allegations that I used the animal to flaunt my wealth. I am just saddened by accusations that I mistreated the lion. I never removed his teeth or claws as alleged in the media and online. We loved him and he was a member of our family. We have never inflicted any harm on an animal. Story continues He added that: My neighbours and friends knew I was feeding him and I was careful to make sure that the public was never in danger. He also said that he spent $5,000 a month to rent a special villa just for his pets, many of whom were gifted to his household for safekeeping, Khmer Times reported. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Cambodias environment ministry has however clarified that it was illegal to keep lions as pets in the country. Some have criticised the Prime Ministers move. Tina Redshaw, the UK ambassador to Cambodia tweeted that the return undermined legislation to prevent the ownership and trade of endangered wildlife. Read More Baddiel and Skinner perform Three Lions on The Last Leg The battle for Mazar-i-Sharif: Meet the volunteers fighting back against the Taliban on Afghanistans front line Doctors in India warn of imminent third wave MATTOON Coles Moultrie Electric of Mattoon has announced two local students that have received memorial scholarships. Garrett Sigrist of Arcola has been selected to receive the first Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative Randall Beasley Memorial Scholarship. Ryleigh Hawkins of Mattoon has been selected to receive the Earl W. Struck Memorial Scholarship. Garrett is the son of Michael and Lisa Sigrist and will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the Grainger College of Engineering program. Ryleigh is the daughter of Kelsey and John Hawkins. Kelsey Hawkins is a Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative Service representative. Ryleigh plans to attend Lake Land College in the fall. The Randall Beasley Memorial Scholarship scholarship honors long time employee Randall Beasley who served the cooperative from 1948-1988 retiring as the director of Member Services. He was a power use advisor and editor of Hi-Lites on the Hi-Lines, advising members about wiring equipment, heating, plumbing, air conditioning and insulation. Beasley also had a column each month called Watts My Line. He served in the Navy during World War II and was known for his thoroughness and technical knowledge. This scholarship was made possible by Beasley daughter, Sue Meyer, of Lerna. The Earl W. Struck Memorial Scholarship is one of twelve Illinois Electric Cooperative scholarships awarded each year administered by the Illinois Community College System Foundation. Earl Struck served as president/CEO of the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives from 1994-2006. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Kaleideum said that Mounts wants to promote student involvement in learning science technology, engineering, arts and math, which together go by the STEAM acronym. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The success of todays children, regardless of what they choose to do in life, will be influenced greatly by their proficiency and comfort in STEAM areas, Mounts said in a statement accompanying news of the gift. We know this is true for future engineers and data scientists, but we also know that no area of life or field of work will be untouched by these areas. Mounts went on to say that his foundations gift to Kaleideum will enable children to get early exposure to STEAM education. In addition to the endowment from the Mounts foundation, Inmar Intelligence is planning to loan engineering executives at no cost to Kaleideum to help with creating relevant programs. Prism core activities will include special events, summer camps, workshops, field trips and robotics programs, all centered on STEAM learning. Dampier said many of the programs will be free or provide scholarships, making it possible for traditionally underserved populations, including girls, Black and Hispanic students and students from low-incomer households to take part. However, the bill was removed Tuesday evening and transferred to the July 21 calendar. At least 30 votes are required in the Senate to override a governors veto, as well as at least 72 in the House. The Senate is made up of 28 Republicans and 22 Democrats, while the House has 69 Republicans and 53 Democrats. The Senate approved HB453 on June 10 with no Democratic yes votes. The House approved the bill May 6 with six Democrats voting yes. Mitch Kokai, senior policy analyst with Libertarian think tank John Locke Foundation, said if Cooper is confident of no Senate Democratic support for the veto-override vote in that chamber, its possible that his political team will give House Democrats a free pass to vote as they choose on this veto override. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Bill opponents said they fear the doctor-patient conversation requirements in the bill could jeopardize womens trust in medical care and could lead some women with other reasons for considering an abortion to carry pregnancies to term once they learn of a Down syndrome diagnosis. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Under Virginias recently approved adult-use cannabis legislation, existing medical marijuana operators will be able to obtain multiple adult-use licenses if they pay a $1 million fee to the Virginia Cannabis Equity Loan Fund and the Virginia Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund, and if they submit plans for diversity, equity and inclusion. Across the country, we see (legalization) is a matter of when, not if, Dooley said. Green Thumbs philosophy, Dooley said, is to establish itself in communities as a reliable partner. In this case, the company sought and received approval from the Virginia Board of Pharmacy to take over Dharmas operations. We announced our plans May 3 and, for the past two months, we have been working with the Virginia Board of Pharmacy to get the approvals, Dooley said, adding that some corporate folks have been in Abingdon working with the existing workforce. We essentially just got 30 new team members, Dooley said. Were excited to build out. With the license, we can open up to five stores, and we look forward to expanding. So theyre huddled together for warmth, and theres all these stray street dogs and puppies that are curled up with them, she said. So youll see like 12 boys and eight puppies. These puppies follow the boys around because theyll find food for themselves and the dogs, and theyll snuggle them up at night. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Lackey turned her attention to what could be done in the Triangle. She noticed a connection between foster children and animals and decided to establish a home base to further those connections. With its myriad of possibilities, she said creating a sanctuary was the obvious answer. It started with me saying, What if we started an animal sanctuary? and my husband being very supportive and passionate about it, said Lackey. We moved forward with getting the land and it kind of went from there. Not only will the sanctuary include a mobile spay and neuter facility and an ICU, but they plan to build a horse barn and arena that will allow for equine therapy. Lackey is dedicated to providing opportunities for children and adults to experience the emotional therapy animals can provide. Ten years later, the man who unseated Castor for district attorney, Kevin Steele, used Cosbys admissions in the civil deposition to prosecute him. Ultimately, Cosby was convicted and sentenced to three to 10 years in prison. Steele maintained that he was not bound by Castors promise. The states highest court ruled Wednesday that indeed he was. In essence, Cosby had been compelled to testify against himself and the Fifth Amendment says that must not be how our legal system works. So Cosby is free, and not on a technicality. Due process is the right of every defendant even one accused of groping, assaulting or raping some 60 women over more than four decades. But please dont confuse Cosbys release with any kind of vindication. Please try not to gag on his self-righteousness. I have never changed my stance nor my story. I have always maintained my innocence, he said Wednesday in a tweet, accompanied by a photo in which he holds up a raised fist. His story is that the sex he had with multiple women who say they were unknowingly given drugs and rendered helpless was consensual. And please dont let your day be ruined by Cosbys knee-jerk defenders, including his longtime co-star Phylicia Rashad, who tweeted in triumph: FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted a miscarriage of justice is corrected! National AP Official death toll rises to 28 Lynne Sladky, Associated Press Rescue crews work at the site of the collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building Monday after the remaining structure was demolished Sunday, in Surfside, Fla. Carl Juste, Miami Herald via AP Search and rescue operations resume Monday as members of the Pennsylvania Search and Rescue team comb through the debris of the Champlain Tower South complex in Surfside, Fla. SURFSIDE, Fla. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Monday another victim was found in the rubble of a collapsed condo building in Florida, bringing the death toll in the tragedy to 28. Another 117 people remain unaccounted for. Earlier, officials said three more victims were found in a new area of rubble to which they gained access after demolishing the remaining part of the building. The demolition late Sunday was crucial to the search-and-rescue effort, officials said, and raised the prospect that crews could increase both the pace of their work and the number of searchers at the site, though the chance of finding survivors 12 days after the June 24 collapse has diminished. Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah told family members Monday afternoon that few voids were found in the new section of rubble, and that intemperate weather brought by Tropical Storm Elsa was hampering search efforts. Teams had been unable to access areas closest to the remaining structure because of its instability, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. "Truly, we could not continue without bringing this building down," she said at a news conference. Part of the existing debris pile was also helping to support the remaining structure, City of Miami Fire Rescue Capt. Ignatius Carroll said. Rescuers were still holding out hope of reuniting loved ones. "We continue to remain focused on our primary mission, and that is to leave no stone unturned and to find as many people as we can and to help bring either some answers to family and loved ones or to bring some closure to them," Carroll said. The newly accessible area includes master bedrooms where people were believed to be sleeping when the building collapsed, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said. "We will be able to access every part of that pile, which they hadn't been able to do up to this point," DeSantis said. "I think it's going to move the pace. I think the momentum is very strong." Crews could be seen climbing a mound of debris at the site Monday alongside a piece of heavy equipment that was picking up rubble. Jadallah said rescuers focused on a stairwell section, but inclement weather hampered the search, particularly in a garage area that was filling with water. Crews had to pump out water. The latest forecasts showed the storm moving westward, mostly sparing South Florida, but the area near the collapsed building experienced thunderstorms, and the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Miami Beach, which is just south of Surfside. Jadallah said rescuers planned to push through. "Now that we don't have an issue with the building, the only time that we're stopping is lightning," he said. Workers immediately began clearing some of the new debris after the demolition, and the search resumed around midnight, officials said. It was called off Saturday to allow specialists to drill holes for explosives needed for the demolition. "As a result of the contractor who brought it down, he did it in such a way that literally we actually were back on the original pile in less than 20 minutes," Jadallah told family members of those missing earlier Monday, drawing applause in a rare upbeat moment for the twice-daily meetings. Rescuers hoped to get a clearer picture of voids that may exist in the rubble as they search for those believed to be trapped under the fallen wing of the Champlain Towers South. Crews, however, have found very few voids, Jadallah said. No one has been rescued alive since the first hours after the collapse. Some residents had pleaded to return to their homes one last time before the demolition to retrieve belongings, but they were denied. Others wondered about the pets left behind. Officials said they found no signs of animals after making three final sweeps, including the use of drones to peer into the abandoned structure. The decision to demolish the remnants of the building came after concerns mounted that the damaged structure was at risk of falling, endangering the crews below. Parts of the remaining building shifted on Thursday, prompting a 15-hour suspension in the work. Approaching Tropical Storm Elsa added urgency to the demolition plans. President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in Florida because of the storm, making federal aid possible. A string of thefts in parking lots and construction sites around the South Beltway project has left both project managers and the Lancaster County Sheriffs Office frustrated without any easy way to prevent further losses. There have been at least 10 crimes along the 11-mile construction site since June 2020 nine of which were thefts according to a list of dispatch records compiled by Sheriff Terry Wagner. In the last year, thieves have made off with at least four GPS antennas, 17 catalytic converters and four pieces of heavy construction equipment, a combined loss of $345,000 from the Nebraska Department of Transportation and Hawkins Construction, the private contractor constructing the bypass south of Lincoln. Most of the thefts lately along the future roadway have involved the stealing of converters from state-owned work trucks or privately owned vehicles parked near the expansive construction zone. All 17 converters stolen from the area came in 2021, nearly half of which have been taken since May 20. "It just lurched so far into the socialist left that I didn't recognize it and I got worried for our country," Sands said. She has never run for public office, but was active in Los Angeles' philanthropic circles and drew two Trump appointments in 2017, one to his Council of Economic Advisers and one as ambassador to Denmark. Sands, 60, grew up in Cumberland County, outside Harrisburg, and spent much of her adult life living in California. There, she took over as CEO of Vintage Capital Group, the real estate investment firm founded by her late husband, Fred Sands, a prominent Republican campaign donor, philanthropist and real-estate mogul who died in 2015. She helped raise money for Trump's campaign during the 2016 presidential campaign, hosting a fundraiser at her Bel Air mansion, and gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to Trump campaign efforts. President Trump, I helped him get elected in 2016, I fought for him because I saw a leader who looked at the world as it is, not as people hoped it would be, and he believed in me, Sands said. Sands had a TV and movie career and was a chiropractor before she married Fred Sands in 1999. KEARNEY Randy Buschkoetter expected a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and thats what he got Sunday night on the White House Lawn in Washington, D.C. President Joe Biden posed for a selfie with Buschkoetter and first lady Jill Biden also posed with Buschkoetter for a photo. Buschkoetter and his wife, Kim, were among guests on the White House lawn for the annual Fourth of July fireworks. This years event was a salute to the U.S. military and to front-line health care workers who logged thousands of emotionally draining hours caring for coronavirus patients during the pandemic. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Actually, Ive been fortunate twice, said Buschkoetter, a history teacher and member of the Kearney City Council. He said his first presidential encounter was in December 2000, when President Bill Clinton visited Kearney. It was the first and only time Clinton set foot in Nebraska. The Buschkoetters might not have been rubbing elbows with the president and first lady if Buschkoetter hadnt encouraged a friend to accept an invitation to the White House event. We come to these issues in good faith and we will continue to do things that are in the interests of our region and interests of our friends and neighbors, most particularly Papua New Guinea, Seselja added. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin backed the Global Times criticism, saying on Monday that China expresses its serious concern and resolute opposition to what he described as Australias irresponsible behavior. Someone in Australia is using the vaccine issue to engage in political manipulation, bullying and coercion. It is indifferent to the lives and health of the people in Papua New Guinea, contrary to the basic humanitarian spirit, and seriously disrupts the overall situation of the global fight against the epidemic, which is extremely hypocritical and irresponsible, Wang said in mandarin. We have no geopolitical purpose and no political strings attached (to our vaccine supply). We urge the Australian side to stop disrupting and undermining Chinas vaccine cooperation with Pacific island countries, and join China in making practical efforts to safeguard the health and well-being of the island people and promote international cooperation in fighting the epidemic, Wang added. America is back, President Biden announced repeatedly in meeting with allies in Europe. The question, of course, is back for what? Biden has sensibly insisted that we must build back better at home and abroad. Our neighbors to the south in Latin America offer a clear opportunity to show that is true. Now more than ever, it is time for a new Good Neighbor policy toward Latin America. Donald Trump had little interest in Latin America, other than labeling its refugees as terrorists, drug dealers, and rapists. He reversed the initial steps Obama took to move to better relations with Cuba. He doubled down on crippling sanctions, illegal under international law, on Venezuela, and pushed to overturn the president of the country. Biden has both an opportunity and an imperative to offer better relations. Latin America has been battered by the economic collapse accompanying the pandemic. Poverty has soared as has the death toll of the coronavirus, over 500,000 dead in Brazil alone. Now elections promise to bring a new generation of progressive leaders to power across the hemisphere. Peru has led the way with the election of Pedro Castillo, running on a populist agenda accusing the mining barons of looting and promising to tax them to invest in health care and education. According to the state, Selah learned they had not been funded in fall 2019. They appealed but were again denied. They then applied for a $5,000 state grant in 2020 and were again denied. Meanwhile, after the grand opening for the Wisconsin property, the Chicago residential program closed. But rather than move those residents to Pleasant Prairie, they were if they agreed to the move transferred to Selahs residential program in Florida. While the house was empty, it was used as collateral for a short-time loan in 2020. According to records at the Kenosha Register of Deeds office, a Deed of Trust was issued for a $500,000 loan to Selah Freedom, the money loaned by an individual from Texas, the loan due to be repaid in full by July 31, 2020. According to the executive director of a Kenosha-based agency, it is not unusual for not-for-profits to have a line of credit and to do short-term borrowing to cover expenses while awaiting large payments from grants and other funding. Fisher Good was adamant that the Deed of Trust was not a loan, but also provided a release of lien showing the money was repaid early on July 15, 2020. Volunteers wonder what happened In Wisconsin, meanwhile, volunteers were wondering what was happening. Quote The average person has no understanding of what their legal rights are. Theyre stressed out by bills. Theyre stressed out by illness. Theyre not in the best shape to try and figure this out. Bobby Peterson, executive director of ABC for Health When Mark Marcott went to SSM Health St. Marys Hospital in Madison for serious side effects of a medication in November 2019, he said he was told the services would be covered even though he didnt have health insurance after recently losing a job. Two months later, he learned his credit score dropped because of an unpaid $1,500 bill from the visit by the doctors who staff St. Marys emergency room. Still unemployed, but by then on Medicaid, he said he endured bullying from a collections agency until advocates helped him get the charge dropped this spring. It was stressful to know I had a huge debt and then the pandemic hit, which made it even more difficult to be gainfully employed, said Marcott, 52, of Madison, who started working at the state Department of Natural Resources this April. Medical debt collection, a complex process and significant cause of personal bankruptcy, is receiving renewed attention because of the financial challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some health systems, including UW Health, Froedtert Health and Advocate Aurora, stopped such actions early last year as the pandemic hit, but its not clear how long the reprieve will last. We will re-evaluate our situation once (the federal government) declares we are no longer in a pandemic, said Tom Russell, a spokesperson for UW Health, which stopped such lawsuits in late March 2020. Marcott was assisted by ABC for Health, a nonprofit law firm in Madison. In a recent report reviewing 5,023 lawsuits to collect unpaid medical bills by five health systems in Wisconsin from 2017 to 2019, the firm found that health systems were always represented by attorneys but less than 1% of patients were. The average person has no understanding of what their legal rights are, said Bobby Peterson, executive director of ABC for Health. Theyre stressed out by bills. Theyre stressed out by illness. Theyre not in the best shape to try and figure this out. SSM Health paused medical debt legal actions in the spring of 2020, spokesperson Lisa Adams said. The pause remains in place at Dean Medical Group, but earlier this year SSM Health hospitals resumed limited legal actions in order to preserve our rights, Adams said. UnityPoint Health-Meriter paused legal remedies on past-due accounts during the pandemic but recently started again in very limited cases, spokesperson Leah Huibregtse said. ABC for Healths study, released last month, found that the five health systems evaluated sought $10.4 million in medical debt over the three years, receiving judgments in 4,110 cases. UW Health, one of the systems, sought nearly $1.4 million in 932 cases and received judgments in 751. Another report last month by Johns Hopkins University, using different methods, said Wisconsin hospitals filed 17,908 medical debt collections actions from January 2018 to July 2020, with UW Hospital filing 96 and St. Marys filing 44. Johns Hopkins also published related data in partnership with Axios. The Johns Hopkins researchers, who have compiled similar reports for a few other states, found that the amount of money hospitals retrieve through collections represents a fraction of a percent of their revenue, said Christi Walsh, clinical director of research at Hopkins. They dont really need this money, Walsh said. Youre highly impacting someones life and for you as a hospital, it is really nothing. Hospital assistance Hospitals say they try to help patients sign up for coverage, such as Medicaid, disability insurance or marketplace plans through the Affordable Care Act. They offer charity care free or discounted care for patients with low incomes who qualify providing $217 million in such assistance based on the cost of care in 2019, or 0.9% of revenue, according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association. The same year, the states hospitals reported $236 million in bad debt, which occurs when patients not approved for charity care dont pay their bills. UW Health makes every effort to determine a patients ability to pay and the payment options available to them ... before considering any bad debt collection agency options to recover the cost of provided care, said Russel of UW Hospital. We do have many payment and financial assistance options available to our patients, said Adams of St. Marys. If a patient has a specific concern about their ability to make a payment, they should contact our customer service team who can work with them on an appropriate resolution. In 2019, UW Health reported $16.4 million in charity care and $15.5 million in bad debt. St. Marys had $4.8 million in charity care and $2.4 million in bad debt. Meriter had $3 million in charity and $3.9 million in bad debt. Peterson said hospitals need to do more to connect vulnerable patients with coverage. You cant just tell a patient who has mental health issues to go down to the county and apply, he said. Its not going to happen. For some patients, the consequences of medical debt are far-reaching, Peterson said. Youre in an electronic debtors prison, he said. You cant get credit. You cant get a car. You might not get a job or an apartment because you have a poor credit report. Sarina Benford, 32, of Madison, noticed her credit score dropped 50 points this spring after two unexpected medical bills totaling more than $1,000 appeared on her report, including one from April 2020, when she went to Meriters ER. After years of poor credit, the mother of two, who works as a sales manager at a hotel, was trying to improve her score. ABC for Health helped her get the bills covered through BadgerCare, the states main Medicaid program. It was a little frustrating to have to go through it and figure it out, Benford said. Meriter tries to help patients obtain BadgerCare if they qualify, Huibregtse said. Gundersen filed most cases In the ABC for Health study, UW Health filed fewer medical debt lawsuits than La Crosse-based Gundersen Health System, which had 1,841, and Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin near Milwaukee, with 1,337. UW Health filed more than St. Louis-based Ascension, which has a dozen hospitals in Wisconsin and had 131 lawsuits. Advocate Aurora, based in Milwaukee and Illinois, is so large that researchers stopped looking for cases after March 2017, when it had 731 lawsuits. The health systems were selected because they represent the industry as a whole, Peterson said. Some cases by Meriter, which formed a joint operating agreement with UW Health in July 2017, may be included in those for UW Health, he said. ABC for Health did not include St. Louis-based SSM Health, which owns St. Marys hospitals in Madison and Janesville, along with St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo and other facilities. The firm has a contract to work with SSM Health in Wisconsin to help patients find coverage and avoid medical debt, Peterson said. The average amount sought in all of the cases was $2,364, ABC for Health found. The largest judgment was nearly $223,000 in a Gundersen case in Buffalo County. The largest UW Health judgment, for nearly $33,000, involves a Madison woman who didnt respond to requests for comment. Larger cases may not appear because they end up in bankruptcy, Peterson said. Johns Hopkins study According to the Johns Hopkins report, Advocate Aurora filed 6,974 lawsuits against patients during the studys time period and Froedtert filed 4,496, with the two systems accounting for more than half of all actions statewide. Advocate Aurora stopped filing lawsuits for unpaid medical bills and dropped active cases in February 2020, spokesperson LeeAnn Betz said. Froedtert stopped filing claims in small claims court in March 2020, a policy that will remain indefinitely, spokesperson Stephen Schooff said. Ascension stopped in October 2019, spokesperson Caryn Kaufman said. The Johns Hopkins report includes liens, which Peterson said ABC for Health didnt include because hospitals typically file those to recover medical costs in settlements involving accidents or injuries. Walsh, of Johns Hopkins, said liens can still be predatory and lead to price gouging because hospitals often dont submit the bills to insurance plans first, which can result in discounts. Reports on medical debt collection practices have led several hospitals around the country including VCU Health, part of Virginia Commonwealth University, and the University of Virginia Health System to end the actions, Walsh said. We have seen that successfully happen, she said. Its possible to stop. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Formative experiences Schwarz, the current law student, is enrolled in the same clinic as Hilton was. He spent his first month on the job poring through hundreds of pages of records and acclimating himself to cases, one of which dates back to the 1980s and another to 2006. Work over the next year may expose him to multiple stages of litigation. Having that full yearlong experience allows us to dive into the issues and better help clients with their needs, he said. It also allows clients to get more comfortable with students. State Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, agrees. As a former clinical student, this was the most important and formative experience of my time at UW Law, the 2004 law school graduate said in a statement. You need more than 3.5 months to learn and develop skills and enough knowledge to actually understand the issues at play and do substantive work. Tokaji said he understands that a single semester may not satisfy some students. 1. Yes. Its not a huge increase; it would help the city tackle much-needed roadwork. 2. Yes. It would be acceptable, as long as the city considers possible exemptions. 3. No. It would disproportionately impact low-income utility customers. Not a good idea. 4. No. Not all utility customers drive on the roads, so it would be a regressive tax. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say without knowing the citys overall road program plans. Vote View Results Is help welcome? As a fresh, eager kindergarten parent, I couldnt figure out why my sons teacher wasnt taking me up on my offer to do whatever she needed. Now, with the benefit of time, I see how eager beavers can be one more thing for a busy teacher to manage. My sons teacher was a pro whod mastered the art of getting 28 kindergarteners to sit quietly and learn. She didnt need distractions. When youre offering help, keep other members of the school community top of mind. The podcast Nice White Parents tells the story of some parents in Brooklyn, N.Y., who strode into a gentrifying school and ignored the families already there in order to remake it in their own image. Dont do this. Put your involvement in context. Some schools raise hundreds of thousands of dollars at benefit dinners, while nearby schools scrounge for toilet paper. Parents need to do right by their kids, but should also try to see the bigger picture. Is the school resisting feedback? In some cases, of course, you may have legitimate goals or complaints. Maybe your child qualifies for special services and isnt getting them. Maybe the school needs a facilities upgrade. Its easy for involvement to slide into advocacy. KEARNEY A Holdrege man was sentenced to probation for three years for making a bomb threat to the Buffalo County Courthouse in January. Steven Lamer, 44, pleaded guilty in Buffalo County District Court to threatening the use of explosives, which is a felony. Under the standard conditions of his probation, he must attend the 12-step recovery program twice a week, and complete classes in social values, peer relationships, family ties, crime/victim empathy, parenting, employment services and a staying sober support group, complete the Specialized Substance Abuse Supervision program and the Community Based Intervention (CBI) program. Judge John Marsh gave him 90 days in jail, but credit for 72 days already served. With good time Lamer wont serve any additional time. At 8:40 a.m. Jan. 7 the Buffalo County 911 communications center received a call from an anonymous male caller suggesting someone might have placed a bomb at the courthouse at 1512 Central Ave. The caller hung up before dispatchers could obtain additional information. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} A short time earlier a man approached a man at an Elm Creek business asking to use his phone to call someone because his vehicle was broken down. The Elm Creek man gave the man his cellphone, and the man left the building to make the call. BEAVER CITY An Oxford man convicted of sex trafficking is asking for a new trial citing several trial errors that led to his conviction. William Billy Quinn, 57, filed a motion for a new trial Friday in Furnas County District Court. Quinn was found guilty of 13 counts of sexual assault and sex trafficking of a 15-year-old during a two-week trial in June in Beaver City. He was acquitted of one count of felony first-degree sexual assault. Quinns attorney, Joseph Howard of Omaha, filed the motion saying there was irregularity in proceedings of the court; there was abuse of discretion by the prosecuting attorney and witnesses that prevented Quinn from having a fair trial; the verdict wasnt reached by sufficient evidence or is contrary to law; U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse caused irregularity in the proceedings; and an error of law occurred at the trial. During the second week of Quinns trial, Sasses office issued a press release urging the U.S. Department of Justice to assist Nebraska in the prosecution of the interstate child sex trafficking case. Quinns defense counsel made a motion for a mistrial based on Sasses statements about the case. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The Dalai Lama has made the hillside town of Dharmsala his headquarters since fleeing Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. India considers Tibet to be part of China, though it hosts Tibetan exiles. The Dalai Lama denies being a separatist and says he merely advocates substantial autonomy and protection of Tibet's native Buddhist culture. On Tuesday, a small celebration attended mostly by government officials was held at the Central Tibetan Administration. The Dalai Lama's video message was played on a screen and followed by a cultural performance by the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts. Usually, the spiritual leader's birthday is a fairly elaborate affair in the town, open to members of the public who flock to the Tsuglakhang Temple where performances are held. Sometimes, the Dalai Lama also made an appearance. This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the celebrations were muted and behind closed doors. But a banner marking his birthday hung in the town square and Tibetan monks distributed sweets and juice to passersby outside the closed temple. Many people really show they love me. And many people actually love my smile, the Dalai Lama said with a smile at the start of the video. In spite of my old age, my face is quite handsome, he said with a laugh. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) The highest court in Belarus convicted an aspiring rival to the nation's authoritarian president on corruption charges that he rejects as politically motivated and sentenced him Tuesday to 14 years in prison. Viktor Babariko, the head of a commercial bank owned by Russian natural gas company Gazprom, had hoped to challenge President Alexander Lukashenko last year, but he was arrested before the country's August 2020 presidential election and prohibited from registering as a candidate. At the time, he was widely perceived as Lukashenko's main rival, and his arrest drew thousands of protesters to the streets. On Tuesday, Belarus Supreme Court convicted Babariko on charges of taking a bribe and money laundering and handed him a 14-year prison sentence and a fine of about $57,000. Babariko, who served as the chief executive of Belgazprombank, has remained jailed since his arrest. He dismissed the corruption charges against him as politically driven. I can't plead guilty to the crimes I didn't commit, Babariko told the court before it issued the verdict. I can tell you from that cage that I don't feel ashamed for my life before the people I knew. The U.S. Embassy denounced the verdict as a cruel sham, saying on Twitter it showed that Lukashenko's regime will stop at nothing to keep power. Lukashenko's reelection to a sixth term was widely seen as rigged and triggered months of protests, the largest of which drew up to 200,000 people. Authorities responded to the demonstrations with a massive crackdown that saw more than 35,000 people arrested, thousands beaten by police and opposition leaders jailed or forced to leave the country. The European Union and the United States have responded to the crackdown by slapping Belarus with sanctions. They have imposed new, tougher restrictions after Belarus diverted a passenger jet on May 23 to arrest an opposition journalist. Speaking in Brussels on Tuesday, European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said that Babarikos sentence is one of at least 125 unfair and arbitrary recent verdicts by Belarusian courts in politically motivated trials, often held behind closed doors and without due process of law. Stano said that serious human rights violations come at a price, and that the EU stands ready to consider further measures beyond the series of sanctions it has already imposed on top Belarus officials and businesses. He said the EU demands that Babariko be immediately released, along with all political prisoners, detained journalists and people who are behind bars for exercising their fundamental rights." "The regime must halt repression and injustice and hold perpetrators to account, he added. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who ended up as the main opposition candidate, denounced what she described as a mad sentence to the person who decided to enter politics and became one of the leaders who woke the country up from a long sleep. The regime is doing all that in order to kill any thoughts even distantly resembling faith and hope, said Tsikhanouskaya, who was forced to leave Belarus under official pressure after the election. But the hope in our hearts is something that is the most precious for Viktor and thousands of other innocent people in prisons. Associated Press writer Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report. A New York man is wanted for starting the fire that displaced two people in April at the Kensington Club Apartments in Lancaster Township, according to Manheim Township police. Husani A. Laviscount, 33, of Queens, New York, is accused of breaking into an apartment on April 25 around 8 p.m. and intentionally setting it on fire, police said. That fire then spread to five other apartments. Police said eight people were inside when the fire started. Laviscount is charged with arson, burglary, risking catastrophe, criminal mischief and recklessly endangering another person, according to police. Anyone with information on Laviscount's whereabouts is asked to call police at 717-569-6401. Tips can also be submitted via CrimeWatch. The fire was at least the seventh fire in the past four years at the apartments, according to newspaper records. In March 2021, an ember from a brush fire ignited dry debris on the roof of on of the apartment buildings. In November 2020, eight people were displaced after a kitchen fire broke out in a kitchen of one of the apartments. In December 2019, more than 30 people were displaced from a fire in the apartment building. In October 2018, a heater caught fire in a residence on the third floor of one of the apartment buildings. In March 2018, a fire caused $1.2 million in damages and displaced a couple dozen people. In March 2017, a kitchen fire resulted in one person being hospitalized. Somebody who played the lottery in Lancaster County will receive $1,000 a week for life after winning the grand prize on a scratch off ticket. A Turkey Hill in Ephrata, at 3585 Rothsville Road, sold the winning "My Best Life" ticket and received a $10,000 bonus for doing so, said the Pennsylvania Lottery. The winner has the option to receive $1,000 weekly or get a total payout of $1.04 million, according to the Pennsylvania Lottery. The winner has not yet claimed their prize. Chris Kreider isnt related to the Kreider family that owns the farm that is easy to see from his backyard. But Kreider, who lives on Willow Street Pike in Lancaster Township, has an interest in what happens to that farm. When he and his wife bought their home five years ago, they were attracted to the neighborhoods unique location about a mile and half south of downtown Lancaster but tucked away along the forested banks of the Conestoga River, where kayakers flit leisurely downstream and deer sightings are a near daily occurrence. We fell in love with the woods and the nature, said Kreider, 34, who lives with his wife, Kathleen, and their two dogs. We absolutely love looking across (the river) and everything you see. You never know just what you might see there. There is a 75-acre farm bordered on three sides by the Conestoga. Its owners, Clyde and Shirley Kreider, agreed last month to sell the property to Lancaster County, which plans to make it the site of a new prison to replace the countys current aging facility in the city. Barring any issues with zoning or unforeseen issues that would make the land undevelopable, the county will finalize its $3 million purchase of the property within the next two years. It just sucks, Kreider said. Its just awesome to look out. You see kayakers going down the river, and in the winter we see deer and wildlife all over that whole farm. Peaceful site near city Kreider and other Willow Street Pike residents who spoke with LNP|LancasterOnline said the prospect of a new prison so nearby is concerning. The Conestoga is not a wide or deep river, especially during periods of normal rainfall; the portion bordering the homes on Willow Street Pike is easy to cross by someone with modest swimming skills. Ed Grove, 42, who has lived in his home on Willow Street Pike for 15 years, bought the property because of its proximity to the city, the wildlife and the river. Its peaceful, he said. Grove used to work as a guard at the county prisons current location on East King Street in Lancaster, and said he understands that a new facility is needed. Im glad that theyre getting a new prison, its definitely needed, he said. It was long overdue. Still, hes worried about his homes value and is now considering selling. Design process hasnt begun The county hasnt released a design for its new prison. It plans to wait until the property sale is finalized before beginning that process. But the new prison is expected to house 1,000 or more inmates, and whereas the current prison footprint covers just a single square block in the city, the new one is expected to spread out over a larger area. The county had been looking for at least 45 acres. Modern prison design favors single-story construction and outdoor exercise yards. When its up and running, the new prison will see large volumes of traffic and will likely feature extensive outdoor lighting a big change from the quiet farm currently there. The entrance to the site will be on the right side of the northbound stretch of Route 222, just after it crosses the river and before it becomes South Queen Street in the city. County officials say they can appreciate the perspective of the residents who will be most impacted. It is incumbent upon us to listen to their concerns, to hear them out legitimately, Commissioner Josh Parsons said at a meeting in May. I think this is obviously a concern to them and I just want to say that is legitimate and I appreciate the constructive way they have approached it. Lights, noise and privacy Parsons was responding to a comment from Austin Beiler, who lives on Willow Street Pike next to Kreider. In a recent interview, Beiler said that in addition to sharing his neighbors worry about the impact on the natural environment, he is also concerned about light and noise pollution, and the possibility of being watched by strangers when the family is enjoying the backyard. Beiler has some experience with zoning and development issues through his work with the Lancaster County Airport Authority, and said that when he was looking for a home, he specifically looked at the zoning of the prospective prison site with a thought toward future development. The thought in the back of my head was, Its going to be developed someday, but its going to be townhouses or a retirement community or something, Beiler said. Concerns will be addressed Asked about the neighbors concerns, Commissioner Ray DAgostino said it is premature to talk about how the county should respond before an architectural plan has been developed. However, as noted at previous meetings, each of these concerns will be addressed, he said via email. I can tell you from my experience on major construction projects, that these concerns can be addressed once the context (siting, height, architectural and operational features, etc.) of the project is better known. Beiler said he would like to see a resident included in the design process to advise on how to accomplish the project with the least impact to neighbors. All three commissioners agreed that having a citizen on the advisory committee would be a good idea. Barring anything miraculous, its going to be built there, Beiler said. Im not looking to start a campaign to shut it down, I (just) want to do everything that we can to make the prison a place that we can be OK with living across from. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Iran accused Israel on Tuesday of mounting a sabotage attack on a nuclear facility near Tehran last month, the country's state-run news agency reported as authorities acknowledged for the first time that the mysterious assault had caused structural damage to the site. Authorities announced in late June that they had prevented saboteurs from attacking a site located in Karaj, a city about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of the Iranian capital. They gave no details about what the targeted building belonging to the Irans Atomic Energy Agency contained, or how it was targeted. The sudden admission last month came just days after the election victory of the country's hard-line judiciary chief, Ebrahim Raisi, and followed a series of other attacks on Iran's nuclear program, including the killing of a top nuclear scientist. At the time, officials stressed that the attack had caused no casualties or damage. But Cabinet spokesman Ali Rabiei revised that account Tuesday, confessing to damage inflicted on the building's ceiling. A hole appeared on ceiling of one of the industrial sheds, so the roof was removed for repairs, Rabiei said, seeking to explain satellite images of the site widely circulated online that appeared to show the roof's abrupt removal following the reported attack. Rabiei acknowledged the images were taken when the roof was removed for restoration. Damage to equipment was not remarkable," he added, without elaborating. The allegedly foiled attack last month came amid a flurry of diplomatic activity, as diplomats in Vienna struggle to resurrect Tehran's now-tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which put curbs on its enrichment activities in return for relief from U.S. sanctions. Former President Donald Trump withdrew America from the landmark accord three years ago. That prompted Iran to gradually abandon the deal's limits on uranium enrichment, setting off a series of tense incidents in the Mideast. To exert pressure on the West for sanctions relief, Iran is now enriching uranium to 60%, its highest ever levels, although still short of weapons grade 90%. Rabiei on Tuesday accused Israeli saboteurs of seeking to derail the nuclear negotiations in Vienna, state-run IRNA news agency reported. The Zionist regime carried out these actions to signal it can stop Iran and to say that there is no need to talk with Iran, he said. But whenever sabotage has happened, our strength has increased. There was no immediate comment on the accusation from Israel, which has not claimed responsibility for any of the alleged attacks on Iran's nuclear program in recent months. Israel fiercely opposed the 2015 deal, which then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned as a historic mistake. In recent weeks, however, Israel's new government has struck a softer tone. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid told his American counterpart that Israel had serious reservations about the accord under discussion in Vienna but that the country would engage constructively and make its objections privately. Little is known about the reported assault in Karaj, located near various industrial sites, including pharmaceutical production facilities where Iran has manufactured its domestic coronavirus vaccine. Social media in Iran had crackled with unconfirmed reports that an unmanned aerial drone had targeted the facility. But the latest attack came at a sensitive time for Iran, in the midst of a political transition and on the precipice of a return to the historic nuclear deal. The country has, meanwhile, struggled to stem what it describes as an Israeli-led campaign against its nuclear program. Earlier this year, Irans underground Natanz nuclear facility experienced a mysterious blackout that damaged some of its centrifuges. Last July, unexplained fires struck the advanced centrifuge assembly plant at Natanz, which authorities later described as sabotage. Iran is now rebuilding that facility deep inside a nearby mountain. Iran also blamed Israel for the November killing of a scientist who began the countrys military nuclear program decades earlier. Karimi reported from Tehran, Iran. THE ISSUE As LNP | LancasterOnlines Nicole C. Brambila reported in late June, physicians at Lancaster Countys only pediatric unit had treated two children under age 3 in Lancaster County in recent weeks for severe lead poisoning. One of the children had a blood lead level of 52 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood; the other childs level was 112 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, Brambila reported. While no level of lead is considered safe, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified 5 micrograms of lead per deciliter as a level of concern. A physician said one of the children with severe lead poisoning had normal levels just seven months ago. A lot of things have fallen to the wayside during the long, strange months since COVID-19 first disrupted our lives. Perhaps you are like us just now catching up on medical and dental appointments and laboratory tests that you put off during the pandemic shutdown. We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to make sure youre up to date on routine medical care. This is essential for children, too, and not just because they need to be immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases. As LNP | LancasterOnlines Brambila reported, county physicians are worried that, given that so few children are tested for lead, and so many parents skipped routine checkups because of the pandemic, more children may be at risk of lead poisoning. You cant do a lead screening by telemedicine, said Dr. Frances Gross, chair of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospitals pediatric unit. Joyce Ravinskas, program manager for the UPMC Pinnacle Lead Poisoning Prevention and Education Program, said she has seen a 35% increase for investigation referrals. This is definitely attributed to COVID, said Ravinskas. Right now were seeing a lot more cases coming in because children are starting to come back for their wellness checks and theyre being tested for lead. Sadly, because of COVID-19 school closures, children likely spent more time in their homes last year than ever before. In Lancaster city and Columbia, landlords are required to certify that properties built before 1978 are lead-safe or lead-free before they can rent them to families with young children. But theres no such countywide ordinance. And, as the recent cases of lead poisoning in two Lancaster County children under 3 babies, really illustrate, much more needs to be done to address this issue. Gross, who has practiced in Lancaster County for more than 30 years, could not recall the last time a child in Lancaster County was diagnosed with lead levels as elevated as those two children. As Brambila reported, lead poisoning can be detected with a simple blood test, but only about 20% of Pennsylvania children are tested each year. The consequences of lead poisoning can be terrible and lifelong the damage is irreversible. According to the CDC, exposure to lead can seriously harm a childs health and cause well-documented adverse effects, such as damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, learning disabilities and behavior problems, and hearing and speech problems. A 2017 Princeton University and Brown University study found that early lead exposure in boys raised the probability of incarceration by 27% to 74%. These problems spell higher costs for school systems and county governments and heartbreak for families. As Gross put it, The only treatment for lead poisoning is prevention. But it can be difficult for health care providers to assess the scope of the problem because data reported by the state tends to lag. As Harriet Okatch, assistant professor of biology and public health at Franklin & Marshall College, noted in a spring discussion, state data not only isnt timely, but its basic and aggregated, so it cant be used to identify where precisely children are being exposed to lead. As weve written, a county public health department that could tackle lead exposure in children effectively, with real-time data, could save childrens futures and taxpayer money in the long run. But Lancaster County lacks such a department. So its up to physicians and advocacy groups and the media to raise awareness about the need to test children for lead exposure. The toxic source Most lead poisoning comes from exposure to lead-based paint a substance that is frequently found in older houses. A report published in May by an organization called Fight Crime: Invest in Kids noted that Pennsylvania didnt ban this type of paint for residential use until 1978, and Pennsylvania ranks fifth in the country for old housing, with 70 percent of residential units having been built prior to 1980. As Brambila reported, roughly half of Lancaster County homes were built before 1978, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. In this commonwealth, according to the Fight Crime: Invest in Kids report, lead poisoning occurs in Black children at nearly five times the rate of white children, and Hispanic children experience lead poisoning at twice the rate of white children. As Brett Sholtis of WITF reported last week, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is made up of police chiefs, district attorneys and sheriffs seeking to prevent children from ending up in the criminal justice system. That group and other advocates for children want to see federal coronavirus relief money used in Pennsylvania to address lead poisoning in children. Gross of LGH took part in a recent virtual news conference with the Lead-Free Promise Project, a coalition pushing for funds from the American Rescue Plan to be used to remediate lead-laden homes. We agree that this would be an excellent use of that money unfortunately, the Republican-led Legislature has put billions of it in savings, instead of using it to help Pennsylvanians now. As Brambila reported, state Rep. Michael Sturla, D-Lancaster, introduced a bill earlier this year that would require a housing inspector to conduct lead testing on housing units built before 1978; the results would have to be made publicly available. Right now we dont even know where the places are, Sturla told LNP | LancasterOnlines Brambila. Were using children as canaries in the coal mine to identify where there are high levels of lead. That to me is barbaric. It is indeed barbaric. The Pennsylvania Legislature can help to address this problem, though we cannot count on its help anytime soon. The state House and Senate arent slated to reconvene until late September. Well remind them of this issue when they get back to work. In the meantime, parents can take the imperative preventive measure of talking to their childrens pediatricians about lead testing without further delay. U.S. Pulls Out of Bagram: Will Chinas BRI Rebuild Afghanistan? Will British Empire Reignite War? July 5, 2021 (EIRNS)The U.S. cleared out of the Bagram Air base near Kabul over the weekend, amidst great tension and confrontation at various locations in Afghanistan, and much international media speculation over when and how the nation may shift into collaboration with China and Russia. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in a July 2 Global Times interview that China is important for the stability and peace of Afghanistan. There needs to be a platform of talks on this in Beijing; and also for a Troika to help from China, Russia and Pakistan. The Taliban has taken over six districts in the province of Badakhshan, in the north, which borders Tajikistan and China. The number of Afghan troops that fled into Tajikistan over the weekend is now reported by TASS to be more than 1,000. In the course of shootouts with the Taliban, 1,037 military servicemen of Afghan government troops retreated through the border areas ... to the territory of Tajikistan in order to save the lives of military personnel, the Tajik border service reported. TASS reports that the Russian consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif in the north has suspended operations over security issues in the region. Yesterday, President Ashraf Ghani called President Vladimir Putin over the situation. Today, Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib is in Moscow for security talks. Today in London, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is presiding over a meeting of his National Security Council, on decisions over what British forces will remain in Afghanistan. Alex Younger, the Chief of MI6 up until September 2020, said on Sky News on July 4 that President Trump had made an awful mistake with the Doha peace plan, and that it would be an enormous mistake to leave Afghanistan. News reports have emerged, meanwhile, that about 750 British Special Air Services (SAS) soldiers will stay behind after the withdrawal of the regular troops is completed to serve in an advisory role. The BBC is playing up the consequences. If they leave behind their forces, against the Doha agreement, then in that case it will be the decision of our leadership how we proceed, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen was quoted as having told BBC. We would react and the final decision is with our leadership.... We are against the foreign military forces, not diplomats, NGOs and workers and NGOs functioning and embassies functioningthat is something our people need. We will not pose any threat to them. On the question of Afghanistan moving to the BRI, the Daily Beast is full of speculation. It reports an anonymous government-associated source to say that the government is turning to China for an extension of the $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which runs from Kashgar in western China through Balochistan to the port of Gwadar, parallel to Pakistans border with Afghanistan and Iran. Presently, China is linked to Pakistans Peshawar by a key highway, which could be extended to Kabul in Afghanistan. Another source privy to conversations between Beijing and Kabul elaborated: There is a discussion on a Peshawar-Kabul motorway between the authorities in Kabul and Beijing. Linking Kabul with Peshawar by road means Afghanistans formal joining of CPEC. In other words: The Afghan government, behind the scenes, is welcoming China immediately after saying goodbye to America. China has been keen on extending its BRI to Afghanistan, and has been inviting Kabul to join it for at least five years. But the U.S.-backed Afghan government was hesitant to join BRI for fear of Washingtons reaction. According to the second source: There has been continuous engagement between the Afghan government and the Chinese for the past few years ... [but] that made the U.S. suspicious of the President Ashraf Ghani government, the source said. He went on that, now, the engagement is growing more intense, as U.S. forces are leaving, and Ghani needs an ally with resources, clout and ability to provide military support to his government. Of some note, the assessment is that the Taliban may not stand in the way of extending CPEC into Afghanistan if it brings economic benefit to the country. Peskov Describes How U.S. Talks to Russia, as an Adversary July 5, 2021 (EIRNS)Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov appeared on Rossiya-1 TVs Moscow.Kremlin.Putin. program yesterday in an interview, in which he emphasized that Russia will not tolerate further provocations like that in the Black Sea with the HMS Defender on June 23. At one point, he blamed it entirely on the United States. I think our intelligence certainly knows who made a decision there. But certainly I think such operations are basically planned by senior partners from overseas, he said. According to him, in this case the destroyer was just a tool of provocation, reported TASS. He vowed that Russia will respond harshly to any similar provocations to the incident with the British destroyer. This is indeed so, Peskov said, referring to Putins June 30 remark that it was a deliberate provocation, during his Direct Line with Vladimir Putin broadcast. And most importantly, as the President said, that information that the [U.S.] reconnaissance plane obtained is not that information that they sought to get, but this was that information that the Russian side believed it necessary to provide, Peskov said. Someone even joked [during the event] that the President will now give the first and last names of this planes pilots and even their address. Peskov agreed that Kiev is also carrying out flagrant anti-Russian provocations. Ukraines effort to stir up the situation is a reality, a sad reality in the conditions that we have to face, he said, stressing that in response to provocations Russian President Vladimir Putin takes decisions, which wont be left unnoticed. I mean both our maneuvers and our drills, but the only difference is that this happens on our own territory and we dont deploy our military infrastructure on other continents, he pointed out. In this respect, no one should probably have any doubt about resolute steps of President Putin and the Russian side in general. I still suggest not to speak about such apocalyptic scenarios as the Caribbean crisis and so on, because probably, every time Russias resolute steps become more clear for our opponents. Although we dont have rose-colored glasses and understand that no one will give up an effort to contain our country, Peskov emphasized. In regard to dialogue with NATO, Peskov stated, Even with the North Atlantic, [Russia] can and should talk because only during a dialogue it is possible to exactly voice concerns.... Peskov stressed. Now despite the attempts to resume it, we are facing an attempt to impose some agenda on us, moreover, in the form of an ultimatum. This makes such dialogue on those conditions, which they are trying to impose on us, impossible. NATO only pursues the goal of confrontation, he said. It does not bring any stability on the continent. On the contrary, this is a destabilizing element. Meanwhile, Russia has always been interested in building constructive relations with NATO. Peskov also observed that the U.S. may be speaking to Russia, but as an adversary, and it is not conducive to improving relations. The U.S. President, unfortunately, cannot say that we need to develop good relations with Russia. And all we hear is that we will talk to Russians where we believe it necessary and most importantly, we will punish them if needed. And we still hear such rhetoric because it is just impossible to speak about good relations with Russia in America. At the same time, Peskov continued, the environment of talks between the Russian and U.S. leaders in Geneva was constructive EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR TUESDAY, JULY 6, 2021 Put a Stop to Geopoliticsthe Case of Afghanistan July 5, 2021 (EIRNS)Very unfortunately, there has been no advancement in the strategic situation of the United States in relations with Russia and China, since the mini-steps achieved with the Geneva meeting June 16 between President Biden and President Putin. We hear that arrangements are in the works for follow-on meetings between officials of the respective nations on strategic security talksall to the good, but nothing has qualitatively improved in relations, as Helga Zepp LaRouche observed today. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov discussed this yesterday in an interview on Rossiya-1 TVs Moscow. Kremlin. Putin. program. He said that the U.S. may be meeting with Russia, but as an adversary, and it is not conducive to good relations. While commending the dialogue as constructive, Peskov said, but, can this constructive stance immediately change the real situation? Unfortunately, no. He discussed the June 23 HMS Defender incident sternly, calling it a tool of provocation. He put the blame on the U.S., by saying it is part of operations basically planned by senior partners from overseas. He said that, Russia will be resolute, and not tolerate further provocations like that of HMS Defender. In this context, the prospects for Afghanistan are bound to be grim and limited. The target date for pull-out of U.S. forces after 20 years, was July 4, which has been mostly done, but the situation is extremely unstable. Today the British National Security Council is meeting to decide its next (public) moves. Terrorism and dope-running has been protected all along during the so-called U.S., U.K. and NATO war on terrorism in Afghanistan, with a terrible toll in loss of life and destruction of the means to life. By contrast, in the context of peace through development, a real future for Afghanistan can be built, which means security for all. This was spelled out in detail in the 2014 EIR Special Report The Silk Road Becomes the World Land-Bridge. The chapter titled, End Geopolitics in Central Asia, by Ramtanu Maitra, included a 14-page appendix on The Industrial Development of Afghanistan and Central Asia: A Russian Vision. The plan, with 24 illustrations, covers proposals and specifics for industry, agriculture, rail, water management, trade, pipelines, social rehabilitation and more. It had been worked out by regional and Russian experts, but blocked in 2014 by British geopolitical, pro-strife, pro-drug networks. What happened is, as explained in EIRs introduction to the appendix, the Afghanistan development plan represented what Russia was bringing to the table at the June 2014 Group of Eight (G8) summit in Sochi, Russia. President Vladimir Putins longtime colleague, Federal Drug Control Service (FDCS) head Victor Ivanov, had announced a campaign to eliminate the planetary narcotics production center in Afghanistan, as a focus of Russias G8 chairmanship. But the summit was cancelled, when the G8 expelled Russia over the Ukraine crisis. The Afghan plan/Russian vision was subsequently excerpted from the EIR Special Report in the weekly EIR March 13, 2015 issue. Now, seven years later, the Afghanistan development plan is more relevant than ever, and very possible, given the state of advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and if the major nations confer, as called for by President Vladimir Putins invitation for a summit of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Four years ago, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai called for his nation to link up with the BRI, when speaking at a conference in India. On July 2, in a Global Times interview, Karzai said that collaboration is essential with China and the regional neighbor nations. Geopolitics must stop, was Zepp LaRouches call today, for what must be done. She said that it couldnt be clearer that necessity for intervention into the situation had to be based on the common aims of mankind. There is a huge need for reconstruction. It is in the common interests of all, who otherwise can be played off against each otherthe Pushtuns, Iranians, Baloch, Pakistanis, and so on. Zepp-LaRouche made the point that the empire factionthe British geopolitical networks, including inside the heads of some high U.S. officialsis not the only game in town! This will be seen, for example, July 6, at the World Parties Summit, when President Xi Jinping and others will celebrate the success of their development policies, at an online world conference with 500 representatives from 160 nations, and 10,000 total attendees. We are in the most crucial, decisive period, where we can turn dire situations around. We need to mobilize the spirit of people to do this. This is the real Fourth of July spirit! Kamala Harris Thanks Firefighters in Brentwood in Surprise Visit Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to spend another day at her Brentwood home today but has no public events scheduled, the White House said. On Sunday, Harris paid a brief surprise visit to a Brentwood fire station to thank firefighters for their service to the community. Accompanied by her husband Douglas Emhoff and Rep. Ted Lieu, D- Torrance, and his wife Betty, Harris visited Los Angeles Fire Department Station 19, near her home. In 2019, Station 19 contributed to the more than 1,000 firefighters who responded to the Getty Fire, which destroyed 10 homes and forced thousands of people to evacuate. ADVERTISEMENT Harris arrived at the station shortly after 11 a.m. with a box of cookies for the firefighters from Deluscious Cookies & Milk, a female-owned small business in Hollywood that ships nationwide and across Canada. During her 13-minute visit, Harris made references to wildfires and drought conditions, according to White House reporters traveling with her. This fire season is going to be worse than last year, she said. The courage you show is extraordinary, just extraordinary. You save lives, and you do it so selflessly, she told firefighters, adding that on the Fourth of July, Its important to remember the nature of who we are. Harris arrived in Los Angeles on Friday for her second visit to the city in two weeks. She spent nearly three hours in Las Vegas on Saturday, touring the Carpenters International Training Center and speaking on behalf of the Biden administrations infrastructure bill, then returned to Los Angeles in the afternoon. Harris trip to Las Vegas was part what the Biden administration billed as the Americas Back Together tour to celebrate the nations progress, with President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and members of the cabinet blanketing the nation. Vice President Harris surprises local firefighters on Independence Day Sunday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day, the Los Angeles Sentinel was invited by the office of Vice President Kamala Harris to cover her visit in L.A. with local front line workers. The Vice President and Second Gentlemen Doug Emhoff, were joined by Congressmember Ted Leiu and his wife Betty Leiu, a former California Deputy Attorney General, to surprise local firefighters from LAFD Station 19 and wish them a Happy Fourth of July. Vice President Harris delivered cookies upon arrival, the cookies were from Deluscious Cookies & Milk, a women-owned local small business that is based in LA and ships nationwide and across Canada. ADVERTISEMENT Vice President Harris thanked the firefighters for their service and sacrifice. You save lives and you do it so selflessly, Vice President Harris said. The Brentwood fire station is the Vice Presidents local fire station for her home in Los Angeles. In 2019, Station 19 was part of the more than 1,000 firefighters who responded to the Getty Fire, which destroyed 10 homes and forced thousands to evacuate. The Biden-Harris Administration has made wildfire preparedness, response, and recovery a priority as demonstrated by the wildfire briefing with western Governors and Cabinet members last week. From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. Hot weather kills hundreds of people every year. The World Health Organization estimates that from 1998 to 2017 more than 166,000 people died as a result of extreme heatwaves. That includes the more than 70,000 people who died during the 2003 heatwave in Europe. Yet, heat-related deaths and sickness are preventable. There are steps you can take to stay safe during periods of very high temperatures. Many things can affect your bodys ability to cool itself during extremely hot weather. For example, when the humidity is high, body sweat will not dry as quickly. This restricts the bodys ability to release heat. So, pay attention to not only the temperature in your area but also the level of humidity. Also, take note of nighttime temperatures. Experts say heat waves often become dangerous when the nighttime temperature does not drop much past the highest daytime temperature. Our bodies repair themselves at night when we sleep. So, hot nighttime temperatures put great pressure on the human body. Some foods and drugs can also affect the body's temperature. Alcohol, caffeine, and sugar, for example, can weaken the bodys system for cooling itself. On its website, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, explains that some people are at high risk of suffering from heat-related illnesses. A persons age and weight play a part in surviving high temperatures. People over 65 years of age and under the age of two are especially at risk of becoming sick from heat. Your general health is also important to consider. The CDC states that long-term diseases and conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and mental illness can put a person at greater risk. On its website the CDC also explains different types of heat-related illness what to look for and what to do. They include heat rash, sunburn, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and, the most serious, heat stroke. These are the symptoms of heat exhaustion: heavy sweating cold, damp skin that looks lighter than usual skin that looks lighter than usual fast, weak heartbeat feeling sick to your stomach, or nausea muscle pains, often called cramps tired and weak feeling dizziness headache passing out If you have these symptoms, you must move to a cool place, loosen your clothing, put a cool wet cloth on your body or take a cool bath and drink water. Get medical attention if you begin vomiting, or if your sickness worsens or lasts for more than an hour. The CDC calls heat stroke a medical emergency. Get medical help right away. These are the symptoms of heat stroke: high body temperature of 39.4 degrees Celsius or higher hot, red, dry, damp skin skin fast, strong heartbeat headache dizziness nausea confusion and passing out Experts at the CDC say that everyone should take these steps to prevent heat-related illnesses, injuries, and death when the weather is very hot: Stay inside in air-conditioned spaces as much as possible. Contact your local health department or locate an air-conditioned shelter in your area, if possible. spaces as much as possible. Contact your local health department or locate an air-conditioned shelter in your area, if possible. Drink a lot of water even if you do not feel thirsty. Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing and use skin products that protect you from sunburn. Do not try to do too much outside. Plan your outdoor activities carefully. Get in cool water to lower your body temperature. Check on friends or neighbors, especially those at-risk. Have someone do the same for you. Never leave children or pets in cars. Check your local news for health and safety updates. Do not use heating elements, like indoor stoves and ovens, to cook food. This will make you and your house hotter. And thats the Health & Lifestyle report. Im Anna Matteo. Anna Matteo used several websites to collect this information for VOA Learning English. The infographics are all courtesy of the World Health Organization. Caty Weaver was the editor. Quiz - Stay Safe in Hot Temperatures Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story humidity n. wetness in the air: the amount of wetness in the air sweat n. to produce a clear liquid from your skin when you are hot or nervous vomit v. to have the food, liquid, etc., that is in your stomach come out through your mouth because you are sick pass out v. to fall asleep or become unconscious symptom n. a noticeable change in the body or its functions that indicates the presence of a disease or other disorder damp adj. somewhat or slightly wet dizziness n. a condition in which you feel like you are turning around in circles and are going to fall even though you are standing still air-conditioned adj. a space that has a mechanical system used for cooling and drying the air in a building, room, etc. Fully support it It's a bit extreme but I understand why it's being done. I'd do it, but under protest. I'd quit. Vote View Results Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, "The Burzynski Breakthrough, The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It" is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net We opened much later than we anticipated, said Haker, citing issues on procuring necessary equipment and ample staffing to get the shop up and running. We were really kind of at a standstill, he said. I knew that being attached to a kitchen that I wanted to pursue more of an artisanal chef-inspired style of ice cream and not entertain the ideas of candy and toppings and syrup and all that stuff, Haker said. His vision was for a simpler take on the frozen treat. Everyone seems to be really excited that theres an ice cream shop on this side of the capital, general manager Brit Thielen said. Alongside the ice cream, Good News serves Intelligentsia coffee, a specialty coffee company based out of Chicago. In a months time, Good News will be working with local vendors to add sandwiches and light lunch options for customers to grab and go, including packaged salads and bowls. Harris makes a meal of the role, the sort of manipulative rich man who will either slap your back or stab you in the back (or both, if he can swing it) to get what he wants. He's the sort of amoral monster who would commit vehicular manslaughter and then drive on, and the viewer honestly hopes he is the Beast of the show title. But Frances needs to be sure, and the suspense comes as she tries to learn more about this strange, fractured family without blowing her cover. Meanwhile, the show also follows Nigel Strangeways (Billy Howle), a London police detective suffering from PTSD after the death of a colleague. Nigel has been reassigned to the Isle of Wight, and finds that his predecessor was either utterly incompetent at pursuing the hit-and-run investigation or actively obstructing it for some reason. Nigel becomes determined to find the missing driver himself, but we sense that rather than joining forces with Frances, he's on a collision course with her. I'd like to suggest retention of the name James Madison Memorial High School, but with the caveat that there could be a teaching opportunity inherent in the school name: that James Madison the person had two sides, one worthy of celebration, and one worthy of criticism; such is the nature of history; it can be messy and complicated, and not always binary in terms of who are the heroes and villains, wrote one alumnus. There is also a worthy discussion that could be had among present and future students about the wisdom of judging the actions of people in the past by the moral standards of today. After reading aloud from the Declaration of Independence a document signed by his still-living father, John Adams, and authored by his fathers former rival, Thomas Jefferson, who was also still alive John Quincy Adams used his address to frame a vision of the United States as a country that rejected a career of empire. In the critical passage of his address, Adams said of America: She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. She will recommend the general cause, by the countenance of her voice, and the benignant sympathy of her example. (But) she well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself, beyond the power of extrication, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy, and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom. Robert is anxious to have his day in court; however not at the expense of his Sixth Amendment rights, Cannick wrote, saying the request was not a delay tactic. Federal prosecutors hadnt responded to Cannicks request as of Monday night and declined to comment. Donnelly has yet to rule on the filing. Federal lockups have been quarantining transferred and newly incarcerated inmates since early in the COVID-19 pandemic as part of protocols to prevent the diseases spread. Kelly, 54, is accused of leading an enterprise made up of his managers, bodyguards and other employees who helped him recruit women and girls for sex. Federal prosecutors say the group selected victims at concerts and other venues and arranged for them to travel to see Kelly. The Grammy Award-winning singer denies ever abusing anyone. Cannick said that once Kelly's quarantine ends and he is cleared to meet with his lawyers, theyll be forced to jockey for one of a limited number of conference rooms at the Brooklyn jail. If a room is not available, he wrote, theyll have to meet with Kelly at a table alongside other lawyers and inmates. The nature of the evidence here does not lend itself to open frank discussions in such an environment, Cannick wrote. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Kyle Rittenhouse's attorney wants a judge to allow him to argue that one of the men his client fatally shot during a Wisconsin protest was a sex offender, saying it supports a defense theory that he attacked Rittenhouse and intended to take his gun because he couldn't legally possess one. As the Kenosha News first reported last week, Mark Richards maintained in court filings Thursday that Joseph Rosenbaum was convicted of having sex with a minor in Arizona in 2002 and was prohibited from possessing firearms. Rosenbaum started the altercation with Rittenhouse in hopes of making off with his assault-style rifle, which only bolsters Rittenhouse's self-defense argument, Richards wrote. Kimberley Motley, an attorney representing Rosenbaum's estate, said Tuesday morning that she hadn't read the motions yet and had no immediate comment. Richards also filed a motion to dismiss a charge that Rittenhouse couldn't possess a gun because he was too young under Wisconsin law, arguing that statutes prohibit minors from possessing short-barreled shotguns and rifles, and Rittenhouse's assault-style rifle doesn't meet that definition. In my office I listen all day to unsolicited opinions and try not to engage, as it is unprofessional, said Betsy Utnick, whose father, Sheldon Polan of Selden, New York, died in April 2020. She said she still cries every day because the grief has yet to subside. Noreen Wasti knows the feeling. She lost her father to the illness caused by the coronavirus on Dec. 27 and is having a hard time going on. Wasti, who writes and creates online content in New York, said she's unsure what it will take to get over the loss of Salman Wasti, 76, a retired biology professor from Glocester, Rhode Island. This has been the first time Ive lost someone so dear to me, so I never had a map for grief nor really understood the magnitude. I always thought youre sad for a few months and then youre OK. I was so wrong," she said. "It hits in waves and those waves feel as severe as the day we lost him. With so many people hurting and little personal interaction for months because of pandemic health restrictions, social media has become the place where many connect to share stories of loved ones and loss. One private Facebook page dealing with COVID-19 losses has more than 10,000 members, and continuing grief is a constant thread of discussion. Ken Kopp IV closed Lorraines Cafe on Madisons Near West Side on Saturday with no fanfare. Not even so much as a heads up to his loyal customers, some of whom had been eating there since Kopp ran New Orleans Take-Out in the same location. With COVID and everything, Im down to like two people on staff, Kopp said. One of them was just a Friday night cashier, so it wouldnt even make sense to try to have a last day. Kopp opened his New Orleans-Take Out, 1517 Monroe St., in 2002 and closed it in December 2019. Then, in one month, turned it into Lorraines, a cafe serving his version of island food. He owned Lorraines with his wife, Sajia Kopp, and the restaurant was named after her Jamaican grandmother. The couple is moving to Taos, New Mexico, where Sajias mother lives. The decision to close wasnt tied solely to the pandemic, but Kopp said early 2020 wasnt an ideal time to open a new restaurant. The pandemic sure didnt help, but even without it, if everything was normal, weve talked about moving down there, he said. Its definitely sad, but I was definitely ready for something different. Schwarz, the current law student, is enrolled in the same clinic as Hilton was. He spent his first month on the job poring through hundreds of pages of records and acclimating himself to cases, one of which dates back to the 1980s and another to 2006. Work over the next year may expose him to multiple stages of litigation. Having that full yearlong experience allows us to dive into the issues and better help clients with their needs, he said. It also allows clients to get more comfortable with students. State Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, agrees. As a former clinical student, this was the most important and formative experience of my time at UW Law, the 2004 law school graduate said in a statement. You need more than 3.5 months to learn and develop skills and enough knowledge to actually understand the issues at play and do substantive work. Tokaji said he understands that a single semester may not satisfy some students. Thats why were creating options for multi-semester, he said in an interview. Where I respectfully disagree is in requiring students to stay in clinic for 12 months in order to get the benefits of a clinical education. ... This is about giving more choices to students, not less. The field of Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson continues to grow, with a Milwaukee attorney and a former candidate for the state Legislature joining the race. Johnson has not said whether he will seek a third term. The most recent Democratic candidates to file paperwork to run are Milwaukee attorney Peter Peckarsky and Adam Murphy, an information technology business owner from Franklin. Peckarsky ran to be the Democratic National Committee chairman in 2017 but dropped out. Murphy lost to Julian Bradley in the 2020 state Senate race for a district in southeast Wisconsin. Peckarsky announced his candidacy on Saturday and Murphy has filed paperwork to run with the Federal Election Commission. They join five other announced candidates and a sixth who is poised to enter the race. The other announced candidates are state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski; Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson; state Sen. Chris Larson, of Milwaukee; Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry; and Dr. Gillian Battino, a Wausau radiologist. Daus completed one tour in Afghanistan from about March 2005 until May 2006. He worked as a light equipment operator, licensed to operate and work on all-wheeled U.S. Army vehicles. His tasks included clearing and building roads, clearing areas of landmines and resupplying bases. On one mission, Daus unit was assigned to find a way to expand a road through a mountain pass between Islamabad, Pakistan, and Jalalabad, Afghanistan. The pass was wide enough for vehicles to get through, but not wide enough to turn around in. Our mission was to go out there to see where we could expand into the mountain to get this pass bigger so that these vehicles that kept getting attacked or blown off the mountain wouldnt anymore, he said. But the Humvees that were dispatched were too wide and were forced to back up. I was taken off the mission at the last minute and someone else went instead and my Humvee got blown off the mountain, he said. Four people died, including the man who went in Daus stead who was engaged and had a child. I didnt have a kid at the time, said Daus, adding that it made him feel terrible. Some of the citations involved inadequate staffing, such as not having a psychiatrist present weekly and not having a full-time occupational therapist. Willow Creek told the state it was addressing the problems. Another inspection the following month yielded two citations, including one for not telling patients there is not a doctor present in the hospital at all times. In July 2020, the facility was cited for not having a safe physical environment after an adult patient and a juvenile patient were left unattended in an assessment area and the adult forced the juvenile to perform oral sex, according to an inspection report. Green Bay police arrested the adult, who was charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child, a felony. The facility said a staff member would monitor the hallway if more than one patient was in the assessment area. This May, Willow Creek was cited again for a lack of physical safety after groups of patients were found unsupervised. Another citation said the facility was providing detox services without approval. No response from the facility was available from the state. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. As daunting as delta is, the best firewall we can put up is obvious. Vaccinations are the biggest reason why Illinois seven-day rolling average positivity rate is now under 1%. Last Wednesday, Illinois had 259 COVID-19 cases, compared with a peak of 17,608 last November. And yet, despite that progress, more than half of Illinoisans have yet to be fully vaccinated. The states daily average for vaccinations has dipped from more than 100,000 a day in the sprint to the current seven-day rolling average of 43,219 vaccines administered. The delta variant is currently the greatest threat in the U.S. to our attempt to eliminate COVID-19, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, said at a recent White House briefing on the virus. Good news: Our vaccines are effective against the delta variant. We have the tools. So lets use them, and crush the outbreak. Younger Americans, those in their late teens and early 20s, have been particularly reluctant to get vaccinated. Reasons vary from strong ideological opposition to vaccines to indifference about the need to get them. The Biden administration says it will redouble efforts to get younger Americans vaccinated. Please log in to keep reading. Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} New nurses will work for a year and then they want to move on. It seems like we always have holes in our staff because we do not have the people to fill them, to the point that we use traveling nurses, Hansen said. A draft of the proposed legislation in Idaho, which Hudspeth shared with the Post Register, said loan payouts would cap at $75,000 over three years. Only full-time nurses working in federally-declared underserved areas could qualify. He said supporters plan to model the bill as an amendment to a state law that created loan repayment programs for other rural health care workers. Hudspeth said health care groups supporting the move are still working to find sponsors that could put the bill before the statehouse next spring. The draw of vast mountains, wide rivers and national parks that surround rural Idaho communities might not always win over workers looking for more exposure and specialized skills at larger hospitals. Brad Huerta, CEO of Lost Rivers Medical Center, said he cant think of a single rural hospital that would turn down a registered nurse. In a blog post to employees earlier this year, Bezos said he planned to devote more time to side projects, including his space exploration company Blue Origin, his philanthropic initiatives and overseeing The Washington Post, which he owns. First up, the richest man in the world by Forbes' estimate will fulfill his childhood dream of traveling to space. Bezos, 57, will blast into space on July 20 when Blue Origin makes it first flight with a crew, bringing along his younger brother Mark, an investor and volunteer firefighter. Bezos founded Amazon as an online bookstore and built it into a shopping and entertainment empire that is the second-largest private employer in the U.S., behind Walmart. Amazon, which is buying the MGM movie studio in its latest major acquisition, now makes movies and sofas, owns a grocery chain and has plans to send satellites into space to beam internet service to Earth. Jassy, who has been with Amazon since 1997, ran the cloud-computing business that powers video-streaming site Netflix and many other companies, making it one of Amazons most profitable businesses. Among Jassy's challenges are growing calls for tighter regulation on tech giants. A report by the House Judiciary Committee in October called for possibly breaking up Amazon and others, making it harder for them to acquire companies and imposing new rules to safeguard competition. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. HONOLULU (AP) Federal investigators said they will search the ocean floor near Honolulu for a cargo plane that crashed into the Pacific last week in hopes of finding recorders that could hold clues about what caused the aircraft to go down. Both pilots survived after their Boeing 737 crashed Friday as they were trying to return to the airport in Honolulu. The pilots had reported losing power in one engine and being concerned about the other engine also failing. The National Transportation Safety Board said investigators planned to use sonar on Monday to survey the debris field where the plane sank so they can recover devices that record information from the plane and capture cockpit sounds. The so-called black boxes can provide vital clues about the cause of a crash. The safety board said knowing the location, condition and depth of the wreckage will help it determine how to retrieve the records and whether to salvage the plane. When President Biden announced on the White House grounds that there was a long-awaited bipartisan deal on an infrastructure bill the greatest investment since the formation of the interstate highway system he apparently forgot to mention the fine print that was part of the bargain. Perhaps he forgot, or maybe he didnt want to disrupt the joyous occasion. Its not often that you see Republicans and Democrats slapping backs and shaking hands on anything, especially on things with partisan implications. Indeed, getting both sides to come to an agreement on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan was no small task and Biden helped make it happen. Notably absent from that White House photo-op were Democratic progressives, which probably was a sign that something wasnt quite right. The grand deal that Biden hammered out with Republicans quickly turned to no deal once Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi entered the fray. They want the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill all right, but only if Congress approves spending an additional $6.2 trillion package for what could be named the Socialists Dream Bill. See Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren for details. The issue will be front and center when the Senate returns from recess, and subject to any number of twists and turns. The search for a missing guest from Primland Resort in Meadows of Dan enters its fourth day as specialized ropes teams have arrived and expanded the full scale efforts to find Bruce Rubin, 61, who went jogging about 11 a.m. Friday and never returned. Because of the rugged terrain and great elevation changes, specialized ropes teams throughout the region are being utilized, Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith said. Smith said the 911 communications center received a call from Primland reporting Rubin missing at 7:20 p.m. on Friday. First responders, volunteers and search-and-rescue teams gathered at the resort and began searching Friday night and have continued since. The search will continued on Tuesday, Smith said. We are exploring any and all potential leads at this point, and we have the Virginia Department of Emergency Management directing the large-scale search effort. Primland Resort, at 2000 Busted Rock Road in Meadows of Dan, is self-described as a private estate located on its own 12,000-acre mountain complete with log cabins and treehouses perched above the Dan River Gorge. When Tommie Nelson was just 15, he changed his life and his name by joining the Navy to serve in World War II. He was aboard the USS Missouri and witnessed the signing of Japans surrender, on Sept. 2, 1945, which formally brought an end to the war. At 94, his service has not been forgotten: He has been honored by the Quilts of Valor Foundation, in a moving ceremony that, his daughter said, prompted him to talk about his war experiences. He was born Tommie Watson Nelson in a mill town that is now Eden, N.C. When he was 15, he went into the military, changing the spelling of Tommie to Tommy and dropping the middle name and said he was 18. He was so small at the time that his uniform, which he has kept, fit his great-granddaughter Mariah Penn when she tried it on at age 10. JaRonn Nelson said that her father had told her that everything was just so patriotic, and everyone wanted to do for their country that joining at that age seemed the right thing to do. It was a totally different world from what it is now, she said. Not long after Robertsons initial appearance on the federal charges, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies began to suspect that he was ordering firearms online. The motion to revoke his bond cites an arsenal of 34 guns that were ordered since Jan. 6. According to the motion, Robertson paid $3,600 for what was falsely described as Wedding Photos. Records from an online gun dealer show that other orders he placed amounted to more than $12,000. But Robertson never collected any of the guns, which were described by his attorney as antiques from the World War II era. As for the M4 carbine found when federal agents arrived at Robertsons home last month with a search warrant, he says he was away that day to meet with his pretrial case manager and that the gun belonged to his son, who had just been honorably discharged from the U.S. Army. And the partially assembled pipe bomb found in a garage was a prop for a law enforcement class taught by Robertson, and had been there previously when police searched his home, the motion states. Robertson remains free on bond. A court date for his hearing has not been scheduled. The popes authority is supreme, full and universal, said canon lawyer Nicholas Cafardi. So if his authority is at that level, who gets to decide that he can no longer exercise that authority? Theres nobody above him. THE VATICAN CURIA Francis may be in charge, but he already delegates the day-to-day running of the Vatican and church to a team of officials who operate whether he is in the Apostolic Palace or not, and whether he is conscious or not. Chief among them is the secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. In a sign that Francis hospitalization foresaw no change to the governance of the church, Parolin wasnt even in the Vatican during Francis' three-hour scheduled surgery. He was in Strasbourg, France, to commemorate the 1,300th anniversary of the death of the patron saint of Alsasce. Other Vatican functions are proceeding normally. Its daily noon bulletin came out again Tuesday with the names of new bishops appointed by the pope in Nicaragua, Nigeria and Britain. They presumably were approved ahead of time, although Francis could sign decrees and handle other matters of importance from his hospital bed, as St. John Paul II was known to have done during his many hospitalizations. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A POPE GETS SICK? Arthroscopic view after implanting the bone marrow derived fibrin clot and repairing the meniscus of the right knee. Credit: Osaka City University While this isn't the fountain of youth, scientists may have improved healing in jointseven in areas that become weaker with age. The meniscus is a durable, yet flexible tissue found in joints like wrist and knees that helps them absorb shock during movement. Occasionally tears can occur in the meniscus due an awkward movement or structural weakness from old age. When people are young, there is plenty of blood flowing to this area allowing for quick healing, but with age, the meniscus receives less and less bloodwith the inner most area becoming avascular. Tears in this area do not heal normally, often requiring surgery. Surgeons can draw fibrin, a protein involved in blood clotting, from peripheral blood (PB) or bone marrow aspirate (BMA), and implant a fibrin blood clot into the injured area to help with healing. However, little was known about the differential effectiveness of fibrin from the PB and BMA areas. Scientists from the Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, have evaluated the clinical results of a meniscal repair using BMA-derived fibrin clots and found that rates of clinical and anatomic failure, and re-tear were 10%, 6.7%, and 3.3% respectivelywell below their PB counterpart. The results were published in Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic & Related Surgery. "There are various methods of meniscal repair that try to prevent re-tear" states Lecturer Yusuke Hashimoto, "but the re-tear rate still exceeds 20%." To see if BMA can bring this number down, the research team had to first understand the levels of growth factors involved in tissue repair found in BMA and then see the effects BMA-derived fibrin clots had when sutured into tissue during meniscal surgery. Collecting bone marrow fluid and peripheral blood from five patients undergoing meniscal surgery, the team prepared fibrin clots for cytokine measurement. "Cytokine are proteins that stimulate the reparative process" states Professor Hiroaki Nakamura, "and through them, we are able to gauge the levels of growth factors like bFGF, TGF, and SDF-1." Cell count evaluations found that BMA was more abundant in these growth factors than PB. Next, as a two-year follow-up post-surgery, they examined pre- and post-operative clinical results and the healing rate of meniscus in 30 cases of meniscal surgery that was combined with a BMA fibrin clot. MRI results showed significant improvements in the condition of the meniscus compared to the preoperative results and X-ray evaluation showed no significant progression of knee deformity. "PB clots have been widely reported as a material to enhance meniscal healing," states Hashimoto. However, with a reported 20% of meniscal repairs having reoperation at long-term follow up, "our method of introducing BMA-derived fibrin clots into the injured area may become a treatment for meniscus injuries that until now have not been curable." Explore further Study suggests surgery better than observation for older patients with meniscus tear More information: Yusuke Hashimoto et al, Biochemical Characteristics and Clinical Result of Bone MarrowDerived Fibrin Clot for Repair of Isolated Meniscal Injury in the Avascular Zone, Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic & Related Surgery (2021). Yusuke Hashimoto et al, Biochemical Characteristics and Clinical Result of Bone MarrowDerived Fibrin Clot for Repair of Isolated Meniscal Injury in the Avascular Zone,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.arthro.2021.05.026 Provided by Osaka City University (HealthDay)Women who are breastfeeding and wonder if COVID-19 vaccination is safe for their baby may be reassured by the results of a new study. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, report that "vaccine-associated mRNA"the active components of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines"was not detected in 13 milk samples collected 4 to 48 hours after vaccination from 7 breastfeeding individuals." While a larger trial is needed to fully confirm the results, the researchers say their findings "provide important early evidence to strengthen current recommendations that vaccine-related mRNA is not transferred to the infant," so moms don't have to choose between COVID vaccination and breastfeeding. Pediatrician Dr. Michael Grosso, who is unconnected to the study, said it "addresses an important safety question," because breastfeeding women weren't included in COVID-19 vaccine trials. "To cause any harm through breast milk, three things all have to be true," explained Grosso, who is chair of pediatrics at Northwell Health's Huntington Hospital, in Huntington, N.Y. "First, some part of the vaccine material would need to end up in breast milk," he said. "Second, such material would need to be absorbed into the baby's system [remembering that the very reason most vaccines are injected and not taken orally is that the material is simply broken down in the stomach]. Finally, if present and if absorbed, the vaccine material would need to cause harm." Grosso said that most experts had already "agreed that none of these events were likely," and the new study seems to confirm that. The research was led by Dr. Stephanie Gaw, of UCSF's Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science. Her team conducted high-tech, detailed analysis of the expressed breast milk of seven lactating mothers who averaged about 38 years of age. Each had received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Breast milk samples were tested up to 48 hours after collection. No trace of mRNA from the vaccines was found in any sample. The San Francisco team noted that if minute amounts of mRNAfar too small to be detected by their testsstill managed to make it to breast milk, this genetic material would "undergo degradation by the infant gastrointestinal system" anyway. The researchers also noted that the World Health Organization and the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine both support the safety of maternal vaccination while breastfeeding. Grosso said other major medical organizationsincluding the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Academy of Pediatricsalso support breastfeeding by vaccinated moms. "Many other vaccines have been given to breastfeeding mothers in the past, and there are no examples where these have proven harmful," Grosso added. The study was published July 6 in JAMA Pediatrics. Explore further COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are immunogenic in pregnant and lactating women More information: Find out more about COVID-19 vaccines for breastfeeding mothers at the Journal information: JAMA Pediatrics Find out more about COVID-19 vaccines for breastfeeding mothers at the American Academy of Pediatrics. Copyright 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Indonesia warned Tuesday it was bracing for a punishing surge in COVID-19 cases as its daily toll soared to a record 728 deaths and hospitals crumble under the weight of the country's deadliest wave yet. Emergency oxygen supplies for virus patients were being flown in from neighbouring Singapore, while the government said Southeast Asia's worst-hit nation could see cases soar to more than 50,000 a day. Hospitals in the hard-hit capital Jakarta were topping 90 percent occupancy and more than a dozen facilities in Indonesia's second-biggest city Surabaya shut out new patients because they could no longer handle the huge influx. A Surabaya hospital spokeswoman described jammed ICUs and exhausted doctors, some infected with COVID-19. "The hospital no longer has rooms for patients who need ventilators. The ICU rooms are also full," said the woman who asked not to be identified. "We're overwhelmed. Many of our health workers have collapsed from exhaustion and some are also infected. We trying to get volunteers to help out." Nearly 1,000 Indonesian medical workers have died of COVID-19, including more than a dozen who were already fully inoculated, according to the country's medical association. Desperate families are hunting for oxygen tanks to treat the sick and dying at home. Thousands of troops and police are scrambling to enforce new virus curbs to bring down record daily cases, which soared Tuesday to 31,189 new infections and 728 deathsas much as seven times the daily mortality rate less than a month ago. Daily COVID-19 burials in Jakarta alone are up 10-fold since May, overwhelming exhausted cemetery workers scrambling to keep up. 'Worst case' On Tuesday, Jakarta said about 10,000 concentratorsdevices that generate oxygenwere to be shipped from nearby Singapore with some arriving by a Hercules cargo plane earlier. The government was also in talks with other countries including China for help, it said. Jakarta has ordered all the nation's oxygen supplies to be directed to hospitals overflowing with virus patients as the highly infectious Delta variant tears across Indonesia's main Java island, home to more than half of the country's nearly 270 million people. "The team is preparing for a scenario of up to 50,000 cases a day, maybe even 60,000 to 70,000 per day at worst," said senior minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, tasked with enforcing new virus rules. "But we hope that won't happen." Offices, mosques, parks, shopping malls and restaurants have been shuttered across Java under new curbs that started from the weekend. But there have been widespread violations. Authorities in Java's Semarang city fired water hoses at shops that have refused to close. Jakarta's governor Anies Baswedan on Tuesday ordered dozens of offices to be sealed after some employers ignored work-from-home orders. Surabaya's mayor at the weekend ordered that vaccine-rule violators be forced to tour a local cemetery, while in locals in Malang dressed as ghosts in the hopes of scaring rule-breakers in a country where supernatural beliefs are widespread. Indonesia's huge social media space has been jammed with fake news and hoaxes about the virus, while many have expressed doubts about taking vaccines. So far, only about five percent of the country's nearly 270 million people has received two jabs. A surge of Indonesians have rushed to buy controversial anti-parasite drug ivermectin to guard against coronavirus after it was backed by some heavyweight politicians, despite warnings against using the unproven treatment on COVID-19 patients. 'Major blow' The world's fourth most populous nation has seen its daily caseload soar in recent weeks with its tally at more than 2.3 million cases and 61,686 deaths. That figure is widely believed to be a severe undercount due to low testing and poor tracing measures. "The Delta variant has been a major blow to our health system...There is no way to get the situation under control" at current testing levels, said public health expert Hermawan Saputra. Indonesia is suffering the worst outbreak in Southeast Asia, ahead of the hard-hit Philippines which has more than 1.4 million infections, including over 25,000 deaths. Thailand is now in the grips of a deadly third wave while Malaysia has been under a strict nationwide lockdown since the start of June to fight a surge in virus cases fuelled by more infectious variants. Coup-wracked Myanmar is battling a new spike in cases, with authorities reporting more almost 3,000 cases Monday, up from around 100 per day in early June. Explore further Indonesia hits record of over 21,000 daily virus infections 2021 AFP In this June 4, 2021, file photo released by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, workers unload vaccines from a plane from Japan at the airport at the international Airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tuesday, July 6, 2021, that some 1.1 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine is set for shipment on Thursday as the self-governing island, scrambles to get vaccine to fight its worst outbreak of the pandemic. Credit: Taiwan Centers for Disease Control via AP, File Japan is set to send another 1.1 million donated AstraZeneca doses to Taiwan this week to help the self-governing island fight its worst COVID-19 outbreak amid a struggle to get vaccines. Taiwan, which had only a handful of deaths before the latest outbreak, has seen its death toll spike to more than 700. The number of daily new cases has eased, with authorities reporting 29 on Tuesday and 17 more deaths. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tuesday the AstraZeneca vaccine is set for shipment on ThursdayJapan's second shipment to Taiwan a month after it donated 1.24 million AstraZeneca doses. Many countries are struggling to get vaccines as manufacturers face delays in scaling up production quickly. Taiwan has blamed China for interfering in its effort to buy vaccines. The self-governing island is developing own vaccines but approval is still pending. Japan, with its home-developed vaccines still uncertain, is inoculating its own citizens with foreign Pfizer and Moderna doses but has no immediate plan to use AstraZeneca's, which are produced in Japan under a licensing deal. Under bilateral arrangements, Japan has donated 1 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine each to Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. Similar shipments are planned for Thailand and the Philippines later this month. Motegi said Japan is also donating 11 million doses to Southeast Asia and Pacific island nations through COVAX, the global initiative to provide vaccines to lower-income countries, after mid-July. That is part of Japan's pledge last month to donate 30 million doses of vaccine through COVAX and other channels. Tokyo's donations to Taiwan also signal its support for the island as China increases its pressure on the territory it claims as its own. Japan has no official diplomatic ties to China under the one-China policy, but it has economic ties and increasing security ties. Motegi on Tuesday stressed Japan's friendship with Taiwan and renewed his appreciation for Taipei's support to Japan during the 2011 tsunami disaster. 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The NSW Government faces a high-pressure decision this week about whether to relax current restrictions because of the latest COVID-19 outbreak, according to an expert from The Australian National University (ANU). Research just published by a team of modellers, economists and public health experts from the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, and the University of Melbourne sheds light on lockdowns. Lead author Professor Quentin Grafton said their research highlights the hazards of relaxing before zero community transmission is likely. They found the net benefits of lockdowns that are sufficiently long enough to get community transmission to zero far outweigh any short-term gains of relaxing lockdowns too soon. "Our key insight was that lockdowns need to be long enough to crush the virus, and that effective, longer lockdowns benefit both public health and the economy," Professor Grafton said. "Greater Sydney is approaching the end of the initial two-week lockdown. The NSW Government is under pressure to relax those restrictions, but decisions must be based on the facts on the ground such as the number of new cases, links to known chains of transmission, and the number of new cases not already in self-isolation." University of Melbourne Professor Tom Kompas said we need to rethink how COVID-19 outbreaks are managed. "We're a long way from a post-COVID world. If we think we can do away with periods of movement restrictions when uncontrolled outbreaks occur, we need to think again," Professor Kompas said. "The key point here is not to think about the economic costs over a period of a couple of weeks, large as they are, but rather to consider the costs over a period of months if community transmission continues." The paper also looked at the public health and economic questions facing Australia and evaluated the costs and benefits of restrictions that result in zero community transmission of COVID-19. "Our results support strategies that go hard against COVID-19 infections and get us to zero community transmission. This is especially the case now with this Delta variant and Australia's currently low vaccination level," Professor Grafton said. "To ensure compliance and to help those who are doing it tough, we need sufficient levels of financial support for the people who are most affected by lockdowns," he said. The study of Epidemiological modelling of the health and economic effects of COVID-19 control in Australia's second wave, was published in the Journal of Public Health. More information: R. Quentin Grafton et al, Epidemiological modelling of the health and economic effects of COVID-19 control in Australia's second wave, Journal of Public Health (2021). Journal information: Journal of Public Health R. Quentin Grafton et al, Epidemiological modelling of the health and economic effects of COVID-19 control in Australia's second wave,(2021). DOI: 10.1007/s10389-021-01611-0 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Mexico was facing an increase in new coronavirus infections after relaxing lockdown measures, although vaccinations were helping to limit the number of deaths, the government said Tuesday. There was a 22 percent jump in the estimated number of cases in the first half of June, Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell told reporters. "We have a situation where there is a rebound, which is the third rebound of the epidemic," he said. Deaths and hospitalizations, however, are not rising at the same pace, the country's coronavirus czar added. "We managed to reduce mortality and severe cases because that's the main effect of the available vaccines," Lopez-Gatell said. Mexico's official COVID-19 death toll of more than 233,000 is one of the highest in the world, and the actual figure is believed to be significantly worse. New cases and fatalities have dropped sharply since a January peak that overwhelmed hospitals, and the authorities have eased pandemic-related restrictions. The country of 126 million has given 32.6 million people at least one dose against the coronavirus. Explore further Mexico hopeful coronavirus cases have peaked 2021 AFP When children return to schools in the fall, measures to protect them from COVID-19 must be taken. Credit: Shutterstock The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on everyone and we are all looking forward to getting back to normal. But an ill-planned return could result in new COVID-19 waves, which means more stay-at-home orders and further economic decline and mental stress challenges. This is exacerbated by the appearance of new variants of concern, which are more infectious. Recent reports showed that the Delta and Kappa variants, which originated in India, can be transmitted in seconds by simply walking next to an infected individual. Planning the smooth resumption of indoor activities under current circumstances can be challenging because there are many factors involved in ensuring a safe return. Ventilation in schools needs to be improved before kids return to class and safety measures must be tested and followed. Safe return to normal Some measures for guaranteeing a safe return to normal have already been taken, like providing vaccines to everyone. The COVID-19 vaccine provides considerably more protection than natural immunity and is more than 90 percent effective at preventing hospitalization for older adults. So far, there have been no guarantees that school children will be fully vaccinated before going back to school. More data is expected about the effect of vaccines on children between five and under 12 years of age, possibly after schools start. However, data for kindergarten children is not expected to be available at that time. Other measures need to be taken to ensure the safety of schoolchildren before that time. CBC looks at ventilation in schools. Safe schools Measures such as physical distancing, proper ventilation and well-fitted face masks can substantially lower infection risks, if done properly. Respirators like N95 and FFP are more effective than single-layer or surgical masks. The risk is much higher for health-care professionals and recent studies recommend that patients wear masks and first responders and medical experts respirators. Germany and other EU countries have mandated wearing respirators in public areas. The effects of these interventions cannot be studied through experimentation because they compromise individuals' health. Our research attempts to solve this problem through modelling and simulating the spread of the disease, particularly in indoor spaces in the built environment. Combined with data collection, our simulation models can help plan the safe return to campuses, offices, schools and stores. The recipe to minimize the risks and create stronger plans can be summarized in three steps. The first step is finding affordable ways to measure indoor infection risks. Second, studying the factors that may elevate or reduce such risks using modelling and simulation. Finally, based on the results of the first two steps, visualizing how to mitigate the infection risks by controlling indoor environmental factors. Step 1: Measure the risk of infection There have been delays in recognizing that SARS-CoV-2 is airborne. Airborne viruses are spread through infectious aerosols and ballistic droplets that are emitted by people when they breathe, which can then be inhaled by another person. The risk of inhaling virus-laden air depends on many factors including proximity, air direction and air exchange rate. And the risk of infection depends on both the amount of virus-laden air you breathe and the amount and type of virus present. Simulations can show how infections can spread through particular classroom seating configurations. Credit: Hoda Khalil/Gabriel Wainer, Author provided As a general rule, the risk of contracting airborne transmitted diseases indoors is high. There are numerous cases that show that aerosols in poorly ventilated indoor environments combined with superspreader events are the main cause for the spread of the disease. Recent studies show outbreaks in a poorly ventilated courtroom and in various multi-unit buildings. There is increased risk for group living environments, which produced a higher number of secondary transmissions. To study infection, we use carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) as a proxy: higher CO 2 concentrations in a space with infected occupants can be an indication that individuals are inhaling larger amounts of viral particles. CO 2 concentration can be easily measured using affordable sensors. Research has provided guidelines for safe indoor CO 2 concentration levels that reduce indoor infection risk. The threshold of safe indoor CO 2 concentration depends on occupants' activity levels, for example sitting at a desk or exercising. Detailed indoor guides show that the two-metre/six-foot rule is not enough to prevent contagion. Plastic barriers are also not always useful and may not result in lower transmission rates. Step 2: Use simulations to conduct experiments We created indoor CO 2 dispersion models that mimic physical spaces while considering configuration factors that affect CO 2 concentration. These factors include CO 2 sources (occupants), CO 2 sinks (windows and ventilation ports) and spatial dimensions. By comparing data collected from physical spaces and data collected from simulations of these spaces, our research proved that the models mimic reality to a great extent. We have used a variation of the models to predict the risk of infection indoors, and have shown how different factors affect infection risks. Simulation shows that strong and distributed ventilation (blue) can help keep the occupants be at a lower risk (green squares) of infection for a longer period, while poor ventilation puts the occupants at high risk (red squares) of infection. Measures should be in place to guarantee a healthy indoor environment before attempting to resume indoor activities at full capacity. Our simulation models show that considering simple measureslike opening windowswould help improve air quality and reduce the risk of infection indoors. Poor ventilation would increase the CO 2 concentration and consequently the risk of viral infection in the presence of sick occupants. Comparing poorly ventilated spaces to well-ventilated ones through a simulation, with exact configurations and seating arrangements, proves that providing well-ventilated spaces is a must before returning to schools and offices. Step 3: Plan ahead These indoor models provide a way to factor in and measure the effects of adjusting different configurations as needed. Our research on simulating indoor CO 2 spread is an example of how science and technology can provide affordable tools to support decision-makers. The next step is to apply these recommendations to make well-informed decisions for reopening schools and offices. These recommendations include wearing high-quality masks that fit snugly against your face, high-quality ventilation and good air and temperature control to guarantee a safer return. The simulation results can also be used to influence human behavior by providing positive messaging to help combat pandemic fatigue. Explore further Improving building ventilation can help us control the spread of COVID-19 during the winter months This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Russia reported 737 coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, a national record of pandemic-related fatalities over a 24-period, as the country battles a new surge in cases. It marks the first time Russia, the fifth worst-hit country in the world for the number of infections, has crossed the 700-mark for daily virus deaths. Russia has set six new pandemic highs for COVID-19 deaths in the last eight days as it fights a surging outbreak driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant. In Moscow, the epicentre of Russia's outbreak, the Delta variant first identified in India now accounts for 90 percent of new cases, the city's mayor Sergei Sobyanin has said. He has ordered offices to send home a third of their unvaccinated employees and restaurants to allow inside only patrons who have been vaccinated or infected in the past sixth months. He has also mandated that 60 percent of service industry workers must be fully inoculated by mid-August. As of Tuesday, just 1.8 million of Moscow's population of 12 million had been fully vaccinated, according to the Gogov website, which tallies COVID data from the regions. Nationwide the total stood at just 18.2 million of Russia's some 146 million people. Authorities have faced a vaccine-sceptic population, with an independent poll this week showing that 54 percent of Russians do not plan on getting a COVID jab. The Kremlin had set a goal of fully inoculating 60 percent of Russia's population by September, but conceded last week that it would not be able to meet that target even though free jabs have been available since early December. With 139,316 deaths from the virus, Russia has the highest official COVID toll in Europeeven as authorities have been accused of downplaying the severity of the country's outbreak. Explore further Russia drops vaccination target amid record deaths 2021 AFP People's immune systems can be suppressed by diseaseor by treatments taken to deal with other conditions. How effective are COVID vaccines if your immune system is compromised by HIV, cancer or a recent organ transplant? Faced with very little dataand fears that some of these patients could be particularly vulnerable to the virusscientists are seeking to figure out how to best protect them. In one of the largest research projects into the issue so far, dozens of French hospitals have launched a two-year study of some 10,000 people to help shine light onto how people with these conditions respond to immunisation for the coronavirus. "The goal is to find out how we can best protect those patients," the study's head Odile Launay told AFP. Authorities like the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say people with compromised immune systems can receive the vaccine, but stress that there is still little data on safety. "If you have a condition or are taking medications that weaken your immune system, you may NOT be fully protected even if you are fully vaccinated," the CDC adds, urging people to continue to take precautions and to consult their doctor. Multiple doses People's immune systems can be suppressed by diseaseor by treatments taken to deal with other conditionsand this may mean their body has trouble producing the antibodies vaccines are meant to trigger. Conditions where this might be the case include diabetes, obesity, cancer, organ and bone marrow transplants, chronic severe kidney failure, HIV or multiple sclerosis. In the case of a transplant, a patient's immune response is suppressed on purpose to prevent his or her body from attacking the new organ. Another French study published in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at 100 transplant patients and found their immune response to vaccines was insufficient after two doses. Scientists recommended three doses for those patients, which is now the rule in France. The new study, which involves 30 hospitals and has been signing up participants since March, is aiming for 8,650 participants with compromised immune systems and a control group of 1,850 un-compromised people. Participants will have their blood drawn to measure the presence of antibodies at the time of vaccination and then again after one month, six months, one year and then two years after the last dose. "The data will allow us to adapt our vaccine recommendations to specific patient populations," Launay said. Other measures Health authorities could for example decide to shorten the waiting period between the first dose and the two or three booster shots that would likely follow for immune compromised patients. And in cases where vaccines failed to produce any results, doctors would opt for other strategies like vaccinating the patient's family and caregivers and maintaining social distancing. If a vaccine failure results in infection with COVID-19, researchers will also sequence the virus. This could pick up whether the illness is caused by an existing variantor even pick up any new mutations. While the COVID-19 virus typically infects individuals for around 10 days before being neutralised by the body, some studies have shown that certain patients, particularly those with compromised immune systems, may carry it for several weeks or longer. This increases the window of opportunity for the virus to mutate, potentially resulting in new variants. A similar study was launched in the UK in March, which will monitor 5,000 immunocompromised patients' responses to COVID-19 vaccinations. "We urgently need to understand if patient populations with chronic conditions such as cancer, inflammatory arthritis and kidney and liver disease are likely to be well-protected by current COVID-19 vaccines," lead researcher Iain McInnes of the University of Glasgow said at the time. 2021 AFP (HealthDay)Fifty-five percent of children, adolescents, and young adults with hematologic malignancies experience high-intensity end-of-life care (HI-EOLC), with an increased likelihood for those treated at medium or large hospitals, according to a study published online June 29 in Cancer. Sophia Mun, M.P.H., from the Yale Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy, and Effectiveness Research Center in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study involving individuals with hematologic malignancies aged 0 to 39 years at death, who died between 2010 and 2017. Patient sociodemographic and hospital characteristics associated with HI-EOLC were examined. The researchers found that 55 percent of the 1,454 decedents experienced HI-EOLC. The likelihood of receiving HI-EOLC was increased for patients treated in medium or large hospitals (adjusted odds ratios, 1.63 and 2.21, respectively), insured by Medicaid (adjusted odds ratio, 1.40), or receiving cancer-directed treatment in the Northeast (adjusted odds ratio, 1.50). "Insurance type, hospital size, and hospital region appear to significantly influence the receipt of HI-EOLC," the authors write. "Mitigation strategies may include earlier integration of palliative and/or hospice care when feasible as well as a policy change that enables interventions such as transfusions to occur in settings outside the hospital." One author disclosed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical industry. Explore further ED visits for leiomyomas increased from 2006 to 2017 Copyright 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved. The image represents a transversal cross-section of a mouse spinal cord. Neuronal cell bodies are represented in light blue delineating the butterfly shape characteristic of the gray matter, while glial projections are represented in orange-red. Credit: Diogo Paramos-de-Carvalho Mammals have a poor ability to recover after a spinal cord injury, which can result in paralysis. A main reason for this is the formation of a complex scar associated with chronic inflammation that produces a cellular microenvironment blocking tissue repair. Now, a research team led by Leonor Saude, group leader at Instituto de Medicina Molecular Joao Lobo Antunes (iMM; Portugal) and Professor at Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, have shown that the administration of drugs that target specific cellular components of this scar improve functional recovery after injury. The results now published in the scientific journal Cell Reports set the basis for a new promising therapeutic strategy not only for spinal cord injuries, but potentially for other organs that lack regenerative competence. This study was performed at iMM with collaboration from researchers at CEDOC NOVA Medical School and was funded by "la Caixa" FoundationCaixaResearch Call and Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (Portugal). Leonor Saude and her team have been studying spinal cord injury using two different models: zebrafish, which exhibit spinal injury recovery, and mammals, which show poor recovery. The dense scar that forms at the lesion site has been of particular interest. In mammals, upon spinal cord injury, researchers observed that cells start to accumulate at the lesion periphery. But not any cells: "These cells are known as senescent cells. They have specific features and markers and are what we can call 'zombie cells', where growth and division is interrupted, but where the normal cell death program is not activated," explains Leonor Saude. "While in zebrafish, the accumulation of these cells at the injury periphery is cleared out over time, in mammals, these cells persist and are important components of the dense scar observed. Because senescent cells have specific molecular markers, there are specific drugs that could be tested in this context," says Diogo Paramos-de-Carvalho, first author of the study. "With the administration of different senolytic drugs, that specifically target these senescent cells, we have observed a progressive decrease of these cells, a decrease in the scar extension and lower levels of inflammation due to a decreased secretion of pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory factors. The observed changes at the molecular level underlie the improved locomotor, sensory and bladder functions that we have also found," explains Isaura Martins, also first author of the study. "Although we are still far from healing spinal cord injuries in humans, we are learning more about the molecular signatures of these lesions and these new promising results can open new therapeutic strategies that can be applied not only to spinal cord injuries but in other conditions that lack regenerative competence," says Leonor Saude. Explore further Boosting the discovery of new drugs to treat spinal cord injuries using zebrafish More information: Targeting senescent cells improves functional recovery after spinal cord injury, Cell Reports (2021). Journal information: Cell Reports Targeting senescent cells improves functional recovery after spinal cord injury,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109334 Provided by Instituto de Medicina Molecular PERSONAL INSULTS and political attacks against those who are critical of President Rodrigo Duterte and the opposition are increasing in soci... It was a dig at Kobach, her main rival so far for the Republican nomination in the August 2022 primary. Kobach, a former Kansas secretary of state, built a national profile as an advocate of strict immigration laws. He later became an informal adviser to President Donald Trump and was vice chairman of a short-lived Trump commission on election fraud. But Kobach lost the 2018 governor's race to Kelly and a Republican primary in 2020 for a U.S. Senate seat. He has alienated moderate GOP and independent voters; some Republicans see him as a lackluster fundraiser, and University of Kansas political scientist Patrick Miller said the party's establishment would rather not have him on the ticket. Electability is probably going to be one of those issues that will matter in that primary, Miller said. You can't hit him on conservatism, right? So I guess you could attack him on style. And the whole place was just crawling with mule deer. I'm not sure if that's typical of every year. If we were having a harder winter, they might have been pushed out of there already, but at least this past December they were in there thick, he said. Using FWP data for the percentage of Species of Economic and Recreational Importance, the EA said the drill site and its access roads lay in third class territory (out of four). However, a swath of first class territory sits only a few miles away, representing economic and recreational value found in only a very small percentage of Montana. The White Pine Ridge site is also only a stones throw away from second class territory. Jack Atcheson Jr., a renowned big game hunter, knows the area as well as anyone. Hes a believer in multi-use of the land, but also believes in prolonging that use. I burn gasoline in my vehicles all the time, so I understand that dependence, but I'm worried about the long-term impact of that area for wildlife, he said. Thats real. He flies all over the world in pursuit of game, and is qualified to call the Tendoys world-class. White Pine Ridge and the roads to get there are significant in the big picture, he said. Rosendale cant write much without being wrong. He grudgingly says, In theory, there is nothing wrong with celebrating emancipation But we dont live in theory. Wrong. In fact (not theory), there is nothing wrong with celebrating emancipation, and further, it is important that we do. And no one claims we live in theory. Like his hero, and many of his fellow Trump acolytes, Rosendale manages to tell a bare-faced lie from time to time: Decrying what he claims will be the effect of the Juneteenth disaster, diminishing or even replacing other patriotic celebrations, he states, Evanston, Illinois has canceled its Fourth of July parade, and replaced it with a Gay Pride parade and Juneteenth Parade. All this within a roughly four-day period. The truth is, Evanston does not operate any of its parades; nonprofit associations are allowed to plan and conduct celebrations there. The July Fourth nonprofit parade group had already canceled its parade plans in March, due to the limitations imposed by COVID restrictions. Subsequently, on short notice after COVID restrictions were lifted, the nonprofit Gay Pride and Juneteenth groups were able to pull their plans together. A Juneteenth parade was held, but the Gay Pride parade was rained out. So either Rosendale doesnt know what hes talking about, or he is intentionally lying about it. One worries if this is the same degree of integrity and intellectual acuity our sole representative in the House applies to his legislative duties for us, his Montana constituents. Angry August is where youre just mad trying to get anywhere, Carr previously told the Star-Tribune. Angry August has started in June this year, he said. To help remedy some of the overcrowding in outdoor spaces throughout the state, Gov. Mark Gordon recently apportioned $6.5 million of remaining CARES Act money toward expanding the capacity at Wyoming state parks and historic sites. This will expand opportunities for people to spend time outside in the state, boost tourism and address overcrowding caused by COVID-19, a press release from the governors office stated. That money was already being put to use over the Fourth of July weekend. Glendo State Park, Buffalo Bill State Park and Medicine Lodge State Archaeological site had 135 new and temporary first come, first serve camping sites funded by the CARES money. Glendo had 30 of those sites, Buffalo Bill had 100 and Medicine Lodge offered five. Five new cases of COVID-19 were added to the countys total number of cases over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. And the North Carolina Department of Public Safety reported 18 active cases at Foothills Correctional Institution in Morganton. The Burke County Health Department reported a total of 10,443 cases on Monday, up from 10,438 cases on Friday. COVID-19 dashboards for the county have not been updated over the weekend, with the next update for the countys dashboard anticipated Tuesday. The county has previously reported a total of 169 deaths due to the virus. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services did not update its COVID-19 statistics Monday. The county health department continues to encourage anyone 12 years old or older to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine locations Locations in Burke County offering the COVID-19 vaccine include: Everyone is welcome; the class and supplies needed are free of charge. Participants must be 11 or older by the first day of class to be certified. Students under 18 must have a parent or guardian authorization. By state law, all first time bow hunters must complete a bow hunter education course and if born after Jan. 1, 1985, must also show proof of completing a hunter education program in order to purchase an archery license. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to keynote the signature fundraiser for the Republican Party in South Carolina, home to the first Southern presidential primary and a crucial destination for potential White House hopefuls of both major parties. Hes looking forward to coming down to South Carolina, being able to to deliver some red meat and speak his mind without having to worry about being a diplomat, state Republican Party Chairman Drew McKissick told The Associated Press last week, referencing a recent conversation with Pompeo. He delivers substance. The fundraiser known as the Silver Elephant Dinner began in 1967 with a California governor, Ronald Reagan, as its keynote speaker, and has become an annual attraction for top GOP figures. Headliners over the ensuing decades have included a slew of other Republicans who went on to vie for their party's top billing, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry among them. Pompeo, who also served as CIA director during his four years in the Trump administration, has been making the rounds in other states with early presidential voting contests, such as Iowa and New Hampshire, fueling speculation he will seek the Republican presidential nomination. Were all for this, Mark Mabeus said and his sister agreed. Josh Spies, associate director of conservation for the Nature Conservancy in Iowa, a nonprofit conservation organization that currently manages over 4,000 acres of land in Iowa, attended the meeting by Zoom and outlined a pair of selling options available to Sharon Mabeus. He indicated she could sell the property under a traditional market sale process or use a less common procedure that could involve a bargain sale. You can actually get a credit for up to 50% of the fair market value, he said about the bargain sale option. Sharon and Mark Mabeus, who have previously discussed the sale with county officials, said they were aware of the different processes and had asked their tax and financial advisors to determine the best option for them. We already know all this, Mark Mabeus assured the group, explaining one issue his sister had finalized was to request two payments over two separate calendar years. Hammond said she did not see any problem with that request, especially since the payments would likely still be in the same fiscal year. She said grants could be requested to help finance the acquisition. DES MOINES State traffic enforcement officials are pitching a highway safety message with an urgency like Iowans lives depend on it. So far this year, there have been 144 people die in traffic crashes on Iowa roadways heading into three of the deadliest months historically during the peak summertime travel period. A coalition of enforcement, transportation and safety groups are making a concerted effort in the second half of 2021 to make this the first year in nearly a century that deaths due to motor vehicle crashes stay below 300. The last time that happened was in 1925 when Iowa recorded 261 traffic fatalities. "We hope people can understand that this is probably the most dangerous thing that you do any single day is getting behind the wheel of a vehicle," said Bob Conrad, a senior Iowa State Patrol trooper based out of the agency's District 11 office in Cedar Rapids. He said stepped-up efforts to persuade vehicle operators to slow down, wear seat belts, drive defensively and stay sober and undistracted only work if there is buy-in from the motoring public. BOSTON (AP) A tomahawk once owned by Chief Standing Bear, a pioneering Native American civil rights leader, is returning to his Nebraska tribe after decades in a museum at Harvard. The universitys Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology says its been working with members of the Ponca Tribe in Nebraska and Oklahoma to repatriate the artifact. Larry Wright, Jr., chairman of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, said Tuesday the return of the historic weapon is a powerful symbol of homecoming for the tribe, which was among many forcibly relocated from their homelands to other territories by the federal government in the 1800s. Thats a piece of our history that represents who we are and why were here in Nebraska, so for it to be back home is very appropriate," he said. "It tells that history and lets us never forgot what our people went through. Standing Bear was arrested 1878 for leaving the tribe's Oklahoma reservation in order to fulfill a promise he made to bury his eldest son back in their tribe's homeland in Nebraska's Niobrara River Valley. In his landmark federal trial, he successfully argued for the recognition of Native Americans as persons entitled to rights and protection under law. UNC journalism school Dean Susan King, who supported Hannah-Jones throughout her application, said in a statement that she hopes "that UNC can learn from this long tenure drama about how we must change as a community of scholars in order to grow. The university's enrollment is approximately 60% white and 8% Black. More than 30 faculty members of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media signed a statement Tuesday saying they supported Hannah-Jones' decision and decrying the appalling treatment of one of our nations most-decorated journalists by her own alma mater." We will be frank: It was racist, the statement said. Asked if she agreed with their assessment, Hannah-Jones told AP that the facts speak for themselves. If there is a legitimate reason for why someone, who has worked in the field as long as I have, who has the credentials, the awards, or the status that I have, should be treated different than every other white professor who came before me, outside of race, I would love to hear that explanation, she said. I havent heard it yet. CEDAR RAPIDS Pareen Mhatre has lived in Iowa for nearly 21 years. But as she enters her final year at the University of Iowa, the biomedical engineering major fears she will have to win a lottery to stay in the United States. Even if I identify myself as an Iowan, I lack the sense of permanence and security, Mhatre said Thursday. She was just 4 months old when her parents brought her from India to Iowa City so they could attend the UI. For most of her life, Mhatre has been on an H4 visa as a dependent of someone holding a U.S. visa. However, because shes 21 and aging out of the immigration system, Mhatre must start the process of applying for an F1 student visa and then an H1B work visa, which is essentially a lottery system. Our existence in the country we think of as our home shouldn't come down to luck, Mhatre told a U.S. House panel during a hearing on the introduction of bipartisan legislation, the American Children Act, proposed to protect documented dependents of long-term nonimmigrant visa holders. The current legal immigration system has disadvantaged children like her, Mhatre and members of groups advocating for Indian Americans told representatives, because once they turn 21 they lose their dependent status and must start the immigration process all over again. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Kyle Rittenhouse's attorney wants a judge to allow him to argue that one of the men his client fatally shot during a Wisconsin protest was a sex offender, saying it supports a defense theory that he attacked Rittenhouse and intended to take his gun because he couldn't legally possess one. Mark Richards maintained in court filings Thursday that Joseph Rosenbaum was convicted of having sex with a minor in Arizona in 2002 and was prohibited from possessing firearms. Rosenbaum started the altercation with Rittenhouse in hopes of making off with his assault-style rifle, which only bolsters Rittenhouses self-defense argument, Richards wrote. Kimberley Motley, an attorney representing Rosenbaum's estate, rejected Richards' theory but declined to comment further since the case against Rittenhouse remains open. We believe strongly that Mr. Rittenhouse was the aggressor and his actions were not lawful, she said in a phone interview Tuesday. Richards also filed a motion to dismiss a charge that Rittenhouse couldn't possess a gun because he was too young under Wisconsin law, arguing that statutes prohibit minors from possessing short-barreled shotguns and rifles, and Rittenhouse's assault-style rifle doesn't meet that definition. BAGHDAD (AP) The leader of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia has vowed to retaliate against America for the deaths of four of his men in a U.S. airstrike along the Iraq-Syria border last month, saying it will be a military operation everyone will talk about. DHARMSALA, India (AP) The new president of the Tibetan exile government said on Thursday he will do his best to resume a dialogue with China after more than a decade, and that a visit by the Dalai Lama to Tibet could be the best step forward. Yard signs are shown at a rally for the recall campaign of California Gov. Gavin Newsom as supporters of the recall prepare for the upcoming recall election in Carlsbad, California on June 30, 2021. 'Life returns to almost normal': Guam needs 5K more adults to be vaccinated Traffic backs up on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in New York on Aug. 2, 2018. EOH is close to being blacklisted from doing business with the government, which will be a major blow to the company. Business Day reported that the possible blacklisting is punishment for a tender fraud scandal that surfaced three years ago and ensnared the IT company in the state capture project. EOH has made representations to the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) in mitigation of sentence for its past misconduct, Business Day said. Sitas executive caretaker and administrative authority, Luvuyo Keyise, said, the governments hard-line against corruption should be backed up by reform. This report follows an announcement by EOH that it is suing former executives for a combined R6.4 billion for not dealing effectively with corruption at the company. These executives include founder and former CEO Asher Bohbot, former CFO John King, former EOH Mthombo executive Jehan Mackay, and former EOH International CEO Ebrahim Laher. These lawsuits follow revelations of widespread corruption, BEE fronting, and paying kickbacks to win lucrative tenders. Under EOH CEO Stephen van Coller, the company committed to transparent cooperation with the relevant authorities, including the SIU, Hawks, and the Enquiry into State Capture. Van Coller even testified at the Zondo Commission and played open cards about the history of corruption at EOH. The EOH CEO was widely praised for his fight against corruption, but it had unintended consequences. EOH became the poster child for corporate corruption in South Africa. Steven Nathan, the founder of 10X Investments, said Van Collers actions keep reminding people about corruption at EOH, which has a negative impact on clients and staff. There are definitely consequences and some downside, Nathan said. EOHs potential blacklisting is an example of what Nathan was warning about. If the government wants to punish a company for misconduct, EOH is the obvious target. MyBroadband asked EOH about the government blacklisting, but the company did not respond at the time of publication. The Gauteng Department of Treasury has lost R6.8 million because it paid Microsoft Ireland in US dollars instead of rand. Adriana Randall, the DAs Gauteng Shadow MEC for finance and e-government, revealed the Gauteng Provincial Treasury lost R6,843,737.90 of taxpayers money due to negligence. The Treasury erroneously processed $20,913,793.81 to Microsoft instead of the rand value of R20,913,793.81 as per e-Government payment advice. This erroneous payment resulted in a debit amount of R318,307,941.79 from the e-Government bank account. After the error occurred, Gautengs e-government requested Provincial Treasury to recall the total amount from Microsoft. The money was successfully recalled in February 2021. However, because of the fluctuating exchange rate, the $20.9 million which was refunded only amounted to R311,464,203.81. The negligent transaction, therefore, resulted in a loss of R6,843,737.90. This loss was avoidable, and the DA wants to see action from the Gauteng government to avoid a repeat. Randall said the Gauteng government should have taken more decisive action against the government official responsible. The official responsible should have been suspended, and the money recouped from the official, she said. Consequence management is the only way in which errors like these will not happen and will send a strong message to any government official that is involved in negligence. Randall said the DA would not rest until this money is recovered for the benefit of the residents of Gauteng, and the implicated officials are charged. Jovana Morales, a policy advocate with Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability in Fresno, attributed the high rates of evictions to low representation of tenants in courts the only real way to use the defenses laid out by the state protections. She said most Central Valley counties have one, maybe two organizations providing legal aid, which have been stretched paper thin during the pandemic. "Everyone knows there is no one to help them," she said. Brandi Snow, lead housing attorney for Central California Legal Services in Fresno, said her organization represents a minuscule fraction of eviction cases in the region, but was able to persuade lawyers for landlords to dismiss several cases. In one, she said, a woman received a three-day notice for a lease violation because her dog, which had lived there for years, was suddenly deemed "too big for the unit" after she fell behind on rent. "We have the ability to look at all the text messages. We can prove it's actually a retaliation. But what about the people who don't come to us?" she asked. To be sure, some Californians have prospered in the 15 months since Newsom declared a public health emergency due to COVID-19 and imposed restrictions on personal and economic activities. Those who could continue to work at home maintained their incomes and those on the top rungs of the economic ladder were enriched as the values of their investments such as stocks expanded, thanks largely to the Federal Reserves cheap money policies. Newsom has a multi-billion-dollar revenue surplus mostly due to taxes on the affluent, money hes now spending on the wide array of new benefits hes touting in his campaign ads. However, broader economic data offer scant support for the roaring back mantra the governor is chanting these days. Its more like creeping back slowly. The states monthly report on employment, issued on June 18, frames the glacial pace of improvement. The state lost nearly 3 million jobs after Newsom ordered widespread business closures in March 2020, and since then weve recovered roughly half of them. Our 7.9% unemployment rate is still twice what it was before the shutdown and is the third highest of any state, slightly under Hawaii and New Mexico. As a neurologist, I see patients with chronic medical conditions. While these diseases are not curable, they are treatable with appropriate strategies, including medications that can give patients their best chance at a full and productive life. The key is selecting the best medication for each individual patient. Sometimes, however, the ability to make that critical decision is taken away from physicians by insurance companies that want patients to try other medications first. These medications may not be as effective as the one the physician has prescribed, and some have more potentially dangerous side effects. This practice is called step therapy or fail first, because patients are made to try and fail on other medicines before they are allowed to get the medicine the doctor originally prescribed. Such decisions are made on the basis of what is best for the financial health of the insurance company, not what is best for the health of the patient. Armenia Prosecutor General's Office asks Central Electoral Commission for permission to arrest Goris mayor Armenia acting Deputy PM receives Director-Business Development at Lufthansa Armenia MFA: Such steps by Azerbaijan leadership may lead to further aggravation of situation Armenia President condoles with Iraqi counterpart over tragic fire at Imam Al-Hussein Hospital Armenian acting PM receives Russia Ambassador Azerbaijan MOD reports about wounded soldier at Nakhchivan border with Armenia Search for fallen soldiers remains continues in Artsakh Armenia acting PM's Chief of Staff introduces new First Deputy FM to MFA personnel Body of 41-year-old woman found hanged from a tree at a park in Yerevan Armenia parliament to convene special session on July 15 Armenia MOD: 2 servicemen are missing, don't have weapons, might be in territory of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan MFA: Visits to Shushi are being made and will be made Armenia MOD: 38-year-old contractual serviceman dies after Azerbaijani army's provocation on border Armenia Constitutional Court announces end of examination of 4 political parties' claim against election results Parliament: Azerbaijan trying to form circle of supporters of its occupation plan against Artsakh Russia army General Staff deputy chief visiting Armenia Karabakh defense army: Our units did not open fire on Azerbaijan positions at Shushi outskirts Armenia bloc representative at Constitutional Court: Parliamentary election results do not reflect peoples will Armenia acting premier: I expect more effective, decisive actions from Investigative Committee Armenia President visits French embassy on France National Day Armenia National Security Service, police apprehend Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine employees Two Armenian captives 'trial' continues in Azerbaijan Armenia bloc member: NSS special detachment broke into Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine over walls, gates Vast majority of foreigners being vaccinated against COVID-19 at Armenia mobile points are Iranians Exchange of fire on Armenia-Azerbaijan border, Armenian side has one casualty Pashinyan to Macron: I look forward to hosting you in Armenia in near future as part of state visit 159 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Day 6: Representatives of Armenia political forces appealing to Constitutional Court to deliver closing remarks World oil prices falling Armenias Meghri has acting mayor Armenia Security Council chief dismissed Turkeys Erdogan pays $30.5m to Trump allies Newspaper: What will happen if Armenia Constitutional Court reduces ruling party seats in new parliament? Newspaper: Azerbaijanis sell Armenian national currency 3,000 people sentenced in Turkey to life in prison on 2016 state coup attempt case Holy Etchmiadzin responds to false announcements of Grand Mufti of Azerbaijan made in Artsakhs Shushi Karabakh: Azerbaijan is now destroying the Armenian "Green Church" Azerbaijan ex-FM: Azeris can't remove Russian peacekeepers from Karabakh and bring the tanks Alexei Overchuk discusses with Ilham Aliyev issue of organizing a Russian business mission in Azerbaijan Karabakh emergency situations service: Remains of 8 more servicemen found in occupied territories of Artsakh Karabakh Ombudsman: Gunshots were fired in vicinity of Shushi 1-year-old Armenian boy returned to Armenia from Russia's Tula Oblast, child's mother is dead and father is detained Armenia acting PM holds phone talks with US Secretary of State at latter's initiative Nikol Pashinyan says government will continue to support programs of Football Federation of Armenia Eurasian Peoples' Assembly Secretary General on Putin's statement on Armenia: Bad peace is better than good war US includes Armenia in Level 2: Moderate group in terms of improvement of epidemiological situation Armenia prosecution submits motion to Central Electoral Commission to strip Sisian mayor of immunity Lawyer submits report on crime to Armenia Prosecutor General Armenia President signs several laws Parties to give final speeches at tomorrow's session of Armenia Constitutional Court Putin-Lukashenko talks last more than 5 hours ArmLur.am: Armenia authorities finally decide to appoint Security Council Secretary to position of FM Armenia President receives chiefs of Police, National Security Service and State Protection Service Armenia Constitutional Court ends closed-door session, leaves for consultation room Haitian authorities intend to hold general elections by the end of the year Ukraine's Internal Affairs Minister Arsen Avakov resigns Armenia acting MOD receives Deputy Chief of General Staff of Russian Armed Forces Presidents of Israel and Turkey discuss bilateral relations Heads of a number of diplomatic missions accredited to Armenia invited to MFA Armenia Judicial Department Head Karen Poladyan resigns Digest: Armenia town mayor is arrested, 11 people get lost while climbing Mount Aragats Tehran announces readiness to release American prisoners in exchange for Iranian prisoners in US New emergency situations service building opened in Karabakh's Askeran with Tovmasyan Fund's support Armenian man's foot amputated after he was injured in mine explosion in Artsakh Truck loaded with stones falls into gulch in Armenias Kotayk, driver dies on the spot Armenia Constitutional Court to continue session behind closed doors Armenia Constitutional Court adopts decisions regarding motions Armenia 1st ombudsperson: Fairly small expectations from Constitutional Court consideration of opposition appeal One dollar reaches AMD 496 in Armenia Lawyer: Fraud during Armenia snap parliamentary elections was considerable, large-scale. IDBank's Visa Digital card: another key to online and contactless payments $18.7m to be invested in Armenia for next 8 years to establish new forests Ilham Aliyev receives Russia Deputy PM Alexei Overchuk Brother of mayor of Armenia's Masis arrested Armenia Security Council holds session chaired by Nikol Pashinyan Yerevan to have new master plan in 2 years Hraparak.am: No to corridor for Azerbaijan but road issue being discussed, not ruled out via Armenias Meghri Taliban say they will oppose Turkish forces if they do not withdraw from Afghanistan Maduro says there have been two assassination attempts MFA strongly condemns organizing of foreign diplomats visit to occupied Artsakh territories Ombudsman: A key issue when determining Armenia state borders is protection degree of border communities residents Tatoyan: Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation, demarcation impossible under current conditions Azerbaijan state agency publicizes data that that Baku is trying to conceal Armenia acting justice minister has assumption about reasons for 'absence' of 300-320,000 voters 13,342 Armenia citizens visit Georgia since reopening of borders Pompeo: US should support protesters in Cuba Armenia North-South road corridor 50km section construction in full swing (VIDEO) 138 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Congressman Schiff: Armenian Americans enrich our customs, traditions, communities World oil prices on the rise 11-person group gets lost while climbing to top of Armenias Mount Aragats Day 5: Armenia Constitutional Court continues considering 4 opposition political forces petition Ex-mayor of Armenias Meghri is arrested, says his lawyer Newspaper: Armenia acting PM meets with parliament ruling faction Newspaper: Armenia authorities to change model of government? Greece society outraged over their ambassadors visit to occupied Armenian Shushi city of Artsakh At least 44 people killed, over 67 injured in fire at coronavirus hospital in Iraq Newspaper: Issue of appointing Armenian FM is deadlocked Cuba President blames US sanctions for economic issues Armenia's ruling Civil Contract Party representative: President wasn't constraint to set date for snap elections Leader of the opposition Bright Armenia Party Edmon Marukyan informed on his Facebook page that he has addressed a letter to acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan with the recommendation to reinstate the Ministries of Agriculture and Culture. When amendments were being made to the Law of Armenia on the Structure and Activities of the Government in 2019, Bright Armenia parliamentary faction had presented an alternative structure of the government in order to maintain the Ministries of Agriculture and Culture, taking into consideration several major factors. However, the proposals werent accepted. Time showed that the absence of these ministries entail stagnation of several issues. Absorbing the Ministry of Agriculture into the Ministry of Economy meant de facto downsizing of the Ministry of Agriculture, and this subordinated the role of agriculture in Armenia a field that has always had and has an extremely great significance and a rather significant weight in the GDP in the country. Moreover, now it is possible to reserve the powers of the Food Safety Inspection Body for the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry of Culture shouldnt have become a department or have another status and incorporated into another ministry since Armenia needs to have a strong Ministry of Culture that will be capable of coordinating the issues of Armenia during cultural wars. It is also appropriate to recall that the features of cultural life have been one of the pillars for preservation of the Armenian national identity in all times, the letter reads. The Criminal Court of Appeal has completed the examination of the appeal against the decision to arrest Dr. Armen CharchyanIzmirlian Medical Center director, and an MP candidate from the opposition "Armenia" bloc, led by second President Robert Kocharyan. "The court left for the deliberation room, the decision will be announced on July 8," Erik Aleksanyan, one of Charchyan's attorneys, told this to reporters Tuesday. "The prosecution claims that there is a grounded suspicion that Mr. Armen Charchyan is related to the commission of the act he is accused of and, in fact, it is the grounds that were presented at the court of first instance. We [the defense] have presented our counter-arguments on this. We have asked the court to properly evaluate the video we have provided. The prosecutor continues to claim that the risk of obstructing the investigation is high, and if Mr. Charchyan remains in freedom, he will influence the witnesses," Aleksanyan added. The defense attorney noted that it was about 280 witnesses, but only 60 to 70 of them were interviewed. "According to the assessment of the defense, there is no accusatory testimony," Erik Aleksanyan said. Charchyan has been charged under Article 154.2 of the Criminal Codethat is, giving bribes to voters, taking bribes, violating the ban on charity during elections, or obstructing the exercise of a voter's free will. The court of first instance had ruled that he be remanded in custody. It had found that there were grounds to obstruct the investigation. Also, the court had found Charchyan's detention to be illegal. After his release, he had given a press conference during which he had argued that the criminal case against him was concocted. A recording was disseminated on the Internet, according to which Armen Charchyan was urging his employees at Izmirlian Medical Center to go and vote in the snap parliamentary elections on June 20. But according to his legal defense team, the edited version of that recording was submitted to the court, whereas in the full version, Charchyan had not threatened or put pressure on his employees. Armen Charchyan was transferred to Vardashen Penitentiary Institution on July 3 and is currently there. This is what Erik Aleksanyan, one of the attorneys of member of Armenia bloc (the bloc won seats in parliament following the recent snap parliamentary elections), already former director of Izmirlian Medical Center and doctor Armen Charchyan, told reporters today. Its not like he has good health. He has diabetes, and his blood sugar is very high. When he was being transferred, he had a statement of information stating that he needed to be under doctors supervision, but this isnt being ensured now, the attorney added. Aleksanyan stated that relevant measures are being taken to transfer Charchyan to the Hospital for Convicts. Charchyan has been charged under Article 154.2 of the Criminal Codethat is, giving bribes to voters, taking bribes, violating the ban on charity during elections, or obstructing the exercise of a voter's free will. The court of first instance had ruled that he be remanded in custody. It had found that there were grounds to obstruct the investigation. Also, the court had found Charchyan's detention to be illegal. After his release, he had given a press conference during which he had argued that the criminal case against him was concocted. A recording was disseminated on the Internet, according to which Armen Charchyan was urging his employees at Izmirlian Medical Center to go and vote in the snap parliamentary elections on June 20. But according to his legal defense team, the edited version of that recording was submitted to the court, whereas in the full version, Charchyan had not threatened or put pressure on his employees. Today Azerbaijani servicemen stole three horned animals from the minor son of a shepherd in Khnatsakh village and impeded the wheat harvest in Tegh village. This is stated in the statement issued by the Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan, who wrote the following: The Human Rights Defender of Armenia today received two reports about violations of the rights of residents of Khnatsakh and Tegh villages of Syunik Province of Armenia by Azerbaijani servicemen. Based on the reports, on July 6, 2021, the shepherd of Khnatsakh village grazed 40 large horned animals belonging to two families of the villages with the help of his 13-year-old son. At around 6-6:30 am, three of the animals approached the place where Azerbaijani armed forces are deployed. The son was near the animals and tried to not let them approach the Azerbaijani military post. However, the Azerbaijani soldiers moved forward, screamed and showed them that it was allegedly their territory, stole the animals and drove them away. According to established data, the shepherd immediately informed the head of the enlarged Tegh community. After receiving the alarm, the head of the village immediately contacted the first army corps of the Armed Forces of Armenia and Russian peacekeepers, and only after some actions was it possible to return the animals to the shepherd. The other incident concerns violation of the rights of the residents of Tegh village. In particular, the residents went to the area near the village with agricultural machinery to harvest their wheat, but the Azerbaijani soldiers didnt let them harvest the wheat. The Office of the Human Rights Defender verified the reports of the villages residents after discussions with the head and residents of Tegh village. These criminal acts of the Azerbaijani servicemen are aimed at depriving civilians of Armenia of the right to life, property and other vital rights, as well as to raise cattle and earn a living. All this needs to be considered intention since the Azerbaijani soldiers regularly commit such acts against the residents of the villages of Gegharkunik and Syunik Provinces. These acts not only a blatant security issue for the residents of Armenias borderline villages, but also contribute to the deepening of social issues. These incidents show again that it is necessary to create a buffer zone to protect the population of Armenia from the criminal acts of the Azerbaijani armed forces. FMO and AraratBank today announce the signing of a USD 10mln NASIRA loan portfolio guarantee. This innovative risk sharing program will make it easier for AraratBank to provide funding to youth, migrant, women and COVID-19 affected entrepreneurs, as losses on the loan portfolio will be carried by both parties. The NASIRA program is a risk sharing facility for local financial institutions, supported by the European Union and MASSIF, the financial inclusion fund FMO manages on behalf of the Dutch government. It is a new way of unlocking support to underserved segments, specifically young, female, COVID-19 affected and migrant entrepreneurs. In the longstanding relationship with FMO, AraratBank has proven to be a socially engaged bank, also demonstrated by their interest in the Nasira target customers. Especially in Armenia, with a large diaspora, this will also include returnees. These groups often remain underbanked due to high risks - both perceived and real - involved in lending to them, due to absence of collateral and credit history, among others. The guarantee program takes away this hurdle, by agreeing in advance to share possible credit losses. A technical assistance program is ready to support AraratBank in their plans to reach out to NASIRA target segments, stated by FMO press service. "I am delighted that the years of eraned trust has today led to the signing of one-of-a-kind agreement. The NASIRA program stands out for its risk sharing where AraratBank and FMO will jointly bear the risk of default on the loans to financially vulnerable businesses, enabling beneficiaries to establish and grow their businesses in Armenia. Another noteworthy feature of this program is that it is unprecedented also in the whole regionIts no secret that banks avoid financing financially vulnerable and high-risk businesses. We are happy that AraratBank comes up with such an offer, as we highlight the importance of providing access to finance and equal terms for all borrowers, said Mher Ananyan, Chairman of the Executive Board of AraratBank. ,,In our longstanding relationship with AraratBank, signing the NASIRA loan portfolio guarantee is an exciting next step. By reducing the perceived and actual risk of financially underserved groups and COVID-19 affected businesses, FMO aims to contribute to reducing inequalities within Armenia and enhancing financial support to small businesses during the COVID-19 crisis and its recovery period, said Huib-Jan de Ruijter, Chief Investment Officer a.i. of FMO. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian sent a congratulatory message to Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Baroness Caroline Cox on the occasion of her birthday. The message particularly states the following: You have always stood by the side of the Armenian people, shared our pain and suffering and supported our just struggle to achieve freedom and independence in every way, and your more than eighty visits to Artsakh serve as the best testimonies of real friendship. Taking the opportunity, I would like to express deep gratitude to you for the invaluable work that you have done since the very first day of the war and for your calls to the international community to protect the rights of the people of Artsakh. I am certain that your infinite generosity towards and dedication to the Armenians of Armenia and Artsakh will be remembered for centuries. Governor of Shirak Province of Armenia Hovhannes Harutyunyan today had a meeting with several land users who are concerned about the issue of irrigation water. As reported on the Facebook page of the regional governors office of Shirak Province, among the attendees were representatives of Shirak Water Users Company. The regional governor informed that, by the decision of acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, an inter-agency commission was set up a few days ago to prevent possible drought or water scarcity in Armenia, eliminate or mitigate the consequences of drought or water scarcity, coordinate the actions for identifying and promptly responding to possible issues, as well as coordinate the actions for development of a strategy on increase of effectiveness of irrigation. Harutyunyan presented the course of actions, adding that the chairman of the State Water Committee will visit Shirak Province and that all the possible measures are being taken to solve the problem. On July 5, residents of several villages of Shirak Province shut down the Azatan-Beniamin sector of the Yerevan-Gyumri highway with the demand to solve the irrigation water issue or compensate. The residents of Shirak Province had also shut down a road as a sign of protest last week. Ten years after the remarkable summit held in Kazan (where Armenia and Azerbaijan were only one step away from reaching an agreement on the principles of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict), third President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan has transmitted to Sputnik Armenia his article on the events that took place before and after 2018. Armenian News-NEWS.am presents the article. The malicious aggression of Azerbaijan against the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in the fall of 2020 and the consequences of the 44-day war compel to speak out once again about the approaches of Armenian diplomats by which the Armenian government was guided and was understood and supported at the international level before April 2018. The massive protests that were taking place on the streets of Yerevan and other cities and were encouraged within the country and abroad, brought to power people who, with their imprudent and irresponsible actions in the geopolitically difficult South Caucasus, switched on the timer for the gunpowder barrel, and that barrel exploded in September 2020. I will try to present the main parameters of the difficult diplomatic work that preceded the summit of the Presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in Kazan on June 24, 2011 which could have become, but didnt become a turning point in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. What preceded the Kazan summit? What preceded the Kazan summit were the intensive negotiations that had been held over the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries (Russia, USA, France) and especially the President and Foreign Minister of Russia over the preceding three years. I held 14 meetings with the President of Azerbaijan, bilateral and trilateral (with the President of Russia), as well as three dozens of meetings at the level of foreign ministers. During the negotiations, extensive work was done to agree over the Fundamental Principles for Settlement of the Conflict, the draft of which the Co-Chairs presented to the sides on the sidelines of the meeting of OSCE Foreign Ministers in Madrid in November 2007. After this hard work, we went to the Kazan summit with an agreed draft that contained several major changes. One of the indicator results of the work is the fact that the 2007 Madrid Document proposed to determine the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh through a plebiscite reflecting expression of free will of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia has stressed several times that it will be impossible to achieve a comprehensive and long-term settlement without the participation of Nagorno-Karabakh, and this was reflected in the preamble of the Kazan document which stated the participation of representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh in drafting the draft agreement on a peaceful settlement. This provision was missing in the Madrid Document. Whereas the text of the Madrid Document in November 2007 proposed to start drafting the peace deal right after the Basic Principles were agreed upon by the presidents of both countries, the Kazan Document stressed that the work on the draft peace deal would start after approval of the Basic Principles, meaning this implied approval, including on the part of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Co-Chairs were loyal towards this approach before April 2018. Diplomacy is a process that doesnt tolerate populists. In May 2018, when the new and populist leader of Armenia started declaring that he wont negotiate without the participation of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Co-Chairs accepted this with some doubt. Today, when Aliyev declared that there is no territorial unit called Nagorno-Karabakh, the authorities of Armenia are silent. It is important to stress that the three principles of international law (no use of force or threat of use of force, territorial integrity and the right of nations to self-determination), presented in Madrid, were maintained as a ground for settlement. Moving forward, I would like to particularly stress that ahead of the snap parliamentary elections held in Armenia in December 2018, the new authorities set the principles aside and agreed to resolve the conflict on the basis of the principle of fairness. Who led the Kazan Summit to failure? The summit in Kazan was held at the initiative of President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, and the Presidents of the United States and France expressed support to the summit. The text presented in Kazan was practically agreed between the sides, and in his letter addressed to the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan on June 20, 2011, Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov stated that, as agreed, the sides wont propose changes in the text of the Basic Principles during the upcoming meeting. Although the international community had great expectations, there was no turning point during the summit in Kazan since, at the last moment, Aliyev proposed more than ten changes, mainly in the agreed text. In Kazan, Azerbaijan actually challenged the international community, and this didnt strengthen its positions in the negotiation process. After Kazan After 2011, until 2018, intensive negotiations continued. Moreover, all the elements in the Kazan Document concerning the final status, interim status, security guarantees, corridor and other provisions, remained in the focus of negotiations since they were insisted by the international mediators. Failing in terms of diplomacy after the summit in Kazan, Azerbaijan escalated the tension in the conflict zone, with the hope to force the Armenian sides to be less demanding. The peak was the large-scale aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh in April 2016, and the aggression failed since Baku asked for ceasefire through Moscow. Azerbaijan didnt come close to achieving its political and military goals during the war in April 2016. It failed to impose its approaches by force, and the results of the summits held in Vienna in May 2016 and in Saint Petersburg in June 2016, as well as the several statements by the Co-Chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group reaffirm this. I have stated several times that I made a difficult decision to stay in power as Prime Minister in 2018 and lead the negotiation process to a dignified solution, and I wanted to leave secure and thriving Armenian states for the generations. In the spring of 2018, we had all the preconditions for this, and there was mutual understanding with the Co-Chairs. However, the irresponsible populists and their foreign patrons succeeded in destroying the foundations of Armenian statehood, weakened the country and deeply split the society, and this conveyed new air to Azerbaijans diplomacy. I have talked about the consequences of the criminal war that Azerbaijan unleashed with Turkeys direct support in September 2020 and stated why it was impossible to prevent or stop it, but an in-depth study on this is a different topic. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cant be settled without a solution to the issue of exercise of the right of nations to self-determination. Nagorno-Karabakh cant be a part of Azerbaijan. The international community must not recognize the results of the Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression. It must make efforts to achieve a real, comprehensive and long-term settlement. The current authorities of Armenia, which are ready to do anything to maintain power, are trying to show that the former authorities are responsible for the tremendous and tragic losses that Armenia and Artsakh suffered. Its clear that its impossible to make these authorities responsible for getting the country out of this situation. Some forces, and first the Azerbaijani-Turkish tandem, are trying to maximally capitulate the results and consequences of the last aggression against Armenia and Artsakh and impose so-called new realities on the Armenian society, but the future of the South Caucasus and the establishment of long-term peace and stability in the region cant be built by ignoring the national interests of Armenians. This seems secondary to the incumbent authorities of Armenia, which have turned Armenia and Artsakh into an object for bargaining in order to maintain their positions. However, this is a priority issue for Armenians in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora. The Wrap Whether hes peddling his Aviation Gin or a new movie, Ryan Reynolds knows how to make a memorable ad. The trailer for his latest film, Free Guy, sees Reynolds beloved character, Deadpool, at his most meta yet and officially joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The newest look at the video game-themed action flick dropped on Reynolds YouTube channel Tuesday morning, except the trailer itself is not whats new. Its the same trailer that dropped last month, but with a twist. Its actual peterschreiber.media / Getty Images/iStockphoto Pfizer and Moderna were the first two companies to get emergency approval for COVID-19 vaccinations, which they began distributing in earnest at the beginning of 2021. Although the shots were free of charge to any eligible Americans, the companies themselves were paid by the federal government. Since the U.S. population is around 332 million and the vaccination process requires two shots, it would seem like these companies reaped a financial windfall from their vaccines. Heres a look at how much money Pfizer and Moderna have earned from the vaccines, along with their stock price performance. Follow Along: 31 Days of Living Richer Read: 5 Fascinating Facts About Pfizer Pfizer Stock price as of June 30: $39.16 In May 2021, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer predicted that it would earn $26 billion from its COVID-19 vaccine, or about one-third of its total revenue. Some Wall Street analysts are even more bullish, however. Morgan Stanley analysts believe Pfizer will see $33 billion in 2021 and $32 billion in 2022, while Barclays analyst Carter Gould sees even higher revenues of $38 billion this year. Revenue is likely to drop off after the world is mostly vaccinated, which is predicted to happen by the end of 2022 or into 2023. Booster shots remain a possibility, which could continue COVID-19 revenue for the company even further into the future. Read: 14 Employers That Require Vaccines Plus More with Perks for Workers Who Get Their Shots Pfizers stock price, however, has not been as spectacular as some might have expected on the back of such huge revenues. Year to date, the stock is up just 6.22% as of the close of business on June 29. Over the past year, Pfizer stock has returned just 26.37%. These numbers compare with the S&P 500 YTD and one-year returns of 14.26% and 40.57%, respectively. Find Out: What the US and 4 Other Countries Are Spending on a Vaccine Rollout Moderna Stock price as of June 30: $234.98 Modernas revenue numbers pale in comparison to Pfizer, but investors who chose Moderna over Pfizer are much happier. In 2021 alone, Moderna stock has skyrocketed over 125%, while over the past year it has jumped an astonishing 279.75%. This is even though Modernas revenue from its vaccine is far less than Pfizers. Modernas management expects to pull in just $19.2 billion in 2021, about the same as the $19.6 billion predicted by Barclays analyst Gina Wang. Story continues Learn More: 5 Things You Might Not Know About Moderna Part of the explanation for Modernas much larger stock price gain is that the company had never turned a quarterly profit until it began selling COVID-19 vaccines. Moderna was also the company that received funding from the U.S. government to develop a vaccine. Although both Pfizer and Moderna received about $6 billion from the U.S. government for the vaccine, only Moderna used that money for the development, testing and manufacturing of the vaccine. Pfizers CEO explained that the company didnt want any government interference in the development of the vaccine, so that company bore the costs on its own. Vote: Should the COVID-19 Vaccine Be Required? Take Our Poll Future Outlook Both Wall Street analysts and these pharmaceutical companies themselves foresee declining COVID-19 vaccine-related revenue in the years ahead. However, just like the events of 2020 were unforeseen, theres no telling exactly how much vaccine might be needed going forward. Variants may arise which require new vaccines, and booster shots may be needed as frequently as annually. However, investors looking to profit from investments in these companies due to their vaccine products have likely missed the bulk of those gains. More From GOBankingRates Last updated: July 6, 2021 This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Months Into Mass COVID-19 Vaccinations, Heres How Pfizer and Moderna Are Faring A man who calls himself Jack Gold, 70, lives and sleeps next to Councilman Mike Bonin's Westchester field office. (Robin Abcarian / Los Angeles Times) Last week, L.A. Councilman Mike Bonins Westchester district director fired off an email to the city attorneys office complaining about a homeless man on the premises. On the hypocrisy scale, it wasnt as bad as a governor dining at the French Laundry while urging people to stay home, but the note did not look good. We have a person permanently staying in front of our office who is both disruptive to our ability to work and blocks the entrance, wrote Hannah Levien. Would this be considered an interference with business trespass? Bonin, a principled but polarizing figure who is the subject of a recall campaign, has said repeatedly that criminalizing homelessness is antithetical to sound public policy and no way to solve such a complex problem. During the pandemic, with Bonins full support, Los Angeles police did not cite illegal campers who erected dozens of tents along the Venice Boardwalk. The anti-social behavior on display, including rampant drug abuse and dealing, led some to dub one of the states most important tourist destinations Methlehem. The situation became hellish for everyone. And then, just as Bonin and others were about to unveil a program to get the tents off the boardwalk by placing campers in shelters and hotel rooms, L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva strode onto the boardwalk to announce that his homeless outreach team would be working to clear homeless encampments and that he might arrest homeless people if they did not leave the Ocean Front Walk by July 4. The sheriffs rhetoric and approach are damaging, as is the criminalization of homelessness, Bonin told my colleagues Doug Smith and Benjamin Oreskes. It leads to re-traumatization, breaks crucial connections with service providers. Bonin had already been working on a plan seemingly successful so far to connect homeless people with social services and move them off the boardwalk into shelters or hotel rooms, paving a path (one hopes) to permanent housing. Story continues On Tuesday, two days after Villanuevas threatened deadline, a few dozen tents remained on the boardwalk and the homeless folks with whom I spoke said theyd been contacted repeatedly by outreach workers from St. Joseph Center, who are placing residents in housing. All this is good progress, but many Venice residents are still fuming about what they perceive as Bonin's sluggish response to the crisis. His staffer's email served as a bit of gasoline on their already burning rage. Fox 11 reporter Gina Silva went to Bonin's field office and found the homeless man in question. He seemed taken aback when she read him Levien's email, and moved his belongings away from the door. After seeing the Fox 11 report, one of Bonin's constituents, an anonymous Mar Vista resident, penned a letter to him that was reprinted by the Venice Current, and widely circulated. How exactly, she asked, had the homeless man disturbed Bonins staffers? Did he push an unhoused woman up against the wall of the office and beat her mercilessly? she asked. Because that is something I witnessed right outside my home. ... Did he remove his pants and have explosive diarrhea all over the walls of your office? Because that happens all over my home and alley on a regular basis. ... Did you get a used heroin needle stuck in the side of your shoe as you walked to or from the office? Because that happened to my husband just last month. Bonins chief of staff replied via a statement to Fox 11, which read, in part, "Councilmember Bonin didnt know about this and it isnt how he personally would have handled it. In an emailed statement, Bonin called reaction to the leaked email a toxic political stunt. On Tuesday, I spoke with Levien by phone. She told me she has been deeply committed to helping solve the homelessness crisis and has been doing outreach on the boardwalk and in Westchester Park. The reason she was concerned about the man in front of her office, she said hesitantly, was that he often slept without clothes, within view of her office, where she often worked late by herself. :: On Monday afternoon, I drove over to Bonins Westchester office and found three men sitting in the shade of the portico near the entrance. One was the subject of Leviens email to the city attorney. He told me to call him Jack Gold, though that was not his real name. He got kicked out of a Project Roomkey hotel room, he told me, because he left it for two days. Levien, who knows him by other names, is working to have him reevaluated for housing. I sat down on the edge of a planter and spent an hour or so chatting with Gold and his neighbors Bill, 70, and T, 36, who did not want to give me their last names. Gold, who has a sonorous voice, told me he used to work in Pasadena as a street performer. For some years, he said, he lived in a 1977 Ford Econoline van that he abandoned on the street when it reached 300,000 miles. Occasionally losing his train of thought, he was both forthcoming and cagey about his family situation; he said he is estranged, but that reconciliation is not out of the range of possibility. He sat in a wheelchair because of bad knees, but can and did walk. His possessions are stashed next to a park sign. He doesn't want to stay in a shelter or a hotel room in the middle of nowhere and does not want to follow strict rules about curfews and wake times. Bill, who has a long gray beard and startling blue eyes, said he is a Westchester native and degreed political economist who has worked as car dealership service manager. He said he has lived in the park for 26 years. T told me he grew up in Exposition Park and graduated from Morehouse College in 2006. He wore a hospital band on his wrist, and his right eye was filled with blood. He said he had been jumped in Westchester Park by some guys trying to bring him down a peg. I have no way of verifying what they told me, but they were polite and gracious, hardly a threat. Levien told me that in retrospect, she regrets contacting the city attorney. She wishes she had approached Gold, perhaps with a service provider in tow, and asked him for a little distance, "human being to human being." I bet if she had done that, he would have complied. @AbcarianLAT This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. By Ghaida Ghantous and Marwa Rashad DUBAI (Reuters) - Rare public disagreement between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia over OPEC policy points to a growing economic rivalry between the two largest Arab economies which only looks set to intensify, several regional analysts said. The UAE's opposition this weekend to a proposed eight-month extension to output curbs, favoured by Saudi Arabia, was a rare display of defiance by Abu Dhabi, whose Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan has been a staunch ally of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The disagreement led the OPEC+ talks to be called off on Monday. "The current OPEC standoff signals a wider push by the UAE to assert its economic and national self-interest vis-a-vis Saudi Arabia," said Amir Khan, senior economist at Saudi National Bank. The alliance between the young ambitious princes had propelled a hawkish foreign policy that saw them launch a military campaign in Yemen, lead an Arab boycott of Qatar and combat Islamist political groups in the Middle East and beyond. But as Saudi Arabia tries to wean its economy off oil, it is vying with the UAE for foreign capital and talent, although economists say it will take time to truly challenge the region's business, trade and tourism hub. "There is this creeping economic competition in the relationship between the two biggest Arab economies and the competition is bound to intensify," said Emirati political analyst Abdulkhaleq Abdulla. "The UAE is speaking its mind ... but the relationship is strong and the leadership know how to resolve issues," he said. The UAE foreign ministry and the Saudi government communications office did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment on their economic and political relations. While common perceived threats from Iran and Islamist groups in the region are likely to keep a lid on political differences, analysts say, the two states are seen as likely to increasingly butt heads on matters of economic sovereignty. Story continues Riyadh has warned foreign firms they could lose out on state contracts if they do not set up regional headquarters in the kingdom by 2024 and in another challenge to the UAE's status as the region's trade and business hub, it this week amended rules for imports from Gulf states to exclude goods made in free zones, a major driver of Dubai's economy. Several diplomats in the region have said the UAE-Saudi alliance has gone as far as it can as national economic interests take precedence, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. COMMON CONCERNS The first indication of a parting of ways came in 2019 when the UAE withdrew its military presence in Yemen, leaving Riyadh mired in a costly war that directly threatens its security. Abu Dhabi still maintains sway via Yemeni forces, some of whom have challenged Yemen's Saudi-backed government. The UAE has also dragged its feet on a deal announced by Saudi Arabia in January to restore political ties with Qatar as Riyadh moved to ease friction with U.S. President Joe Biden over its human rights record and Yemen. While the UAE last year forged ties with Israel in a move that enjoyed bipartisan support in Washington, Riyadh has by contrast made tentative moves to improve its relationship with Turkey. But the UAE and Saudi remain bound by concern over Iran's expanding influence via regional proxies and security threats that pose a risk to their economic ambitions. The UAE started engaging with Iran in 2019 to ease tensions after attacks on tankers in Gulf waters and on Saudi oil plants that Riyadh blamed on Tehran, a charge it denies. The kingdom followed suit this year, launching direct talks with Tehran over Yemen where they are locked in a proxy conflict. The move came as Biden sought to revive a nuclear deal between global powers and Iran that Riyadh opposed for not tackling Iran's missile capabilities and regional activities. "The potential U.S.-Iran detente, the energy transition, and competition in non-oil diversification makes for a particularly challenging period of divergence this time round," Hasnain Malik, head of equity strategy at Tellimer, said of Saudi-UAE relations. Saudi National Bank's Khan said the UAE, which has invested heavily to boost oil output capacity, wants to move quickly to monetise reserves given a global push away from fossil fuels. Saudi Arabia is in greater need of price stability to deliver on domestic mega projects that are largely being driven by its sovereign wealth fund. "Now you can see head-to-head confrontation and the UAE is punching above its weight," one foreign diplomat in Riyadh said of the OPEC disagreement. "This is the first time the two countries exchange public and strongly worded accusations." While economic issues could see further public disagreement, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are expected to continue to deal more discreetly with political matters to preserve an image of unity, said British academic and Gulf expert Christopher Davidson. (Additional reporting by Davide Barbuscia and Saeed Azhar; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Kirsten Donovan) (Bloomberg) -- Sri Lankas risk premium for a default jumped, reflecting concern that the pandemic is damaging the nations ability to fill its foreign-exchange coffers ahead of at least $2.5 billion in dollar debt due in the next 12 months. The nations five-year credit default swaps rose to 1,553 basis points on Monday, the highest since March 1. A separate gauge of one-year default probability was at 27.9%, the steepest in Asia, up from around 13% over six months ago, according to a Bloomberg model where a reading above 1.5% signifies high risk of failure to pay. The first test comes July 27, when the South Asian nation must repay a $1 billion bond to investors. President Gotabaya Rajapaksas administration tightened capital controls last week, limiting how much foreign currency can leave the country, and speculation is growing that it may need to turn to the International Monetary Fund for additional finances after securing assistance from countries including China. These resources should enable Sri Lanka to meet its remaining debt maturities through the rest of 2021, said Sagarika Chandra, primary sovereign analyst for Sri Lanka at Fitch Ratings. Nevertheless, Sri Lankas debt repayment challenges will continue into the medium-term. Authorities have not yet specified plans for meeting the countrys foreign-currency debt-servicing needs for 2022 and beyond. Arrangements are already in place to settle the bonds due later this month, the central bank said in a statement late Monday. Two more payments become due next year -- a $500 million bond on Jan. 18, followed by $1 billion of debt maturing July 25. The other bonds also we will pay, said Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Sri Lankas state minister for money and capital markets and a former central bank governor, citing steps such as foreign- exchange controls and swap agreements with China and Bangladesh. Still, the uncertainty has prompted calls from some opposition party members for Sri Lanka to seek help from the IMF, which prematurely ended a $1.5 billion fund facility last year amid change in financing needs due to the pandemic. While the government and the central bank have said theres no need to go back to the Washington-based organization, it isnt uncommon for nations to renegotiate terms with the global lender of last resort. Story continues Sri Lankas government is instead aiming to pursue its own policy mix, including promoting import substitution and garnering support from bilateral creditors including India and China. It secured a $1.5 billion currency swap line from Beijing in March, and is expecting inflows including a $250 million swap facility from Bangladeshs monetary authority, besides a $400 million facility from the Reserve Bank of India to bolster reserves. Foreign-exchange reserves stand at around $4 billion, excluding the China swap agreement, according to the central bank. Thats enough to cover three months of imports. Concerns about repayment are pushing the cost of Sri Lankas dollar debt higher, with the yield on the 5.75% 2023 bond surging 96 basis points at Mondays close to 28.7%, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The yield on the 7.55% 2030 bond is near a three-month high of 16.5%. The sell-off may be overdone in short tenor debt, especially notes maturing 2023 and 2024, according to Ek Pon Tay, senior portfolio manager for emerging-market debt in Singapore at BNP Paribas Asset Management. The sovereigns near-term liquidity is not a concern, said Tay, who expects an IMF package to materialize in coming months and predicts Sri Lankan banks, which hold a third of the July 2021 bond, to plow that cash into other upcoming maturities. In the medium term, however, a renewed risk is a widening trade deficit given rising oil prices. Investors are also expressing concern about Sri Lankas capital controls, which are seen as a way for the economy to shun reliance on foreign borrowing, and more importantly ward off interference from the IMF, whose aid comes with strict conditions. The capital controls risk the emergence of parallel exchange rates, disrupt access to imports and ultimately may well stall the economy, said Tim Ash, a strategist at BlueBay Asset Management in London. They might all just make the end game more painful, rather than actually resolving anything. (Updates with details on future payment dates in the fifth paragraph.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. Jul. 6Red letters handwritten on a central-Toledo building Tuesday afternoon spelled "Forever 17," in reference to a youth killed nearby the day before. A neighbor, who refused to give her name, said she was home watching television when she "heard like a million shots fired" and ran to the basement so she didn't get hit by a bullet. She wasn't hit, but 12 people were. Toledo police Tuesday identified Stephon Johnson as the teen who has died from gunshot wounds suffered in a mass shooting the day before at a Fourth of July block party in central Toledo, which also left 11 injured. The Johnson youth transferred to Glass City Academy, a local charter school, in the spring of 2021; before that time, he was a student at Rogers High School from his freshman year through the end of his junior year, according to Patty Mazur, senior director of communications at Toledo Public Schools. Multiple gunmen fired approximately 80 rounds, killing the 17-year-old whom medics flew to Ann Arbor for treatment. The surviving victims ranged from age 11 to 51; nine of them were stable, but the 51-year-old and a 19-year-old were in critical condition, according to police. At 12:24 a.m. someone called the police about a male firing a gun in the air and a 300-person mob fighting in the street in the 2700 block of Lawrence Avenue. Officers arrived at the scene within 30 seconds while gunshots were still being fired. The Toledo Fire and Rescue Department, the Lucas County Sheriff's Office, and Ohio State Highway Patrol provided backup. ATF is offering $5,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the individuals responsible for the murder and the shooting. People with information are urged to contact the agency by calling 1-888-ATF-TIPS, emailing ATFTips@atf.gov, or submitting an anonymous tip through the "ReportIt" app. A separate reward may also be available by calling Crime Stoppers at 419-255-1111 with pertinent information. Callers may remain anonymous. First Published July 6, 2021, 10:08am MOSCOW (Reuters) - Belarus told Lithuania it will cut its diplomatic presence in its European Union neighbour to a minimum until the latter scraps "unfriendly" initiatives against Minsk, the Belarusian foreign ministry said on Tuesday. Belarus has been at loggerheads with Lithuania and the EU as they imposed economic sanctions on Russia's ally, targeting its export industries and access to finance after Minsk forced a Ryanair flight to land and arrested a dissident blogger aboard. Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, on Tuesday threatened to stop the transit of EU goods via his country to Russia and China in retaliation for EU sanctions. (Reporting by Andrey Ostroukh; Editing by Mark Heinrich) By Maria Kiselyova and Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber MOSCOW (Reuters) -A court in Belarus jailed former presidential contender Viktor Babariko for 14 years on Tuesday after convicting him on corruption charges he denied, sparking condemnation from the West and the embattled opposition-in-exile. Before his arrest last June, opinion polls suggested Babariko, 57, was veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko's main rival ahead of a presidential election which the opposition says was rigged last August to prolong Lukashenko's long rule. In power since 1994, Lukashenko claimed a landslide election victory and a new term as president, sparking the biggest protests in the modern history of the Moscow-backed ex-Soviet republic of 9.7 million. He denied electoral fraud. Ahead of Tuesday's ruling, allies of Babariko, the former head of Belgazprombank, said the charges against him had been fabricated to thwart his political ambitions. "It's an insane term for a man who decided to go into politics and became one of the leaders who woke the country from a long sleep," said Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a protest leader who fled Belarus amid a post-election crackdown. "...The regime is doing everything to kill off any thought that even remotely resembles faith and hope. But for Viktor - as for thousands of innocent people in prison - what matters most is the hope in our hearts," she said. The U.S. embassy in Minsk criticised the ruling. "The cruel sham of the Belarus court system is on display today...showing the Lukashenka regime will stop at nothing to keep power," the embassy said on Twitter. After Babariko was barred from running and detained, Maria Kolesnikova, one of his allies, joined forces with two other women - Tsikhanouskaya and Veronika Tsepkalo - to lead the opposition campaign. Kolesnikova is now in jail, Tsepkalo has fled abroad, and Tsikhanouskaya, who ran against Lukashenko and has since emerged as the opposition's most prominent figure at liberty, is trying to undermine Lukashenko from neighbouring Lithuania. Story continues The U.N. Special Rapporteur told Belarus on Monday to immediately free some 530 jailed people whom rights groups consider "political prisoners" as Washington's envoy hinted at the possibility of further economic sanctions against Minsk. U.N. Special Rapporteur Anais Marin said more than 35,000 people had been arbitrarily detained over the past year and that the fear of repression has caused tens of thousands of Belarusians to flee to seek refuge abroad (Additional reporting by Tom Balmforth Editing by Andrew Osborn) By Johnny Cotton TERVUREN, Belgium (Reuters) - Belgium's Africa Museum, once a celebration of the country's colonial rule, will begin a multi-year process of returning stolen art to Democratic Republic of Congo, the Belgian government said on Tuesday. From the late 19th century to 1960, thousands of art works including wooden statues, elephant ivory masks, manuscripts and musical instruments were likely taken by Belgian and other European collectors, scientists, explorers and soldiers. Following a 66-million-euro ($78 million) overhaul of the Africa Museum to take a more critical view of Belgium's colonial past, the government is ready to meet DRC calls for restitution. "The approach is very simple: everything that was acquired through illegitimate means, through theft, through violence, through pillaging, must be given back," Belgian junior minister Thomas Dermine told Reuters. "It doesn't belong to us." Millions of Congolese are estimated to have died from the late 19th century when Congo was first a personal fiefdom of King Leopold II, before becoming a colony of the Belgian state. Belgium will transfer legal ownership of the artefacts to DRC. But it will not immediately ship art works to the country from the museum in Tervuren, just outside Brussels, unless they are specifically requested by DRC authorities. That is partly because the museum, which has proved popular since its renovation and attracted hundreds of thousands visitors before the COVID-19 pandemic, wants to keep artefacts on display. One option is to pay a loan fee to DRC. Belgium says the Congolese authorities are conscious of the bigger audience in Belgium compared to DRC, which is one of the world's poorest countries, according to the United Nations. It has few cultural centres or storage facilities. "The museum believes it will be able to cooperate with the Congolese authorities, as is common among international institutions, to keep the objects in Belgium via loan agreements," said museum director Guido Gryseels. Story continues The museum also has a huge number of artefacts whose provenance is unclear. It hopes to use a team of scientists and experts over the next five years to identify them and to separate those that were acquired legally by the museum. "In five years with a lot of resources we can do a lot, but it could be work for the next 10 to 20 years to be absolutely sure of all the objects we have, that we know the precise circumstances in which they were acquired," Gryseels said. Placide Mumbembele Sanger, a professor of anthropology at the University of Kinshasa who is working at the museum in Tervuren, said the process was a simple one. "These are objects going back to their natural context so I don't see why we should ask so many questions," he said. "It's as if you go out and someone steals your wallet and the person asks you whether or not you are ready to have it back." ($1 = 0.8444 euros) (Writing by Robin Emmott; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) By Daphne Psaledakis and Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday, stressing the need for all parties to commit to an immediate and indefinite ceasefire in the northern Tigray region, the State Department said. The conflict in Tigray has killed thousands of people, displaced more than 2 million and pushed hundreds of thousands to the brink of famine, with international pressure building on both sides to end hostilities. The Ethiopian government declared a unilateral ceasefire last week after its troops pulled out of the Tigray capital of Mekelle in what it called a strategic withdrawal. The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) dismissed that truce as a joke and said it had driven the government out of the city. "That unilateral announcement needs to be followed up with concrete changes on the ground to end the conflict, to stop the atrocities and importantly to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters at a regular news briefing. Blinken also called for Abiy to commit to steps outlined by the UN Security Council last week, including the withdrawal of both Eritrean and Amhara forces from Tigray and the establishment of a process to hold those responsible for human rights abuses and atrocities accountable, Price said in a statement. Abiy's government has been battling the TPLF since early November, when it accused the then-governing party of Tigray of attacking military bases across the region. The TPLF has denied the charges. The commander of rebel forces in Tigray on Tuesday called for a negotiated ceasefire with the Ethiopian government and a political solution to the conflict, saying the government could not win the war. (Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis, Humeyra Pamuk, Simon Lewis and Tim Ahmann; Editing by Nick Macfie and Sonya Hepinstall) Bougainville's leaders set a deadline of 2027 to gain full independence from Papua New Guinea Tuesday during talks on the future of the once-wartorn Melanesian island. A resounding 97.7 percent of Bougainvilleans voted to secede from Papua New Guinea and become the world's youngest nation in a 2019 referendum. The poll capped a 2001 peace agreement that followed a decade-long war between Bougainville rebels, Papua New Guinea security forces and foreign mercenaries that left up to 20,000 people dead. Papua New Guinea's government has accepted the result, despite concerns that Bougainville's departure could cause the ethnically and linguistically diverse country to fracture. But it has so far refused to commit to full independence. Rebel commander turned Bougainville president Ishmael Toroama and Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape held talks in the Highlands town of Wabag on Tuesday to try to agree to a way forward. The pair agreed to a timetable for handing many powers to Bougainville authorities by 2023, amending Papua New Guinea's constitution and drafting a new Bougainville constitution, according to documents seen by AFP. The process would culminate in 2027, when Bougainville would "assume all or any sovereign powers" and would issue a "declaration of independence". But there appeared to be no agreement on whether that would mean fully fledged independence or a form of self-governance. Many Pacific Island nations have "associated state" agreements with regional powers that blur the usual lines of sovereignty -- ceding control over issues such as defence and foreign policy. Toroama insisted that independence has to be more than symbolic. "The message is clear -- this long journey must end sooner rather than later," he said, adding that Bougainville must become a country "no later than 2027". Marape had pushed for a slower timetable, insisting "this process cannot be rushed. The future of our nation is at stake." Story continues "My job is to ensure that the rest of the country remains united." Papua New Guinea's parliament will have the ultimate say on whether to ratify Bougainville's vote, and it remains unclear if the 111 members will block independence. "There is nothing to fear from an independent Bougainville," Toroama told them Tuesday. "While Bougainville will have new national symbols and a new international border, Bougainville will still be a Melanesian brother." arb/qan British Airways plane tail fins - which feature the UK flag - are arrayed in rows at an airport British Airways has settled a legal claim by some of the 420,000 people affected by a major 2018 data breach. The breach affected both customers and BA staff and included names, addresses, and payment-card details. The Information Commissioner's Office handed BA its largest fine to date, of 20m, over the "unacceptable" failure to protect customers. But BA's settlement - the amount of which remains confidential - did not include any admission of liability. Qualifying claimants While collective legal action is not as common in the UK as similar class-action suits in the US, group actions do happen. Law firm Pogust, Goodhead, Mousinho, Bianchini and Martins earlier this year said the BA compensation claim had become "the largest group-action personal-data claim in UK history", with more than 16,000 affected people involved. And on Tuesday, PGMBM, the lead firm in the action, announced the settlement included compensation for "qualifying claimants who were part of the litigation". But because the terms of the settlement are confidential, it is unclear how many of the 16,000 will receive a payout - or how much BA will end up paying. The ICO's multi-million-pound fine "did not provide redress to those affected", PGMBM chairman Harris Pogust said. "This settlement now addresses that." BA issued a brief statement saying it was "pleased we've been able to settle the group action". It apologised to customers and reiterated its stance it had acted promptly when it had discovered the problem. The settlement may now draw a line under the long-running and high-profile data breach. Following an investigation, the ICO initially said it planned to fine BA a record-breaking 183m for the 2018 incident. But it lowered that amount substantially after representations from BA. In its penalty notice of October 2020, the ICO said BA had argued penalties should be "significantly reduced or not imposed at all" because of the financial hardship airlines faced during lockdowns, when few flights were running. And the ICO had taken this into account when lowering its fine to 20m. (Reuters) -British Airways has settled a case brought by customers and staff affected by a massive 2018 data breach that led to personal information being leaked, the court-appointed lead solicitors in the case said on Tuesday. Law firm PGMBM said those affected by the data leak would receive a confidential settlement following mediation with British Airways. The resolution does not include any admission of liability by the airline, it added. British Airways, owned by IAG, revealed a breach of its security systems in 2018 that caused the personal data of 420,000 staff and customers to be leaked. British Airways in an emailed statement said it was pleased it has been able to settle the group action. Britain's Information Commissioner's Office in October fined British Airways 20 million pounds ($27.7 million) - the data protection watchdog's biggest such penalty at the time - for failing to protect the personal and financial details of its customers. IAG shares were up 3% by 0820 GMT on the London Stock Exchange. ($1 = 0.7212 pounds) (Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Louise Heavens) OTTAWA (AP) An Inuk leader who has served as a Canadian diplomat was named the country's first Indigenous representative of the crown on Tuesday an announcement that comes in the wake of a scandal over the nation's long mistreatment of Indigenous people. In naming the next governor general, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it is only by building bridges can the people of Canada move forward together. "Mary Simon has done that throughout her life, Trudeau said speaking at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec. I know she will help continue paving that path ahead. And we will all be stronger for it. Today after 154 years, our country takes a historic step. I cannot think of a better person to meet the moment. He said Queen Elizabeth II has approved the appointment of her representative in Canada. The appointment follows the revelation that hundreds of unmarked graves of children have been found on the grounds of former residential schools across Canada institutions to which Indigenous children were forcibly relocated for generations. Simon was born in Kangiqsualujjuaq, in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec, and is the former president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, a national advocacy organization. Simon began her remarks by speaking in Inuktitut, and then in English thanked Trudeau for the historic opportunity, saying she is honored, humbled and ready to be Canadas first Indigenous governor general. Simon described her appointment as a "historic and inspirational moment for Canada, and a step forward on the long path towards reconciliation. Simon replaces Julie Payette, who resigned in January following a scathing independent report on the toxic work environment that had developed during her tenure. A federal election is expected this fall. The prime minister would need to ask the governor general to dissolve Parliament to trigger an election. The 73-year-old mother of three children was once a broadcaster for CBC North and later began her career as a public servant when she was elected secretary of the board of directors of the Northern Quebec Inuit Association. Story continues Simon was one of the senior Inuit negotiators during the repatriation of the Canadian Constitution during First Ministers conferences that took place from 1982 to 1992, as well as during the 1992 Charlottetown Accord discussions. In 1994, Prime Minister Jean Chretien appointed Simon as the first Canadian ambassador for circumpolar affairs. She took the lead role in negotiating the creation of an eight-country group known today as the Arctic Council. Simon also served as Canadian ambassador to Denmark, was a member of the Joint Public Advisory Committee of the North American Free Trade Agreement Commission on Environmental Cooperation and was the Chancellor of Trent University. Tkemlups chief Rosanne Casimir with Terry Teegee, regional chief of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations (Ashleigh Stewart) The trauma is still fresh for the Tkemlups te SecweIpemc First Nation community, just weeks after the discovery of 215 unmarked childrens graves on their reserve, but that hasnt stopped them from helping other communities in need. Tkemlups, the First Nations government of Kamloops, in Canadas British Columbia, is offering assistance to fire evacuees from Lytton and the surrounding areas, as wildfires force evacuations across the province. It comes as the community remains in the midst of an investigation into the discovery of the remains of 215 children, who were students of the Kamloops Indian Residential School, in late May. The school was in existence from 1890 to 1978, and was the largest in the Indian Affairs residential school system, which is believed to have been behind the deaths of thousands of children. Visible reminders of the grim discovery remain, as the community temporarily shifts its focus to a more immediate crisis. Small wooden crosses, adorned with childrens clothes, line the highway that leads to the reserve. At the Moccasin Square Gardens community centre, which is situated beside the Kamloops Indian Residential School site and is now a fire donations centre, paper messages from local children are tied to a fence. They bear messages such as you are not just a number, and we love you. Notes left in memory of the children whose bodies were discovered buried in the area. (Ashleigh Stewart) The donations centre was set up on the reserve after the village of Lytton was all but destroyed by a fire on Wednesday, just days after it broke the record for Canadas all-time highest temperature for three days in a row, reaching 121.1F (49.5C). Speaking to The Independent on Monday, Tkemlups chief Rosanne Casimir says their community is resilient and is always open to helping people in need, regardless of the circumstances. As First Nations people, anytime anything catastrophic happens, our doors have always been open and weve always been there to support each other, she said. Donations are still streaming in at the centre, which is bursting at the seams with food, clothes and other resources for fire evacuees. Three buildings at the reserve are now full of stock, with tables and floor space piled high in each. Theyre currently seeking off-site storage. Story continues As well as providing goods, Casimir says 40 beds have been set up in the school site to take in people without a place to stay, while they also have tents and mattresses for those wanting to sleep off-site. Volunteers are showing up to help unannounced. People are coming from everywhere, whether theyre from a reserve or another community, they just show up. Theyre either providing physical hands-on help or just picking up a drum and singing some songs just to bring some relief, she says. We do have a lot of different areas of land that has opened up and they have also reached out to the band as well to say we can take animals and livestock. While the centre is now discouraging physical donations, Casamir says people are welcome to bring gift cards for fuel, food or phone credit, so people can get exactly what they need. But anyone who does show up with donations, were not turning them away. Because everyone is still wanting to come and do their part, and its about gratitude. Casimir is expected to release a report on the discovery of the remains on the residential school site imminently. However, while they are still working and progressing on that, she says they have been able to spread their resources to be able to help out with the fire response as well. A team from the Tkemlups natural resources department was out in the area fighting the fires as we spoke. People have made huge donations to those affected by wildfires (Ashleigh Stewart) Authorities warned on Monday that severe thunderstorms in the afternoon could worsen the fire situation, as lightning strikes could spark more fires. Casimir says she is concerned about the mental health of her community after the spate of recent hardships. With Covid, heat waves and the trauma of those old wounds opening with the residential school, all of that brings mental health issues. And now youve got smoke, which is going to be really hard for people with health issues. And then knowing that, potentially the fire risks, not just in the mountains, but in the reserves could be impacted. Terry Teegee, the regional chief of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations, who spoke out at the time of the residential school discovery, calling it a dreadful time of forced assimilation and genocide inflicted by the colonial Canadian state, said 85 per cent of British Columbias 204 First Nations communities were in rural areas. His current focus was on ensuring communication channels were open. Were really trying to make sense of what is going on. Were communicating with chief and council, and also First Nations emergency services. We need to get coordinated and figure out some of these very, very tough logistical things, especially communications and who we should be talking to, he said. Botanie Valley resident Andy Boss, his wife and three children, were at the community centre on Monday gathering supplies. The family had been in Kamloops since Friday after fleeing the fire. They dont yet know if their home, which is about 20 kilometres from Lytton, survived the flames. When the fire tore through the area on Wednesday afternoon, the family were driving into town to get dinner. We went around the corner and saw plumes of smoke, and then we went two feet more, straight into a wall of fire, Boss said. He explained they had enough time to rush home and gather some belongings, where they could hear the roar of the fire. It sounded like a jet and it was still 10 kilometres away. Along with about 30 other families from the valley, Boss, his family and three dogs, drove in a convoy out of the area through the only route available, an old logging road. Their truck now has deep scratches along its length, from the trees and scrub along the overgrown route. A policeman stopped us as we were heading along the road. I said to him, Is Lytton burning? and he said yes, Boss said. People ran for their lives. From the start of the fire to finish, it was about half an hour. The family spent the night in their truck in the nearby town of Lillooett, but left early the next morning due to the thick smoke, to take up an offer from relatives to sleep in their trailer. Speaking from experience, Boss said he expected to be in Kamloops for a while. The family were also evacuated due to a wildfire in the area six years ago. The loss of Lytton was particularly hard for Boss, who has lived in the town for 30 years as a contractor and had built many of its structures including the Lytton Chinese History Museum. When asked why he stayed in an area with such a high fire risk, he was resolute in his answer. Easy we love it. I know pretty much everyone who lives there. But thats our home. Read More How a group of beavers prevented a wildfire and saved California a million dollars Canada heatwave: Military called in to help battle wildfires The biggest fire season weve ever seen: Fire-ravaged British Columbia braces for more after deadly Lytton blaze Shocking aerial photos reveal warzone destruction in Canadas hottest town after wildfire sparked by a train Canada US heatwave: Aerial photos reveal wildfire war zone as heat dome kills hundreds They died trying to get to water: Rancher who lost his herd to wildfire has a dire warning (AP) Six months after the Capitol attack, US Capitol Police announced plans to open field offices in California and Florida to investigate threats to lawmakers, among other security measures in the wake of a deadly riot that has magnified the state of security in and around the halls of Congress. Federal law enforcement agencies have arrested more than 500 people in connection with the attack, and officials have suggested dozens of other arrests will be made, as House Democrats prepare to lead an investigation into an assault fuelled by false election conspiracy theories amplified by Donald Trump and his allies. But sweeping security steps among law enforcement agencies to prevent a similar attack have not been made clear, and congressional Republicans have objected to parallel probes into the attack as they downplay the events of 6 January and point to in-progress investigations at the US Department of Justice, while also suggesting FBI officials were complicit. US Capitol Police is implementing several recommendations from congressional reviews, including from a Senate Homeland Security committee, as well as a security review performed by Lt Gen Russel Honores task force and several other reports from federal watchdogs. The agency has been working around the clock with our congressional stakeholders to support our officers, enhance security around the Capitol Complex, and pivot towards an intelligence-based protective agency, according to a statement from Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman. More follows... Read More Capitol rioter who yelled this is our house dies in motorbike crash while awaiting trial Suu Kyi's lawyers fight over evidence in Myanmar trial At least a third of GOP midterm candidates have pushed Trumps false election fraud claims After at least 108 people were shot 17 fatally during the extended holiday weekend, Chicago police Superintendent David Brown on Tuesday insisted his department did its part in fighting the violence while casting blame once again on Cook Countys judicial system. Finger-pointing is your word that you use, Brown said to the media during a news conference at Chicago police headquarters. Im ready to debate about: Do we continue to release violent people in our courts into these communities? The message from Brown wasnt new. In recent times when Chicago has finished an especially violent weekend, he has often complained that what he believes is a too-lenient criminal justice system is putting too many suspects back on the street. Brown said too many criminal defendants are out on bail and electronic monitoring for serious offenses, even murders. Court officials and crime experts have pushed back on that narrative with data that suggests issues in the bond system are not a root cause of the problem. The shootings through the holiday weekend happened all over the city from Friday afternoon through early Tuesday morning, and mostly on the South and West sides, areas of Chicago that have long struggled with economic desperation, drug addiction, gang activity and other problems. Despite implementing departmentwide day-off cancellations and 12-hour shifts, the city still finished with at least 108 people shot. When asked whether the Police Departments strategies under his leadership are ineffective, Brown was quick to point out how Chicagos rise in violence over the last year and a half is part of a nationwide trend seen in other major cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Houston. But his rationale inevitably drifted into a discussion about what he perceives as an ineffective judicial system. We get into this conversation about effectiveness. We can take guns off the street. We can charge people with murder. But again I want to ask you a question in this (media) gallery. How many people think its OK to have over 90 people on electronic monitoring that weve charged with murder released back to our communities. Just show of hands, who thinks thats a good idea? Brown asked, without specifying a time frame for his claim about 90 defendants. Story continues When no reporters raised their hands, Brown said, after a brief pause: For the record, no one raised their hands in the media gallery and thought it was a good idea to release over 90 people comments that prompted reporters to raise their voices and tell him it is not their job to react to his statements in such a way. It creates this idea of lawlessness for people in the community who know someone murdered someone and yet they see them again the following days as if nothing happens, said Brown. Secondly, because these people murdered someone, the victim and their associates retaliate indiscriminately on where they are. They are the targets for retaliation. The courts ... have created an unsafe environment for large crowd gatherings because youve released people charged with murder back into these same communities where they committed this heinous crime. Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans office on Tuesday issued a statement seeking to deflect the criticism. The public must remember that bail reform, instituted by the Circuit Court of Cook County in 2017, is based on the constitutional principle that people should not be punished by imprisonment before they are tried, unless they pose a significant danger to the community, the statement read. It also included a comment from Evans. Looking at individual tragic cases in isolation may contribute to the speculation that releasing individuals before trial rather than incarcerating them whether by placing them on Electronic Monitoring (EM) or other forms of supervision means an increase in crime, Evans said in the statement. But speculation based on isolated cases is not the same as reality based on a complete picture, and research has shown that bail reform has not led to an increase in crime. Mayor Lori Lightfoot addressed the violence at a separate media event Tuesday, saying the Police Department rethinks its strategy every single day by reviewing data and hot spots as leaders consider officer deployments. Addressing victims, Lightfoot said, I want you to know we are doing absolutely everything we can to stem the violence. She also had a message for the rest of Chicago, she said. We must rally around our neighbors who are living in areas of our city that are under siege by violence. We cant ignore them. We cant forget them. We cant just say, There but for the grace of God go I, the mayor said. We all have a responsibility, all of us not just a mayor, not just a police department all of us have a responsibility. And in particular, we must hold our neighbors in our hearts, our minds and our prayers. Young people need to be urged to put down their guns, Lightfoot said. We have to love them. But quoting her mother, she added: We also must hold them accountable. We also must show them the way to a different kind of life by setting an example, by giving them real opportunities that they can grasp in their hand and choose to take a different path. Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx took to Twitter on Tuesday to say the number of shootings, killings and children who were shot over the holiday weekend was horrifying and community, law enforcement and the courts must work together to address violence. Finger-pointing instead of talking honestly about the violence plaguing our city doesnt help bring solutions that make our communities safer, Foxx, whose office is tasked with charging suspects accused of violence in Chicago, tweeted in an apparent reference to Browns comments at Tuesday mornings news conference. It starts with apprehending those who pull the trigger; police must make an arrest before a case reaches the courthouse door. Many of the weekends shootings occurred in the South Chicago and Calumet patrol districts, which encompass neighborhoods on the South and Far South Side, according to data. Other districts with several shootings over the long weekend included Ogden, Harrison and Austin on the West Side. On Saturday at 4:30 p.m. near 117th Street and Normal Avenue, a 5-year-old girl was shot accidentally in the right leg as someone apparently tried to scare a dog that bit the child, said Brendan Deenihan, CPDs chief of detectives. The girl is in good condition, authorities said. Also in the Calumet District, a 6-year-old girl and her mother were on East 119th Place at about 1 a.m. Monday during a drive-by shooting, Deenihan said. The pair survived gunshot wounds. Also early Monday, Austin District Cmdr. Patrina Wines and a sergeant were shot while dispersing a crowd in the 100 block of North Long Avenue, police said. Wines was shot in the foot, the sergeant was grazed in his leg and the officers injuries were not life-threatening. On Friday, before the start of the long holiday weekend, Brown was grilled by aldermen during a special City Council session about how his department is doing in fighting crime and violence. During one tense exchange, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, used Cook County data to challenge Browns assertions that the criminal justice system is to blame for increased violence, particularly with criminal defendants being released on bail or electronic home monitoring. Brown stood his ground, relying on anecdotes to support his claim of a criminal justice system thats too lenient. He cited the fatal shooting of 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams in April outside a McDonalds restaurant on the West Side, and how one of the defendants in the case was on bail or electronic monitoring at the time of her killing. While Ramirez-Rosa acknowledged that Browns anecdotes were horrific, he said the city should be basing public safety strategies on data. And he pushed back by accusing Brown of pushing a bad narrative and said if he continues to do that, then, Ramirez-Rosa said, Im going to have to say, Superintendent Brown, that youre a liar. The office of Judge Evans, in its statement, cited a Loyola University study last year that said bail reform had not contributed to a rise in crime. In deciding to release some individuals charged with crime to (electronic monitoring), judges are guided by looking at the criminal backgrounds of defendants before them. Only those individuals judged to pose a clear and present danger to society are kept in jail before trial, the statement read. Fewer than 200 defendants in the most serious cases filed between fall 2017 and the end of last year were released pretrial, the statement said. According to the office, 94% of murder defendants released pretrial were not charged with any new crime, and about 99% were not charged with a new violent offense. Through Monday, Chicago had recorded 362 homicides in 2021, two more than the same time last year, according to CPD statistics. This years figure is 42.52% higher than the same time frame in 2019. The figure does not include homicides that take place on expressways and are the jurisdiction of the Illinois State Police. Also through Monday, shootings incidents where at least one person was shot fatally or nonfatally were up by 11.78% over last year from 1,443 to 1,613, the statistics show. The 2021 shooting tally is up by 58.45% from the same time in 2019. Myriad factors for the nations violence spike in 2021 have been discussed among law enforcement professionals and crime experts, and many often dont agree. Some in the law enforcement world including Brown in his comments about Chicago have blamed a lenient criminal justice system for repeat criminals. Scholars have pointed at lingering effects from last years spike, including the pandemic, which exacerbated tensions in already violent neighborhoods. Theyve also cited the civil unrest, brought upon by the police killing of George Floyd, as possibly having an impact. The experts have also pointed to a possible relationship between huge sales in legal firearms across the country since the pandemic began with the amount of illegal guns confiscated by police on the streets. Through Monday, Chicago police say theyve recovered 6,184 guns, up by 26.36% over last years period, and a 13.68% rise from the same time in 2019. During Mondays news conference, Brown mentioned how his department has done its job on the streets, particularly citing the 6,000-plus guns that his officers have taken off the streets this year. But when asked how the communities around Chicago recognize those efforts, he said one thing can change that. The fourth branch of government. The media will change it, said Brown. Thomas Jefferson said Id rather have media and no government than government and no media. Its going to be the fourth branch of government that changes what happens in the courts. jgorner@chicagotribune.com gpratt@chicagotribune.com By Luis Jaime Acosta BOGOTA (Reuters) - A Colombian court on Tuesday accused 10 members of the military and a civilian of forcibly disappearing 24 people and murdering at least 120 civilians and falsely presenting them as guerrilla fighters who had been killed in combat. This is the first time Colombia's Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) tribunal has accused members of Colombia's army in connection with the so-called false positives scandal, in which soldiers murdered civilians and classified them as rebels killed in combat so they could receive promotions or other benefits. The defendants played a decisive role in the murders, which were presented as combat deaths in the Catatumbo region of Colombia's Norte de Santander province between January 2007 and August 2008, in order to inflate body counts, the court said. The accused, identified by the JEP as those responsible for giving orders without which the crimes would not have systematically happened, include a general, six officers, three non-commissioned officers, and a civilian. "It was a pattern of macrocriminality, which is to say, the repetition of at least 120 murders during two years in the same region by the same group of people associated with a criminal organization and following the same modus operandi," said magistrate Catalina Diaz. Victims included farmers and retailers, among others, she said. The JEP is a tribunal created under the 2016 peace deal to prosecute former FARC members and military leaders for alleged war crimes. At least 6,402 people were murdered by members of Colombia's army between 2002 and 2008 according to the JEP, while some victims groups say the figure could be higher. Dozens of army officers who have been detained and convicted for their part in the scandal have testified before the JEP as they seek more lenient sentences. If those accused on Tuesday do not accept the charges within 30 days, they could receive a sentence of up to 20 years in jail in a civilian court, said magistrate and JEP president Eduardo Cifuentes. (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Aurora Ellis) Connecticut Childrens Medical Center and the Yale New Haven Health System will require all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Childrens and the much larger Yale system are the first health care facilities to publicly say they will mandate vaccinations for employees. The decisions were made days after the Connecticut Hospital Association endorsed mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for health care workers on June 24. Connecticut Childrens told employees in a June 29 letter from president and CEO Jim Shmerling that theyll have until the end of September to get fully vaccinated. To align with CHAs decision, Connecticut Childrens will make the COVID-19 vaccine a condition of employment for all team members effective Sept. 30, 2021, Shmerlings letter said. It is particularly important for us to implement this requirement, as approximately, 66% of our patients are in the age group that is still vulnerable to COVID-19 children under the age of 12. The letter added that the hospitals physician-in-chief Juan Salazar strongly endorsed the mandate. A Connecticut Childrens spokesperson confirmed Tuesday that the hospital would mandate vaccination. We have a privilege and and responsibility to keep our patient population safe from the moment they enter our doors, Shmerling said in a statement. Yale New Haven Health CEO and president Marna Borgstrom and chief clinical officer Dr. Tom Balcezak detailed their new policy in a press conference last Wednesday. We believe at Yale New Haven Health that as healthcare providers, its just consistent with our role to make sure that we provide the safest, greatest care to people who come into our organization, and that we also do our part to support public health, which has been greatly enhanced in this state because of the utilization and uptake of the vaccine, Borgstrom said. We know that theres some hesitancy that exists, but I think the data are quite clear that these vaccinations have been very effective. Story continues Both hospitals will require employees to submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination. Other local hospital systems, including Hartford HealthCare and UConn Health say they have not yet decided to mandate vaccinations for staff, while leaving open the possibility they will opt to do so. Experts say employers can mandate vaccinations provided they permit exemptions, such as for medical and religious reasons. Both Connecticut Childrens and Yale New Haven pointed to the precedent of their hospitals already mandating vaccines, such as for the flu. Yale New Haven Healths exact policy, including a vaccination deadline, is still being worked out and will be rolled out over the next few weeks, Balcezak said. He added that 81 percent of Yale New Havens medical staff and employees have been vaccinated. At Connecticut Childrens exemptions will be made on a case-by-case basis, according to Shmerlings letter, and the hospital will schedule clinics to facilitate employees vaccination process. Yale New Haven Health is working out possible exemptions, but Borgstrom said clinicians do not believe there are health exemptions. ... I do think its safe to say that it will be hard to have people who are exempt from the vaccine in direct patient care. Balcezak said those who receive exemptions could also be required to undergo additional testing, and that those whose exemption requests are rejected but still dont get the vaccine will face consequences. The hospitals mandates comes as employers determine whether to require their employees to get vaccinated, particularly amid growing concerns over the spread of COVID-19 variants. UConn, Wesleyan and Yale, for example, are requiring students be vaccinated entering the 2021-22 school year. An American Medical Association survey released in June said that 96 percent of U.S. physicians have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, while the American Nurses Foundation found in a March survey that 70 percent of nurses had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. Hospitals are leaders in Connecticuts response to the pandemic and we believe taking this step is in further support of public health and the safety of our patients and workforce, said Jennifer Jackson, CEO CHA, when announcing the associations new policy. The science is clear, vaccines are safe and effective, and are proving to be the best way to eliminate the spread of COVID-19 in our state. As Yale New Haven Health and Connecticut Childrens have decided to mandate vaccinations, other hospital systems have hesitated. In a statement Monday, Hartford HealthCare chief clinical officer Dr. Ajay Kumar said the system supports [CHAs] action and is collaborating with the hospital association on the development of the administrative aspects of implementing a policy to support it. This is part of our commitment to patient safety and our role in protecting the publics health from COVID-19, Kumar said, adding that 73 percent of Hartford HealthCares 28,000 colleagues have had at least one vaccine dose. A UConn Health spokesperson said Tuesday the hospital was still evaluating whether to impose mandatory vaccinations and had not made any decisions. Representatives for Trinity Health of New England, the parent company of Saint Francis Hospital, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Alexa Philippou can be reached at aphilippou@courant.com. Alex Putterman can be reached at aputterman@courant.com. Search teams on Tuesday found wreckage of a passenger plane carrying 28 people that had disappeared in Russia's remote far eastern Kamchatka peninsula, but there was little hope of survivors. Search and rescue operations were suspended after night fell and Russian news agencies quoted local sources as saying it appeared that all the passengers and crew had died. The An-26 plane was flying from Kamchatka's main city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to the coastal town of Palana when it disappeared at 2:40 pm (0240 GMT). The governor of Kamchatka, a vast peninsula popular with adventure tourists for its abundant wildlife and live volcanoes, said search teams had found parts of the fuselage along the coast and in the Okhotsk Sea. "There was a catastrophe during the go-around approach for landing," Vladimir Solodov said in a video released on the government website. Russia's aviation agency said in a statement that the plane's debris had been found at 9:06 pm local time (0906 GMT). Officials said that communication with the plane had been lost nine kilometres (5.5 miles) from Palana's airport and 10 minutes before its scheduled landing time. Russian news agencies quoted local officials as saying most of the passengers were from Palana -- which has a population of about 3,000 -- including four local government officials and the town's head Olga Mokhiryova. - Investigation launched - Kamchatka's government published a list of 28 people who were on board, including Mokhiryova and one child born in 2014. Interfax cited Russia's Pacific Fleet as saying that some of the wreckage was found on the slope of a hill and other parts in the sea four kilometres from the coast. News agencies cited emergency ministry sources as saying that the plane had struck a cliff after twice trying to land amid poor visibility and a strong crosswind. Interfax and TASS quoted local medical and emergency services sources as saying it appeared all those on board had died. Story continues The Kamchatka government said the peninsula has five An-26 planes servicing remote areas. The regional transport ministry and the local aviation company said the plane -- built in 1982 -- was in good condition and had passed safety checks. Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes and incidents, said it had launched an investigation and that one of its teams had arrived at the site. It said it was looking at three potential causes of the accident: "unfavourable weather conditions, technical malfunctions of the aircraft, or pilot error." - Soviet-era planes - An-26 planes, which were manufactured from 1969 until 1986 during the Soviet era and are still used throughout the former USSR for civilian and military transport, have been involved in a number of accidents in recent years. Most recently four people died in March when an An-26 plane used by ex-Soviet Kazakhstan's military crashed while landing at an airport in the country's largest city of Almaty. Two recent Russian military accidents have also involved An-26 aircraft, resulting in the deaths of 40 people. While Russia has improved its air traffic safety record in recent years, poor aircraft maintenance and lax safety standards still persist. Flying in Russia can also be dangerous in the vast country's isolated regions with difficult weather conditions such as the Arctic and the Far East. Palana last saw an aircraft go down when an An-28 passenger plane struck trees during a premature descent in September 2012, killing 10 people. The last major passenger plane accident in Russia took place in May 2019, when a Sukhoi Superjet belonging to the flag carrier airline Aeroflot crash-landed and caught fire on the runway of a Moscow airport, killing 41 people. emg-mm/tgb Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AFP/Getty Back when Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) was just aspiring to be mayor of Newark, the citys police chief hated Bookers guts so much that he allegedly punished officers who supported the up-and-coming politician. But now, instead of settling old scores, Booker is said to be pushing for a promotion for his former foe. In April, news broke that Newarks recently retired public safety director, Anthony Ambrose, had risen to become Bookers top candidate to be the next U.S. marshal for New Jerseya highly honored job in each federal district that is charged with protecting judges and hunting down fugitives. Booker has remained quiet about it. His office went through great lengths to evade multiple questions about it for several days last week before eventually issuing this statement from Bookers communications director, Jeff Giertz: Its our office policy not to comment on speculation regarding Senate-confirmed appointments prior to the nomination of individuals to those positions. But behind the scenes, a group of ex-cops still seething from what they call corruption and abuse have been reaching out to senators, the White House, and the FBI to block the nomination from going forward. I hate the guy for what he did to me. He ruined my life, my career, my reputation, said Anthony Buono, a Newark police captain who left the department in disgrace years after his original entanglement with Ambrose. When Booker ran for mayor of Newark and lost in 2002, then-Lt. Buono broke ranks with the entrenched powers setup by the incumbent and advocated for Booker. According to a lawsuit he filed years later, Ambrose held a secret meeting in the basement of city hall two weeks after the election to orchestrate a retaliation campaign against any cop who supported Booker. They actually had a blacklist with the names of the people that supported Cory Booker, and I was the highest-ranking lieutenant at the time. They came after me for years, he told The Daily Beast, noting that he was reassigned to oversee the municipal jail where conditions were deplorable. Story continues The city settled the suit and decided to pay him $210,000, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, which supported the lieutenant in his fight to practice his First Amendment fight for federally-protected speech. In May, Buono authored a seven-page letter detailing what he described as Ambroses pattern of depriving citizens and officers of their rights. He shared a copy of the letter with The Daily Beast and said he sent it by mail to the White House and the offices of all 100 U.S. senators. Another police officer, who wished to remain unnamed, shared copies of similar communications that had been sent to the offices of New Jerseys two senators, Booker and Bob Menendez, as well as the FBI. Marshall Curry, a filmmaker who produced an Oscar award-winning documentary about Bookers experience running for office in 2002, told The Daily Beast that he remembers Newark police constantly hassling Booker. But he doesnt know what Ambroses role was at the time. When Cory first ran for mayor, the entire NJ Democratic establishment lined up against him. So when he won, he had to figure out how to work with a lot of people who had aggressively opposed him, Curry said. I think hes somebody who naturally tries to convert his enemies rather than punish them. And there are times I worry thats naive. Ambrose did not respond to calls at listed numbers, nor did four attorneys who have represented him in multiple civil rights lawsuits in the past. Menendez office also didnt respond to a request for comment. But there are plenty of reasons why New Jersey politicians may be scared to publicly stick their necks out for Ambrose. Ambrose was accused yet again in 2019 of punishing an officer for backing the wrong political candidate. In a lawsuit against the city, then-Lt. Grissel Nieves-Hall claimed that she was singled out and punished for publicly supporting civil rights attorney Shavar Jeffries for mayorwho then lost. The new mayor, Ras Baraka, consolidated several first-responder departments and placed Ambrose as the citys first public safety director. Nieves-Hall claimed Ambrose forced her to answer directly to a supervisor who verbally abused her for years because of her loyalty and support of Jeffries. That case also settled. The lieutenants attorney declined to speak or make Nieves-Hall available for comment, citing a nondisclosure agreement. Over the years, several other former Newark police officers sued their boss and the city over heinous allegations ranging from spying on employees and intimidating them in their personal lives. In separate lawsuits in 2007 and 2008, Officers Louis Wohltman and Philip Wesley Smith claimed Ambrose allowed the department to use unofficial subpoenas to hunt them down. According to their lawsuits, the police department illegally obtained electronic data from a website in order to identify them as the anonymous commenters who ridiculed Ambrose and other leaders on a blog, NewarkSpeaks.com. The city eventually settled with Wohltman for $147,325, according to the ACLU, which supported that free speech lawsuit as well. Booker himself was the subject of surveillance by the Newark Police Department as well, according to two news stories that ran in The Star-Ledger newspaper on June 4 and 8 in 1999. That year, while Booker was a young city councilman, police tapped his phone and recorded his calls to constituents, family, and friends for 10 days in May, according to reporter Nikita Stewart. That stretch happened just two weeks after Ambrose was named acting police chief. At the time, the department called it an error. Booker called it gross negligence or the serious misuse of power. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Boris Johnson has outlined his plans for stage 4 of the coronavirus lockdown easing roadmap, tearing up existing regulations. (PA) Boris Johnson has confirmed he plans to lift all England's remaining coronavirus regulations at the next stage of the road map, currently planned for 19 July. Mask wearing will become voluntary, social distancing in pubs and bars will end and work from home guidance will be scrapped, the prime minister said. A decision on whether to press ahead on 19 July will be made on 12 July. When he first outlined his roadmap to easing lockdown restrictions in February, the PM insisted that all the government's decision would be led by "data not dates". It was concerning data about the spread of the Delta variant, first identified in India, that led Johnson to delay the final stage of lockdown easing for four weeks. However, experts warn existing data does not paint a full picture of the risks posed by doing away with all restrictions. Here are four things the data so far doesn't tell us. How much have vaccines broken the link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths? Vaccines have saved the lives of tens of thousands of people in England, according to Public Health England (PHE). It is clear that the vaccine rollout has vastly improved the shape of the pandemic, protecting the vulnerable and making coronavirus less deadly. The graph below shows COVID cases and hospital admissions in the UK since September 2020. The vaccine rollout has altered the relationship between cases and hospitalisations for the better (Yahoo News UK/Flourish/Government data) During the second wave last winter, the increase in hospital admissions mirrored the increase in cases. However as cases begin to trend upwards in May 2021, the increase in hospitalisations is far less steep. Speaking on 1 July, the prime minister said it was "ever clearer" that jabs had "broken that link between infection and mortality". However experts warn the link has been weakened, but not completely severed. Some 14% of the adult population is yet to receive a vaccine, and more than a third have not received a second jab, leaving them vulnerable to the Delta variant. Consequently it is not yet clear what the impact of the current exponential growth in cases will be in terms of hospitalisations and deaths. Story continues Watch: England primed to return to normality on 19 July Doctor Duncan Robertson, an analytics expert at the University of Loughborough, warned that the rate of people being hospitalised is accelerating. He told BBC Politics Live: "Hospitalisations are always going to follow cases. We've seen cases go up around 70% this week and we've seen hospitalisations jump around 25%. I think the really concerning thing is that the rate of hospitalisations is increasing." Earlier this week, the unofficial Independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) warned in a joint letter: "Cases are surging in school aged children, and spreading into the community, particularly amongst those yet to be fully vaccinated. "It is clear that the link between infection and hospitalisation has not yet been fully broken." How many people suffer from long COVID, and how bad is it? There is no universal definition of long COVID, but the Office For National Statistics (ONS) defines it as symptoms persisting for more than four weeks after the first suspected coronavirus infection that cannot be explained by something else. The ONS estimates that 962,000 people experienced self-reported long COVID in the four weeks to 6 June, and that 40% of people reporting long COVID experience symptoms for more than a year. Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance presents the latest COVID data, showing rising infections in the UK. (PA Media) A study by Imperial College London in July estimated that more than two million adults in England may have had long COVID. Professor Christina Pagel, director of operational research at University College London, said on Twitter: "While final numbers are uncertain, we do know that they are big and that very many are finding their daily lives much harder. "... We should be routinely monitoring long COVID and reporting it alongside hospitalisations & deaths. "Otherwise, it's far too easy for people (inc govt) to ignore it and argue that infections don't matter if they don't lead to deaths." There is specific concern about the impact of coronavirus on children. Dr Peter English, retired consultant in communicable disease control, said: It seems that about 1% of children who are infected are ill enough to require hospital admission; and many children and young people suffer 'long COVID'. "We know that the infection can damage the lungs, brain, and other organs; and such damage may cause long-term or permanent impairment. "Young people may carry such impairment for the rest of their lives. "This harms them directly, and there is a substantial cost to society if people require more care, and are less able to contribute (through work and taxes, volunteering, informal caring and so on) for the rest of their lives. "It is far too soon to be sure of the extent of the long-term harms; and this should require a degree of caution." How long does immunity against coronavirus last? The data does not yet paint a clear picture of how long immunity against COVID both through prior infection and through vaccination lasts. The outlook is still less clear when it comes to new and emerging variants. Dr Julian Tang, clinical virologist at the University of Leicester, said: "We are not sure how effective and how long natural and vaccine-induced immunity lasts against the different variants." This raises the question of whether the current vaccine rollout will provide sufficient protection in the future. What new variants will we face in the future? The world's portfolio of COVID vaccines is currently highly effective, including against the Delta variant of coronavirus. However, high levels of infections in the population increase the risk of a new variant emerging that evades vaccine protection. New variants that evade vaccine protection are more likely to emerge if infections run wild, experts have warned. (Getty Images) Prof Susan Michie, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), tweeted: Allowing community transmission to surge is like building new variant factories at a very fast rate." Dr Julian Tang said: "Ongoing replication that does not lead to hospitalisations and deaths, still allows the virus to mutate and generate new variants in the community even without the international importation of new variants. "Vaccine escape variants are more likely to arise in a partially immune population as some people lose their vaccine-induced immunity over time as their antibody levels fall though T cell immunity may blunt this to some degree. Third dose boosters will help with this." Watch: Keir Starmer criticises Boris Johnson's 'reckless' COVID plan MEDFORD, Mass. (AP) Some of the 11 people charged in connection with an armed standoff along a Massachusetts highway last weekend, including the purported leader of the group, refused to cooperate with court authorities during their arraignments Tuesday. Jamhal Tavon Sanders Latimer, 29, also known as Jamhal Talib Abdullah Bey, told the judge I dont understand how these charges can be brought against me. Latimer, a former U.S. Marine from Providence, Rhode Island, waived his right to an attorney, but the judge said she would have a lawyer speak to him about this rights before the next hearing in the case. Not guilty pleas were entered on behalf of all the defendants, who were held without bail pending a hearing Friday to determine whether they are dangerous. The first to appear, Quinn Cumberlander, 40, of Pawtucket, told the judge in a courtroom with a heavy security presence he was a foreign national who cannot face criminal charges, and said he did not want a defense attorney. Cumberlander invoked his Second Amendment right to bear arms, said the case should be heard in federal court, and said he meant no harm. We didnt want to cause fear. I object to being held without bail. I am not a threat to society or anybody," he said in court. Another defendant, Robert Rodriguez, 21, of the Bronx, New York, asked that a fellow defendant serve as his attorney but the judge noted the man is not a licensed lawyer. He also refused to be interviewed by Probation. I was seen by a probation officer," Rodriguez said. But I did not commit a crime. A third defendant, who has refused to identify himself to authorities, told the judge he was a free Moor." The judge ruled he had waived right to counsel, then ordered him out of the courtroom to watch proceedings on Zoom because he kept interrupting her. The defendants, 10 men and a 17-year-old juvenile, say they are members of a group called Rise of the Moors. Several of their supporters were also in court, while others watched remotely, sometimes interrupting. Story continues They face several charges including unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition and the use of body armor in commission of a crime, in connection with the standoff that started early Saturday morning on Interstate 95 in Wakefield. State police say they recovered three AR-15 rifles, two pistols, a bolt-action rifle, a shotgun and a short-barrel rifle. The standoff began when a State Police trooper stopped to offer assistance to the vehicles he found on the side of the highway that were refueling. The men, who were dressed in military fatigues and body armor and were armed with long guns and pistols, did not have licenses to carry firearms in Massachusetts, police said. They told police they were traveling from Rhode Island to Maine to conduct what they called training. Some of the defendants ran into the woods along the highway, leading to a standoff that lasted several hours and prompted the closure of the busy highway on a holiday weekend. The Southern Poverty Law Center says the Moorish sovereign citizen movement is a collection of independent organizations and individuals that emerged in the 1990s as an offshoot of the antigovernment sovereign citizens movement. People in the movement believe individual citizens hold sovereignty over, and are independent of, the authority of federal and state governments. The vast majority of Moorish sovereign citizens are African American, according to the SPLC. On the Rise of the Moors website, however, they say they are not sovereign citizens, but the original sovereigns of the U.S. based on a 1789 letter from George Washington to the sultan of Morocco. Those arrested Saturday were identified as Latimer; Cumberlander; Rodriguez; Wilfredo Hernandez, also known as Will Musa; Alban El Curraugh; Aaron Lamont Johnson, also known as Tarrif Sharif Bey; Lamar Dow; Conrad Pierre; a 17-year-old juvenile; and two who have refused to identify themselves, state police said. They are from Rhode Island, New York and Michigan. North Carolina Republicans, like their brethren across the country, love to frame themselves as protectors of law and order. They especially love to mischaracterize progressive attempts at policing reform as calamitous cuts to police departments. But in our state, theres one party thats been dangerously shorting the criminal justice system over the past decade. Incredibly, that party appears ready to continue doing so despite North Carolinas $6.5 billion surplus. According to a Charlotte Observer report, the Republican-led Senate has passed a $26 billion spending plan that would cut one prosecutor from the Mecklenburg County District Attorneys office, reducing the roster of assistant district attorneys to 84. (The House will likely pass its budget later this month.) Republicans also want to transfer a District Court judge from Durham to Bladen County and move two assistant public defender positions from Wake County to Robeson County. Republican leaders didnt initially respond to the Observers requests for comment on Mecklenburgs loss, but Berger spokesman Pat Ryan told Axios last week that the Senates calculations showed the combined court district in Anson, Richmond and Scotland counties was one assistant district attorney short. Mecklenburg, as the largest, had the highest staffing level. Based on those two data points, it was a fairly simple decision, said Ryan, who sent the same statement to the Editorial Board later last week. Its unfortunate to suggest that eliminating a vital criminal justice position is simple. Its also insulting not only to Mecklenburg County, but to every county with insufficient resources to properly administer justice. Funding of courts and prosecutors shouldnt be a zero-sum calculation, especially in a state with billions in surplus. While lawmakers in both parties have struggled at times to properly fund courts, Republicans in the past decade have been unstirred by urgent pleas about the growing courts crisis in North Carolina. Our state spent less per capita on its courts than any other state-funded system, according to data collected by the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 2012, and our criminal justice system continues to be poorly funded. Story continues That shortfall can be felt across the state, but its especially acute in North Carolinas largest counties, Wake and Mecklenburg, which have fewer prosecutors than almost any other urban county their size nationally, a 2019 Charlotte Observer survey found. Mecklenburg, for example, should have more than 120 prosecutors not 85 according to David Labahn, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. The result: Our courts are experiencing severe backlogs. Our prosecutors and public defenders are stretched too thin. Deals are made that shouldnt be made in an effort to lighten caseloads. A 2019 Observer investigation detailed how more court funding would help cut down on gun charge dismissals and put more prosecutors in high-crime neighborhoods. A 2021 Observer and News & Observer report revealed how an overtaxed district court system resulted in extreme speeders getting plea deals or having their cases dismissed. All of which has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Particularly at this moment in time, when courts have been relatively inactive, we have a large number of cases that have accumulated, Democratic Rep. Joe John, a former judge and prosecutor from Wake County, told the Editorial Board this week. The courts are going to need all their current resources and additional resources. But, he says: There has been no additional help, at least not in the Senate budget. The solution really is simple, just not in the way the Senate leader and Republicans might think. Instead of hiding behind budget formulas or suggesting larger counties should pony up more, Senate and House leaders should explain why a state with a significant surplus lags in funding courts properly. They also should explain to victims of crime how taking prosecutors and judges from urban counties is not defunding the criminal justice system and delaying or denying justice. Or maybe just answer this: Why doesnt the party of law and order want to pay for it? The parents of a 15-year-old girl werent smiling when their daughter came home with a brand new set of braces that they didnt pay for, according to Louisiana authorities. Now St. Bernard Sheriffs deputies are looking for a woman accused of practicing dentistry without a license. An arrest warrant was issued Friday for 28-year-old Aireon Davis of Arabi, the sheriffs office wrote on Facebook. Shes wanted on charges of unlawfully practicing orthodontics in St. Bernard Parish, just southeast of New Orleans. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. During the course of the investigation, detectives learned Davis was advertising the illegal orthodontic business on Instagram under the account bracee_yourself and running it out of her apartment, authorities wrote. It was the teens parents who tipped off police about the illegal operation in June. The girls parents told police Davis installed the braces without their permission, then billed them for it. Its unclear how much she charged, but comprehensive orthodontic treatment, including braces, typically runs between $3,000 and $10,000, Healthline reported, citing a 2018 survey from the American Dental Association. Deputies obtained a search warrant for Davis apartment where they found various dentistry tools and orthodontic supplies, according to the sheriffs department. Davis wasnt home, police said, and still had not been located as of Tuesday. Authorities said the incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information on Davis whereabouts, or who has been a victim of her illegal dentistry is asked to call the St. Bernard Sheriffs Office at 504-271-2501. TikTokers using Magic Erasers to whiten their teeth. Why that makes dentists cringe Popeyes customer smashes door in rage over wait for chicken sandwich, Virginia cops say Animal guts turn New Orleans street into scene from Men in Black. What was it? 8-year-old hunting chipmunks shoots uncle in freak accident, New Hampshire cops say Associated Press Prosecutors in May dismissed a defendants testimony that he was framed by two masked men for the kidnapping and killing of an Iowa college student, calling it a figment of his imagination. Jurors agreed, convicting Cristhian Bahena Rivera of first-degree murder in the July 2018 stabbing death of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts in one of the states most high-profile cases in years. Both witnesses are unknown to each other, yet independently identified the same suspect to authorities after Bahena Rivera testified in his own defense May 26, his lawyers revealed in seeking a new trial for the 27-year-old Mexican national who came to the U.S. illegally as a teenager. Jul. 6More than one dozen members of the Ohio State Highway Patrol will travel to Texas later this week to assist local law enforcement with border surveillance. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday that he authorized 14 troopers and supervisors to respond to Texas for a two-week assignment at the request of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. During the two-week assignment, troopers will not make arrests, according to a release from the governor's office. DeWine last week sent members of the Ohio National Guard to support the Southwest border mission. The 185 service members will be deployed late this year to provide non-law enforcement support to the U.S. Custom and Border Protection, at the request of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Guard Bureau, the governor said. Approximately 115 members of the Ohio National Guard's 1484th Transportation Company previously were deployed to support the Southwest border operations at the request of DHS and NGB. These soldiers remain on active duty. Didi's was the biggest listing in the US by a Chinese company since Alibaba's debut in 2014 China's Didi Chuxing's share price has tumbled amid a crackdown on tech firms listing overseas. Shares in the ride-hailing company plunged nearly 20% the first day of US trade after the 4 July break. It comes after China's internet regulator ordered online stores not to offer Didi's app, saying it illegally collected users' personal data. The tech giant began selling shares on the New York Stock Exchange just last week. At one point on Tuesday, its share price slid by 25% to $11.58, well below the $14-per-share price offered at its initial public offering (IPO). Its removal from app stores does not affect existing users, but will stop new users registering on the country's biggest ride hailing platform. Didi, a platform similar to Uber or Lyft, gathers vast amounts of real-time data every day, which is used to analyse traffic patterns and for autonomous driving technology. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced last week it was investigating the firm to protect "national security and the public interest". "After checks and verification, the Didi Chuxing app was found to be in serious violation of regulations in its collection and use of personal information," it said in a statement. "The company will strive to rectify any problems, improve its risk prevention awareness and technological capabilities, protect users' privacy and data security, and continue to provide secure and convenient services to its users," Didi said in a response on Monday. Tech crackdown In addition, the Chinese cabinet has said it will step up supervision of Chinese firms listed off-shore. It set out new guidelines on Tuesday saying that watchdogs must improve cross-border co-operation over audits, and update rules "on data security, cross-border data flow and other confidential information management." Story continues Shares in other Chinese parent companies listed in the US such as truck-hailing firm Full Truck Alliance (FTA) and job-seeking platform, Kanzhun, also tumbled after the announcement. The update follows regulatory crackdowns by China on various tech firms, from Alibaba to food delivery service Meituan. On Monday, the CAC also said that it plans to investigate FTA. Like Didi, FTA recently made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange, raising $1.6bn (1.1bn). Didi raised $4.4bn in its own IPO last week, in what was the biggest listing in the US by a Chinese company since retail giant Alibaba's debut in 2014. But Shifara Samsudeen, an analyst at LightStream Research warned that the company's revenues will likely be affected by the tech crackdown. "Didi's app ban will hurt its user growth and at the same time, the existing users of Didi's app will also have a certain level of reservation over using the company's app due to fear of compromising their personal data," she said. "So, it is obvious that Didi's top line will be affected." Founded in 2012, the ride-hailing company is particularly popular in China's urban cities. More than 20 million rides are arranged through the app in China every day, on average. Two Kansas GOP icons threw their support behind Attorney General Derek Schmidt in the race for governor Tuesday, more than a year before the Republican primary. In statements Tuesday, former Senators Bob Dole and Pat Roberts announced their endorsements of Schmidt, who they called a strong Republican and proven winner. Attorney General Derek Schmidt has made it his goal to put the needs of Kansans first and to make a positive difference for our state. Hes a strong Republican, and he has what it takes to win and to lead with common sense and decency, Dole, the former Senate Majority leader and 1996 presidential nominee, said. In 2018 Dole endorsed Schmidts opponent, former Governor Jeff Colyer, in his gubernatorial primary against Kris Kobach. The 97-year-old announced in February he was beginning treatment for stage four lung cancer. In May, he told CBS Sunday Morning he was doing very well. Roberts, who did not endorse in 2018, said he admires Schmidts strong and steady leadership. Derek understands rural America and Kansas agriculture. He is an experienced and trusted leader, and is a proven winner, Roberts, 85, said. The testimonials from Dole and Roberts, who served a combined 75 years in the U.S. Senate and House, come more than a year before the GOP primary as Schmidt and Colyer compete over the support of prominent Kansas Republicans. Colyer announced his campaign with the backing of U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall and was later endorsed by his former Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann. Schmidt is supported by several state lawmakers, House Speaker Ron Ryckman and Steve Baccus, Colyers former campaign manager. In a statement Colyers campaign manager, Colton Gibson, touted the support of current office holders Mann and Marshall. Elections are about the future not the past, Gibson said. We look forward to a campaign based on our principled conservative solutions for the future contrasted with Derek Schmidts history of blowing with the political winds. The Dole and Roberts endorsements may be a sign of support for Schmidt among the Kansas GOP establishment as Colyer has sought to establish himself as the prominent conservative running for office. The Delta variant is the latest Covid-19 strain of concern in the US (PA) Public health officials have raised the alarm about another new coronavirus variant spreading through the world and becoming more prevalent in the United States. The B.1.617.2 variant, also known as the Delta variant, was first detected in India in March and has since spread rapidly to other countries and experts warn its estimated to be 50 per cent more transmissible compared to past Covid-19 variants. The current dominant strain in the country was the Alpha variant, otherwise known as the B.1.1.7, which first originated in the United Kingdom before spreading to the US. It was the first strain of concern that developed from Covid-19 after it proved to be more contagious than the original strain. But the Delta variant appears to be more transmissible and could cause severe disease in individuals. About 10 per cent of cases in the US came from the Delta variant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers anticipated the B.1.617.2 variant will become the most dominant strain in the US within the next three to four weeks. B.1.1.7 (Alpha variant) This variant was first detected in the US in December 2020 after spreading through the UK. It was roughly 50 per cent more transmissible than the initial strain of Covid-19, which caused concerns about the variants impact on Covid-19 death rates and hospitalisations, as well as if the vaccines would still be effective. The variant has since spread to become the most dominant strain in the US. At a congressional hearing in June, Dr Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said B.1.1.7 made up 72 per cent of cases in the country. Due to its high transmissibility rate, the B.1.1.7 has largely made other variants spreading through the US obsolete leading to a rise in coronavirus cases, hospitalisations, and deaths. But, courtesy of the Covid-19 vaccines, the variant caused a smaller spike in cases and hospitalisations compared to what officials initially anticipated. Story continues Early research has indicated that the available vaccines were effective against the variant. B.1.351 (Beta variant) The B.1.351 variant was first discovered in South Africa in December 2020 amid high infection rates and hospitalisations from the novel virus. This variant then spread and was first detected in the United States in January 2021, largely impacting portions of the East Coast like New York. Forecasters in February 2021 warned of a deadly surge from the B.1.351 variant, given how transmissible it was on the population. While this variant has caused Covid-19 deaths in the United States, the anticipated surge never reached full peak. What likely helped stop the variant from having as high of an impact on the country was the vaccines. A recent study found that both Pfizer and Modernas Covid-19 vaccines were effective in preventing severe disease, even with the B.1.351 variant circulating communities. The trial data provide the first clinical results that a vaccine can effectively protect against currently circulating variants, a critical factor to reach herd immunity and end this pandemic for the global population, said Ugur Sahin, chief executive officer at BioNTech, the vaccine arm of Pfizer, in a statement released in April. P.1. (Gamma variant) The P.1 variant, also known as the Gamma variant, was detected in infected travellers from Brazil when they were required to do a routine screening at an airport in Japan in January 2021. That same month, the variant was also detected in the US. Similar to the Beta variant, the strain is more transmissible compared to the initial Covid-19 virus, but it hasnt spread as rapidly compared to the B.1.1.7. The Pacific Northwest has seen the largest uptake of infections from the gamma variant compared to other areas of the country. In Washington state, for example, the variant accounts for a majority of recent hospitalisations. Its very effectively outcompeting the alpha and delta variants, and the rest of the country isnt seeing this, Dr Scott Lindquist, Washington states acting health officer, told the Spokesman-Review. Many of our counties here are seeing the gamma variant. Its got the highest hospitalisation rate of all of our variants. Both Pfizer and Modernas vaccines have been thus far effective against the gamma variant, according to recent studies. But health experts were worried that the rise of more and more highly transmissible Covid-19 variants could offer a pathway for the novel virus to eventually escape vaccine protection. Scientists were tracking the gamma variant along with other variants of concern to better determine the potential impact on population groups. B.1.617.2 (Delta variant) Covid-19 cases were higher in about half of the states in the US compared to the previous week, and experts have credited the spread of the B.1.617.2 (Delta variant) as the cause for the recent surge. Twelve states including Arkansas, Nevada, and Missouri are now considered high risk for Covid-19. This was due to an uptake in infection rates combined with low vaccination numbers compared to other parts of the country. The 12 states at high risk from Covid-19, according to Covid Act Now, are: Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Wyoming. In Missouri, 96 per cent of new Covid-19 cases were due to the Delta variant making it the state in the country with the largest spread of the strain among its residents. The state also has a vaccination rate below 40 per cent of residents fully vaccinated, which was below the federal rate of 47.4 per cent Across the US, the Delta variant has spread rapidly through the country and now accounts for about 10 per cent of cases with this proportion doubling about every two weeks. Researchers have said the Delta variant is likely more transmissible and deadlier compared to the Alpha variant. It will likely become the main Covid-19 strain in the US within the next month. Dr Anthony Facui, the nations leading infectious disease expert, warned that areas with low vaccination rates in the country would likely be most impacted by the Delta variant in the coming months. I dont think youre going to be seeing anything nationwide, because fortunately we have a substantial proportion of the population vaccinated. So its going to be regional, he told NBCs Meet the Press. Health experts have implored unvaccinated Americans to receive a Covid-19 vaccine in the coming months amid the continuous spread of highly infectious variants. Nearly 10,000 people died from Covid-19 in June, and Dr Fauci said a majority of those deaths were likely avoidable and preventable had people received one of the available vaccines. If you look at the number of deaths, about 99.2 per cent of them are unvaccinated and about 0.8 per cent are vaccinated, Dr Fauci said. No vaccine is perfect, but when you talk about the avoidability of hospitalisation and deaths its really sad and tragic that most all of these are avoidable and preventable, he added. Early research has shown the Delta variant impacting vaccine effectiveness. A study conducted of Pfizers vaccine in Israel found that the vaccine protected 64 per cent people amid the Delta variant outbreak, which was down from the 94 per cent of people previously protected. The vaccine was still effective in preventing severe disease on hospitalisation, though, with a 94 per cent effectiveness rate. C.37 (Lambda variant) The Lambda variant was first identified in Peru and has been detected in cases as early as December 2020. Since then, it has become the dominant strain in the South American country and now accounts for about 80 per cent of new infections. This variant, like others, spread to other countries and has now been detected in about 30 nations, mostly in Latin America, and the UK. To date, no cases were reported in the US. The World Health Organization designated the variant as one of interest on 14 June. Lambda carries a number of mutations that may have led to potential increased transmissibility or possible increased resistance to neutralising antibodies, the WHO said. In Peru, the country currently has the highest mortality rate compared to any other nation, according to data from Johns Hopkins University which has sparked concern among health experts about the impact of the Lambda variant for other nations. Limited research of the variant was available, as scientists work to learn more about its transmissibility and ability to neutralise antibodies. But a new study which has not yet been reviewed by other scientists and is based on tests on samples from healthcare workers in Chile suggested that the Lambda variant was more infectious than the Alpha and Gamma variants. The study also suggested that the variant has a higher immune escape, compared to the Alpha and Gamma variants, for people in Chile who received Covid-19 antibodies from Chinas CoronaVac (Sinovac) vaccine. No other vaccines were analysed in the new study. Read More Biden goes door-to-door to boost shots as Delta variant sweeps US Lambda variant map: Total worldwide cases of Covid strain first discovered in Peru Texas church camp leaves 125 guests infected with Covid-19 Hannibal Hanschke/AP/Shutterstock / Hannibal Hanschke/AP/Shutterstock It turns out "going green" can be as good for your wallet as it is for the environment. In a recent analysis, Bloomberg Green identified billionaires who owe at least part of their fortune to technologies that reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere. Many have gotten rich thanks to the explosive growth in demand for electric vehicles, batteries and solar power in recent years. Related: How To Invest In Stocks: A Beginners Guide Follow:Building a Green(er) Portfolio Take a look at how Elon Musk and other billionaires are profiting from the fight against climate change. Last updated: April 14, 2021 Elon Musk Tesla CEO net worth Elon Musk Company: Tesla Net worth: $199.2 billion Green net worth (portion of wealth driven by businesses that reduce greenhouse gas emissions): $180.7 billion Country: U.S. Tesla's electric vehicles are making the world a greener place. According to Bloomberg, Tesla vehicles have been driven more than 10 billion miles to date, resulting in combined savings of more than 4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Find Out: Just How Rich Are Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and These Other Big Names? CATL Zeng Yuqun, Huang Shilin, Pei Zhenhua, Li Ping Company: CATL Net worth: $61.6 billion Green net worth: $60.7 billion Country: China CATL is the world's largest maker of electric vehicle batteries. It supplies EV batteries to Tesla, BMW, Volvo and more. See: These 47 Billionaires Got Richer During The Pandemic Mandatory Credit: Photo by ROMAN PILIPEY/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (9896428o)An employee works at the production line of Longi Silicon company in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, China, 26 September 2018. Li Zhenguo, Li Chunan, Li Xiyan, Zhong Baoshen Company: Longi Net worth: $16.1 billion Green net worth: $16.1 billion Country: China Established in 2000, Longi is the world's biggest manufacturer of solar wafers -- the building blocks of solar panels. The company supplies roughly a quarter of the solar wafers and modules that are used worldwide. Read: The Worlds 20 Richest Millennials Mandatory Credit: Photo by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/Shutterstock (11790095n)In this photo illustration a BYD logo of an automotive Chinese multinational is seen on a smartphone and a pc screenIllustrative photo in Ukraine - 07 Mar 2021. Wang Chuanfu, Lv Xiangyang, Xia Zuoquan Company: BYD Net worth: $33.5 billion Green net worth: $13.4 billion Country: China The carmaker is working to convert Shenzhen, China's entire fleet of buses, taxis and trucks into plug-in electric vehicles. Berkshire Hathaway has owned a stake in the company since 2008. Story continues Check Out: 20 Billionaire American Dynasties and How They Made Their Money Eve Energy Liu Jincheng Company: Eve Energy Net worth: $10.9 billion Green net worth: $10.9 billion Country: China Eve Energy is the fifth-largest supplier to China's electric vehicle sector. Its clients include BMW and Daimler. Find Out: Weird Things Top Billionaires Have in Common Mandatory Credit: Photo by Alex Tai/SOPA Images/Shutterstock (10925185h)Xpeng Motors P7 electric vehicle seen at a store in ShenzhenBrands and Logos in Shenzhen, China - 5 Oct 2020. He Xiaopeng, Xia Heng Company: XPeng Net worth: $10.3 billion Green net worth: $10.3 billion Country: China Automaker Xpeng manufactures an EV sedan and an EV SUV, with an all-electric sedan due to be introduced later this year. The company also provides free EV charging services at 670 stations across 100 Chinese cities. Find Out: Where 51 CEOs Went to College Mandatory Credit: Photo by JULIAN SMITH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (10074209dp)Executive Chairman of Visy Industries, Anthony Pratt is seen in the crowd before the start of the men's singles final between Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Rafael Nadal of Spain at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 27 January 2019. Anthony Pratt Company: Pratt Industries Net worth: $9 billion Green net worth: $9 billion Country: Australia Pratt Industries is the largest privately-held producer of 100% recycled paper and packaging in the world. The company said that its operations -- which utilize clean energy plants -- save 85,000 trees, 35 million gallons of water and more than 5,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions each day. See: These Are 10 of the Richest Teenagers in the World Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ng Han Guan/AP/Shutterstock (10750072f)Chairman William Li speaks during an event at the company flagship store in Beijing on . Li Bin Company: Nio Net worth: $9 billion Green net worth: $9 billion Country: China Electric vehicle maker Nio is currently building out a network of 500 power-swap stations. At these stations, people can change their car's battery rather than recharge it. See: 20 Hobbies of the Rich Only They Can Afford Mandatory Credit: Photo by Focke Strangmann/AP/Shutterstock (7068507h)Aloys Wobben Aloys Wobben, Enercon-Geschaeftsfuehrer und Gruender, posiert am Dienstag, 15. Aloys Wobben Company: Enercon Net worth: $8.9 billion Green net worth: $8.9 billion Country: Germany Enercon is one of the world's largest wind turbine companies. It was founded by Aloys Wobben, who developed his first wind turbine in the 1970s. Find Out: 15 Rich Influencers Who Didnt Need a College Degree solar-panels Lin Jianhua Company: Hangzhou First Applied Material Net worth: $8.7 billion Green net worth: $8.7 billion Country: China First Applied Material makes more than half the worlds ethylene vinyl acetate films, an essential component of solar panels. Read: 28 CEOs That Have Saved or Sunk Major Corporations Li Auto Li Xiang, Fan Zheng Company: Li Auto Net worth: $6.9 billion Green net worth: $6.9 billion Country: China Founded in 2015, Li Auto delivered more than 32,000 electric vehicles in 2020. Check Out: Global Catastrophes Jeff Bezos Could Fix and Still Be the Richest Man in the World sungrow power supply Cao Renxian Company: Sungrow Power Supply Net worth: $6.3 billion Green net worth: $6.3 billion Country: China Sungrow Power Supply controls about 15% of the global market for solar inverters. These devices convert solar energy from solar panels into alternating current that can be used to power a home or business, or utility grid. Find Out: 16 Money Rules That Millionaires Swear By Yadea Dong Jinggui, Qian Jinghong Company: Yadea Net worth: $5 billion Green net worth: $5 billion Country: China E-scooter company Yadea was founded by husband-and-wife team Dong Jinggui and Qian Jinghong in 2001. See the List: 10 States With the Most Millionaires Wuxi Lead Wang Yanqing Company: Wuxi Lead Net worth: $4.6 billion Green net worth: $4.6 billion Country: China Wuxi Lead is the largest publicly traded manufacturer of lithium battery equipment in China. It counts Panasonic and Sony among its clients. Tips: 20 Genius Things Mark Cuban Says To Do With Your Money rows array of polycrystalline silicon solar cells or photovoltaics in solar power plant turn up skyward absorb the sunlight from the sun on blue sky background. Jin Baofang Company: JA Solar Technology Net worth: $4.5 billion Green net worth: $4.5 billion Country: China JA Solar Technology is one of Chinas largest manufacturers of several solar panel components. The company sells its products to more than 135 countries and regions. More From GOBankingRates Photo Disclaimer: Please note photos are for representational purposes only. This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Elon Musk and More Billionaires Who Have Struck It Rich by Going Green BERLIN (AP) Germany, France and Britain are voicing grave concern over a further move by Iran that they say is a serious violation of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, warning that it threatens the outcome of talks aimed at bringing the United States back into the agreement. The three European powers' foreign ministers issued a joint statement Tuesday over a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, that Iran intends to produce enriched uranium metal. Since then-President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the agreement in 2018, Iran has gradually been violating its restrictions to put pressures on the remaining parties the three European nations, Russia and China to come up with economic incentives to offset crippling American sanctions. Among other things, Tehran has started enriching uranium to well above the purity allowed under the agreement. It has also been spinning advanced centrifuges, producing uranium metal and stockpiling more uranium than allowed. Uranium metal can also be used for a nuclear bomb, and research on its production is specifically prohibited under the nuclear deal. The IAEA already said in February that its inspectors had confirmed that Iran has begun the production of uranium metal. The IAEA said Director-General Rafael Grossi informed the agency's board of governors that Iran now intends to use uranium enriched up to 20% in making fuel for its Tehran Research Reactor and that in doing so, as part of a multi-stage process, it will also produce uranium metal enriched up to 20%. Iran on Tuesday told the agency that the enriched uranium will be shipped to the research and development lab at its Isfahan fuel fabrication plant, where it will be converted to uranium tetrafluoride and then to enriched uranium metal before being used to manufacture fuel, the IAEA said. The European foreign ministers said of Tehran's latest step that Iran has no credible civilian need for uranium metal (research and development) and production, which are a key step in the development of a nuclear weapon. Story continues They said it was all the more concerning given that no date has been set for the resumption of negotiations in Vienna aimed at bringing the U.S. back into the nuclear deal and Iran back into full compliance, and that Iran has significantly curtailed IAEA access. We have repeatedly stressed that time is on no-ones side, the statement said. With its latest steps, Iran is threatening a successful outcome to the Vienna talks despite the progress achieved in six rounds of negotiations to date. The 2015 accord is aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Tehran denies it is seeking such an arsenal. BRUSSELS (AP) Recent laws introduced in Hungary regulating marriage and gender identity risk discriminating against LGBT people and should have been put to citizens for public consultation before they were passed, Europes top human rights watchdog said Tuesday. Among other things, the changes to the Hungarian Constitution in December 2020 altered the definition of families to exclude transgender and other LGBT individuals, defining the basis of the family as marriage and the parent-child relationship. It declared that the mother is a woman and the father is a man. The Venice Commission an advisory group on constitutional matters to the 47-country Council of Europe human rights body said the Hungarian Omnibus Act could limit adoptions to heterosexual parents. This constitutional amendment should not be used as an opportunity to withdraw existing laws on the protection of individuals who are not heterosexuals, or to amend these laws to their disadvantage, it said in an analysis and opinion on the laws. Same-sex marriage is constitutionally forbidden in Hungary, but civil partnerships are recognized. The act declares that only married couples may adopt children unless granted special permission by the family affairs minister. This effectively bars same-sex couples or single individuals from doing so. The commission said that clear criteria should be established to limit the new discretionary power of the minister to provide or refuse consent for adoptions by single people. This, it said, would help ensure the principle of nondiscrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The Council of Europe isn't part of the European Union, but the opinions of the Venice Commission are taken into account by the EUs executive branch when it weighs whether to take action against any of blocs 27 member countries over possible democratic backsliding. The European Commission and the EU's parliament have already launched rule of law action against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbans government. If four-fifths of Hungarys 26 EU partners agree there is a clear risk of a serious breach of the blocs values, Budapest could lose its voting rights. The EUs treaty says the bloc is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. A former Maldives Minister for state and Sri Lankan politicians were arrested for child sex exploitation. Thana Prasongsin/Getty Images 32 people - including a former Maldives minister - were arrested over the sexual exploitation of a teenage girl. She was being sold online for sexual services over a period of three months. Police said 22 people are known to have had sex with the minor. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A former Maldives minister and politicians from Sri Lanka's ruling party were part of over 30 people arrested in connection with a child sex trafficking case in Sri Lanka, police said Monday. Sri Lanka police discovered two websites advertising girls for sexual activities, according to an AFP report on Channel News Asia. One of the girls advertised is a 15-year-old police say was repeatedly raped by nearly two dozen men. "We have 32 people in custody, and 22 of them are known to have had sex with the minor," Sri Lanka Police Deputy Inspector-General Ajith Rohana told the AFP. The racket was busted after a 35-year-old was arrested last month for selling the teenager online for sex over a period of three months, reported Ceylon Today. Those arrested include Maldives' former State Minister for Finance Mohamed Ashmalee, politicians from Sri Lanka's United National ruling party, a merchant navy captain, a wealthy gem dealer, and a Buddhist monk. Charges have not yet been filed. Ashmalee, the former Maldives minister, will be held on remand until July 16, a court official told AFP. His lawyer claimed the finance minister was trying to book a massage online, and was unaware the site was part of an online child sex trafficking ring. The 15-year-old's mother, along with the website owner and the financial controller of the website, was also part of the 32 arrested, reported Ceylon Today. In recent years, Sri Lanka has made significant steps to curtail the sex trafficking of minors but remains on the US State Department's Tier 2 watch list of countries that have failed to meet the minimum standards set in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. Read the original article on Insider Former Member of Australian Parliament Julia Banks criticized Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday after accusing a current government minister of inappropriately touching her at Parliament House in Canberra in 2017. Driving the news: Banks told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Monday night that she was "on a couch talking to another MP" when the unnamed minister sat down and "put his hand on my knee and ran it up my leg, on the upper part of my leg." Morrison's office said he hadn't been aware of the allegation. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free Why it matters: Morrison has faced backlash in recent months for his government's management of earlier scandals, including allegations of rape in Parliament House that triggered massive protests across Australia against the sexual abuse and harassment of women. Morrison said in response in April that politicians and judges in Australia would no longer be exempt from rules barring workplace sexual harassment. The big picture: Banks told the ABC that the culture she experienced during her time with the ruling Liberal Party was like the TV show "Mad Men." She's expanded on her allegations in her new book, "Power Play: Breaking Through Bias, Barriers and Boys' Clubs." Banks accused Morrison on Tuesday of being in control of "bully boys" who "hounded" her after she left the party in 2018 when former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was ousted in a leadership contest that saw Morrison become leader, per the ABC. What they're saying: The prime minister's office released a statement to news outlets Tuesday saying: "The Prime Minister is not aware of any allegations of sexual harassment Ms Banks faced. Any such behavior is completely inappropriate." Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free. Fox Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images Rupert Murdoch is looking to rain on The Weather Channel's parade. Murdoch is set to debut a new streaming service, Fox Weather, this fall, with his company believing that the "sometimes-staid world of weather TV is ripe for disruption," The New York Times reports. Fox Weather is aiming to take on The Weather Channel, but the Times noted that the latter company is "already throwing some shade" at its new competitor. "They couldn't even get a headline right about Tropical Storm Bill," The Weather Channel chief content officer Nora Zimmett told the Times, slamming a recent article on Fox News' website claiming the storm posed a "massive" threat. "I applaud Fox getting into the weather space, but they should certainly leave the lifesaving information to the experts." Zimmett added that climate change "is too important to politicize, and if they do that, they will be doing Americans a disservice." A Fox Weather spokesperson pushed back, telling the Times, "While the Weather Channel is focused on trolling FoxNews.com for unrelated stories, Fox Weather is busy preparing the debut of our innovative platform to deliver critical coverage to an incredibly underserved market." The report describes how Fox Weather is "taking a run at major talent" from The Weather Channel, which is also planning to roll out a new streaming service of its own called Weather Channel Plus. But Byron Allen, chair of The Weather Channel's owner Allen Media Group, told the Times he welcomes the competition from Fox Weather because "there's no Ali without George Foreman." You may also like Texas state history museum abruptly cancels speech by authors of new book on the Alamo Men are rapidly losing their close friends, poll finds The West's megadrought PARIS (Reuters) - A French court has ordered Twitter to provide clear details on what it is doing to tackle hate speech, according to a court judgment obtained by Reuters, after several French lobby groups had asked Twitter to clamp down more on hateful content. The court ruling, which was presided over by magistrate Fabrice Vert, said Twitter had to show within the next two months steps it was taking to tackle hate speech. An official for Twitter in France declined any immediate comment on the matter, when asked about the verdict, which followed pressure from lobby groups including the UEJF French Jewish students association, SOS Racisme and SOS Homophobie. Tech firms have been accused of doing far too little to address online abuse. In May, Britain said a planned new law would see social media companies fined up to 10% of turnover or 18 million pounds ($25 million) if they failed to stamp out online abuses such as racist hate crimes, while senior managers could also face criminal action. ($1 = 0.7242 pounds) (Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain and Gwenaelle Barzic; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta) BERLIN (Reuters) - German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer discussed the situation in the South China Sea with her Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe, including the upcoming deployment of a German frigate there, the Berlin ministry said. The ministry said Kramp-Karrenbauer had used the video conference to remind Wei of the importance of upholding a 2016 arbitration decision that limited China's claims to some sea areas in the body of water. She had also raised human rights questions and the situation of the China's Uighur minority in her call, the ministry said. Several western countries have deployed warships to the South China Sea in recent months and years in an attempt to counter China's growing influence over the crowded waters. (Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Riham Alkousaa) Rudy Giuliani reportedly caught in compromising scene in new Borat movie (Getty) Former President Donald Trump's one-time personal attorney Rudy Giuliani reportedly convinced him that then-Vice President Mike Pence could overturn the election for him, according to a new book. Journalist Michael Wolff's latest book, Landslide details the events that led to the deadly Capitol riot on 6 January, and includes an account of how Mr Trump came to believe that Mr Pence could simply overturn the election for him. The segment of the book detailing Mr Giuliani's alleged false claims was published in New York Magazine on Monday. Wolff claims in his book that many of Mr Trump's officials and staffers had put distance between themselves and the then-president ahead of the riot, though a small retinue, including Mr Giuliani, continued to meet regularly and offer advice. According to Wolff, this was when Mr Giuliani began telling Mr Trump that the vice president had the authority not to certify the electoral college votes during the 6 January count. "There is no question, none at all, that the VP can do this. That's a fact. The Constitution gives him the authority not to certify. It goes back to the state legislatures," Mr Giuliani reportedly told Mr Trump repeatedly. Wolff claimed that Mr Giuliani was "drinking heavily and in a constant state of excitation, often almost incoherent in his agitation and mania" ahead of 6 January. Despite his certainty, Mr Giuliani was incorrect in his assumptions about the extent of Mr Pence's power. The 6 January count is not a certification, but simply a count of the votes submitted by the states. The process does not provide the vice president with any special power to overrule or reject those counts. Individual lawmakers may raise objections as Senator Ted Cruz and other Republicans attempted to do but none of that power rests in the hands of the vice president. Mr Trump apparently bought Mr Giuliani's story; The New York Times reported earlier this year that the then-president told Mr Pence that "You can either go down in history as a patriot, or you can go down in history as a pussy." Story continues Mr Trump even promoted the false idea that Mr Pence could overturn the election with a tweet. "The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors," Mr Trump wrote. That was not correct. The New York Times reported that Mr Pence sat down with Mr Trump after he made the tweet and explained that he did not have the power to reject electors. Mr Trump denied that the discussion took place. During the attack on the Capitol on 6 January, when some in the mob were chanting Hang Mike Pence! and others had set up a mock gallows and while, inside the building, security had led the vice president to safety Mr Trump doubled down, tweeting: Mike Pence didnt have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution. Read More Trump gave Pence 10 mins at weekly lunches to talk about his hard work before turning on TV and ranting, book says Closed US Capitol is somber backdrop this Independence Day Trump sends provocative who shot Ashli Babbitt? email after conservative report ties officer who killed rioter to Pence Rome The coronavirus pandemic has made travel more complicated for everyone, from airlines to security personnel and, of course, passengers. Europe has started cutting some of the red tape limiting international travel with its own version of a COVID-19 "passport." Now, for many Europeans looking to move around the continent, the "Green Pass" is as important an item to check off the travel preparation list as tickets and bags. A man shows his COVID-19 Digital Green Certificate, or As CBS News correspondent Chris Livesay reports, at check-in, passengers can now use the smartphone app to show they've been vaccinated, tested negative, or recovered from the virus before they board. "We're lucky to have an app that's so easy to use," said Leo Roussell as he prepared to fly from Paris to Corsica. Livesay gave the Green Pass app a try himself in Rome, and he also found it pretty straight forward. "We need to reconnect people and societies in a safe way," said Ivan Bassato, the chief aviation officer for Rome's airports. "People don't travel only for holiday. They travel to meet parents that they haven't seen in more than a year. During a pandemic, we need to ensure as an industry that it's done safely." The Green Pass, said Bassato, "is a very smart, safe tool to ensure that these conditions are observed." To be clear, no one is forcing Europeans to use the app. Many people still carry hard copies of their COVID-19 information, to prove vaccination status or recent test results. As for concerns about handing over sensitive health data, there's nothing on the app that travelers aren't required to hand over already information like names and when you had your last COVID test. What the app does, however, is slash the time it takes officials to check all those records at travel hubs among travelers from different countries, in different formats and languages. Without the Green Pass, American travelers like Eleni Makriannis and James Shay have to keep track of their various coronavirus-related documents on their own. Story continues "It's a lot of paperwork," Makriannis told CBS News. "I think every country should have something at that nationalized level, for the citizens' safety," said Shay. "Something electronic versus a piece of paper," added Makriannis. At the Rome airport, Bassato said a similar system in the U.S. would make travel easier for everyone - Europeans going to the U.S. and Americans coming to Europe. But given how much the notion of a "COVID passport" has been politicized, he said he didn't expect anything like it in the U.S. anytime soon. Inmates serving sentences in home confinement waiting to see if they need to return to prison Gun violence erupts across U.S. over July 4th weekend Ransomware attack hits companies around the world The Guardian The wellspring of Lake Mead created by the dams blocking of the Colorado River has plummeted to an historic low as states in the west face hefty cuts in their water supplies Lake Mead behind the Hoover dam from the Arizona side. Photograph: Ethan Miller/Getty Images Had the formidable white arc of the Hoover dam never held back the Colorado River, the US west would probably have no Los Angeles or Las Vegas as we know them today. No sprawling food bowl of wheat, alfalfa and corn. No dreams of re Jul. 6Hawaii Department of Health officials reported 48 new confirmed and probable infections today, bringing the state's total since the start of the pandemic to 38, 043 cases. No new virus-related fatalities were reported today so the statewide COVID-19 death toll remains 518. The state's official coronavirus-related death toll includes 401 fatalities on Oahu, 57 on Maui, 55 on Hawaii island, two on Kauai and three Hawaii residents who died outside the state. The U.S. coronavirus-related death toll today is over 605, 000 and the nationwide infection tally is more than 33.7 million. Today's new confirmed and probable infection count by island includes 34 new cases on Oahu, six on Hawaii island, one each on Maui and Kauai, and six Hawaii residents diagnosed outside the state. State health officials include probable infections in the total case counts. Probable infections include people who never received a confirmatory test but are believed to have had the virus because of their known exposure and symptoms or because of a positive antigen test. The total number of confirmed and probable coronavirus cases by island since the start of the outbreak are 28, 051 on Oahu, 4, 714 on Maui, 3, 293 in Hawaii County, 393 on Kauai, 115 on Lanai and 80 on Molokai. There are also 1, 397 Hawaii residents who were diagnosed outside of the state. The probable infections since the start of the pandemic added to the counts today include 821 on Maui, 794 on Oahu, 73 on Hawaii island, 24 on Molokai, four on Kauai, three on Lanai and 58 residents diagnosed outside the state. The statistics released today reflect the new infection cases reported to the department on Saturday. Health officials also said today that, of the state's total infection count, 603 cases were considered to be active. Officials say they consider infections reported in the past 14 days to be a "proxy number for active cases." The state's total number of active cases increased today by 24. Story continues By island, Oahu has 405 active cases, the Big Island has 87, Maui has 66 and Kauai has 45. Health officials counted 2, 758 new COVID-19 test results in today's tally, for a 1.74 % statewide positivity rate. The state's 7-day average positivity rate is 1.7 %, according to the Hawaii COVID-19 Data dashboard. The latest Hawaii COVID-19 vaccine summary says 1, 690, 038 vaccine doses have been administered through state and federal distribution programs as of Friday, up 5, 640 from a day earlier. Health officials say that 58.3 % of the state's population is now fully vaccinated, and 63 % have received at least one dose. Of all the confirmed Hawaii infection cases, 2, 490 have required hospitalizations, with one new hospitalizations reported today. Thirteen hospitalizations in the overall statewide count are Hawaii residents who were diagnosed and treated outside the state. Of the 2, 477 hospitalizations within the state, 2, 041 have been on Oahu, 284 on Maui, 136 on the Big Island, 10 on Kauai, five on Lanai and one on Molokai. According to the latest information from the department's Hawaii COVID-19 Data dashboard, a total of 37 patients with the virus were in Hawaii hospitals as of Friday, with 10 in intensive care units and four on ventilators. The seven-day average case count for Oahu is 32 and the seven-day average positivity rate is 1.8 %, state health officials said today.------This breaking news story will be updated as more information becomes available.------ The United States and European powers on Tuesday warned Iran that its latest uranium enrichment efforts could imperil the nuclear talks in Vienna, with Washington calling on Tehran to halt its "brinksmanship." The cross-Atlantic condemnation came hours after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran intended to enrich uranium to 20 percent, in the latest sign the talks based in Vienna -- aimed at reviving a 2015 nuclear accord -- could be stalling. "We continue to urge Iran to stop this brinksmanship, to return to Vienna prepared for real talks, and to be in a position to be prepared to finish the work" that jump-started in April, State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters. Iran's move takes it a step closer to developing materials that could be used to make a nuclear weapon. "It is worrying that Iran is choosing to continue to escalate its non-performance of its JCPOA commitments, especially with experiments that have value for nuclear weapons research," Price said. "It's another unfortunate step backwards for Iran." European powers also spoke out, with the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany expressing "grave concern" and warning that Iran's move endangers the discussions. "With its latest steps, Iran is threatening a successful outcome to the Vienna talks despite the progress achieved in six rounds of negotiations to date," the ministers said in a statement. Iran should return to the negotiations "without delay" and aim to bring them to a swift conclusion, they warned. "We have repeatedly stressed that time is on no-one's side." Britain, France, Germany and the United States are among the global powers, along with China and Russia, that negotiated the deal with Iran aimed at restricting its nuclear program. - 'Operations began immediately' - An IAEA statement said Tehran had told the agency that it would be sending the enriched uranium to its research and development laboratory at the fuel production plant in Isfahan. Story continues According to Iran's state news agency IRNA, Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's permanent representative to the IAEA, said his country's Atomic Energy Organization informed the IAEA nine days ago of its plan to use 20 percent enriched uranium for a research reactor. "Operations began immediately," Gharibabadi was quoted as saying, adding that the process will improve the quality and quantity of production of Iranian radiopharmaceuticals. While Tehran insists it is only interested in nuclear technology for energy for medical purposes, it has gradually moved away from the terms of the deal it signed with world powers in 2015. Then-president Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the deal in 2018, but the administration of President Joe Biden has expressed readiness to reenter the JCPOA if certain conditions are met by Iran. Price said there was no set timeline for closing the window on negotiations with Iran. But he made clear that Washington would reconsider if Iran continued with its "provocative steps" aimed at shrinking the breakout time to produce enough fissile material for a bomb -- from a year at the time of the JCPOA to reportedly just months today. "We see negotiations and diplomacy... as, for now, the best means to put Iran's nuclear program back in a box," he said. The talks in Vienna to try to revive the JCPOA have not moved forward in recent weeks. With Ebrahim Raisi, a new hardline president, due to take office in Iran on August 3 and succeed the more moderate Hassan Rouhani, it is also not clear what will happen when they do. sjw-mlm/caw Reuters Videos An exhausted team of Afghan special forces had no time to recover from an overnight operation in the southern province of Kandahar before responding to an SOS call from a stranded police officer surrounded by Taliban fighters on the outskirts of Kandahar city.The officer, Ahmad Shah, had been held up, alone, for 18 hours and was injured. The rest of his team had surrendered to the Taliban and previous attempts to extract him had failed.Kandahar is one of many provinces to see a recent surge in offensives by the Taliban, which says it wants to be involved in running the country peacefully although it has always opposed the presence of foreign forces.The area where Shah was stranded is a hotly contested one in Kandahar - the birthplace of the Taliban in the 1990s and which continues to be a stronghold for the Islamist insurgents.The special forces team left in a convoy of eight Humvee vehicles carrying between 30 to 40 commandos.Just as the convoy entered the area where Shah was holed up, they came under heavy Taliban fire.A gun battle ensued as the convoy made its way to Shah's location, and he was hurriedly loaded onto one of the convoy vehicles amidst a hail of bullets.There was a series of loud explosions: The first three Humvees had been hit by rocket fire and destroyed. Personnel told Reuters they had been hit by an SPG-82, an anti-tank grenade launcher that is able to disable even armored vehicles. A ban in force since 2003 on Arab citizens and residents of Israel extending their rights to their Palestinian spouses came to an end on Tuesday after lawmakers failed to extend the controversial measure. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's request to prolong the ban had divided his disparate coalition with both Jewish left-wingers and Arab conservatives strongly opposed. In a vote early Tuesday, parliament tied 59 votes to 59, meaning the measure lapsed. The outcome underlined the wafer-thin majority Bennett's coalition commands in the 120-seat parliament. The eight parties in the coalition were united by little but their shared enmity to opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, whom they unseated from the premiership last month after a record 12 straight years in power. The ban first enacted during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, had been justified by supporters on security grounds but critics derided it as a discriminatory measure targeting Israel's Arab minority. The ban has caused endless complications for Palestinians living across Israel and the territories it has occupied since 1967. A substantial number of those affected live in annexed east Jerusalem and therefore have Israeli residency, without necessarily being citizens of the Jewish state. In a protest against the measure outside parliament on Monday, some recounted the hardships of seeking permits to join their spouses, or the risks of entering Israeli territory without permission. Ali Meteb told AFP that his wife not having Israeli residency rights had confined his family to a "continuous prison". "I am asking for rights that the state owes us... for my wife to have Israeli ID, residency rights and freedom of movement," he said. Jessica Montell, the head of Hamoked, an Israeli human rights group that provides legal services to Palestinians, said "tens of thousands of families are harmed by this law." mib/roc/kir By Josh Smith and Dan Williams SEOUL/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -South Korea said it will receive 700,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine from Israel on loan this week, in an attempt to speed up immunisation following a surge in infections around the capital Seoul. More than 1,000 COVID-19 cases were reported as of 6 p.m. on Tuesday, the highest since December and hundreds more than the 746 cases posted on Monday, Yonhap news agency reported, citing South Korean government health officials. Under the vaccine swap arrangement announced by both governments on Tuesday, South Korea will give Israel back the same number of shots, already on order from Pfizer, in September and October. South Korea has quickly distributed the COVID-19 vaccines it has, but has struggled to obtain enough doses in a timely manner as global supplies are tight, particularly in Asia. Briefing reporters in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the vaccines were being loaded aboard a plane within hours of the deal's announcement on Tuesday, and that South Korean officials would verify their viability. "This is a win-win deal," he said in an earlier statement. "Together we will beat the pandemic." After a stellar roll-out, Israel has administered both shots to around 55% of its population and turnout has plateaued. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Director Jeong Eun-kyeong said the deal would allow South Korea to accelerate its vaccination plans, including providing shots to employees in some sectors that have a high amount of contact with other people. Local authorities will decide who gets the vaccines, but she said priority could be given to people such as street cleaners, delivery workers and retail employees. South Korean authorities said last week they were hoping to achieve herd immunity earlier than the current November target by inoculating at least 70% of the population with a minimum of one vaccine dose, mostly mRNA vaccines such as Pfizer's. Story continues Jeong said that if the vaccination drive goes according to plan, and South Korea finds itself with surplus doses later in the year after sending back the agreed doses to Israel, it too would look to share its stockpile with other countries. South Korea has been battling persistent small outbreaks, prompting officials to delay some easing of social distancing rules. (Reporting by Josh Smith and Dan Williams; Editing by Kim Coghill, Simon Cameron-Moore and Timothy Heritage) Algorithmic management of gig workers has landed Glovo-owned, on-demand delivery firm Foodinho in trouble in Italy where the country's data protection authority issued a 2.6 million penalty (~$3M) yesterday after an investigation found a laundry list of problems. The delivery company has been ordered to make a number of changes to how it operates in the market, with the Garante's order giving it two months to correct the most serious violations found, and a further month (so three months total) to amend how its algorithms function -- to ensure compliance with privacy legislation, Italy's workers' statute and recent legislation protecting platform workers. One of the issues of concern to the data watchdog is the risk of discrimination arising from a rider rating system operated by Foodinho -- which had some 19,000 riders operating on its platform in Italy at the time of the Garante's investigation. Likely of relevance here is a long-running litigation brought by riders gigging for another food delivery brand in Italy, Foodora, which culminated in a ruling by the country's Supreme Court last year that asserted riders should be treated as having workers rights, regardless of whether they are employed or self-employed -- bolstering the case for challenges against delivery apps that apply algorithms to opaquely micromanage platform workers' labor. In the injunction against Foodinho, Italy's DPA says it found numerous violations of EU privacy legislation -- including GDPR principles of transparency, notification, lawfulness of processing, security, privacy by design and more [an English extract of the injunction has now been published here] -- as well as a risk of discrimination against gig workers based on how Foodinho's booking and assignments algorithms function, in addition to flagging concerns over how the system uses ratings and reputational mechanisms as further levers of labor control. Story continues Article 22 of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides protections for individuals against being solely subject to automated decision-making including profiling where such decisions produce a legal or similarly substantial effect (and access to paid work would meet that bar) -- giving them the right to get information on a specific decision and object to it and/or ask for human review. But it does not appear that Foodinho provided riders with such rights, per the Garante's assessment. In a press release about the injunction (which we've translated from Italian with Google Translate), the watchdog writes: "The Authority found a series of serious offences, in particular with regard to the algorithms used for the management of workers. The company, for example, had not adequately informed the workers on the functioning of the system and did not guarantee the accuracy and correctness of the results of the algorithmic systems used for the evaluation of the riders. Nor did it guarantee procedures to protect the right to obtain human intervention, express one's opinion and contest the decisions adopted through the use of the algorithms in question, including the exclusion of a part of the riders from job opportunities. "The Guarantor has therefore required the company to identify measures to protect the rights and freedoms of riders in the face of automated decisions, including profiling. The watchdog also says it has asked Foodinho to verify the "accuracy and relevance" of data that feeds the algorithmic management system -- listing a wide variety of signals that are factored in (such as chats, emails and phone calls between riders and customer care; geolocation data captured every 15 seconds and displayed on the app map; estimated and actual delivery times; details of the management of the order in progress and those already made; customer and partner feedback; remaining battery level of device etc.). "This is also in order to minimize the risk of errors and distortions which could, for example, lead to the limitation of the deliveries assigned to each rider or to the exclusion itself from the platform. These risks also arise from the rating system," it goes on, adding: "The company will also need to identify measures that prevent improper or discriminatory use of reputational mechanisms based on customer and business partner feedback." Glovo, Foodinho's parent entity -- which is named as the owner of the platform in the Garante's injunction -- was contacted for comment on the injunction. A company spokesperson told us they were discussing a response, so we'll update this report if we get one. Update: Glovo has now sent this statement: In light of the decision taken by the Italian Data Protection Authority, regarding the processing of courier data through our application, our legal team is currently evaluating next steps and assessing all available options, including an appeal. We are committed to maintaining the privacy and trust of our couriers and we use a range of measures to ensure that the results of our processes are fair and that all personal data is safe and secure. We take compliance with data protection regulations very seriously and will improve any of our processes that are considered to not be fair or equitable. Glovo acquired the Italian food delivery company Foodinho back in 2016, making its first foray into international expansion. The Barcelona-based business went on to try to build out a business in the Middle East and LatAm -- before retrenching back to largely focus on Southern and Eastern Europe. (In 2018 Glovo also picked up the Foodora brand in Italy, which had been owned by German rival Delivery Hero.) The Garante says it collaborated with Spain's privacy watchdog, the AEDP -- which is Glovo's lead data protection supervisor under the GDPR -- on the investigation into Foodinho and the platform tech provided to it by Glovo. Its press release also notes that Glovo is the subject of "an independent procedure" carried out by the AEPD, which it says it's also assisting with. The Spanish watchdog confirmed to TechCrunch that joint working between the AEPD and the Garante had resulted in the resolution against the Glovo-owned company, Foodinho. The AEPD also said it has undertaken its own procedures against Glovo, pointing to a 2019 sanction related to the latter not appointing a data protection officer, as is required by the GDPR. The watchdog later issued Glovo with a fined of 25,000 for that compliance failure. However it's not clear why the AEDP has seemingly not taken a deep dive look at Glovo's own compliance with the Article 22 of the GDPR. (We've asked it for more on this and will update if we get a response.) It did point us to recently published guidance on data protection and labor relations, which it worked on with Spain's Ministry of Labor and the employers and trade union organizations, and which it said includes information on the right of a works council to be informed by a platform company of the parameters on which the algorithms or artificial intelligence systems are based -- including "the elaboration of profiles, which may affect the conditions, access and maintenance of employment". Earlier this year the Spanish government agreed upon a labor reform to expand the protections available to platform workers by recognizing platform couriers as employees. The amendments to the Spanish Workers Statute Law were approved by Royal Decree in May but aren't due to start being applied until the middle of next month, per El Pais. Notably, the reform also contains a provision that requires workers legal representatives to be informed of the criteria powering any algorithms or AI systems that are used to manage them and which may affect their working conditions -- such as those affecting access to employment or rating systems that monitor performance or profile workers. And that additional incoming algorithmic transparency provision has evidently been factored into the AEPD's guidance. So it may be that the watchdog is giving affected platforms like Glovo a few months' grace to allow them to get their systems in order for the new rules. Spanish labor law also of course remains distinct to Italian law, so there will be ongoing differences of application related to elements that concern delivery apps, regardless of what appears to be a similar trajectory on the issue of expanding platform workers rights. Back in January, for example, an Italian court found that a reputation-ranking algorithm that had been used by another on-demand delivery app, Deliveroo, had discriminated against riders because it had failed to distinguish between legally protected reasons for withholding labour (e.g., because a rider was sick; or exercising their protected right to strike) and other reasons for not being as productive as theyd indicated they would be. In that case, Deliveroo said the judgment referred to a historic booking system that it said was no longer used in Italy or any other markets. More recently, a tribunal ruling in Bologna found a Collective Bargaining Agreement signed by AssoDelivery, a trade association that represents a number of delivery platforms in the market (including Deliveroo and Glovo), and a minority union with far-right affiliations, the UGL trade union, to be unlawful. Deliveroo told us it planned to appeal that ruling. The agreement attracted controversy because it seeks to derogate unfavorably from Italian law that protects workers and the signing trade body is not representative enough in the sector. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Zooming out, EU lawmakers are also looking at the issue of platform workers rights -- kicking off a consultation in February on how to improve working conditions for gig workers, with the possibility that Brussels could propose legislation later this year. However platform giants have seen the exercise as an opportunity to lobby for deregulation -- pushing to reduce employment standards for gig workers across the EU. The strategy looks intended to circumvent or at least try to limit momentum for beefed up rules coming a national level, such as Spain's labor reform. Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Getty The Trump Organization is now feeling the heat, with its CFO under indictment for grand larceny. Prosecutors are clearing to get that money man, Allen Weisselberg, to flip on his boss. But one interested observer says there may be another member of the Trump crew whos even more likely to turn on the Don: his daughter Ivanka. Both Ivanka and Weisselberg benefited from a similar perk, if that indictment by Manhattan prosecutors and reporting from The New York Times are to be believed. Both were officers of the Trump Organization and simultaneously were consultants for the company, too. Its an arrangement that appears designed to shield all parties involved from paying taxesand could open Ivanka up to tax fraud charges, just like her dads CFO. Shes much less likely to stay loyal than Allen Weisselberg, says Mary Trump, the member of the family who has famously turned on the clan. Wait, wait, whoa. You think Ivanka is less likely to stay loyal than Allen Weisselberg? Even though her dad gave her a job in the White House? an incredulous Molly Jong-Fast asks Mary Trump on the latest episode of The New Abnormal. Did you know you can listen to The New Abnormal bonus episodes in your member dashboard or a podcast app? Click here to get set up and sign up for new episode email alerts here. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. But Allen had a pretty cushy gig where he was. And I think kind of in the grand scheme of things, as counterintuitive as this might sound, I think Ivanka has, one, more to lose and, two, more to hang onto. Her husbands family is legitimately very wealthy, Mary Trump answers. She sees a number of similarities in the emerging case against Weisselberg and her legal dispute with her uncle, the former president. The kind of fraud thats being alleged here is exactly the kind of thing my aunts and uncles did to me, she says. Patterns strongly imply intent, right? She adds, After my dad died, my aunts and uncles were my fiduciaries, they were supposed to help protect my investments. And one of those investments was in a partnership called Midland Associates, that essentially my grandfathers core business, Trump Management paid [it] to manage his [real estate] properties. And then in the 80s, after my dad died, they created a shell corporation called All County, which the purpose of it simply was to siphon money away from both Midland Associates and my grandfathers business, one, just to steal money from me and two, to devalue Trump Management so much that when he died, they were able to claim it was only worth $30 million and thereby avoid paying almost $500 million in estate taxes. Story continues I think my case also sets a precedent for what the fraud case is hopefully going to show, she concludes. Listen to Bonus Episodes of The New Abnormal Podcast Next up, Brian Beutler, editor in chief of Crooked Media, shares his big idea for getting a new voting rights bill passed in the Senatewithout Republican votes. And climate specialist David Roberts explains how the hell part of the Gulf of Mexico caught on fire. Listen to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Jackson County will join St. Louis and St. Louis County in a lawsuit filed last month challenging a new state law that forbids Missouri law enforcement agencies from enforcing certain federal gun laws. At the urging of Jackson County Executive Frank White, the county legislature narrowly voted Tuesday to intervene in the litigation against the state law, which the four sponsors of the resolution claim is likely unconstitutional and at odds with efforts to ensure public safety. Legislator Ron Finley joined the sponsors, fellow Democrats Crystal Williams, Scott Burnett, Jalen Anderson and Tony Miller, in instructing the county counselor to file a brief in support of the court challenge to House Bill 85. It was passed by the Republican-controlled Missouri General Assembly and signed into law by Republican Gov. Mike Parson last month. The two Republicans on the county legislature, Theresa Galvin and Jeannie Lauer, opposed the challenge to the measure, also known as the Second Amendment Preservation Act. Also voting no was Dan Tarwater, a Democrat who is serving this year as chairman of the legislature. Democratic legislator Charlie Franklin was absent and did not vote. White, a Democrat, last month asked legislators to support the court challenge filed by St. Louis county and city, expressing concern that the new law will prevent some local police from working with federal agents in enforcing gun restrictions. At the time the lawsuit was filed, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said this new law is like the state holding out a sign that says Come Commit Gun Violence Here. The federal Justice Department has said House Bill 85 conflicts with federal firearms laws and could hamper cooperation between federal and state law enforcement agencies. Missouri agencies could be sued for taking guns away from Missourians who are eligible to possess them under state but not under federal law. For instance, the new law declares as invalid federal regulations concerning gun ownership by people convicted of committing domestic violence. The Metropolitan Family Violence Coalition in Kansas City issued a statement urging the Jackson County Legislature to support the St. Louis legal challenge. Story continues Every month we see women, children, and families who are threatened, wounded, and on all too frequent occasions murdered, by batterers who have easy access to guns, the coalition said. None of the county legislators who opposed intervening in the lawsuit explained their no votes when casting them. In an earlier committee meeting, Galvin and Lauer said they had concerns about possible legal costs to the county. Administration officials say the legal work is being done in house at no additional cost to taxpayers. 2015, file photo, John McAfee announces his candidacy for president (AP) The widow of antivirus creator John McAfee said she does not accept the story of suicide being spread by malignant forces after her husband was found dead in a Spanish prison. Janice McAfee said in a statement that the reporting of her late husbands suicide through anonymous, unnamed sources are "not to be trusted". It follows claims in the Associated Press last week that the 75-year-old was found with a suicide note in his pocket, which came as a surprise to Ms McAfee and her lawyers. "The investigation into Johns death is still ongoing but I will share what information I can, when I can. Until then, I do not accept the suicide story that has been spread by the malignant cancer that is the MSM [mainstream media]," she wrote. She said the claims of his suicide were already prepared and presented to the public before she or his attorneys were notified of his death. "And now its being conveniently reported that there was a suicide note found in his pocket, something that was not mentioned when I collected Johns belongings from the prison," she added. "Another piece of information the media somehow got a hold of before myself and Johns attorneys." An unnamed "official source familiar with the investigation" told the Associated Press it was a suicide note but would not comment on its content. While Spanish authorities are conducting an autopsy, newspaper El Pais cited unnamed sources in June saying preliminary results concluded the death was by suicide. McAfee had become increasingly worried before his death he would be whacked to keep him silent, warning in 2019 that US officials said they were coming for him. Following the subtle messages, he got $WHACKD tattoo on his right arm as evidence that he wouldnt take his own life, saying If I suicide myself, I didnt. I was whackd. McAfee was found dead in a Barcelona prison cell about a week after he testified to a Spanish court that he feared spending the rest of his life in prison if extradited to the United States. Story continues In 2020, he told followers that if he died in prison, it would not be by suicide, saying know that if I hang myself, a la Epstein, it will be no fault of mine. Ms McAfee suggested in her statement that the "fighter" was not suicidal, saying they spoke twice on the day of his death to discuss the next steps in the legal battle during the months before extradition. "Besides that John had already won a victory before the hearing in that seven of the 10 charges in the case were dropped in the days leading up to his hearing," she said. "John was a fighter and he had so much more fight left in him. He told me to be strong and not to worry, we would continue to fight all the necessary appeals." McAfee was arrested at Barcelonas international airport in October, with the Spanish court ruling to extradite the billionaire to face a Tennessee arrest warrant. The states prosecutors allege McAfee didnt report earnings from cryptocurrency and speaking fees, as well as income from selling the documentary film rights to his life story. Read More John McAfees family question suicide ruling and call for second autopsy Widow says antivirus pioneer John McAfee was not suicidal John McAfee death conspiracy throws up final mystery in the wild life of a tech renegade Kelly Ripa and her family are finally getting the chance to celebrate some "delayed" family milestones. On Monday, the 50-year-old television host shared a series of snaps on Instagram of her brood's trip to Italy and Greece over the Fourth of July weekend. Ripa and husband Mark Consuelos posed with their three children Michael, 24, Lola, 20, and Joaquin, 18 and members from Mark's side of the family, including his sister Adriana and her three daughters. In the caption, Ripa explained that the extended family originally planned to take the vacation to celebrate the graduations of her eldest son and niece, but the plans were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kelly Ripa Instagram "Last year's graduation trip for our oldest son and niece was delayed long enough to become a graduation trip for the family newborns as well! ," the Live with Kelly and Ryan co-host joked. She posted three photos of the group looking happy and relaxed, posing in all-white outfits on a boat, smiling on the beach and touring a local attraction. RELATED: Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos' Sweetest Family Snaps Kelly Ripa Instagram Last May, Michael graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. At the time, Ripa celebrated the major moment with a sweet snap on her Instagram Story. "This kid! #NYU #2020," she wrote over the pic, showing the grad wearing an NYU T-shirt and giving a thumbs up. Beside him, Ripa held a tassel with a token that read "proud mom." Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Ripa previously opened up about her son's major milestone, admitting on a May 2020 episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan that she was a bit disappointed that he wouldn't have a traditional graduation ceremony due to the pandemic. Story continues "We've had some quarantine anxiety in our house lately, but I think that's seeming more from my end of things," she said at the time. "Because I realize that my firstborn, my firstborn child, is graduating from college in a couple of days and it's definitely not what we expected." RELATED VIDEO: Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos Discuss Their 'Traditional and Almost Old-Fashioned' Marriage Roles Last month, the youngest Consuelos child also officially became a high school graduate, with Ripa and Mark, 50, celebrating the achievement on social media. The ABC host posted a series of pictures throughout the day on her Instagram Story, beginning with a cute photo of her and her Joaquin both wearing their robes a bathrobe for the proud mom, and a graduation robe for her son. The proud parents later snapped a cute selfie at the graduation ceremony, captioning the pic, "The Graduate! #2021 ." Ripa also shared a photo of Joaquin "casually chatting" with his school's commencement speaker: Gayle King. As their youngest child heads off to school in the fall, Ripa also acknowledged that she and her spouse will be "empty nesters" when Joaquin leaves for college. In March, the teen announced he'll be attending the University of Michigan and joining the wrestling team. Kentucky State Sen. Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville, known in the General Assembly for his wit and intelligence, died unexpectedly Tuesday. He was 72. Buford was first elected in 1990 and was the second longest-serving member of the current Kentucky Senate. Senate President Pro Tem David Givens, R-Greensburg, said Buford brought insight and experience to the General Assembly. Toms wit, intellect, and zest for life will be missed by all who knew him, Givens said. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. Lawmakers were still reeling from the news Tuesday evening. Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, said he was texting with Buford a few weeks ago. Nobody knew that he was sick or unhealthy, Thayer said. Its a big loss. He had an out-sized personality, a large intellect and institutional knowledge that cant be replaced. It is unclear what caused his death, but Buford had a history of heart problems. State Sen. Alice Forgy-Kerr, R-Lexington, said she was devastated by the news. Tom was so bright and had great institutional knowledge of the Senate... and was so generous to colleagues with his time, said Kerr. Besides all of that, he was a live wire, much fun to be around. A flood of statements from Kentucky elected officials recognized Buford for his wit and sense of humor. Several lawmakers mentioned how Buford was able to diffuse tension in a room with a well-timed one-liner. He had one of those personalities where he could make jokes and he could have fun but also still make some serious policy points at the same time, said Sen. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called Buford a giant of the Kentucky Senate. Tom was unafraid to take on tough issues and fought hard for Kentuckys most vulnerable, with a special focus on the disabled, McConnell said. The impact of his work could be felt far beyond the borders of his State Senate district, improving the lives of Kentuckians throughout the Commonwealth. He uplifted our state through his dedicated leadership, not just as a civil servant, but also as a caring father and faithful Christian. Story continues Buford was the longest-serving member in the current Republican caucus and was elected to party leadership as a freshman a rare occurrence in politics. He sponsored many bills over his time in the Senate, including several on banking and insurance. He also passed bills to help people with disabilities, cancer and diabetes. Kentucky lobbyist Bob Babbage described Buford as someone with a magnificent personality. He didnt think he was the most important person in the room but he often ended up as one of the most influential, Babbage said. Buford did not shy away from working across the aisle. In his 2010 election, Buford attracted a primary challenger, in part because he donated to former Gov. Steve Beshear. Former state Rep. Bob Damron, D-Nicholasville, said Buford was the epitome of bipartisanship and that the two worked together to get bills passed, particularly when they benefited Jessamine County. Tom Buford will be hard to replace, Damron said. Lawmakers also offered their support for Bufords wife, Carol, and his two adult children, Stephanie and Beau, and his grandchildren. I want to convey the tremendous respect I have for Toms years of service to the Commonwealth, said Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family and loved ones. Herald-Leader reporter Jack Brammer contributed reporting. BISHKEK (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan summoned the Turkish ambassador on Tuesday to protest after Turkish National Intelligence Agency officers detained a man on Kyrgyz soil regarded by Ankara as a high-ranking officer of an underground anti-government network. Kyrgyzstan's foreign ministry said such actions were unacceptable and urged Turkey to return Orhan Inandi who it said was a Kyrgyz citizen. Turkish ambassador Ahmet Dogan said Inandi was also a Turkish citizen, the statement added. Inandi heads a network of Turkish schools in the Central Asian country. He went missing in late May and his family and supporters accused Turkey of kidnapping him. Ankara considers the schools, which have sprung up across the ex-Soviet region over the last three decades, part of a network led by preacher Fethullah Gulen, a former ally of Erdogan who now lives in the United States. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's government accused Gulen of being behind a failed 2016 coup attempt and launched a widespread crackdown on his network, which Ankara refers to by the acronym FETO. Gulen denies any involvement. Erdogan said this week Inandi, whom he described as the FETO representative in Central Asia, had been detained and brought to Turkey by the National Intelligence Agency. (Reporting by Olga Dzyubenko; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) A Los Angeles police officer was cleared of wrongdoing by a civilian review board after an investigation of allegations that he shared a Valentine's Day meme featuring an image of George Floyd and the words "you take my breath away." "The employee who was directed to a board of rights for sharing the George Floyd meme was found Not Guilty," the Los Angeles Police Department wrote in a statement shared with NBC News. "In this case, the facts and evidence were heard by a board that was comprised of civilian board members who are selected from the community. The Department respects the disciplinary process and will direct employees to a board of rights where it is believed that termination is the appropriate penalty," it said. Police announced that they had launched an internal investigation Feb. 13. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. "The Department will have zero tolerance for this type of behavior," it tweeted at the time. NBC Los Angeles reported that the Los Angeles Police Protective League, a police union, said at the time that the meme was "abhorrent" and that whoever was responsible should be held accountable. Dustin DeRollo, a spokesperson for the union, declined to comment because of confidentiality concerns and directed inquiries to the officer's attorney. In a statement, the unnamed officer's attorney, Leslie Wilcox, said the Board of Rights was "absolutely correct in exonerating the officer based on the evidence of this case." "The officer found the meme offensive, he did not create the meme, nor did he distribute it beyond notifying a commanding officer of its existence," DeRollo said. "Both the commanding officer who received the officer's communication, as well as the Assistant Chief who oversaw the investigation, agreed that the officer's single notification of a commanding officer was in no way improper." The Los Angeles Times reported in May that in the small number of disciplinary cases that have since come before new all-civilian boards, they have been"more lenient" toward officers than the previous review boards, which consisted of two officers and a civilian. BERLIN (Reuters) -A retired German political scientist has been charged with spying for China for almost a decade, using the political contacts he developed while working for a think tank, the German federal prosecutor's office said on Tuesday. It said the man, identified as Klaus L. according to German reporting custom, had been recruited during a lecture trip to Shanghai in 2010, almost 10 years after joining the think tank, and had regularly passed on information until November 2019, in return for money and trips to China. The public broadcaster ARD said Klaus L. had also been a spy for Germany's foreign intelligence agency, the BND, for half a century before retiring. ARD cited unnamed sources as saying he had initially told the BND of the recruitment attempt, but had failed to inform it about later contacts. ARD also said Klaus L. had worked for the Munich-based Hanns Seidel Foundation, associated with the Christian Social Union (CSU), Bavarian sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU. The foundation said it had been cooperating with authorities since June last year. "Possible misconduct via intelligence activities is absolutely unacceptable to us," a spokesperson for the think tank said, adding that Klaus L. retired a decade ago and had not had any contact with the foundation since then. The BND was not immediately available for comment. Klaus L. was due to appear before a Munich court on Tuesday. (Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Thousands of people risked their lives for a decade looking through mountains, canyons and across the West to find Forrest Fenns hidden treasure. Now a lawsuit says he may have kept his bounty for himself. A treasure hunter filed a lawsuit seeking $10 million in New Mexico U.S. District Court on June 28 after he said he found Fenns coveted treasure in Colorado. Then Fenn announced publicly that someone else had discovered the treasure in a different location. The Fenn treasure was sought by treasure hunters since 2010 when Forrest Fenn, an art dealer and author from New Mexico, reported he hid a chest somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. During the decade-long search, people were caught digging in historic cemeteries, rappelling canyons and risking their lives to find the stash of gold, rubies, emeralds and diamonds. Before his death in September, Fenn announced the treasure had been found in June 2020. At first, the treasure hunter who found the bounty stayed anonymous for months because he didnt want any potential danger to come to him or his family, he wrote in a statement posted on the web site Medium. In December, however, Fenns grandson Shiloh Old confirmed that Jack Stuef had found the prize in Wyoming. A lawsuit and federal court order pushed Stuef to come forward as the finder, he said in the Medium post. My name is Jack Stuef, and I am the finder of the Forrest Fenn Treasure, Stuef wrote last year. I searched for it for two years, and on June 6 of this year, I retrieved the treasure from the place I found it in Wyoming, the same place Forrest hid it 10 years ago. I now own the treasure chest. Stuef kept how and the specific spot where he found the treasure a secret. Bruno Raphoz, who filed the most recent lawsuit, however, said the announcement that the treasure was discovered didnt line up with his own findings. He thinks Fenn went to find the treasure, publicly said it was found and kept it for himself, according to the lawsuit. Story continues In September 2019, I informed Forrest Fenn that I found the location of the treasure, Raphoz, a treasure hunter from France, said in the lawsuit. In March 2020, I informed him that I was on my way to retrieve the treasure. Then all airports shut. In June 2020, he declared the treasure found. Raphoz said the details of the discovery were suspicious to everyone and surprising, according to the lawsuit. All of his own findings placed the treasure in the southwest part of Colorado. My assumption is that when F. Fenn knew I was once again on my way to bring the chest back from the above mentioned site, the virus (COVID-19) then plunging the planet to a standstill and his death approaching, the normal expected ending of his story was in limbo, Raphoz said in the lawsuit. The treasure hunter thinks Fenn then took the bounty and kept it for himself, according to the lawsuit. Fenns family has not commented on the lawsuit, but Fenns grandson previously confirmed Stuef was the finder. Our assumption is that F. Fenn went to retrieve the chest himself, declared it found publicly and kept the content for himself, the lawsuit said. My aim is to obtain evidence of breach of contract, breach of trust in communication. Two men buried $10,000 treasure in the Utah wilderness. Now hundreds are on the hunt Treasure hunter gets prison time after digging in Yellowstone cemetery, officials say Meet the treasure hunter who found Forrest Fenns bounty after years of searching Comics about couples are all over the internet, but the illustrations tend to be pretty heteronormative: Its rare to see a queer couple portrayed in such a cute, wholesome way. Simon Ip , a digital artist who lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, is changing that, one adorable little illustration at a time. The illustrator, whos originally from Canada, draws inspiration from his life with his boyfriend, Patric. The two met in the summer of 2019 when he was visiting Stockholm, where Patric lived, for the weekend with friends. On the train ride back to Copenhagen, I told myself, I need to see him again, Ip told HuffPost. Illustrator Simon Ip and his boyfriend, Patric, in non-comic form. (Photo: Simon Ip) The creative pair Ip draws, and Patric is a musician with the band Callus were doing a lot of back-and-forth from country to country, but the pandemic brought them closer together. In 2020, I spent six months in Stockholm living with Patric and working from home, Ip said. Finally, in January 2021, we moved to a wonderful apartment in Copenhagen with a wonderful seaside view. At the height of the pandemic, Ip spent his free time illustrating the happily idle hours the pair spent together. The cute, early Disney-esque drawings show the couple traversing their city: (Photo: Simon Ip) And following in love with cute pups every 10 seconds on walks: (Photo: Simon Ip) And stealing each others food on the sly: (Photo: Simon Ip) Ip ended up calling the series 100 Days of Happiness. Since beginning the project in March 2020, hes received a ton of positive feedback from other LGBTQ+ people who are happy to see such sweet, wholesome representation. Going on Instagram, I know I had difficulty finding other LGBTQ artists that drew same-sex couples doing mundane things together and enjoying sweet moments shared together, Ip said. Id say the majority of LGBTQ depictions are overly sexualized, he noted. We dont oversexualize all straight relationships, so I thought it was important to continue these illustrations to normalize same-sex couples. Ip is also happy to depict a gay couple that happens to be interracial. Story continues Denmarks population is not as diverse as in Canada, and thats made me realize the importance of showcasing my Chinese heritage and being openly gay, he said. A lot of Ips Instagram followers live in Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea and the Philippines. I would have loved to see this type of representation growing up, he said. With the rise of social media, Im happy I have the possibility to do so for someone else. Below, we highlight some of our favorite illustrations from Ip. Head to his Instagram or site for more. Also on HuffPost This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... MILAN A new home, a new logo and an addition to the team: Marcolin is marking its 60th anniversary looking ahead and refreshing its brand equity and business structure to gear up for the next chapter of its history. On Tuesday, chief executive officer Fabrizio Curci opened the doors of Marcolins new headquarters here, which reflect the new course of the Italian eyewear company and its increased integration between the physical and digital worlds. More from WWD Moving a few doors down the central Corso Venezia avenue compared to the previous offices, the new 6,458-square-foot site boasts more meeting rooms and lounges spread over two floors, including a conference hall featuring digital tools and cameras enabling the staff to zoom into details while presenting the collections remotely. Founded in 1961 and based in Longarone in Italys Veneto region known for being an eyewear manufacturing hub Marcolin designs, produces and distributes eyewear collections for a number of licensed brands, including Tom Ford, Guess, Adidas Originals, Bally, Moncler, Max Mara, Ermenegildo Zegna, GCDS, Tods, Emilio Pucci, Dsquared2 and Timberland, among others. Additionally, the firms portfolio includes house brands Web, Marcolin and Viva. Curcis goal is to pivot the whole company toward a more efficient and flexible business model and to speed its production, optimizing the time-to-market. We need to reason always in efficient terms and be able to balance in the best way possible speed with action, to move with reduced timings compared to the ones we had in the past. And the pandemic in this sense acted as a stimulus for us, the executive said. As reported, in his first interview with the press, Curci teased the reorganization of the company, its key functions and management, intersecting responsibilities across the board. In sync with this approach, the company quietly welcomed Alessandro Beccarini to its team last year, tapping him for a newly created role of style and product development director, which Curci defined essential. Story continues Leveraging extensive experience in the eyewear industry working for companies such as Prada and Luxottica, Beccarini now oversees the management and development of all the groups eyewear collections globally. The organization was divided in clusters and I decided to have one person that could [oversee] all activities of style and product development not only across all brands but also regions, said Curci, underscoring that the move enables us to have a more linear path to follow on a daily basis. The move is in tune with other changes in terms of personnel and the reconfiguration of departments implemented over the past year to enhance the management skills of the company, Curci said. Simultaneously, Marcolin invested in the digitalization of internal processes and automation across the supply chain, as well as a reconfiguring the factories to optimize production. Marcolins new showroom in Milan. - Credit: Courtesy of Marcolin Courtesy of Marcolin The companys commitment toward ESG practices and research into new materials was also stepped up. For instance, when a regulation demanding traceability during the production of optical frames was introduced earlier this year, the company decided to extend such procedures even to its sunglass assortment. To have more control over commercial activities and take faster decisions, Marcolin has also recently taken full control of its subsidiaries in China and Russia, and is gearing up to unveil new headquarters in China in the coming weeks. There is an opportunity in Asia that needs to be built up, noted Curci, adding he expects significant developments in the Far East as well as Russia in the future. So far, Marcolins global network consists of 14 subsidiaries worldwide, located in Europe, Russia, in the U.S. and Brazil, in Asia (Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore) and in Sydney. There are also two joint ventures, in Mexico and the United Arab Emirates, while overall the company distributes its products in more than 125 countries. The firm closed 2019 with revenues of 486.7 million euros. Curci offered that net sales in 2020 were 340 million euros while in the first quarter of 2021 they were 108.7 million euros, compared to 93.5 million euros in the same period last year. The company is in a good shape. We are noticing were coming out of this tough period, and the numbers are starting to confirm this feeling, commented the executive, revealing that figures for the second quarter, which still need to be approved by the board, also point in the same, encouraging direction. To mark the companys latest phase and further telegraph its new slender and more immediate approach, Marcolin retooled its corporate logo, cutting the eyewear description from it, and creating an additional one for its anniversary. Webs special collection marking Marcolins 60th anniversary. - Credit: Courtesy of Marcolin Courtesy of Marcolin In particular, the celebratory emblem which intertwines the number 60 with the symbol for infinity to form a pair of optical frames adorns the packaging of a special collection of sunglasses launched under Marcolins house brand Web and available to purchase at a selection of opticians starting from this month. Available in two styles a squared one for women and a vintage-inspired pilot shape for men the acetate sunglasses recall the materials and colors of the natural landscape of Longarone, in addition to boasting signature Web elements like the torchon metal detail embellishing the temples and nose bridge. Web is at the center of our attention, firstly because its a beautiful brand with a charming history, and then because it is recognizable. We took this occasion as a chance to rethink the brand and focus on making sure it is loyal to the aspects for which it was founded and it is known for, so its quality and distinctive symbolism, Curci said. While the companys attention is on revamping Web, last week Marcolin and Diesel revealed they have mutually agreed to end their licensing deal for Diesel eyewear collections after almost a decade of partnership. Curci said the firm is not looking for any replacement nor other acquisitions since Marcolins portfolio is balanced in covering different segments in the industry. Its not like were missing brands, noted the CEO, highlighting that over the past two years the company has inked deals with many labels, developing two lines for Adidas and three brands for the Max Mara Group, among others. Today, the winning strategy is to make quality products fast. To be fast and reactive seems obvious but its not in this industry. So this is the main topic were facing, focusing on processes and operations: Our home needs to be in good shape first and then we can look at the other opportunities popping up, concluded the CEO. PAI Partners controls 74.7 percent of Marcolin, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton has a 10 percent stake and other investors hold 15.3 percent of the shares. LVMH set up a joint venture with Marcolin to create Thelios, which became operative in 2018 and produces and distributes eyewear collections for brands ranging from Celine and Loewe to Dior and Stella McCartney. LVMH has a 51 percent stake in Thelios and Marcolin holds the remaining shares. Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. By Sarah White CANNES, France (Reuters) - Decked out in a shimmering silver Chanel gown, Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard helped kick off Cannes' comeback on Tuesday as movie stars from far and wide descended onto the red carpet for the French cinema showcase. The world's biggest film festival is marking its return after skipping 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in slightly more subdued form, with fewer attendees and parties over the 12-day whirlwind of film premieres. Stars were out in force on the French Riviera for the opening ceremony, in a show of support for an industry hammered by the pandemic after theatres closed for months. "It will be my first time in a cinema for 15 months," Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonca Filho, one of the jury members who will pick the winner of the top Palme D'Or award, told a news conference earlier on Tuesday. Hollywood stars Jessica Chastain and Adam Driver - who stars alongside Cotillard in musical "Annette", the opening film - were among celebrities who travelled to France for the event, along with Spanish film director Pedro Almodovar and British actress Helen Mirren. In a pearl-coloured Givenchy shift dress, Jodie Foster, who first came to Cannes as a 13-year-old when she starred in "Taxi Driver", arrived to received a lifetime achievement award. Sean Penn and Wes Anderson will be among heavy hitters vying for prizes in the main film competition, one of several parallel events and premieres taking place over the next fortnight. They include outdoor screenings on the beach along Cannes' famed Croisette walkway, where tourists beginning their summer holidays in the resort city will get a chance to catch a glimpse of Hollywood royalty. The festival retains a very French flavour, and will showcase the latest outings by directors Francois Ozon and Jacques Audiard as well as Catherine Corsini's "The Divide", set in modern day France against the backdrop of 'Yellow Vest' anti-government demonstrations. Story continues Festival director Thierry Fremaux on Monday stood by strict French rules barring inclusion in the movie competition for films promoted by streaming platforms like Netflix unless they get a run in cinema theatres first. U.S. director Spike Lee, who wore a hot pink suit for the opening ceremony, chimed into the long-running Cannes versus Netflix debate, supporting the platform on which he released "Da 5 Bloods" at the height of pandemic lockdowns last year. "Cinema and screening platforms can coexist at one time," Lee told a news conference on Tuesday. "There was a thinking once that TV was going to kill cinema. This stuff is not new." (Reporting by Sarah White; Editing by Richard Chang) Canadian Prime Minister has named Mary Simon as governor general, the first indigenous person to hold the post. The former diplomat and advocate for Inuit rights will represent Canada's head of state, Queen Elizabeth II. The announcement comes nearly six months after the former governor general, Julie Payette, resigned amid accusations of bullying. While the role is largely ceremonial, the governor general presides over important state duties. Ms Simon's appointment follows a national reckoning over Canada's legacy of residential schools. These government-funded boarding schools were part of policy to attempt to assimilate indigenous children and roll back indigenous cultures and languages. In the past two months, hundreds of unmarked graves, believed to belong to former residential school students, have been found. Born in northern Quebec, Ms Simon said she had been raised to maintain an active connection to her Inuit culture and heritage. She has served as the ambassador to Denmark and as president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Canada's national Inuit organisation. On Tuesday, she said her "historic" nomination was "an important step forward on the long path towards reconciliation" and towards "building a more inclusive and just Canadian society". Ms Simon is bilingual in English and Inuktitut - but not French. She said she had been denied the opportunity to learn French while attending a federal day school in Quebec. Canada has two official languages: English and French. It is rare that an appointee like this would not be proficient in both but Ms Simon said on Tuesday she was committed to continuing French language studies. In January, astronaut Julie Payette stepped down after four years in the job amid reports that a highly critical workplace inquiry would be made public. Story continues The third-party review found she had presided over a "toxic" working environment, with examples of "yelling, screaming, aggressive conduct, demeaning comments and public humiliations." The government had launched the external investigation after CBC News reported last year that several staff members felt bullied by Ms Payette. In the wake of her resignation, Mr Trudeau named Chief Justice of Canada Richard Wagner as interim governor general. He said on Tuesday that nearly 100 names had been vetted and examined before Ms Simon was selected. As the Queen's representative in Canada, the governor general carries out many duties in her absence. He or she has the power to give a throne speech and suspend parliament, give royal assent to legislation and swear in the prime minister, and is commander-in-chief of the Canadian Armed Forces. Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox in 2021. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for iHeartMedia Megan Fox said her connection with rapper Machine Gun Kelly was "magical" in a new interview. "The first time I looked into his eyes, I was like ... 'I know you,'" Fox told the Washington Post. The star said she "wasn't expecting it'd be like, 'God, you are my soul mate,' instantly." Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Megan Fox opened up about her "magical" connection with boyfriend Machine Gun Kelly in a new interview with Ilana Kaplan for the Washington Post. Fox and Kelly first met on the set of "Midnight in the Switchgrass," a serial killer thriller directed and produced by Randall Emmett. And even though they were only on set together for a couple of days, Fox said that she was instantly drawn to the "tall, blond tattooed rapper." "The first time I looked into his eyes, I was like... 'I know you. I have known you so many times, in so many different forms, in so many different lives,'" Fox told the Post. The "Jennifer's Body" actress added that she "wasn't expecting it'd be like, 'God, you are my soul mate,' instantly" when she met Kelly. Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox. Rich Fury via Getty Images After meeting in March 2020, Fox and Kelly's relationship quickly took off. Fox later starred in Kelly's music video for "Bloody Valentine," playing a dominatrix who ties the rapper up up, feeds him donuts, and electrocutes him in a bathtub. During an interview last year, Fox recalled learning that Kelly had joined the cast of "Midnight in the Switchgrass" during a table read. "I was like, 'Who's going to play this role?' And [Emmett, the director] was like, 'Oh, we just got Machine Gun Kelly.' And immediately, I was like, 'Uh oh,'" Fox said. She continued, "I knew. I could feel that some wild sh-t was going to happen to me from that meeting, but I wasn't yet sure what. I just felt it like, deep in my solar plexus that something was going to come from that." Story continues Fox also said that she considers Kelly to be her "twin flame," which the actress described as a soul that has "ascended to a high enough level that it can be split into two different bodies at the same time." "We're actually two halves of the same soul," she said. "I said that to him almost immediately, because I felt it right away." Read the original article on Insider Heres a page-turner the internet is policing allegations made against local literary lovers accused of being book "thieves." A police department in Bloomington, Minnesota, is getting some flak for tweeting about "thefts" from a Little Free Library, a community-donated library that allows book worms to help themselves to a book, and bring back another to contribute. Little Free Library is a nonprofit based in Hudson, Wisconsin. More than 100,000 Little Free Libraries exist around the world, according to the organization's website. "After some thefts from little libraries in our city, officers and staff came together to donate a bunch of books to the libraries. Now people can use and enjoy them again," the Bloomington Police Department tweeted ahead of the Fourth of July weekend. The BPD suggested someone was taking books from the libraries, adding that "it is common that they are then sold for a profit, which is not the intent for the libraries." LIBRARY BOOK GETS RETURNED 70 YEARS LATER: CONSIDER IT WAIVED But critics on social media took offense to the "theft" comment, with some users confused as to how anything was stolen if the items were free to begin with. TREND OF BOOKS BEING BANNED SPIKED DURING PANDEMIC "How can you steal something free, officers?" one users responded. Another chimed in: "Define profit. Because taking every book from one of these things would net you about $10 at best at a used book store." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP One diligent watchdog pulled up the Little Librarys FAQ section on its website with a question asking "can anyone use a Little Free Library? Do I have to return free books I take?" highlighting the answer that reads "the more the merrier" adding that users do not need to return the book they take but suggesting they bring one back next time they pass through. The BPD did not immediately return a Fox News request for comment, however, they appeared to backtrack on their initial statement, tweeting: "Regrettably, in our previous post we used the word theft to describe books being taken from a free library. We did not investigate this as a theft nor take a report. We simply responded by donating books that our BPD staff brought from home. A human effort," the Bloomington Police Department tweeted. A man has been arrested after the body of a missing Utah woman was found near a river late Sunday in what police described as a suspicious death. Masako Kenley, 53, was found dead along the Jordan River in a densely wooded area near Sandy, a city 17 miles south of Salt Lake City, Sandy Police said. SUMMER WELLS INVESTIGATORS RECEIVE MORE THAN 700 TIPS ABOUT MISSING TENNESSEE GIRL In connection with her death, police have since arrested 73-year-old William Reilly, whom investigators described as her "acquaintance," FOX13 Salt Lake City reported. Lt. Dean Carriger told the station that detectives are still pursuing information in the case and did not yet have the specifics on their relationship. Kenley was last seen around 4 p.m. Friday in Midvale, about 6 miles northwest of Sandy, Sandy police said. She was reported missing the following day after family and friends did not hear from her. Police later found Kenleys car in a Costco parking lot in Sandy. Detectives searched for Kenley throughout the weekend. About 100 volunteers helped in the search on Sunday, according to the station. Police said their effort led detectives to the Jordan River late Sunday, where the non-profit search and rescue organization Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs, Inc., helped them search the thick brush near the river. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The canine search and rescue team was "pivotal" in locating Kenleys body, police said. While police have not released details on what led to Reillys arrest in connection to Kenleys death, he faces charges of felony aggravated murder, desecration of a corpse and obstruction of justice, according to the station. No further details were immediately released as police continue to investigate Kenleys death. Fox News has reached out to Sandy Police for more information. (Reuters) - Nicaraguan police have detained at least five opposition leaders, including a presidential hopeful, deepening a sweeping crackdown of political and business figures opposed to President Daniel Ortega ahead of November elections. Scores of prominent Nicaraguans, including six who planned to challenge Ortega's bid for a fourth consecutive term in office, have been arrested in recent weeks. Many have fled abroad. On Monday, police detained farmworker leaders Medardo Mairena, who planned a presidential bid, Pedro Mena, and Freddy Navas, accusing them of murdering and kidnapping police officers and civilians, armed robbery, and extortion, among other crimes, the police said in a statement on Tuesday. Police also arrested student leaders Lesther Aleman and Max Jerez over accusations of armed robbery, kidnapping, rape and other crimes. The police said all the crimes were committed during a wave of anti-government protests in 2018. The protests faced harsh reprisals from Nicaraguan security officials and some 320 people died in the violence, according to rights groups. Mairena was previously sentenced for his participation in the 2018 protests to 216 years in prison, charged with terrorism, murder and organized crime. Then, under an amnesty law, he was released in mid-2019 after nearly a year in detention and had the charges dropped. "Ortega's goal is not only to eliminate electoral competition by capturing the sixth presidential candidate, but also to head off civic resistance. He has arrested more than 20 political, civic, self-convened, student and peasant leaders," Nicaraguan journalist Carlos Chamorro said on Twitter. Chamorro, who fled to neighboring Costa Rica in mid-June, is the brother of detained opposition leader Cristiana Chamorro. Ortega, a former leftist revolutionary who has ruled Nicaragua since returning to power in 2007, has justified his crackdown on opponents by saying https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/nicaraguas-ortega-shrugs-off-global-pressure-rare-speech-2021-06-24/?taid=60d4185facce2b000128fdca&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter his administration was prosecuting criminals who were plotting a coup against him. The arrests have sparked international outrage. The U.S. State Department has called the detentions an "ongoing campaign of terror" and said the United States would use all diplomatic and economic tools at its disposal to promote fair elections. (Reporting by Diego Ore and Anthony Esposito, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) (Bloomberg) -- AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. appointed former BHP Group executive Alberto Calderon to its top job, ending a nearly year-long head hunt thats weighed on the shares of the No. 3 gold producer. Calderon, a 61-year-old Colombian who once served as a junior minister in a government that fought drug lord Pablo Escobar, will join AngloGold on Sept. 1. The Ivy League economist, who was in the running to become chief executive officer at BHP before the position went to Andrew Mackenzie, served as CEO of Melbourne-based explosives maker Orica Ltd. until February. AngloGold hasnt had a permanent CEO since Kelvin Dushniskys abrupt departure last September after holding the position for just two years. The Johannesburg-based miners shares have underperformed peers in the past year as the CEO hunt dragged on and the company had to suspend operations at a mine in Ghana. While Calderons experience lies in industrial metals, coal and oil, his background may help AngloGold to advance its key expansion projects in Colombia. Read more: CEO Vacuum at AngloGold Turns It Into Worst Mining Stock Its not going to be easy, but I hope I can explain what a world class mining company like AngloGold can do, Calderon said in a video interview, commenting on his task of getting the Colombian authorities to approve the miners Quebradona and Gramalote projects. I think I have a good chance of persuading them. AngloGolds shares climbed as much as 5.8% in Johannesburg, the most in seven weeks. That pared the stocks losses over the past 12 months to 42%. While AngloGold emerged from a mining empire created by Ernest Oppenheimer a century ago, it sold its remaining South African operations last year to focus on more profitable mines elsewhere in Africa, Australia and the Americas. The new CEO may face questions about whether the company could finally move its primary listing from Johannesburg -- an idea thats been bandied about for years. Story continues Its not the immediate priority for me but its something that in due time the board and myself will consider again and give our views to the market, Calderon said. A potential London listing is among the options that Calderon will consider as he tries to close the discount at which AngloGold trades to larger rivals Newmont Corp. and Barrick Gold Corp. If we can bring credibility back to our projects, be more predictable in our production and cost focus, if we are seen as the excellent operators that we are, I think we can bring a lot of that discount value back into this company and thats my plan, he said. Calderon will take over from interim CEO Christine Ramon, who will return to her previous position as AngloGolds chief financial officer. During her time at the helm, Ramon sketched out a plan to expand output at key operations in Tanzania, Ghana and Guinea, while potentially investing more than $2 billion in two new mines in Colombia from 2022. Leadership Experience Calderon, who gained experience of South Africa during his time as head of BHPs aluminum business, was CEO of both Cerrejon Coal Co. and Ecopetrol in his home country of Colombia. Prior to that, he held leadership positions at the International Monetary Fund. Its an excellent appointment, and it removes uncertainties about the leadership crisis, said Rene Hochreiter, an analyst at Noah Capital Ltd. In Colombia, he can probably get things done better than say an American or South African, he said. Calderons six years at Orica coincided with a difficult period for the company. The explosives maker had to contend with a steep rise in the price of natural gas, its main input cost, and more recently Oricas profits hit by the Covid-19 economic slowdown and Chinas ban on Australian coal imports. Orica shares fell by more than a third during Calderons tenure. AngloGold joined rivals in increasing its dividend after record gold prices boosted earnings last year, but producers have had to work hard to retain investor interest this year as bullions rally sputtered. The new CEO must also get the companys key Ghana mine back on track after underground operations at Obuasi were suspended in May following the death of a worker. That setback will curb output this year, just as the mine was ramping up following a $545 million redevelopment. We have the right person to lead this company forward and realize its outstanding potential, drawing on his huge leadership experience in the resources sector across a variety of geographies, said AngloGold Chairman Maria Ramos said in the statement. What Bloomberg Intelligence Says AngloGolds appointment of experienced mining executive Alberto Calderon as CEO is a good starting point for the company to narrow the valuation gap with many of its gold-mining peers. While the market may take a wait and see approach given Calderons lack of specific gold-mining background, the combination of his recent Australian-based role and his Colombian heritage fits in well with the geographical spread of AngloGolds assets and the companys growth ambitions. -- Grant Sporre, BI commodities and metals analyst Click here to read the full research note (Updates with Bloomberg Intelligence analyst comments in final paragraph) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. For the past year, Jeromy Sonne has been on the road with his wife, Kelsey, and their 2-year-old son, Emmett, living and working in short-term home rentals from Airbnb. Sonne, 31, founder of marketing startup Decibel, was working remotely from rural South Dakota when the pandemic hit. After a few months of lockdown, the Sonnes found that being cooped up at home in a small town wasn't working, so they put their belongings in storage and started traveling. They began in Utah, in Provo and then Salt Lake City, and then headed to Vermont, Texas, Hawaii and Montana. Most recently, they extended their travel abroad to Panama and Costa Rica, where they're currently living. Jeromy Sonne, his wife Kelsey and their 2-year-old son Emmett have lived on the road for the last year. They arrived in Costa Rica on June 15 and will stay in Tamarindo for six weeks. (Monica Quesada Cordero / for NBC News) They have stayed in locations for four to six weeks on average, which allows them to get to know the places and take advantage of monthly discounts. Usually, they book two bedrooms, which makes traveling with a toddler on a sensitive sleep schedule more manageable, even if it's more expensive. But so far they have kept expenses at pre-pandemic levels, which includes average monthly lodging of under $2,500. "I think there's a misconception among some people that you have to have this huge amount of money to be able to pull this off," Sonne said. Kelsey recently left her job to handle all of the travel arrangements and manage the family's finances full time, which has been key to the longevity of their travel. On top of budgeting, she keeps their expenses down by pinpointing affordable destinations, finding deals and making use of points and other travel hacks, which make it possible for them to live primarily off one salary. The Sonnes want parents to know they don't have to be left out of nomadic living, especially given the relative convenience of furnished accommodations. Jeromy Sonne, Kelsey Sonne, and their son Emmett walk on the beach in Tamarindo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. (Monica Quesada Cordero / for NBC News) "All of this is possible because of the Airbnbs and Vrbos of the world," Jeromy said. "I don't think we could really pull it off without those services, because we're not in a situation where we could 'hostel it.'" Story continues How long they will continue living out of a few suitcases ultimately comes down to their son. They are eyeing an end-date of late 2022 or early 2023, when he'll start preschool. In the meantime, they will be on the move, trying to see as much as they can in a few years and with a toddler in tow. Work-life flexibility Before the pandemic, the term "virtual nomad" applied to a privileged few who had found a way to finance perpetual travel and seemed to do so effortlessly. But when Covid-19 forced employers to go remote, it opened up the possibility of a nomadic lifestyle to entirely new groups of people. Now, despite employers setting dates for full, in-person returns, many who took advantage don't want to go back. "People have experienced the power of work-life flexibility, enhancing the quality of their lives, their satisfaction," said Tsedal Neeley, a professor at Harvard Business School and author of the book "Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding From Anywhere." Jeromy Sonne works from a CoWork space at Selina in Tamarindo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. (Monica Quesada Cordero / for NBC News) Different from what Neeley calls the "forever unattainable" work-life balance, this newfound flexibility has allowed people to segment the day between work and life in a way that works best for them. In very practical terms, that means signing on for work, attending meetings and making deadlines but using off- or between-hours in a way that is more fulfilling whether that means replacing morning commutes with a walk outside or sharing a meal with a spouse instead of eating alone at a desk. "The digital nomad has the ultimate work-life flexibility," Neeley said. They can spend their off hours pursuing changes of scenery, warmer weather, winter sports, new cuisines or, simply, a place to decompress. A boon for rental sites Pandemic-era interest in digital nomadism, or working from anywhere, has been a boon for sites like Airbnb and Vrbo, which have seen growing demand for weeks- and monthslong stays. These kinds of lodgings offer flexibility for those on an open travel schedule, and they're often outfitted to function like a permanent residence, with workspaces, washing machines, cooking equipment and a range of creature comforts that allow people to travel lightly. According to Airbnb, stays of four weeks or more almost doubled between 2019 and the first few months of 2021. Around 11 percent of long-term Airbnb bookers said they were living a nomadic lifestyle, based on a company survey. Early in the pandemic, with the lockdown at its height, Airbnb users in the U.S. flocked to scenic, small-to-mid-size cities to enjoy the outdoors. The most popular destinations for two or more weeks included Park City, Utah; Durham, North Carolina; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Boise, Idaho; Richmond, Virginia; and Fort Walton Beach, Florida, among others. Vrbo, which has crossover listings with other sites but its own following, also saw increases in demand for longer-term stays last year, reporting a 30 percent increase in bookings of at least three weeks compared to the same period in 2019. Its top destinations in 2020 included popular snowbird staples such as Phoenix, and Florida cities Fort Myers and Naples. Now, as vaccination rates enable the lifting of travel bans, people are increasingly looking for destinations abroad. Searches for Airbnbs in popular locales like Iceland, Croatia and Greece have skyrocketed since talk of easing restrictions for vaccinated Americans began in the spring, according to company data. Countries that opened up first to Americans, like Mexico and Costa Rica, remain popular draws. The great resignation Despite nomadic life becoming more popular and more available to some, significant barriers still exist for most people because of the costs of traveling with kids or pets, the lack of options for people with specific accessibility needs, the many jobs that just aren't done on a computer or don't pay enough to allow for any kind of travel, among many other factors. More than 60 percent of Americans work in jobs that can't be done remotely, according to McKinsey research. Also at play is the country's severe housing shortage, with a shortfall of 5.5 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors. That, coupled with the surge in demand for housing during lockdown, continues to drive up prices. With the median home price reaching an unprecedented $350,000, many buyers are quickly being priced out of the market. But that doesn't necessarily mean the desire for a permanent residence is going away, and the competition for a dwindling number of places to live, including affordable apartments to rent, puts the focus on stability over transience. Jeromy and Kelsey work on teaching Emmett numbers at their Airbnb in Costa Rica. (Monica Quesada Cordero / for NBC News) Now, many people who once had the chance to work from anywhere are being recalled by employers. As of May, almost 30 percent of white-collar workers had returned to the office at least a few days a week. But the numbers show that Americans are not ready to go back to their desks nor the status quo. A record 4 million people quit their jobs in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And more resignations are likely coming: 95 percent of workers are currently considering changing jobs, with 92 percent willing to switch industries altogether, according to a recent report by Monster.com. Most respondents cited burnout and lack of growth opportunities. The ability to work remotely, or from anywhere, is a significant part of this seismic shift, which has been dubbed the "Great Resignation." For months, workers have said they would consider quitting if employers arent flexible about their return, a figure as high as 49 percent among millennial and Gen Z employees, according to recent Bloomberg News data. That desire for flexibility isn't arbitrary: When comparing people who work from home with those who work from anywhere, the latter report higher levels of job satisfaction and workplace productivity, Neeley said. But both these groups report higher satisfaction compared to people who work in an office full time, according to research published in Harvard Business Review. "Companies are learning that flexibility is one of the reasons we're seeing a lot of turnover. When 80 to 88 percent of your workforce is asking for flexibility, how can you mandate otherwise and expect for people to stay when competitors are offering it?" Neeley said, citing recent studies. "The second thing is, if people want flexibility and virtuality this badly, I don't know what's worse: people leaving your company or people staying with the intention to leave," she said. After more than a year of adapting to new ways of living and working and searching for meaning, fulfillment and happiness along the way many aren't willing to wait and see if they'll be able to continue on the path they've carved out. They're insisting. Location independent For Julianna Claase, 27, the pandemic was a catalyst to start thinking about what she really wanted out of work and life. Claase, who was living in New York City when it went into lockdown in March, began searching for jobs that would allow her to become "location independent," or to live nomadically indefinitely. She found an opportunity right as her lease was coming to an end and decided it was the moment to take the plunge. Long-distance support from friends and family has helped Julianna Claase to mitigate the stresses of traveling alone. (Nathan Congleton / NBC News) Claase now works remotely on a permanent basis as a graphic designer at Getaway, a company that rents out Wi-Fi-free cabins designed to help people disconnect in nature. She said her co-workers, as well as her manager, support her nomadic lifestyle. "It's kind of like this moment of delight each month for my team when they notice a different background," Claase said. Her travels began in November with a monthlong stop at a co-working, co-living farm in Connecticut called Open Grange. After that, she spent time in the hometowns of friends and family on the East Coast and in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Richmond, Virginia, before heading to Chicago, where she didn't know anyone. Along the way, she's used Airbnb, creative-geared newsletter Listings Project, rental company Sonder and friends' recommendations to find housing. Her goal is to spend $1,000 for monthly housing, though sometimes she spends more and sometimes less. Julianna Claase now works remotely on a permanent basis as a graphic designer at Getaway, a company that rents out Wi-Fi-free cabins designed to help people disconnect in nature. (Nathan Congleton / NBC News) One thing she's learned is that she needs at least a month in each place, "enough time to really 'nest,' to make myself feel at home and get to know a city or neighborhood," Claase said. With shorter time periods, it's easy to feel like an entire stay is spent thinking about the next move, she said. Moving around solo means not having anyone to collaborate with on travel decisions, which can be isolating, as well as stressful, but she mitigates that with long-distance support from friends and family, she said. "Before I made the decision, I was worried about what people would think," Claase said. "And it turns out, I was projecting a lot of that. When I had openly shared my excitement about this huge change, I was welcomed with open arms. And I think that's so important when you're changing your physical roots month to month. You need to feel rooted in a lot of other ways." Outside of her close circles, she is still met with bewilderment when she doesn't have answers about her future plans or when she will stop being nomadic. Since embarking on a nomadic lifestyle late last year, Julianna Claase has lived in Connecticut, North Carolina, Virginia, and Illinois. At the moment, she's back in New York. (Nathan Congleton / NBC News) "I think that might be unsettling to some people," Claase said. "But that's ultimately why I began doing this, to just get to know myself better and what I want. And I trust myself to know if I find it." She does know she's going to carry on moving for a while. It wasn't until the last few months that she felt "true freedom," she said, as things have become more open and she began to feel more safe. There are plenty of places she still wants to go. Next up, she is headed to Seattle after a summer spent catching up with friends in New York, then maybe abroad, to Spain, to be near another friend. From there, she trusts herself to figure it out. A police officer in North Carolina is on administrative leave pending an investigation after his gun went off and hit a 30-year-old driver suspected of having drugs, according to the police department. The incident occurred around 9:45 a.m. Sunday near Edgecombe Community College in Tarboro, about an hour east of Raleigh. The Tarboro Police Department and Edgecombe County Sheriffs Office were conducting traffic stops in the area when officers smelled marijuana and alcohol coming from a car driven by Christopher Tervon Harris, Tarboro police said in a news release. Harris took off with officers in pursuit before police said he hit another car and tried to run on foot. A Tarboro police officer caught up to him within a short distance, police said. During this time the officers firearm discharged causing a non-life threatening injury to the driver, the police department said. Police did not identify the officer involved. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Harris was taken to Vidant Hospital for treatment and released. He was charged with speeding to elude arrest, possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine, resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer and careless and reckless driving. Harris was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond. Tarboro police said the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident, per protocol. The officer is on leave pending the SBIs investigation and an internal investigation. Its at least the third officer-involved shooting in North Carolina over the holiday weekend. A Sampson County sheriffs deputy shot and killed 49-year-old Craig Locklear on Sunday, The News & Observer reported. The sheriffs office said Locklear jumped out of his truck bed and pointed a revolver at the deputy before the shooting. On Friday, a sheriffs deputy in Wilkes County shot and killed 37-year-old Thomas Charlie Billings, who was wanted for murder in another county, the Wilkes Journal-Patriot reported. Billings was also accused of pointing a gun at deputies, which was later determined to be a pellet rifle, according to the newspaper. Story continues Deputy US Marshal who shot, killed Frankie Jennings wont face charges, Meck DA says Deputies accidentally shot while training at North Carolina gun range, sheriff says Police who use force would be tracked in a private database under NC Senate budget Ohio will send National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border to help federal and local law enforcement respond to sustained high levels of illegal immigration. The announcement over the weekend from Republican Gov. Mike DeWine makes it the sixth state that has volunteered its police officers or National Guard following a request from Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona in June. All six volunteering states have Republican governors. Ohio will send 185 members of its Army National Guard to the southern border, joining the ranks of Arkansas and South Dakota, which each opted to send Guard members instead of law enforcement. Florida was the first state to send its police officers from a dozen departments statewide to help their counterparts in border states. Gov. Ron DeSantis said the prevalence of fentanyl in the northern part of the state had risen since January as the result of more coming into the United State from Mexico. "You have a governor who is saying we'll step up to protect Floridians. This is what real leadership looks like. Leadership is not sending someone down there to beg people not to come," Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said at the press conference, referring to Vice President Kamala Harris's previous statements telling migrants not to travel to the border. "When you have chaos versus order, crime versus safety, you develop strategic enforcement actions, and you bring peace and protection to your people. That's what a leader does. BIDEN PROTOCOLS PUT MIGRANT CHILDREN AT RISK OF TRAFFICKERS, TOP REPUBLICAN WARNS Nebraska is sending two dozen state troopers to Texas in what Gov. Pete Ricketts said was a response to the disastrous policies of the Biden administration. While the federal government has fallen short in its response, Nebraska is happy to step up to provide assistance to Texas as they work to protect their communities and keep people safe, Ricketts said in a statement. Story continues Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said in June that up to 30 state troopers will go down to the border for an indefinite duration. Iowa Department of Public Safetys Sarah Jennings told the Daily Iowan that sending law enforcement out of state would not compromise public safety, but governors in other states are concerned that could be the case and chose instead to send military troops. Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota pledged up to 50 state National Guard troops from a duration of 30 to 60 days. The South Dakota deployment is being funded by a private donation. Republican megadonors Willis and Reba Johnson made an unspecified gift to the state through their foundation. Willis Johnson made his billions of dollars through Copart, an automotive salvage and auction company. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson will send 40 National Guard troops to the border for 90 days, stating, Border states have requested help, and we are answering the call. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER State National Guard forces had been left out of Abbott's and Ducey's request, as they want to give active law enforcement officers broader policing authorities. Military on the border cannot make arrests and typically serve in passive roles, such as monitoring cameras and manning unfinished portions of the border wall. However, out-of-state police will have broader policing authorities and will be able to arrest noncitizens who come across the border on trespassing charges and human smuggling charges. Normally, only federal authorities such as the Border Patrol can arrest people for immigration offenses, but the two governors expanded arrest authorities by declaring a disaster and emergency. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Iowa, Ohio, Nebraska, Florida, South Dakota, Arkansas, Texas, Border Crisis, National Guard, Military, Police, Law Enforcement, Border, Immigration Original Author: Anna Giaritelli Original Location: Ohio makes it six states sending military and police to respond to Biden border crisis Jul. 6Former NFL and Ohio State stars, including Barry Sanders and Keith Byars, are coming to Greene County this weekend to help raise money for ALS in the name of a former teammate. Skydive Greene County in Xenia will host a tandem skydiving event beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday with proceeds to go to the William White Family Fund for ALS, a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord (also known as Lou Gherig's Disease). White, 55, was an Ohio State defensive back from 1984-87. He was a captain as a senior and earned All-Big Ten honors. He played 11 seasons in the NFL for the Lions, Chiefs and Falcons, including an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIII. Five years ago, White was diagnosed with ALS, and his fund supports research of the disease at Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center by Dr. Stephen A. Kolb and others. Kolb will be among those skydiving Sunday at Skydive Greene County, and anyone else who wants to take the plunge may do so. A box lunch is included in the price of a tandem skydive, and Kolb and White are scheduled to speak about the latest in ALS research during lunch. Those who do not wish to jump are welcome to watch as well as interact with a some of White's former NFL and OSU teammates. Former NFL teammates of White including Sanders and Bennie Blades are scheduled to be part of the event along with Byars, a Dayton native and local radio personality, and other fellow former Buckeyes John Wooldridge, Vince Workman and Tito Paul. To register for the event, contact Skydive Greene County at 937-372-0700. Donations may be made online at www.giveto.osu.edu by searching ALS fund number 316015. Alternatively, checks may be sent to The Ohio State University Foundation with a note in the memo line for ALS Fund 316015 and sent to P.O. Box 183112, Columbus, Ohio, 43218-3112. The US military confirmed Tuesday that it did not give Afghan officials the precise time troops would abandon the strategic Bagram air base for security reasons, even as it left the facility open to looters. According to reports, Afghan military officials, including the general who will run the base in the future, complained that they were not told in advance that US forces would leave in the early hours last Friday. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said senior Afghan political and military officials were told about the exit two days ahead and were given a walk-through of the sprawling base, the center of US and coalition operations against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban insurgency for the past two decades. "The exact hour of departure was not divulged for operational security purposes," Kirby said in a press briefing. "In general we felt it was better to keep that information as closely held as possible," he added. The US withdrawal must be "safe and orderly," Kirby said, pointing to the constant threat the Taliban poses to US forces. "I can't speak to how the Afghans interpreted that decision," he added, amid questions of whether it showed a fundamental distrust of US partner forces in the country. "It's not a statement about whether we trust or don't trust our Afghan partners. It's a statement of the fact that we have to consider that this drawdown could be contested by the Taliban. And we have to take that into consideration." "It was a turnover just like the previous six bases were turned over," he went on. The United States has moved quickly to pull out thousands of service personnel and civilian contractors since President Joe Biden ordered them to leave in April, setting a September deadline. On Tuesday the US Central Command, which oversees Afghan operations, said the pullout was more than 90 percent complete. pmh/ft Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, gets a one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination by nurse LeShay Brown at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in Los Angeles in March. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Should people who got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine consider getting a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna? The idea recently entered public discussion. Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist based in Canada, tweeted that she received a booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine "to top off the J&J vaccine I received in April," citing a number of unanswered questions about how protective the one-dose shot is against the ultra-contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus. About the same time, some at UC San Francisco suggested there was no need to get a booster. The idea was even broached on a podcast hosted by Andy Slavitt, a former federal advisor on the government's pandemic response. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government's top infectious diseases expert, said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that there's not enough data for the federal government to recommend a booster for people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. "You can't [give] a formal recommendation when you don't have official data, based on good science and good clinical trials," Fauci said. Fauci, at an earlier media briefing, said it's important to remember that "the J&J vaccine is a highly effective vaccine." "You should only be making a formal recommendation based on clinical data," Fauci said of the booster concept. "So that's the reason why, even though individual physicians will be doing that, from a clinical trial basis, there's no real fundamental scientific reason to do that right now." New data suggest the Johnson & Johnson vaccine does quite respectably against the Delta variant. Last week, the company issued a press release contending that its vaccine "generated strong, persistent activity against the rapidly spreading Delta variant and other highly prevalent [coronavirus] viral variants." The release described a study in which blood was taken from eight people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and were exposed to variants. Story continues The data show "the vaccine produces a strong neutralizing antibody response to the Delta variant," UC San Francisco infectious diseases expert Dr. Monica Gandhi tweeted, meaning that the immune system of a person vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson shot triggered a robust attack on the Delta variant. Also important, Gandhi added in an interview, is that based on her communications with officials, she understands that people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine do not have a worse rate of vaccine failure than people who have received the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shots. "What's compelling is that there is not a difference in breakthrough infections" between all three vaccines authorized for use in the U.S., Gandhi said. One reason there have been persistent questions about Johnson & Johnson's efficacy is that there is simply more data available on the effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. "You have a much, much more wider use globally of [those shots] in situations in which you can actually make data-based statements on that," Fauci said during a briefing. Of roughly 156 million people in the U.S. who have been fully vaccinated, about 8% have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, federal figures show. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, made similar comments recently on NBC's "Today Show." "We have no information to suggest that you need a second shot after J&J, even with the Delta variant," Walensky said. "Generally, people are agreeing that they anticipate that the J&J will perform well against the Delta variant, as it has so far against other variants circulating in the United States." There are no reliable data available on what the effects might be of a booster on someone who has received the Johnson & Johnson shot, she said, or whether there might be side effects. "If you choose to do that, the one thing I would ask is to enter a study. In doing so, we can learn more," Walensky said. There are other reasons to suggest why the Johnson & Johnson shot holds up well against the coronavirus. Fauci cited a study from the U.K. that found that the AstraZeneca vaccine which uses similar technology as Johnson & Johnson has a 92% effectiveness against hospitalization after two doses; the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 96% effective. "Since these vaccines the [AstraZeneca] and the J&J are based on very similar platforms, one could anticipate and make a reasonable assumption that the results against the Delta variant would be at least similar, perhaps even better," Fauci said. Last week's statement by Johnson & Johnson also said that the immune response provided by the vaccine proved lasting for at least eight months. And instead of the immune response waning, it actually improves over time, according to the statement. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Its not enough to have this conversation. As my grandmother said, talk is cheap. You have to act, Ben Crump tells theGrio. The death of Philando Castile transfixed the nation and increased the volume on the demand for police reform, as he joined a growing list of Black men killed by police. As his final breaths were live-streamed on Facebook, there was even more reason for urgency. Five years ago Tuesday, Castile, a cherished member of his Minneapolis community, was gunned down in the prime of his life. The 32-year-old cafeteria worker was fatally shot by St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez, who is Latino, on July 6, 2016, following a routine traffic stop. (Courtesy of Castile Family) Squad cam footage showed Yanez pulling over Castiles car in Falcon Heights, Minn. Reports indicated that the initial stop was because another police officer radioed to Yanez and his partner that he believed the couple to be implicated in a robbery in the area and specified Castile due to his wide-set nose. His girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and their four-year-old daughter were also in the vehicle. Yanez asked Castile for his identification and registration, which triggered a fatal sequence of events. Sir, I have to tell you, I do have a firearm on me, Castile, who was licensed to carry in Minnesota, an open-carry state told Yanez. Yanez began to pull out his service weapon before Castile could finish his remarks. OK. Dont reach for it then, Yanez commanded. Yanez repeated the order and then fired seven times into the car at point-blank range. Castile was hit five times. According to reports, their verbal exchange lasted 40 seconds. Protestors carry a banner depicting Philando Castile on June 16, 2017 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) Reynolds began to live-stream the shooting and Castiles final moments as her daughter cried and pleaded in the backseat. Mom, please stop cussing and screaming because I dont want you to get shooted, the girl said in footage from the incident. Castile death was deemed a homicide, provoking outrage and nationwide protests. Controversy also ensued as the NRA proponents of the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms failed to advocate on Castiles behalf. Story continues Yanez claimed that he feared for his life. A jury ultimately believed Yanez, acquitting him of second-degree manslaughter and endangering safety by discharging a firearm in the shooting in 2017. Castiles loved ones, including Reynolds and his mother, reached respective settlements of $3.6M from the city of St. Anthony but have continued to urge more be done to prevent further tragedies. Unfortunately, the murder of George Floyd by former police officer Derek Chauvin brought back those very raw memories. Demonstrators hold up banners bearing the likenesses of Philando Castile and George Floyd during a protest march on July 6, 2020 in St. Anthony, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) He had time to change his mind, he stayed on that young mans neck for eight minutes; my son died in 74 seconds, Valerie Castile, Philandos mother, said earlier this year. My son was murdered after they stopped him for a broken taillight, she said. (This is former what Ofc. Yanez told Castile, in fact, he was stopped as a robbery suspect.) Weve been working on the Philando Castle Bill ever since to try to correct some of these wrongs. The deaths of Castile and Floyd were both captured on video, drawing another similarity. Despite Chauvins conviction, activists and elected officials have remained frustrated that George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would enact police reform, is stalled in Congress. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump exclusively told theGrios White House correspondent April Ryan that America is choosing to ignore the necessary conversation about racial reckoning. Even after George Floyds video, they are still trying to avoid having the conversation. We have to continue to put the video of George Floyd, the video of Jacob Blake, Anthony McClain, of Joshua Feast, Pamela Turnerall these videos in Americas face until they cant do anything else but have this conversation, he said. But its not enough to have this conversation. As my grandmother said, talk is cheap. You have to act. Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile, speaks during a press conference on November 16, 2016 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) He continued more emphatically: America, you must act. Semhar Solomon, 17, was compelled to take action to protest and march for the lives lost at the hands of the police. She was only 12-years-old when Castile died, and her young life has been shaped by Black people becoming hashtags. She created a mural of Castile that is on display outside St. Anthonys City Hall where the police department is located. The teenage activist is determined to keep Castiles memory and the legacy of his death ever-present. Semhar Solomon in front of her Philando Castile mural (Semhar Solomon) We hadnt really talked about Philando Castile in St. Anthony as a whole since he was murdered and even then, that was [only] if you wanted to talk about it, Semhar recently told Teen Vogue. The idea of the mural was to make that conversation no longer optional. Youre seeing the face of a Black man in a predominantly white city. Thats going to stir up a conversation, which was the whole goal: to keep Philando Castiles name and memory alive while also addressing police brutality in Minnesota. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today! The post Five years later, Philando Castiles death highlights need for police reform: America, you must act appeared first on TheGrio. WARSAW (Reuters) -Poland's ruling party leader on Tuesday condemned comments from Israel regarding a new law that could have an impact on the restitution of Jewish property after World War Two and said the country did not owe anything to anyone. Poland had one of the world's biggest Jewish communities until it was almost entirely wiped out by the Nazis. Former property owners and their descendants have been campaigning for compensation since the fall of communism in 1989. However, Poland's parliament passed a draft bill in June which is expected to make it harder for Jewish people to recover the property - drawing criticism from Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid who said the move was "a disgrace". The head of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, said in excerpts of an interview for Polish weekly Gazeta Polska published online that Lapid's comments were unacceptable. "We make our laws ourselves, and ... we owe nothing to anyone," he added. Israel's foreign ministry declined to comment. The bill, due to be discussed by the upper house of parliament, implements a 2015 ruling by Poland's Constitutional Tribunal that there must be a deadline after which faulty administrative decisions can no longer be challenged. Critics say that would put a time limit on requests for restitution. Kaczynski also reignited Poland's longstanding claim that Germany still owes Poland reparations for World War Two. "There are bills that have not been settled with us. For the crimes and destruction of World War Two, Germany owes us over a trillion dollars." Some 6 million Poles, including 3 million Polish Jews, were killed during the war and Warsaw was razed to the ground following a 1944 uprising. Germany says all financial claims linked to the war have been settled. (Reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk, Joanna Plucinska and Alan Charlish; Editing by Alison Williams) Pope Francis holds a Holy Mass on May 16, 2021. Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis via Getty Images Pope Francis was alert and in good condition the day after undergoing intestinal surgery. He had a three-hour operation on Sunday that involved removing half of his colon, the AP reported. The Vatican expects him to be hospitalized for about seven days. See more stories on Insider's business page. Pope Francis is "in good general condition," the Vatican said in a statement Monday following the pope's intestinal surgery on Sunday. The 84-year-old pope underwent a three-hour operation that involved removing half of his colon, the AP reported. He is expected to stay hospitalized for about seven days - assuming there are no complications - in a suite reserved for popes in Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic. The Vatican's Sunday announcement that the pope had been hospitalized for surgery came as a surprise to the public, NBC reported. Earlier that day, he gave an address from the window of his study, but he did not mention the upcoming surgery. The Vatican said in a Sunday statement that the surgery had been planned. An Italian newspaper reported that surgeons started the operation laparoscopically but encountered complications and had to operate with wider incisions, according to the AP, which said the Italian paper did not cite its sources. The statement from the Vatican on Monday did not mention any complications. The pope's bowel issues are very common in older people, doctors told the AP. But the physicians said that only about 10% to 20% of people with similar problems need surgery. For some people, the only way to alleviate the pain is to remove part of the colon. "This is a major operation," Dr. Walter Longo, chief of colon and rectal surgery at Yale University School of Medicine, told the AP. The primary concern, Longo said, is making sure that the parts of the bowel that were stitched together remain attached. Read the original article on Business Insider As local businesses are opening back up, so are Americans' wallets. After more than a year of sweatpants and home offices, consumers are ready to splurge, snapping up products that will get them out of the house and into the post-quarantine world all while looking and feeling good. Coinciding with the hot girl summer viral meme and mask mandates being lifted, consumers are spending on style. In May, sales of eye makeup, teeth whitener kits, false eyelashes and lipstick were up at least 20 percent compared to a year ago, according to NielsenIQ analytics. People are also flocking to freshen up their locks. According to a new report from Mastercard, toupee and wig store sales increased by 75 percent for the period May 2020 to 2021, compared to February 2019 to February 2020. Curling iron sales in April are up 37 percent since last year and 41 percent since the previous year, according to the NPD Group market research company. And shoppers don't just want to look good, they want to smell good. Perfume, cologne and aftershave are seeing sales quadruple year over year in May and increase by nearly 50 percent over the last two years. As workers return to the office and more social events begin popping up on calendars, consumers are also looking to spend more on clothing. As we start to socially enter the world again and social progression begins to kick into gear, we're seeing people either desiring to build their wardrobe because they're bored with what they've had, or they have the necessity to build their wardrobe. In some cases, we've got 40 percent of consumers that told us that their size changed during the Covid period, said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at the NPD Group. We're seeing things that are dramatic, things that are exciting, things that make you feel good, that's why you're seeing dramatic colors and prints and beaded shirts. But shoppers arent ready to abandon all pandemic attire norms yet comfort remains king. According to NPD, dress sales in May were more than double what they were last year, jean sales increased by 75 percent and knit shirts by 64 percent. This reluctance to give up casual clothing has even led some retailers to introduce comfortable office wear like the "jardigan," a loose-fitting knitted jacket. Story continues Another post-quarantine experience continuing to impact how Americans shop this summer is the great outdoors. According to a report from Airbnb, some of summer 2021s top U.S. destinations include Whitefish Mountain and West Yellowstone in Montana, along with Acadia National Park in Maine. After spending so much time inside during the pandemic, consumers are putting their money where their hiking boots will be, with record visitation levels at national parks. NPD found that the amount of park and campground books bought in April increased by 110 percent since last year and 61 percent since 2019, while towing and hitch tool sales increased by 40 percent and 32 percent, respectively, during the same time periods. On the e-commerce front, the Adobe Digital Economy Index found that in May, online sales for camping gear were up 130 percent since 2019, swimsuit sales up 40 percent and luggage sales up 9 percent. With flight prices increasing and domestic destinations becoming more popular this summer, driving has become a more popular way to travel and cars mean repairs: Online sales for auto parts were up 161 percent in May 2021 compared to two years ago, according to the Adobe Digital Economy Index. Yet despite the new spending patterns, consumer behavior that dominated the pandemic spending on items, rather than experiences remains for now, Cohen said. What's happening is a slow, steady process, back to what will be the new normal, he said. The remaining fencing outlining the perimeter of the U.S. Capitol, installed as a precautionary measure following the January 6 insurrection on the Capitol grounds, is soon to be deconstructed. Whats left of the barricade is likely to be removed as early as next week, three anonymous people familiar with the plans told the Associated Press. In March, the Capitol Police dismantled the outer fence that blocked off much of the premises to cars and pedestrians, leaving only an interior fence surrounding the Capitol building. The outer fence, very tall in height, had been covered in razor wire and was staffed with National Guard officers after the riot incident. Because of the obstruction, tourists and visitors were redirected to take long detours to get to the lower parts of Capitol Hill. The top Democrat and Republican on the House Armed Services Committee called to reduce the National Guard presence at the Capitol in March, saying they were deeply troubled by the number of troops deployed there. The sources told the Associated Press that the U.S. Capitol Police Board is drafting a plan to get the fence removed by July 9. A spokesman for the Capitol Police said they could not reveal any specific details about security measures, however. We cannot talk about security, which includes any potential physical security infrastructure plans, the spokesman said. In January, Capitol Police acting chief Yogananda Pittman advocated in a statement for permanent fencing to be added to the physical security infrastructure of the Capitol. In February, the Capitol Police Board asked congressional leaders to maintain the fence until September as investigations were ongoing into threats against lawmakers and the Capitol vicinity. Critics of the fencing argue that its an unnecessary overreaction that is isolating the public from the Capitol which theyre entitled to access. Proponents believe January 6 was an episode of white domestic terrorism, which poses a legitimate, credible threat to national security, necessitating a barrier for the government complex to prevent future incidents. More from National Review PARIS (Reuters) - The HYVIA hydrogen venture between carmaker Renault and U.S. company Plug Power will sell products throughout Europe, and will assemble fuel cells and hydrogen refueling stations at the Flins factory in France in late 2021. The HYVIA venture added in a statement on Tuesday that it would offer a range of three fuel-cell powered Master Large Van models by the end of 2021. "HYVIA offers turnkey mobility solutions that leverage the production, storage, distribution of green hydrogen and a wide range of H2 LCVs. These solutions will meet the new needs of businesses, large accounts, fleets, and local communities and drive energy transition as a whole," said HYVIA president David Holderbach. Carmakers around the world such as Renault are focusing increasingly on electric vehicles and on hydrogen, as part of the auto industry's plans to be more environmentally-friendly. Last month, Renault unveiled a more ambitious strategy for electric vehicles (EVs), betting on new, affordable versions of its iconic small cars of the past to catch up with Volkswagen in the fast-growing sector. General Motors also announced last month that it would supply electric batteries and hydrogen fuel cell systems for rail supplier Wabtec Corp's locomotives, extending the No. 1 U.S. automaker's reach outside the automotive sector. Hydrogen vehicles are also a form of electric vehicles, although they rely on a fuel cell which transforms the hydrogen into electricity on board the vehicle. Hydrogen has come into the spotlight in Europe, where EU environment ministers want truck CO2 emissions cut by a third by 2030 from 2019 levels, threatening potential diesel bans and higher taxes but promising up to 75% of lower road tolls for greener vehicles. Although more expensive than battery electric vehicles, fuel cell electric vehicles, driven by on-board hydrogen, will potentially benefit from Europe's desire to build a world-leading industry around the hydrogen technology. (Reporting by Gilles Guillaume; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta) In 2018, six of Gosars nine siblings endorsed his opponent, claiming his extreme views made him unfit for Congress. Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar has long been identified as a white nationalist sympathizer, but the Republicans allegiances to one prominent group and their leader is drawing new scrutiny. Nick Fuentes praised Gosar this week on his America First podcast, in which he said: There is some hope, maybe, for America First in Congress. And that is thanks to almost exclusively to Representative Paul Gosar. Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar attends a March news conference about immigration on the U.S.-Mexico border outside the U.S. Capitol with members of the House Freedom Caucus in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Aside from his podcast title, America First is the name of the group Fuentes founded, one that he identifies as a Christian conservative organization, but it publicly opposes, among other things, immigration both undocumented and legal, globalism, gay and transgender rights and feminism. It has been identified as an extremist group by The Anti-Defamation League. The ADL sometimes refers to his supporters as Groypers, a loose network of alt-right figures who are vocal advocates of America First ideals. A new report from The New York Times notes that Gosars allegiance to 22-year-old Fuentes and the like is an example of the Republican Partys growing acceptance of extremism. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The five-term Republican was a backer of former President Donald Trump and supported the false assertion that last years presidential election was stolen from the twice-impeached former commander-in-chief. Gosar has referred to current Democratic President Joe Biden as a usurper, which means a person who takes a position of power or importance illegally or by force. AZ Central has posited that the more shocking fact than Gosars allegiance with far-right extremists is that there are no Arizona Republicans challenging him for his seat. As previously reported, Gosar earlier this year shared then deleted an image of a sex worker talking to a man in a car and saying, $50 WHATEVER YOU WANT BABY. The cartoon man replies, CAN YOU TELL EVERYONE AMERICA FIRST IS INEVITABLE. The Arizona Republican captioned his post with #AmericaFirst. Story continues The post came just days after Gosar skipped in-person voting on several important bills in Congress to attend Fuentes annual conference. The New York Times notes that the close relationship enjoyed by some far-right extremists and sitting members of Congress gives them and their agenda legitimacy. After Gosar attended Fuentes conference, the podcaster tweeted a picture of the two together, captioned: Great meeting today with Congressman Gosar! America is truly uncancelled. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The tweet has since been deleted. Gosar is not the only Republican with ties to far-right groups. Both Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene of Georgia have been publicly supportive of such groups, with Gaetz speaking at events led by the Proud Boys and Taylor-Greene addressing the Three Percenters. In 2018, six of Gosars nine siblings endorsed his opponent, claiming that their brothers increasingly extreme views made him unfit for Congress. He still won that race and was reelected again last year with nearly 70% of the vote. Have you subscribed to theGrios Dear Culture podcast? Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.com today! The post Republican Rep. Paul Gosar has significant ties to white nationalist leader appeared first on TheGrio. TOKYO (Reuters) - Rescuers in Japan waded through mud, rock and splintered wood in search of 24 people still missing on Tuesday after heavy rain triggered massive landslides in the seaside city of Atami three days ago, killing four people. Police, fire fighters and military personnel resumed rescue operation, suspended for the night on Monday, at around 6:00 a.m. (2100 GMT Monday). The landslides occured around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, and time is running out for any survivors trapped beneath the rubble. "We have not yet received any new information on survivors ... People in the field are working hard in their search and rescue operation," Atami city spokesperson Hiroki Onuma told Reuters. The operation heavily depends on rescuers working with their hands, the use of heavy machinery deemed too dangerous for any survivors who may be alive under mud. Atami, with a population of 36,000, is 90 km (60 miles) southwest of Tokyo and famous for a hot springs resort. The landslides are a reminder of the natural disasters - including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunami - that afflict Japan, where the capital Tokyo is to host the summer Olympics starting July 23. (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Stephen Coates) Signs for the 2020 Republican National Convention outside of the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 22, 2020. Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images Russian hackers breached Synnex, a third-party IT contractor that works with Microsoft accounts, last week. The attack took place around the same time a major ransomware attack was executed by a Russian-linked criminal group. Bloomberg News reported the hackers belonged to a group known as APT 29 or Cozy Bear. See more stories on Insider's business page. Russian government hackers breached Synnex, a third-party IT contractor that works with Microsoft last week, around the same time a major ransomware attack was tied to a Russian-linked criminal group. Bloomberg News reported that hackers breached the Republican National Committee's computer systems, but an RNC spokesperson denied that allegation to Insider, saying the group's team worked with Microsoft to immediately confirm that no RNC data was accessed in the Synnex breach. Two people familiar with the incident told the outlet that the hackers are part of a group known as APT 29 or Cozy Bear, which has been linked to Russia's foreign intelligence service. The hackers were previously accused of breaching the Democratic National Convention in 2016 and infiltrating nine US government agencies during a supply-chair cyberattack that was disclosed in December, Bloomberg reported. The breach comes less than a month after President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin about cyberattacks at a June 16 summit. In a Facebook statement Tuesday evening, the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC, also denied that Russian hackers breached computer systems belonging to the RNC. "There is no evidence that the attack took place," the statement said. "We would like to remind that during the summit of the presidents of Russia and the United States in Geneva, the topic of cybersecurity took one of the central places." The IT corporation, Synnex, said it was aware of a "few instances where outside actors have attempted to gain access, through Synnex, to customer applications within the Microsoft cloud environment," in a press release. Story continues "As a distributor, we only work directly with value-added resellers and vendor partners, such as Microsoft," Michael Urban, president of worldwide technology solutions distribution at Synex said in a statement to Insider. "SYNNEX does not work directly with end user entities of cloud application products." Urban added that the company was unable to provide specifics while it conducts a full review. RNC Chief of Staff Richard Walters confirmed to Insider that no RNC data was accessed in the breach. "Over the weekend, we were informed that Synnex, a third party provider, had been breached. We immediately blocked all access from Synnex accounts to our cloud environment," Walters said. "Our team worked with Microsoft to conduct a review of our systems and after a thorough investigation, no RNC data was accessed. We will continue to work with Microsoft, as well as federal law enforcement officials on this matter." It was unclear if the Synnex breach was in any way tied to the ransomware attacks that took place around the same time, which targeted 200 American businesses using vulnerabilities in Kaseya, a Miami-based IT firm. Cybersecurity experts have tied the massive attack to Russian-based criminal ransomware-as-a-service organization, REvil, which most recently attacked meat supplier JBS. Correction 7/06/2021: This article was corrected to reflect that the RNC says Synnex was breached not specifically the RNC. Read the original article on Business Insider Marian Cunnington was unfairly dismissed from her job at Sainsbury's after making a Black Lives Matter comment about BBC character Bing. (Facebook/BBC/PA) A supermarket worker with 28 years of experience was unfairly sacked from Sainsburys after she made a comment about the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. A complaint was made against Marian Cunnington, 52, after she picked up a cuddly toy of BBC childrens character Bing, a black rabbit, and said: Should we really be selling this toy? Black Lives Matter. She was suspended from her job later that day, an employment tribunal heard, before being sacked a month later. The Daily Mirror reported that Cunnington, who had won awards for her work as a price controller at the Sainsburys store in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, was unfairly dismissed for gross misconduct after a colleague complained her remark was racist. Supermarket worker Marian Cunnington made a Black Lives Matter comment about a cuddly toy of children's TV character Bing. (BBC) The incident happened in June last year at the height of Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests following the murder of George Floyd in the US. Cunnington was carrying out price changes in an aisle when she saw the Bing toy. She told Birmingham Employment Tribunal she thought the toy could be offensive to Black people in the same way as the banned Robertsons jam mascot. The colleague who complained said she heard Cunnington say: Im offended Black Lives Matter. After being suspended, Cunnington later told her bosses in a meeting: I was actually standing up for BLM. But she was sacked on 2 July last year and her appeal against the decision was also turned down, it was reported. However, last month, Judge Richardson said the Sainsburys operations manager who sacked her could not explain what was offensive about the words, Im offended Black Lives Matter. The judge said sensitivities were heightened at the time of the incident because of the BLM protests in the US and the UK. He said: It is all the more reason to take great care that proper procedures are followed thoroughly, objectively and fairly so that justice can be done. Marian Cunnington has since found work with Marks & Spencer. (Facebook) Given the size and resources of [Sainsburys], the fact that so many fundamental procedural errors were made is unacceptable. Story continues In summary, the decision to dismiss was not well founded and is unfair. Cunnington has since found work with Marks & Spencer. She told the Mirror: Im not a racist and Im a really good worker. When I was summarily dismissed I was in disbelief. It was very hard but then I knew that I hadnt said anything racist. Obviously I have made a lot of friends in my team and none of them believed I had done anything wrong. Yahoo News UK has contacted Sainsburys to ask for comment. Watch: What is antibiotic resistance? A Saudi Arabian flag in the wind against clear sky in the Al Madinah Province, Yanbu, Saudi Arabia on December 26, 2019. Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Corbis via Getty Images French prosecutors have launched a human trafficking investigation into allegations against a Saudi prince. Seven women who used to work for the prince say they were forced to work in modern-day slavery conditions. The women worked for the prince's family between 2008 and 2015 in both Saudi Arabia and a suburb of Paris. See more stories on Insider's business page. A Saudi Arabian prince has been accused of carrying out acts of modern-day slavery by seven women who worked as maids in his apartment outside Paris. French prosecutors have launched a human trafficking investigation into the allegations, the prosecutors' office in the Paris suburb of Nanterre told AFP. A source told AFP that the women, who are mostly from the Philippines, said they were recruited in Saudi Arabia and worked for the prince's family between 2008 and 2015 in both Saudi Arabia and in the Neuilly-sur-Seine suburb of Paris. The women, who escaped employment while on a trip in France and filed a complaint in 2019, told investigators they were required to sleep on the floor, worked almost nonstop, and went hungry because they had little time to eat, according to French publication RFI. The Saudi prince involved in the allegations has not been publicly named. Prosecutors heard testimony from the former employees last month, but the prince has not been questioned, a source told AFP. Read the original article on Business Insider Julieta Apfelbaum broke down before the photo of her neighbors smiling daughter. At the growing memorial of the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside, Apfelbaum on Monday night mourned the loss of Graciela Cattarossi and the three generations of her family who are still missing. Apfelbaum also lived in the building but made it out alive. I saved my life, she said in Spanish. I lost everything. My house, my belongings. I had my house full of things. I lost everything. I have nothing now. In the early morning of June 24, Apfelbaum said she awoke to what she felt was an earthquake. Lights wouldnt turn on and neither would water. The hallway was dark. She added that she ran to the balcony and a neighbor told her that the building next to them collapsed. The neighbor told her the elevator wasnt working and the stairs were broken. Apfelbaum changed into a shirt and grabbed her purse. She waved at first responders, who rescued her off her balcony. Apfelbaum, who came to the memorial with her daughter Marilina, had a personal connection to the tragedy that has stilled an international, tight-knit community. Remembering the victims Many who came to pay their respects were strangers to those lost and missing. Some held up traffic on Harding Avenue to take a photo. Others came on foot and took cellphone videos alongside news crews. They shared a common hope that those missing would somehow be found alive. Kateryna Gonta and her husband placed a yellow rose in the chain-link fence roughly every few feet. They live in a newer high-rise in Sunny Isles Beach but said they came to pray for those affected. A man named Giacomo from Miami Beach brought one yellow lily and placed it near a banner that read: Praying for all of you. These are our neighbors. Its just heartbreaking, he said. Theres no word to describe this loss. Were just speechless. We are broken down because of course it may happen to anyone but this should never happen. Story continues Giovanni West cleared the sidewalk below the memorial, cleaning up flowers and glass from prayer candles that broke during the demolition of the rest of the south tower late Sunday night. Were waiting for them. We have food. We have water. We have everything for them, West said. If this happened to me, I would want people to look for me. He also demanded answers from those involved in the development of the building. We need answers. We need something, West said. The people who live here now are very worried. Albert Michael Armando Puentes III said he made the memorial wall his first stop in Miami. Visiting from St. Petersburg, Florida, he said the scene grounded him. It reminded him of another earth-shattering event: The September 11 attacks. He was 14 and living in New York City at the time. It brings back some seriously crazy memories from that day, Puentes said. Things like this make you realize life is too short. You dont take nothing for granted. Miami Herald staff writer Carli Teproff and photographer Alexia Fodere contributed to this report. Jul. 5WESTPORT Lane Lauderbaugh has been staying busy this summer working on his grandpa's farm in southern Jennings County. He's been doing typical farm work, such as bailing straw, attending to animals and painting buildings. He's also been working on his basketball game, of course, and recently announced his future plans. The South Decatur grad is heading to Moravian Prep. It's a post-grad basketball program located in Hudson, North Carolina. "I'm ecstatic," Lauderbaugh said. "I'm ready to go. I can't wait to go down there and start working with my new team. I think I leave in August. I can't wait. It's gonna be a blast." Lauderbaugh has known for some time time that doing a post-grad year at a prep school would be his likely route immediately after high school. He'll still have four years of college eligibility remaining. He received offers from NAIA schools, but felt like that would be settling. "I know I have more in me," said Lauderbaugh, who added going to a prep school should allow him to improve his game and get more exposure. Many might be surprised he's going this route, especially considering his many lofty achievement. Some highlights: Averaged 25.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game his senior season. Finished his career as South Decatur's all-time leader in points (1890) and rebounds (781). Named MVP of the Hoosier Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Classic, scoring 25 points and leading the East to a 131-128 overtime win over the West. If his achievements on the court weren't enough, he was named first-team Academic All-State by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. Oh yeah, he's also 6-foot-6 and can shoot 3s. He drained 54 shots from behind the arc last year, shooting at nearly a 40-percent clip. With such an impressive resume, it begs the question: Why didn't more schools offer him a spot on their roster? Story continues "Man, I don't know," Lauderbaugh said. "They're sleeping on me." Lauderbaugh admits he has a chip on his shoulder, and will use the perceived snub as motivation to get better. He anticipates adding some weight to his current 190-pound frame. He wants to get faster and increase his agility, both of which will help him attract attention from college coaches. "That's what they're looking for on defense," Lauderbaugh said. "Can I guard 1 through 4? Can I guard the point guard? So I need to improve on my defense and my agility." He anticipates playing as a 2 or 3 in college, being a hybrid wing type who might also be asked to guard a power forward in the post. Moravian Prep contacted Lauderbaugh after watching him play AAU and at South Decatur via online streams. His dad's friend also had a connection there. He anticipates taking some community college classes through Ivy Tech while he also works on his basketball game. He'll likely major in business management, and would like to be an entrepreneur. However, he hopes that's a long time down the road, after he plays in college and plays professionally overseas. Lauderbaugh had one final message presumably to college coaches when offered the chance to say anything else for this article. "Stay on the lookout," he said. "Hopefully it's gonna be a big year." Andy Scheidler may be contacted at 812-663-3111 ext. 217401 or andy.scheidler@greensburgdailynews.com. A group of leading Democratic Senators is pushing the Education Department to expand and reform existing student debt forgiveness programs so more debtors can access relief. We encourage the Department to pursue policies that reduce disparities in the burden of student debt, simplify loan repayment, close donut holes in forgiveness programs, and improve the overall confidence of borrowers in the federal student loan system," the letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said. Twenty-three lawmakers signed the letter, including Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) walk to their news conference to reintroduce a resolution to cancel up to $50,000 of student loan debt, at the Capitol in Washington, U.S., February 4, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque The letter comes as the payment pause on federal student loans is set to expire at the end of September. The Department of Education (ED). or the White House has so far not announced any plans to extend the pause. Meanwhile, borrowers say they aren't prepared to resume paying their loans. In one survey by an advocacy group of 24,000 borrowers, 9 in 10 respondents across all 50 states were not ready to start making payments again in October. Senators push Cardona to address range of broken forgiveness programs The Democratic Senators urged Cardona to use his authority to reform key problem areas. For instance, the Senators called on Cardona to simplify and consolidate how income-driven repayment (IDR) plans work and to expand the relief IDR plans provide to borrowers. The National Consumer Law Center, citing a public records request to the ED, found that less than 20 IDR participants total were slated to get forgiveness by the end of 2019. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona listens to a speaker during a roundtable discussion at Mercy College on June 14, 2021 in the Pelham Bay neighborhood of the Bronx borough in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) The Senators also asked Cardona to establish a single standard for how defrauded students of predatory institutions can secure relief from the government also known as "borrower defense." ED has been struggling with hundreds of thousands of cases of borrower defense applicants since the end of the Obama administration, and throughout the Trump era. Story continues The Democrats also urged Cardona to reinstate automatic discharges of loans held by borrowers who attended schools that recently closed; to move faster and automatically discharge student loans held by borrowers with total and permanent disabilities (on top of expanding eligibility); and finally, to fix eligibility and problem areas for Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness. YF Plus In addition to Murray, Schumer, and Warren, the others who signed the letter were Brown (D-OH), Baldwin (D-WI), Durbin (D-IL), Reed (D-RI), Kaine (D-VA), Cortez Masto (D-NV), Wyden (D-OR), Blumenthal (D-CT), Padilla (D-CA), Hirono (D-HI), Hassan (D-NH), Warnock (D-GA), Markey (D-MA), Smith (D-MN), Klobuchar (D-MN), Gillibrand (D-NY), Van Hollen (D-MD), Menendez (D-NY), Booker (D-NJ), and Cardin (D-MD). Meanwhile, Senators Schumer and Warren have repeatedly called for bigger action: Not only have they called for Biden to extend the pause on student loan payments until March 31, 2022, they've repeatedly pressed Biden to cancel $50,000 in student loan debt immediately via executive order. Forgiving $50,000 would erase the entire debt burden for 36 million (84%) of the roughly 43 million borrowers holding federally-backed debt, while $10,000 in forgiveness would wipe out the debt for 15 million of those borrowers (35%). Aarthi is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. She can be reached at aarthi@yahoofinance.com. Follow her on Twitter @aarthiswami. Read more: Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, SmartNews, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit. KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan security personnel who fled into Tajikistan are being brought back to rejoin the fight against Taliban insurgents, Afghanistan's national security adviser said, and some 2,300 who abandoned positions across the country had returned to service. Hundreds of Afghan security personnel retreated across the Tajik-Afghan border in response to Taliban advances in northern Afghanistan, underlining a rapidly deteriorating situation as foreign troops near a complete withdrawal after 20 years of war and with peace negotiations stalled. "Those that went to Tajikistan are coming back and are once again going to be in the service of the people and in the defence of Faizabad," National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib said in a news briefing on Tuesday. Faizabad is the capital of the northern province of Badakhshan, which borders Tajikistan, from where the Afghan servicemen had fled on Sunday after the Taliban made rapid territorial gains. Insurgents have seized 26 of the province's 28 districts, according to a local parliamentarian - three of them without a fight. Mohib did not provide details on when or how the Afghan security personnel would be brought back. In Tajikistan, government sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that 127 Afghan security force personnel who had crossed the border on Sunday had been transported to a nearby city to fly back to Afghanistan. The crossings have raised alarm in Central Asian neighbours of Afghanistan. Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic, on Monday ordered the mobilisation of 20,000 military reservists to beef up security along the border with Afghanistan. On Tuesday, Russia, which maintains a large military base in Tajikistan, said it would help stabilise the border with Afghanistan if needed. Russian military helicopters in Tajikistan also carried out training drills. Western security officials said insurgent forces have captured more than 100 districts in Afghanistan but the Taliban say they have control of more than 200 districts in 34 provinces comprising over half the country. Story continues Mohib, who was in Moscow for security meetings on Monday, played down the Taliban gains, putting them down to "teething problems" for the Afghan military. He said many areas were taken over because of supply problems in far-flung regions, adding that Afghan government forces had since regrouped. In the past week, Afghan security forces had recaptured 14 districts from the Taliban across the country, he added. "By no means has anyone defected to the Taliban." (Reporting by Kabul newsroom and Nazarali Pirnazarov in Dushanbe, Tajikistan) Heather Holt had an important job at City Hall and felt she deserved a significant raise. For nearly a decade, Holt had been in charge of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, which serves as a watchdog over L.A.s politicians, lobbyists and others. Her agency's duties kept growing, and she believed the salary for her position should go up as well. But to get that increase, she needed approval from the city's elected officials. So she turned to a top aide to Mayor Eric Garcetti, the highest-level elected official regulated by her agency. Holt "wants a champion," wrote City Administrative Officer Rich Llewellyn in a December 2019 email to Ana Guerrero, Garcetti's chief of staff. "She would love it to be you." "Got it," Guerrero replied. "I would be happy to have our office play that role." Holt never received that raise, which became a casualty of the economic crisis that enveloped City Hall following the outbreak of COVID-19. But her behind-the-scenes campaign highlights an uncomfortable fact about the city's ethics agency: It operates at the mercy of officials it is charged with policing. Garcetti and the council have final say over Ethics Commission budgets and hiring powers. They decide whether to greenlight reform measures prepared by the agency. And they approve requests to change the salary of the commission's top executive. Critics question whether that power dynamic undermines the agency's role as a watchdog. Attorney Grace Yoo, pictured last year, said L.A.'s politicians should not have power over the Ethics Commission's budget. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) If you require Ethics Commission employees to be beholden to the City Council for their salaries, for the departments funding, you give them no power, said attorney Grace Yoo, who ran unsuccessfully for City Council last year. Yoo argued during the campaign that the agency needs a dedicated source of funding that cannot be cut by the mayor or council. Holts dependence on those politicians for her proposed pay increase only strengthens the case for change, she said. Story continues Holt pushed for a higher salary during a period when she was receiving other types of pay increases. The Engineers and Architects Assn. struck a salary agreement in 2019 that provided Holt and thousands of other city workers including those not represented by a union a package of raises and one-time payments. The agreement helped boost Holt's total pay from nearly $224,000 in 2019 to around $247,000 in 2020, according to figures provided by Llewellyn. Still, Holt also wanted to increase the compensation for her position specifically, arguing that her pay should be set at the same level as a senior assistant city attorney. Asked about the request for a higher pay, Garcetti spokesman Alex Comisar said the mayor did not authorize an increase for Holt or any other department head during the COVID-19 crisis. Garcetti also believes Holt's agency provides independent oversight that is "vital to preserving public trust in city government," Comisar said. Additional duties Holt did not respond to interview requests. But her push for a pay increase is spelled out in correspondence obtained by The Times through public records requests. In those emails, Holt said her position's duties had increased substantially over the decades. Since the position was created, the agency has taken responsibility for an array of new regulations, including restrictions on campaign donations from developers and city contractors. Holt wrote repeatedly to Guerrero and asked for guidance on the process of changing her salary. Guerrero, Garcetti's top aide, told her she would help prepare Garcetti to advocate for the salary changes at the Executive Employee Relations Committee, which is made up of the mayor, City Council President Nury Martinez and three other council members. A high-level budget official told Garcetti chief of staff Ana Guerrero, pictured in 2017, that the Ethics Commission's executive director wanted "a champion" for her proposed pay increase. (Josh Lefkowitz / Getty Images) The Ethics Commission is responsible for investigating allegations that the mayor or council members have violated ethics laws that govern political fundraising, acceptance of gifts and misuse of government resources. The agency can seek financial penalties against officials found to have violated the rules. And it routinely audits the mayor and council members' campaign committees. Even if Holt managed to keep her salary request from interfering with her duties, "the appearance of influence is a problem," said Miriam Krinsky, who served on the Ethics Commission from 1998 to 2003. "The Ethics Commission needs to stay above the fray and have the trust of the voters," Krinsky said. "When they don't have that trust, their ability to stand for what the city needs is eroded." David Tristan, who replaced Holt as executive director in January, said Holt followed the city's process for reassessing the salary range for her position. Under the city charter, the City Administrative Officer can recommend a salary increase after assessing the position's responsibilities. That increase would then require approval from the mayor and council. "The responsibilities and authority of the executive director position had not been reviewed since 1990, despite the fact that many additional duties and expanded authority had been vested in the position through the adoption of new laws," Tristan said. Tristan said that Holt did not communicate with any elected officials about her salary request. 'Super weirdness' Loyola Law School professor Jessica Levinson, who served on the Ethics Commission from 2013 to 2018, said the system left Holt with no choice but to seek the support of the mayor and council if she wanted her proposed increase to go through. But that put her in a tough position as a government watchdog, Levinson said. If you are the executive director, of course you know theres super weirdness with having to ask for a pay raise from the officers youre overseeing, she said. Holt stepped down from her post in January after reaching the city's 10-year term limit. She now works as the agency's second-highest executive, taking the position Tristan previously held. Loyola Law School professor Jessica Levinson said the city's system put Ethics Commission executive director Heather Holt in a difficult spot. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) Tristan did not answer questions about whether it is a problem for the city's elected officials to control his department's budget. But concerns about the agency's financial independence have come up before. Earlier this year, The Times reported on the existence of a whistleblower complaint about allegations of political pressure over the agency's budget. In her 2018 complaint, Ethics Commission staffer Alexandria Latragna alleged that Holt told staffers they would need to soften their advice on gifts for politicians because an unnamed council member had threatened to cut their budget. Latragna later left the agency and Holt denied being threatened by any elected official. Tristan, asked about the complaint earlier this year, told The Times that the agency always provides policy advice based on facts and the law. The Ethics Commission was created in 1990 to help ensure that politicians, lobbyists and others comply with laws on gifts, lobbying, conflict-of-interest rules and political giving. When L.A.'s ethics agency was being developed, a commission recommended that its funding be protected from political interference, shielding it from "budget battles with the political officials who are subject to its rulings." Los Angeles voters ultimately took a more modest step, approving a ballot measure that only required the council to appropriate money for the Ethics Commission one year in advance. The idea was that "if we took an action that made people angry, they couldn't immediately act to cut the budget," said Rebecca Avila, a former executive director of the Ethics Commission. Those protections did not prove meaningful, Avila said, because the council retained the power to release money to the commission each year. Llewellyn, the City Administrative Officer, said city officials set aside money in advance only for the executive director's salary, not the entire agency's budget a practice dating back more than a decade, he said. Bad timing Holt spent more than a year in talks with city budget analysts about increasing her salary, arguing that the position should be compensated at the level of a senior assistant city attorney. In January 2020, Dana Brown, who was then employee relations chief, asked Holt about having the president of the Ethics Commission the five-member panel that imposes ethics fines obtain support from Garcetti and the council president for the salary hike. Holt replied that she had instead reached out directly to Guerrero, Garcetti's top aide, after being told that deputy mayors "take up the torch" for department heads. Weeks later, Brown told Holt her office was looking at recommending a roughly 15% increase in Holt's salary, along with some back pay. The change would need to go to a committee, then to the full council for approval. Holt repeatedly inquired with Brown about scheduling a vote on the proposal in the city's negotiating committee, made up of Garcetti and four councilmembers. But by May 2020, the pandemic had hit and the city's budget was in freefall, with Garcetti recommending employee furloughs. Brown told Holt the timing for a vote was bad. "If the next agenda isnt good timing," Holt replied, "do you know when it will be good timing?" "When this virus/furlough/budget thing has passed," Brown said. City budget analysts did not finalize a proposal for increasing Holt's salary, largely due to the pandemic, said Llewellyn, the city administrative officer. Asked if the salary hike is still being considered, Llewellyn said: "Likely not in the short term." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Simone Biles slept "all the time" because it was "better than offing myself," she revealed in her "Simone vs Herself" Facebook Watch docuseries. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson Simone Biles described coping with her sexual abuse during "Simone vs Herself" Episode 4. The superstar gymnast recalled sleeping "all the time" because it was "better than offing myself." "Sleeping was the closest thing to death for me at that point," an emotional Biles said. This article contains sensitive content that may be disturbing for some readers. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Simone Biles struggled to cope after she was assaulted. The superstar gymnast was one of the hundreds who survived sexual abuse at the hands of Larry Nassar, the disgraced former USA Gymnastics doctor who used his position to harm athletes under the guise of medical care. And during the fourth episode of her Facebook Watch docu-series, Simone vs Herself, Biles described the profound impact the abuse had on her mental health. Simone Biles. Matthias Schrader/AP At one point, the 24-year-old even explained that she had experienced thoughts of suicide. "I remember telling my mom and my agent that I slept all the time, and it's basically because sleeping was basically better than offing myself," Biles said through tears. "It was like my way to escape reality. And sleeping was the closest thing to death for me at that point, so I just slept all the time." "I was like, super depressed, and I didn't want to leave my room, and I didn't want to go anywhere," she added. "And I kind of just shut everybody out." Simone Biles prepares for a routine on the balance beam. Jamie Squire / Getty Images The five-time Olympic medalist said she had been abused at the Karolyi Ranch - the USA Gymnastics training center in Huntsville, Texas, where the best of the best long prepared for their biggest international competitions. But for a long time after her interactions with Nassar, Biles didn't realize she had been mistreated because "nobody told us what sexual abuse was." "We didn't really feel like we were going through it or we were victims," she said. "A lot of us didn't go to school. We were homeschooled, so it's not like we had people to talk about it with." Story continues And in one harrowing anecdote, Biles even described turning to a friend for advice on the matter. Even when the friend confirmed that Biles' experience "absolutely" qualified as assault, the world's best gymnast wasn't convinced. Simone Biles. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images "I thought I was being dramatic at first," Biles said. "... I feel like in those instances, I was one of the luckier ones because I didn't get it as bad as some of the other girls I knew." Biles' mother, Nellie, said that her daughter "was in denial." Whenever she attempted to engage in a discussion on the topic, the 4-foot-8 superstar "would be very angry." So Nellie didn't force the issue, instead opting to give "her space until she was ready to talk about it." When Biles was finally ready, Nellie remembered that she was "just hysterical." "She didn't say anything," Nellie said. "She was just crying, and we just cried together because I knew what it was that she wanted to talk about. She didn't have to say anything." Simone Biles wears a teal leotard to support survivors of sexual assault. Tim Bradbury/Getty Images As time went on, Biles developed strategies to cope with the trauma. Now, years later, she is an outspoken advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, and her voice was instrumental in the shutdown of the Karolyi Ranch. These days, Biles typically sports a gleaming smile as she competes in - and dominates - the most elite competitions in gymnastics. But even in her brightest moments as "the face of gymnastics right now," Biles implored viewers to remember that "as a survivor, it doesn't go away." You can watch the full episode of "Simone vs Herself," which first aired Tuesday, below: This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Read the original article on Insider Two pari-mutuels filed the first federal lawsuit against the states gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. It could be the first of several. The lawsuit, filed Friday by the owners of Magic City Casino in Miami and Bonita Springs Poker Room, argues that the sports betting deal violates the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, or IGRA, because it would allow Floridians to place bets on sports games from anywhere in the state with their phones or computers. The deal, approved by the Legislature in May, still needs approval from U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland who has another month to decide. Under the 30-year agreement, the Seminoles would be allowed to offer statewide online sports betting, craps and roulette in exchange for paying no less than $2.5 billion in revenue shares over the next five years to the state, along with getting to build three new casinos on the reservation near Hollywood. The deal also says the Seminole Tribe can contract with pari-mutuel facilities to market sports betting. The lawsuit says the facilities would be at a disadvantage because pari-mutuels that are unable to, or choose not to, enter into a marketing agreement with the tribe are completely shut out of any opportunity to offer sports betting. Sports betting is currently only allowed on Indian tribal land, according to the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The lawsuit argues that the agreement is attempting to circumvent federal law by allowing Floridians to place sports bets without having to physically be on tribal land. For Floridians ages 21 and older who would want to bet on sport events on their phone or the internet, the deal would consider those bets to be placed on tribal land because the servers that place the wagers are on tribal land, the agreement says. Other casinos and pari-mutuel facilities could offer sports betting apps of their own, partnering with the Seminole Tribe. Those existing facilities could keep 60% of the revenue from bets while the Seminole Tribe would keep the other 40%. Story continues In the 67-page complaint, the pari-mutuel facilities called that logic legal fiction. The lawsuit is seeking an injunction to prevent the deal from moving forward. Deeming the bet to have been placed on Indian lands because the servers are located there contradicts decades of well-established precedent interpreting applicable federal law, the complaint reads. Contrary to the legal fiction created by the 2021 Compact and Implementing Law, a bet is placed both where the bettor and the casino are each located. Representatives for Magic City Casino and Bonita Springs Poker Room argue in the lawsuit that they will lose millions of dollars as direct competitors of the Seminole Tribe. The Florida gaming industry, at large, will also suffer irreparable injury due to a substantial decline in revenues, as the Tribe will be permitted to operate online off-reservation sports betting without having to require patrons be physically present on Indian lands, the complaint says. Bob Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University, said this is known as the hub and spoke system, meaning the server on tribal land is the hub and the bettors across Florida placing bets through the internet are the spokes. A federal judge in California ruled against a tribe that was using this same system for bets on an electronic bingo game, Jarvis said. Gov. Ron DeSantis and Seminole Tribe Chairman Marcellus Osceola Jr. were taking a big risk by attempting to use this kind of system, Jarvis said. But what differs about Floridas case from Californias is that state lawmakers approved the deal with this hub and spoke system. There is no issue of state law in Floridas case, Jarvis said. The only issue now is, is this a violation of IGRA? Jarvis said. Haalands decision has a lot riding on it, Jarvis said. If she approves the deal, other states will likely take Floridas as a blueprint. The Seminole Tribe firmly believes the agreement does not violate any state or federal laws, said spokesman Gary Bitner. Even though the tribe and the state believe that it does comply with all laws, I think it was sort of expected that there might be legal challenges, he said. House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, said lawmakers expected legal challenges and said the agreement would have icebergs of legal hurdles. You know, reasonable people disagree. Some people have looked at it and said, Hey, I dont think its gonna make it. Ive looked at it. I think it will. The reality is thats going to be resolved by a court, Sprowls said. Jim Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming, said that the agreement would be beneficial for the state because unregulated, illegal sorts betting is already taking place. Our problem is that if you look at the illegal sports betting in online gaming sites, there is billions of dollars thats occurring on an annual basis already from the citizens of the state of Florida, Allen said in the interview with the News Service of Florida. The state and the Seminole Tribe will argue that since the two parties reached a mutually-beneficial agreement, a federal court would have no reason to strike that agreement down. The deal effectively expands the definition of Indian land, Jarvis said. But it could take years before there is any definitive answer, Jarvis said, because case could rise to the 11th Circuit or the U.S. Supreme Court. The federal judge will have to decide whether to grant a temporary injunction until a definitive answer on the deal is made, what Jarvis said is sure to be a difficult decision. Every day that goes by, thats bets that should have been placed that can never be placed now. I cant bet on yesterdays game, Jarvis said. Information from the News Service of Florida was used in this report. Angie DiMichele can be reached at adimichele@sunsentinel.com. By Belen Carreno and Nathan Allen MADRID (Reuters) - The Spanish government approved a law on Tuesday to define all non-consensual sex as rape, part of a legislative overhaul that toughens penalties for sexual harassment and mandates more support systems for victims. It approved the bill five years after what became known as the 'wolf-pack' case, in which five men gang-raped an 18-year old woman at Pamplona's bull-running festival, causing public outrage and prompting calls to reform laws on sexual violence. The draft still requires parliamentary approval, which is expected by the end of the year. Based around a "yes means yes" model, which qualifies any non-consenting sex as rape, the law will bring Spain into line with 11 other European countries, including Sweden, Portugal and Britain, that use similar legal definitions. "What the new law does is put the victim at the centre of the public response," government spokesperson Maria Jesus Montero told a news conference. "Silence or passivity does not mean consent." Under existing legislation, a perpetrator must have used physical violence or intimidation for an assault to be classified as rape. Stalking and street harassment, considered misdemeanours under current legislation, will become crimes, as will female genital mutilation. Gang rape will be considered an aggravating factor entailing prison sentences of up to 15 years to deter gang crimes similar to others that have shocked Spaniards. In parallel, the measures call for the creation of a 24-hour sexual assault helpline and specialised children's homes for underage victims. Spain has long sought to position itself at the forefront of sexual politics and counter prevailing macho attitudes. It legalised gay marriage in 2007 and introduced a pioneering gender violence law in 2004. Last week the cabinet passed a draft law to allow anyone over 14 to legally change their gender without a medical diagnosis or hormone therapy. Story continues Protests erupted across Spain on Monday night in response to the killing of a gay man who was beaten to death in what appeared to be a homophobic attack in the northern city of La Coruna at the weekend. Police in Madrid charged protesters with batons, prompting the government to open an investigation into their conduct. (Reporting by Belen Carreno and Nathan Allen, Editing by Timothy Heritage) A former House Republican who once led multiple investigations into Bill and Hillary Clintons scandals is urging prosecutors to subpoena the records of former President Donald Trump's top officials and family members to determine if they had any involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Former Rep. Barbara Comstock told a Zoom meeting today that Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and former chief of staff Mark Meadows should be on the list of those in the spotlight. You're going to have lots of people who are going to keep their communications with Trump Jr. or with Ivanka, she told a New York University-sponsored discussion on the GOP after Trump. If you go subpoena those people individually, say subpoena Mark Meadows for all the contact that he had with anybody having anything to do with this rally on Jan. 6, how did that come about, all those documents will be very easy to get, and you should subpoena those individuals personally because they will not have executive privilege over any documents they took home and are sitting in their basement or their garage, Comstock said. She provided no information suggesting that the Trump family members had any involvement in the Capitol protests. But Comstock said the new congressional investigation of the riot should look at White House involvement, not just the background of the protesters or the events at the Capitol. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. There's so many things that haven't been looked at at all basically the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House. Nothing has been looked out from Jan. 6 about what they did that day, how that rally came about, all of the people who funded the rally, how people like the Proud Boys and these, you know, Three Percenters, these different groups, the white nationalist groups, that were there, she added. Comstock, who represented northern Virginia for two terms, was joined by other lawmakers who held a similar anti-Trump view and argued that Republicans should drop their allegiance to the former president and open up to bipartisanship with Democrats. Story continues She and the others said that Trump and his team have been trying to use their leverage and popularity to continue to question the 2020 election results and muddy the New York prosecution of his company. Comstock called the Trump team grifters for seeking to fundraise off the 2020 election claims. And she called those who believe the claims suckers eagerly hoping Trump will run for a second term. They want to keep the grift going. They want to keep making money off of this whole big lie, she said. These people are all making money off of suckers who are out there sending in their $25 and $50 donations every month because they've been convinced the election was stolen. So that's why I say to my Republican colleagues, you have people who are continuing to be victims of Donald Trump and his, you know, group of grifters, and you owe it to your constituents to stand up and tell the truth and tell these people [to] stop sending your $25 and $50 for somebody who is just using it to, you know, continue this big lie that has nothing to do with him ever being back in office. Because he won't I don't think he'll run. Comstock was defeated in the 2018 midterm elections in which Republicans were targeted for any link to Trump. She had broken with him on issues, but her district had already trended pro-Democrat. Before her election, she was a Justice Department official in the Bush administration and investigated the Clintons as a GOP House staffer. She said those investigations were made easier because former staffers took key information home that was easily subpoenaed. I don't understand why they haven't subpoenaed things already because there's existing committees that could have subpoenaed things. And I did investigations in the 90s of the Clinton administration, and one of the things that we did that proved to be very effective is that people who had already left the White House we knew that the chances were theyd take documents with them," she said. "I think that is going to be very likely in the case of the Trump people because they're all afraid of each other. They're all afraid that they're going to be the scapegoat, but they're going to be blamed for things. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: Washington Secrets, Barbara Comstock, Ivanka Trump, President Trump, Donald Trump Jr. Original Author: Paul Bedard Original Location: Subpoenas urged for Ivanka, Don Jr., and Meadows for Trump Jan. 6 involvement Gymnast Suni Lee responded to the overwhelming love and support her fans have sent her with a short video message on Facebook. The heartwarming message: Lee's Hmong parents started the video by thanking their daughter's supporters in their language before speaking in English. Lee then went on to share her message: Hi, everyone. Thank you so much for your messages. Im so sorry I cant respond to all of them, but Im so thankful for all your support. The video was uploaded days before her loved ones gave her a send-off party for the Tokyo Olympics, according to Fox9. Lees intensive training schedule and pandemic risk considerations reportedly prevented her from attending the celebration. Since visitors to Japan are restricted, Lees family will not be able to join her on the trip. Making history: Lee became the first Hmong American to ever make the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team, placing second after Simone Biles in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on June 27, NextShark previously reported. The 18-year-old gymnast secured one of two guaranteed spots after receiving an all-around score of 115.832 during the two-day event, according to Star Tribune. While Biles won the top spot with an overall score of 118.098, Lees overall score of 58.166 from the final night beat Biles' 57.533. This marked the first time anyone "had bested Biles in any phase of an all-around meet since 2013," reported USA Today. In an Instagram post, Lee expressed her excitement to represent the U.S. in the upcoming Games: "Unreal. I am so extremely honored and blessed to get the opportunity to represent Team USA at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. This is a dream come true, but this is only the beginning." Featured Image via Tou Ger Xiong Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Son Heung-min Becomes First Asian Player Chosen to Be Part of EPL 'Team of the Year' Arizona State Gives Chinese-Born Football Player a Jersey With His Chinese Name Filipino American Utah Jazz Guard Jordan Clarkson Wins NBA Sixth Man Award Naomi Osaka Withdraws From Wimbledon Championships, Expresses Excitement for Tokyo Olympics KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) A surge of Taliban wins in northern Afghanistan has caused some countries to close their consulates in the region, while across the border in Tajikistan, reservists are being called up to reinforce the southern border, according to officials and reports Tuesday. Nearly 1,000 Afghan soldiers have fled the Taliban advances by crossing the border into Tajikistan, according to reports from Tajikistan. The Taliban surge came as U.S. Central Command in a statement Tuesday said 90% of the withdrawal of U.S. troops and equipment is complete. The U.S. says the last troops will be gone by August. Meanwhile, a statement from the Tajik government said President Emomali Rakhmon ordered the mobilization of 20,000 military reservists to strengthen its border with Afghanistan. The Afghan military exodus comes as the Taliban have overrun most districts in northeastern Badakhshan province. Many fell without a fight but along the province's northern border with Tajikistan, hundreds of Afghan forces crossed over, seeking safety in Tajikistan. The consulates of Turkey and Russia have reportedly closed in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province, and Afghanistan's fourth-largest city. Iran said it has restricted activities at its consulate in the city. There has been fighting in Balkh province, but the provincial capital has been relatively peaceful. The consulates of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, India and Pakistan have reduced their services, Balkh provincial governor's spokesman Munir Farhad said Tuesday. He said Turkey and Russia had closed their consulates and their diplomats had left the city. However, a Turkish official said the consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif was open and was carrying on accepting visa applications and other consular requests. The official, who was not identified by name in line with briefing rules, said Ankara was monitoring the security situation and was taking required measures for the safety of Turkish missions and personnel. Story continues He did not elaborate and the conflicting reports on the Turkish Consulate could not be immediately reconciled. The consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif could not be reached by phone. The Tajik government said Afghan troops were being allowed to cross on humanitarian grounds but the border posts on the Tajik side were in control of Tajik forces and there was no fighting with Taliban from the Tajik side. The Taliban march gains momentum only days after the United States vacated Bagram Airfield, just an hour's drive north of the capital, Kabul, a sure sign that the majority of American troops have left Afghanistan. The U.S. withdrew from what had been the epicenter of the U.S.-led coalition's nearly 20-year war in Afghanistan by s hutting off the electricity and slipping away in the night, without notifying the bases new Afghan commander, Afghan military officials said. Tuesday's CENTCOM statement said the U.S. has handed over seven bases to Afghanistan's Defense Ministry. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was heightened concern over the fighting but that Russia has no plans to send troops to assist Tajikistan, once a part of the Soviet Union. We have repeatedly said many times that after the withdrawal of the Americans and their allies from Afghanistan, the development of the situation in this country is a matter of our heightened concern," Peskov said. "Were monitoring it very closely and are noting that destabilization (of the situation) is taking place, unfortunately. Meanwhile, Tajikistans state news agency Khovar said 1,037 Afghan military personnel had entered Tajikistan while fleeing for their lives. The report said Monday they used seven of the crossings along the two countries' shared 910-kilometer (565-mile) border. The Taliban have made relentless territorial wins since mid-April, when President Joe Biden announced the last 2,500-3,500 U.S. soldiers and 7,000 allied NATO soldiers would leave Afghanistan. Most have left quietly already, well before the announced deadline in September. The full withdrawal is not expected to be completed until the end of August and not before an agreement on how to protect Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport is reached. Months-old peace talks being held in Qatar between Taliban and a fractious Afghan government have all but stopped, even as both sides say they want a negotiated end to the decades-long conflict. With their victories in northern and southern Afghanistan, the Taliban are putting pressure on provincial cities and gaining control of key transportation routes. The Afghan government has resurrected militias mostly loyal to Kabul-allied warlords but with a history of brutal violence that has raised the specter of civil war, similar to the fighting that devastated Kabul in the early 1990s. Taliban wins in northern Afghanistan are particularly significant because that part of the country is the traditional stronghold of U.S.-allied warlords and the scene of the Taliban's initial widespread losses in 2001 when the U.S.-led coalition launched its battle to unseat the religious movement. ____ Associated Press writers Daria Litvinova and Jim Heintz in Moscow, Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey; Jon Gambrell in United Arab Emirates and Tameem Akhgar in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report. My Pillow CEO Michael Lindell speaks as U.S. President Donald Trump listens during the daily coronavirus response briefing in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 30, 2020. (REUTERS) The "reinstatement" theory that Donald Trump will return to the White House now has an exact date, thanks to the man who says he inceptioned the idea into the former presidents mind. MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell claims that by the morning of Friday, 13 August, Mr Trump will be president again and it "will be the talk of the world". "Going, Hurry up! Lets get this election pulled down, lets right the right. Lets get these communists out, you know that have taken over, he told Brannon Howse of Worldview Weekend Broadcast Network, as flagged by the left-wing activist group Patriot Takes. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The specificity is in stark contrast to Mr Lindells comments to The Daily Beast in June that the August date was "subjective", but that he hoped the proof would come out by the end of the month. The New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman reported on 1 June that Mr Trump was telling people he expects to be reinstated by August. The next day, Mr Lindell told The Daily Beast that he "probably" inspired the idea after publicly saying the ex-president would be reinstated, which he said in late March during the War Room podcast of Steve Bannon. The month of August, for this, is subjective, Mr Lindell told the outlet. It is my hope that Donald Trump is reinstated, after all the proof comes out, by the end of August, but I dont know if itll be that month, specifically. I started saying August about four weeks ago. That was my estimation." That estimation now has become a prediction, which Mr Lindell said will also change results for senators and likely flip control of the upper chamber of Congress away from the Democrats. "Right now the biggest concern is, get this election pulled down, Donald Trump won, I mean its pretty simple, OK, and there were many down-ticket too that they did too and stuff, youll find all that out," he said. Mr Lindell did not immediately respond to The Independents request for comment on what, exactly, would happen by 13 August and how. Story continues He previously said his lawyers should have "something ready" to bring to the US Supreme Court by July, which is how he landed on August for Mr Trumps surprise comeback. Read More Joe Bidens White House most diverse in history, with lowest gender pay gap Gettr: Tens of thousands of email addresses hacked on Team Trump social media site after it is flooded with explicit images Biden faces pressure over when to lift Covid travel bans DUBAI (Reuters) - An explosion caused by a gas leak at a pipeline pumping station killed three workers and injured four in southwestern Iran on Tuesday, Iranian state media reported. "The accident took place...today, Tuesday, due to an explosion caused by a gas leak at the pipeline (pumping) station," Adnan Ghazi, governor of the nearby town of Shush, told state news agency IRNA. Ghazi said three technicians were killed and four other people who were resting in a nearby room were seriously injured, IRNA reported. The blast occurred along a pipeline connecting the Cheshmeh Khosh oilfield to the city of Ahvaz, state broadcaster IRIB said. Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh called for the state oil company NIOC to take the necessary steps to help workers and their families in the area and to send health, safety, and environment (HSE) teams to investigate the cause of the blast, the oil ministry's news website SHANA reported. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Mark Heinrich) ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Detroit Tigers center fielder Daz Cameron was scratched from the starting lineup with a sprained right big toe after crashing into the wall before the series opener at Texas on Monday night. With the Tigers playing at Globe Life Field for the first time, Cameron was tracking flyballs during pregame batting practice when he ran into the wall. He walked off gingerly with a trainer after going down. Detroit made five changes to its batting order after the removal of Cameron, who was supposed to bat sixth against the Rangers. Rookie Akil Baddoo was added to the lineup in center field and hit in the leadoff spot. Left fielder Robbie Grossman, who was initially listed first, dropped to the No. 6 spot. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports A pet lion is reunited with its owner after it was confiscated by Cambodian authorities after the prime minister's intervention. It's not known if this picture was taken recently. Qi Xiao/Facebook A pet lion was confiscated by Cambodian authorities last week after it was spotted in several TikTok videos. He was returned to his owner after Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen stepped in. The Ministry of Environment said previously the lion was being kept illegally. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A pet lion that was confiscated by Cambodian authorities last month in an upscale Phnom Penh district has been returned to its owner after Prime Minister Hun Sen stepped in. The lion was confiscated late last month after authorities saw TikTok videos of it roaming in a villa in April. It was then moved to a wildlife reserve. The lion's owner, whose name is Zhai Xinjiang, appealed to Cambodian authorities to have the lion returned. "I am not troubled by the allegations that I used the animal to flaunt my wealth. I am just saddened by accusations that I mistreated the lion. I never removed his teeth or claws as alleged in the media and online. We loved him and he was a member of our family. We have never inflicted any harm on an animal," Zhai told the Khmer Times. The prime minister responded in a Facebook post on Sunday that he decided to return the animal to Zhai after speaking with Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon. He called the situation a "special case." Speaking to Voice of America Khmer, Sakhon called the prime minister's decision "sympathetic," adding that authorities will continue to look after the wellbeing of the lion. Zhai, whose Facebook moniker is Qi Xiao, posted an open letter on Facebook on Monday thanking the prime minister and authorities for their help and confirmed that the lion is now "home." In the post, he also included pictures of the lion with his French bulldog. Facebook/Qi Xhao This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. "Because of this action, we have seen the tolerance and care of the Kingdom of Cambodia towards foreigners and made me feel that based on the rule of law, any kindness and sacrifice will not disappoint," he wrote. Story continues Wildlife Alliance, a wildlife conservation organization that partnered with authorities to confiscate the lion, said in a statement last month that a villa was "inappropriate for a wild animal," adding that being defanged and declawed "drastically reduces a lion's quality of life." Wildlife Alliance did not respond immediately to a request for comment from Insider. Read the original article on Insider Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall in Taylor County, Florida, north of the city of Steinhatchee, around 11 a.m. Wednesday as torrential rain and gusty winds pounded the state. At landfall, Elsa was packing sustained winds of 65 mph and was moving northward at 14 mph. AccuWeather meteorologists say the storm will continue to unload heavy rain, gusty winds and bring the risk of severe thunderstorms, including the risk of tornadoes and waterspouts, as it accelerates northeastward over the southeastern United States into Thursday night. Elsa restrengthened into a Category 1 hurricane as it paralleled Florida's Gulf coast around 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday evening with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The tropical cyclone spent about six hours as a hurricane during Tuesday night before it weakened once again to a tropical storm at 2 a.m. EDT Wednesday while churning west of Tampa. This image, captured just prior to landfall on Wednesday morning, July 7, 2021, shows Tropical Storm Elsa near the upper west coast of Florida. Intense thunderstorms are depicted as bright, rainbow colors. (CIRA at Colorado State/GOES-East) AccuWeather forecasters rated Elsa 1 on the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes prior to it moving onshore in Florida, due to the system's torrential rainfall, storm surge flooding and the potential for damaging winds and tornadoes. Elsa will roll through northern Florida as a tropical storm as opposed to a hurricane, but AccuWeather forecasters noted that there is only a small difference in intensity between a tropical storm versus a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. Hurricane warnings were changed to tropical storm warnings as the storm moved over land, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Storm surge warnings remained in effect along the west coast of the Sunshine State Wednesday. During an interview on the AccuWeather network Wednesday morning, National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham reiterated what AccuWeather has been stressing for days that "people should focus on impacts with Elsa, rather than storm intensity." Story continues "Elsa's wind intensity has been fluctuating by 10-15 mph and teetering on the edge of a hurricane and strong tropical storm, but there is little difference in impacts in this case," Graham said. Wind gusts will be strong enough to break tree limbs, knock power lines loose and trigger power outages. Since Elsa is forecast to produce severe thunderstorms, there is also the risk of quick spin-up tornadoes and waterspouts that can occur with little notice. Where these storms hit, damage can be more significant with a higher risk to lives and property. In some cases, tornadoes could be wrapped in rain and difficult to spot. Wind gusts of 40-60 mph with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 80 mph are expected mainly over over the northwestern portion of the Florida Peninsula. Gusts to this level can also occur in spiral bands that contain severe thunderstorms much farther to the south and east over the peninsula. For this reason, damaging winds and power outages can occur hundreds of miles to the northeast of Elsa's landfall point. The risk of flooding rainfall will occur well to the north of east of where Elsa came ashore in Florida. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Since Elsa is moving along and is expected to increase its forward speed, rainfall will fall well short of that of slow-moving tropical cyclones, such as Florence, which unleashed catastrophic flooding in the Carolinas in September of 2018. Still, enough rain is projected to occur over several hours to trigger urban and low-lying area flooding as well as flooding of small streams and rising waters in some rivers along the southern portion of the Atlantic Seaboard. "Tropical cyclones are very efficient rainfall producers and 90% of fatalities from tropical cyclones are due to rising water associated with heavy rain and storm surge," Graham said, adding that he has seen "time and time again where people get in trouble driving around through floodwaters." Motorists are urged to never drive through flooded roads. The water may be rising and deeper than it appears, and roadways can be washed away beneath floodwaters. Severe electrical damage can occur to vehicles even if only partially submerged. Rainfall totals of 4-8 inches with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 15 inches are expected along Elsa's track through the Florida Peninsula, southeastern Georgia, the South Carolina midlands and low country, central and eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia. Periodic downpours and gusty thunderstorms along the Florida Atlantic coast are also expected. These can disrupt recovery operations at the site of a deadly building collapse in Surfside, Florida, last week. Into Wednesday afternoon, southwesterly winds around the circulation of Elsa will tend to push Gulf of Mexico water toward much of the Florida west coast. In these areas, a storm surge of 1-3 feet is forecast with locally higher levels possible near Cedar Key, Florida. Water levels were running about 2 feet above normal in Tampa Bay, Florida, Wednesday morning, according to data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tide sensors. Since Elsa is not expected to wander very far inland over the southeastern U.S., it is likely to retain many tropical characteristics and its circulation. "The heavy rain will shift northwestward over the Carolinas, relative to Elsa's center, and thus it should not appear as lopsided as it was when pushing northward over the Gulf of Mexico earlier this week," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said. Near and just east of the tropical cyclone's center, the risk of isolated tornadoes and waterspouts are forecast to continue as it moves inland over the Southeastern states. The system is expected to lose some wind intensity while over land and it is expected to be downgraded to a tropical depression over Georgia or the Carolinas. But, AccuWeather forecasters urged people not to focus on Elsa's official designation as the tropical cyclone travels northeastward along the Atlantic Seaboard late this week. There is little difference in wind intensity between a tropical storm and a tropical depression. The main impacts north of Florida will be from flooding rainfall, locally damaging winds and progressively more isolated severe thunderstorms. Elsa is predicted to emerge off the mid-Atlantic coast and pick up forward speed later Thursday into Friday. It is expected to regain tropical-storm force for a time over the western Atlantic, and its track will allow impacts to continue along the Northeast coastline. Portions of the Florida Keys were hammered by heavy rain and gusty winds on Tuesday. More than 10 inches of rain has fallen on the towns of Port Charlotte (10.88 inches) and North Port (10.08 inches) in Florida as of Wednesday morning. Radar estimates indicated that some areas may have picked up more than a foot of rain, according to AccuWeather Senior Weather Editor Jesse Ferrell. As AccuWeather had predicted, Elsa became the Atlantic's first hurricane of the 2021 season while approaching the Windward Islands last Friday morning. Elsa was attributed to one fatality, downed trees, flooding rain and power outages in the Windwards. The system underwent rapid strengthening from Thursday morning to Friday morning of last week with winds increasing 35 mph in 24 hours from 40 mph to 75 mph. Elsa's maximum sustained winds peaked at 85 mph later Friday. The tropical cyclone then weakened slightly to a tropical storm while racing westward across the Caribbean this past weekend, but it caused two fatalities in the Dominican Republic. The storm weakened further after it tracked across Cuba on Monday but began becoming better organized after moving over warmer waters of the Gulf. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. Dark clouds loom over the Pass-A-Grille channel in St. Petersburg, Florida, US (Reuters) Ominous clouds are looming over Floridas west coast as tropical storm Elsa is headed towards the US state after barrelling through the Caribbean region. The existing state of emergency was expanded by Florida governor Ron DeSantis on Monday to cover 15 counties that are expected to bear the brunt of the storm on Tuesday. All Floridians should prepare for the possibility of heavy rain, flooding and potential power outages, DeSantis wrote on Twitter. Now is the time to restock your supplies and review your hurricane plan, he added. Elsa is predicted to strengthen at sea as it will pass through the Florida Keys on Tuesday. Its maximum sustained winds strengthened to 60 mph late Monday over water, 80 miles from Key West, Florida. Elsa was advancing at about 12 mph as it moved out to sea, with sustained wind speeds at 60 mph, according to the latest 11pm update on Monday by the National Hurricane Centre. It added that heavy rainfall may result in isolated flash, urban and minor river flooding as Elsa is expected to approach the Florida Keys, Florida peninsula and southeast Georgia on Wednesday. There is a danger of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the coastline during the next 36 hours in the indicated locations, the update said. Wind moves the grass and palm trees under a cloudy sky after the passage of Tropical Storm Elsa in Havana, Cuba on Monday (AP) In Floridas Miami area where a building collapse recently occurred officials said they are hopeful they will not have to halt their rescue efforts as they work to find bodies from the rubble. On Sunday, a demotion crew took down the remaining portion of the south Florida condo because of a potential threat to rescue workers from storm winds. Elsa made landfall in Cuba on Monday afternoon, dumping heavy rain and heading northwestward across the island, passing Havana just to the east, according to the Associated Press. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. At least 180,000 residents were evacuated in Cuba ahead of its landfall. Insmet, the island nations meteorological institute said the storm sustained winds of up to 62 mph, with some stronger gusts as it passed through the island. Rain continues to pound Cuba, according to an update by Insmet. Story continues The storm earlier battered the Caribbean islands on Saturday causing flash floods, heavy rains and high winds, resulting in three deaths, according to AP. Two people in the Dominican Republic a 15-year-old boy and a 75-year-old woman died in separate incidents after walls collapsed due to high winds. One person died in the eastern Caribbean island of St Lucia. Fishermen in Havana inspect their boats after they have been taken out of the bay to avoid damage from the passage of Tropical Storm Elsa (AP) The storm ripped off several roofs in Barbados, causing damage to at least 743 houses. Elsa was the first hurricane of the Atlantic season on Friday before it weakened into a tropical storm and is also the third storm on record to pose a risk to the US coast. Read More AP News Digest 3 a.m. Building collapse lawsuits seek to get answers, assign blame Trump says his supporters cry over the Rigged Election as he lashes out at RINOs ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said he would discuss with his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin on Wednesday a plan for Turkey to operate and guard Kabul's Hamid Karzai airport after the NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan, adding there was no final decision yet. Ankara has offered to run and guard the airport after NATO's withdrawal, and has been in talks with allies, namely the United States, on financial, political and logistical support. Security of the airport is key for the operations of diplomatic missions out of Afghanistan after the withdrawal. Speaking to a group of reporters after a cabinet meeting on Monday, Akar said talks on the details of the mission were still underway, and that the airport must be operational so the Afghan government is not isolated from the world following the pullout. "From making certain decisions at the United Nations, NATO, to reaching an agreement with the Afghan government, as well as political, financial, and logistical support, we are in contact with various countries. Meanwhile, our talks with the Americans also continue," Akar said. "No final decision has been made yet, but our talks continue." (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Daren Butler) Twitter has lost its liability protections against user-generated content in India due to its failure to comply with the country's IT rules, the Indian government said in a court filing. The move could leave the company's executives vulnerable to criminal charges over objectionable material on its platform, according to TechCrunch. Indian police have filed at least five cases against the company or its officials, including some related to child pornography and blasphemous content. A report was recently filed to police in the state of Uttar Pradesh against Twitters head in India, Manish Maheshwari, over the publication of a map of India that showed the disputed region of Kashmir as a separate country. Twitter has been in a standoff with the Indian government over its new internet regulations, called the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, announced in February. They dictate that social media companies must remove content within 36 hours of a legal notice and use automated processes to take down offensive material. Platforms must also appoint three full-time executives who are required to be Indian residents for compliances, grievances and coordination with law enforcement. Twitter's resident grievance officer Dharmendra Chatur was the first casualty of the dispute. The exec stepped down from the post in late June. The company has previously stated that it needed more time to comply with the law. Meanwhile, Twitter has bowed to the government's demands to take down accounts with links to the farmers' protests that erupted in India last year. However, it has also drawn the ire of officials over its decision to label tweets by members of the ruling BJP party as "manipulated media." After months of threats, the Indian government has now officially declared that Twitter has lost its immunity against user-generated content. In a filing dated July 5th, the IT Ministry told the High Court in New Delhi that its decision was a result of Twitter's breach of the IT act. We have reached out to Twitter for comment. India's information and technology minister Ravi Shankar recently praised other US tech giants for abiding by the rules. As part of their respective compliance reports, Facebook claimed to have taken action against 30 million pieces of content between May 15th and June 15th; its subsidiary Instagram took down about two million posts during the same period; and Google said it had removed 59,350 objectionable posts. The British government introduced legislation on Tuesday that would usher in a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration with new penalties for those who enter the country illegally and permission for the government to keep migrants in offshore detention centers. "If you illegally enter the U.K. via a safe country in which you could have claimed asylum, you are not seeking refuge from imminent peril as is the intended purpose of the system but are choosing the U.K. as a preferred destination over others," Home Secretary Priti Patel wrote in The Daily Mail. UK HEALTH SECRETARY MATT HANCOCK RESIGNS AFTER IMAGES SHOW HIM KISSING AIDE The Nationality and Borders Bill, which has a high chance of passage given the governing Conservative Partys dominant majority in the House of Commons, saw its first reading in the chamber on Tuesday. The bill will create a new criminal offense for "knowingly" entering the country illegally as part of a number of measures to prevent illegal immigration. Illegal entry will also hurt a migrants asylum application, and such migrants will receive only a temporary protected status rather than a right to settle, and will be subjected to regular review of their status. Patel also pledged to limit deportation appeals. "It is sickening that so many people who have no right to be here are able to play the system and stop us removing them," she said. The bill also gives the countrys Border Patrol more powers of arrest and provides longer prison sentences for smugglers and gangs who help migrants enter the U.K. illegally. "We will prevent these dangerous journeys to the U.K. by breaking the business model of the criminal gangs," Patel wrote. "Profiteering from illegal migration to Britain will no longer be worth the risk, with new maximum life sentences for people smugglers." The Home Office says it will also speed up removals of failed asylum seekers and better integrate refugees who are resettled. Story continues The bill also includes provisions to build offshore migrant processing centers, similar to plans currently in place in countries like Denmark and Australia. The Times of London reported that U.K. officials have been in touch with their Danish counterparts, including about the "potential" to share facilities. The Danes are believed to be sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, the Times reported. The bill represents one of the most aggressive moves by the Tory government to deliver on its promise to voters to crack down on illegal immigration and asylum fraud part of a package of promises that helped deliver the 2019 general election and other victories by appealing to traditionally Labour-held working-class areas on issues like Brexit, crime and immigration. The government had engaged in a number of rounds of talks with France on the question of asylum cooperation. Migrants have regularly arrived in either small boats or hidden away in trucks and vehicles traveling over from the port of Calais into the U.K. via the tunnel or the ferry system. UK, FRANCE AGREE TO PLAN TO STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT BOATS ACROSS ENGLISH CHANNEL However, despite talks, migrants have kept coming. The Times reported that more than 300 migrants arrived in the U.K. in the last weekend of June, and approximately 6,000 have arrived this year overall. The plan has seen strong criticism by those on both sides of the issue amid questions about whether it can survive legal scrutiny. Former U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, who led the fight for Brexit and has called for lower immigration levels, called Patels plans for tougher penalties "almost meaningless." "Not only does Britain not have enough prison spaces for thousands of new offenders every month, but this countrys continued acceptance of the European Convention on Human Rights guarantees there would be endless legal challenges," Farage wrote in The Daily Telegraph. "Even if Patels plan did work, many hard-pressed taxpayers will wonder why they should pay for foreigners to occupy Britains notoriously expensive prison cells." Meanwhile, the Labour Party slammed the plan as evidence of a lack of compassion and competence. BORIS JOHNSON'S TORIES PICK UP SEAT IN HARTLEPOOL, PUNCHING HOLE IN LABOUR'S RED WALL "These plans are unconscionable and an attempt to create a smokescreen to distract from the fact ministers have failed to reopen safe and legal routes, failed to reach an effective agreement with France to deal with criminal gangs, and failed to introduce effective border measures to stop the Delta Variant getting a foothold in this country," Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said in a statement. Britain's crackdown on illegal migration and the moves to turn away or keep migrants in centers out of the country is a stark contrast to what is currently going on in the U.S. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP President Biden has unraveled a number of border protections established during the Trump administration, most notably the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), which kept migrants in Mexico while they awaited their hearings. His administration also ended asylum cooperative agreements with Northern Triangle countries that made migrants claim asylum in countries they arrived in before traveling to the U.S. UK should lead the way by recognising acts of ecocide, such as major oil spills, as a criminal offence, says Green Party peer (Getty Images) Ministers must lead the way by making ecocide a crime in the UK, a leading green figure has urged. Ecocide which literally means killing the environment refers to acts of serious and intentional harm against the natural world that cause either widespread or long-lasting damage. A growing movement calling for ecocide to be treated as an international offence akin to genocide or crimes against humanity has been backed by senior figures ranging from Greta Thunberg to the Pope. Green Party peer Natalie Bennett said it was vital that the UK supports these calls as it gears up to host Cop26, a major global climate conference, in less than six months time. The ocean on fire we saw in Mexico is a reminder of the scale of the dangers we face [from harming the environment], she told The Independent. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. What we are talking about with ecocide is acts of harm on an enormous scale. In a UK context, this could be a major oil spill in the North Sea, similar to the Deepwater Horizon spill in America. If these kinds of acts happen in the UK, the impact not only on the natural world but also on people would be absolutely enormous. The BP Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010 killed 11 workers and thousands of marine mammals and sea turtles. Oil spills by international fossil fuel companies also frequently occur in developing world countries. The Niger Delta in southern Nigeria saw more than 12,000 oil spill incidents from 1974 to 2014. Research published in 2019 found that spills in the region were associated with a doubling of the death rate for newborn children. Baroness Bennett has proposed two amendments on ecocide to the UKs long-awaited environment bill, which is currently making its way through the House of Lords. The first amendment would see ecocide treated as a criminal offence in the UK, with a maximum punishment of up to 30 years in prison. Ecocide is already considered a crime in some eastern European countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. Story continues The second amendment would require the UK to support efforts to see ecocide recognised by the International Criminal Court, which currently only prosecutes against genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression. Leading efforts to have ecocide recognised as an international crime would help the UK show leadership on the climate and nature crises, said Baroness Bennett. We have a real problem. What Im hearing from lots of international sources is that they are gravely worried about the moral authority of the UK as chair of Cop26, she said. We have a real problem. What Im hearing from lots of international sources is that they are gravely worried about the moral authority of the UK as chair of Cop26 Natalie Bennett, Green Party peer If the government were to accept these two amendments or even just the international one then it really would be stepping up and showing a degree of seriousness and international engagement. That would be a real boost to Cop26. In a statement, campaign group Stop Ecocide International agreed that the amendments presented a real political opportunity for the UK government. Supporting an international crime of ecocide would show clear, appropriate and decisive leadership, while at the same time calling on the international community to step up alongside as of course it must do, if we are to protect our planets precious life-support systems and our childrens futures, the group said. A spokesperson for the governments department for environment, food and rural affairs said ecocide [was] not a crime recognised under existing international law and there is currently no consensus on its legal definition. However, there are already strong regulations in place to protect the environment and breaking many of these is already a criminal offence, said the spokesperson. Alongside this, the environment bill will create the independent Office for Environmental Protection which will have the power to scrutinise environmental policy and law, investigate complaints and take enforcement action against public authorities for breaches of environmental law. Read More Macrons plans to hold climate change referendum quashed by French Senate, says PM Lapland records hottest day since 1914 Bitcoin mining plant accused of turning New York lake into a hot tub refutes residents claims Associated Press The move by Donald Trump's company to strip its top finance chief from several leadership positions less than two weeks after his criminal indictment suggests it is facing a tricky, new business environment as it seeks to reassure lenders and other business partners. Allen Weisselberg, the top numbers man for Trump stretching back decades, has lost positions in companies overseeing a Scottish golf course, payroll operations and other businesses under the Trump Organization, according to government registry records. The moves weren't unexpected, but they mark a possible delicate stage in Trump's legal fight with the Manhattan district attorney's office and his efforts to protect his company. Bagram Airfield seen earlier this month. Sayed Khodaiberdi Sadat/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images US troops left Bagram Airfield, their main base in Afghanistan, last week. They left at 3 a.m. with no warning, the base's new commander told the BBC. The troops reportedly shut off the power at the base and left thousands of Taliban prisoners. See more stories on Insider's business page. US troops left their key base in Afghanistan in the dead of night last week without telling their Afghan allies, the base's new commander has said. Gen. Mir Asadullah Kohistani of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces told the BBC that US forces left Bagram Airfield at 3 a.m. local time on Friday. They also shut off the electricity when they left, The Associated Press reported. "We [heard] some rumor that the Americans had left Bagram ... and finally by seven o'clock in the morning, we understood that it was confirmed that they had already left Bagram," Kohistani told the AP. The BBC said that as many as 5,000 Taliban prisoners remained interned at Bagram's prison. The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Bagram was captured during the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and had been continuously occupied by US forces since then. President Joe Biden announced plans in April to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks. But the Pentagon said it expects that US troops will be out of the country by the end of August, well ahead of Biden's deadline, the AP reported last week. About 1,000 troops are to remain to guard the US Embassy in Kabul, CNN reported. Read more: The interpreters who say they have been left for dead in Afghanistan as US and UK troops pull out after 20-year war As the US departs Afghanistan for good, the Taliban are said to be gaining new ground in the country. Deborah Lyons, the UN envoy for Afghanistan, said on June 22 that the Taliban had taken control of 50 of the country's 370 districts since May, Reuters reported. Story continues Kohistani, the Afghan general, told the BBC that he expected the Taliban to waste no time in attacking Bagram, as the group is making "movements in rural areas" nearby. After the US departed Bagram and before Afghan forces moved in, a group of looters entered the base to collect anything of worth that American troops had left behind, The New York Times reported. Read the original article on Business Insider Peter R de Vries during the Dutch Eredivisie match between Fc Twente v Feyenoord at the De Grolsch Veste on April 8, 2018 in Enschede Netherlands Peter Lous/Soccrates/Getty Images Peter R. de Vries, a well-known crime reporter in the Netherlands, was shot on Tuesday, police said. He was taken to the hospital in serious condition following the shooting. Reports said he was leaving a TV studio where he was filming a television appearance when he was shot. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A well-known crime reporter in Amsterdam was shot and seriously wounded on Tuesday, police told Reuters. Police said Peter R. de Vries, 64, was shot in downtown Amsterdam on Tuesday shortly after leaving a TV studio where he was recording a television appearance. De Vries was shot in the head during the incident, Dutch broadcaster RTL reported. A shooting suspect has been arrested but not publicly named, newspaper Algemeen Dagblad reported, according to a translation from Reuters. De Vries was taken to a hospital in "serious condition," police said. Police are still investigating the shooting, and Prime Minister Mark Rutte is expected to make a statement on the case. De Vries often appears as a commentator on crime programs in the Netherlands, and won an international Emmy Award in 2008 for his coverage on the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway. He's currently working as a counselor to a state witness in a murder and drug trafficking case. The state witness's former lawyer was shot and killed in 2019, Reuters reported. Read the original article on Insider Cast Of Characters From Snow White highlights how Rego uses colourful elements of the fantastic alongside the realistic The painter Paula Rego is receiving some of the best reviews of her long career for her retrospective show at Tate Britain. She's lived mainly in London since leaving her native Lisbon as a young woman to escape the conservatism of 1950s Portugal. But her son says she's truly happy only in her studio making art. At the age of 86 and - as her son Nick Willing explains - now growing a little frail, Rego did not attend the press view for her scintillating new show at Tate Britain. But her intensity and bold imagination leap from the 100 or so images on display. The retrospective asserts her right to be judged Britain's leading figurative painter, interested above all in the human form (though fascinated by animals too). That judgement on her work is still contested may largely be down to two factors - being Portuguese and being a woman. Paula Rego has lived in London since leaving her native Portugal in the 1950s Willing stood in at the Tate event to talk candidly in both Portuguese and English about his mother's work. His 2017 documentary Paula Rego - Secrets and Stories is one of the most insightful films about a living artist. "For the better part of my mother's life she was struggling to gain any kind of recognition in Britain. She was already in her early 50s when that began to change. For so long it had been much more difficult to be recognised in the art world as a woman. In the 1960s she was probably better known in Portugal." Rego came to London at 17 to study painting, though for years her life remained split between Britain and Portugal. Her son is pleased that a 60s piece such as Self-Portrait in Red (1966) is included in the Tate show. Interrogation (1950) shows the talent she had even in her teens: it suggests the state-sanctioned violence which pervaded Portugal's repressive Estado Novo (New State) from the late 1920s. Many Rego paintings feature an animal such as the cockerel in The Cadet And His Sister Rego's awareness of the mechanics of political violence and of military repression developed early. Yet it is hard to say what underlies a picture such as the much later The Cadet And His Sister (1988). As in many Rego pictures, an animal appears. Often it's a dog but here it's a cockerel. Story continues Willing thinks most people now barely could imagine how it was to grow up in the Portugal his mother knew when young. "In the Portugal of the Fascist era the thought police were everywhere - even amongst your friends. You weren't allowed to think certain things let alone speak them. People were often shopped to the PIDE (state security police) for saying the wrong thing and just disappeared. The Dance by Paula Rego "One of the aspects of coming to London which liberated my mother is that she feels there aren't any ghosts in London. "When she returns to Portugal she feels the ghosts of her childhood and the memories of the tough times crowding around her. Britain has allowed her to paint the things she needed to paint without the ghosts interfering. "Of course Portugal is in her soul but she always says she's a Londoner. But really the only place she is happy is in her studio." The Tate's curator for the show is Elena Crippa. She thinks Rego has reinvented aspects of figurative painting - especially in the depiction of women. Self Portrait In Red by Paula Rego "She has created a new way of looking at women and telling their stories. I hope our exhibition really cements her place in art. "And the show lets us see how she depicted different historical situations, starting with the dictatorship of Salazar in Portugal. Paula always paints from a personal perspective so her experiences in Portugal in the 1960s and 1970s show up in her work." Rego (who was made a Dame in 2010) has clearly always had a sharp eye for harsh political reality, in Lisbon and elsewhere. But one of the fascinating things about her work is the colourful elements of the fantastic which exist alongside the realistic. It's as though she has picked up imagery from the Brothers Grimm and turned it to her own purposes. The Little Murderess by Paula Rego is nightmarishly oversized and solemn-faced In The Little Murderess (1987) a girl is holding a cord presumably ready to strangle a dog (who is unseen). The girl is nightmarishly oversized and solemn-faced. In the background - a dog probably being out of the question - waits a pelican. The picture is shockingly violent or ironic or funny - or perhaps a blend of all three. Crippa says Rego above all is a storyteller. "She wants to tell the stories of women and from a female perspective," she says. "Paula truly believes that there is no memory without storytelling. She believes the traditional way of telling a narrative isn't necessarily the way truest to the human experience. She can combine a naturalistic way of drawing and painting with more imaginative elements." Return Of The Native by Paula Rego was inspired by the the work of novelist Thomas Hardy But whatever generalisations you make about Rego you need to allow room for the unexpected. Her love of Walt Disney is clear. And there is a large and gorgeous image (1993) inspired by the Thomas Hardy novel The Return Of The Native. But also there are the paintings from 2004, inspired by Martin McDonagh's play The Pillowman, which had just been a hit in London with David Tennant starring. McDonagh's trademark blend of the ironic, the spooky and the weirdly unexpected may have left Rego feeling she'd landed on home turf. Willing says his mother has always employed stories and storytelling to explore complex emotions and ideas. "She's used writers from Hardy to someone more recent like Blake Morrison to inspire her. She believes story helps us live our lives. That's as true now as it was years ago. The Soldier's Daughter by Paula Rego "She now finds painting more physically challenging than it was - sometimes the brush will no longer do what she wants it to. But she goes to the studio almost every day still." So is there a current project? "Actually what she's doing is the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus, who's an airline pilot. So the ideas are still there even if at 86 it's more of a struggle." The exhibition runs at Tate Britain in London until 24 October. Wall wont keep the lights on Gov. Greg Abbott, why not take care of first things first? Shouldnt solving the Texas power grids problems be paramount, certainly before building a border wall? (June 18, 13A, Abbott found way to make Texas border wall plan worse) The grid is going to be tested to the limit in July and August. Many 100-degree-plus days could come sooner than later. And we all know what winter could bring. Of course, pleasing Donald Trump and being seen with him at the border is a big deal for you. Meanwhile, Texans are still suffering from last winters blast and power grid failures. Get a grip, Governor, and do what is right. Fix the power grid first. - Carolyn Sawyer, Fort Worth Lessons not to repeat mistakes The necessity of educators teaching the truth about the history of racism in this country should be obvious: It is to help students grow up to be less ignorant and more open-minded than their parents. How about a hat with a logo that urges us to Make America Greater? - Jack V. Strickland, Fort Worth Only steeling voters resolve Texas Republicans efforts to suppress votes are despicable, but they only make me more determined to vote. Im sure many other people feel the same and will turn out. Republicans will no doubt try to nullify our votes by making it easier to overturn any results they dont like. Thanks to the Texas House Democrats who walked out at the end of the legislative session, a law to allow that was delayed. But dont kid yourself: As soon as Gov. Greg Abbott calls lawmakers back, they will be right back at it. We need to vote them all out. Legislators, we are not stupid, and we dont have amnesia. - Sandra Cantrell, Eastland Think government will be there? One thing Ive learned is that you cant trust the government. In 2004, I retired from education. Since then, those of us who are retired have not received a single cost-of-living raise. Yet Gov. Greg Abbott has committed to spending $2 billion of our tax money to finish Donald Trumps border wall. Story continues Bottom line: Dont trust your government, especially, if you are thinking of going into teaching. - Edward Lindsay, Fort Worth Learn a little history A Thursday letter writer makes the assumption that Gov. Greg Abbott is afraid of what critical race theory teaches. (9A) Its Democrats who are afraid of honest debate on the history of racism in this country. Democratic states seceded from the Union and fought a Civil War against the Republicans to keep slavery. Democrats enacted Jim Crow laws and erected Confederate statutes. Critical race theory is nothing more than communism. - Gene Tignor, Emory No to this water payout The Tarrant Regional Water District is in a controversy over former board President Jack Stevens directive to staff to increase the accrued paid-leave hours for former General Manager Jim Oliver, a possible payout of more than $300,000. Giving Oliver more than the districts rules permit suggests malfeasance and misuse of public funds. His attorney suggests that Oliver would not have resigned but for the promise of the additional compensation. But Stevens unilateral order was not a contract binding on the district. Olivers attorney also suggests that it is legal to have a pension benefit rule allowing for board members and others to make exceptions to the policy. That invites misuse of public funds. The board should repeal the exception and refuse Olivers extortionate payoff demand. - Jackee Cox, Fort Worth Big Jake earned the Guinness Book of World Records for worlds tallest horse in 2010 (AP) The worlds tallest horse has died at the age of 20 years old, the owners announced. Big Jake, a Beligian horse who was 6-foot-10-inches tall and weighed 2,500lbs, lived on Smokey Hollow Farm in Poynette, Wisconsin. He earned the title of worlds tallest horse in 2010 from the Guinness Book of World Records. Owners Valicia and Jerry Gilbert announced the death of Big Jake on Facebook, saying that he died back in June, but they declined to reveal the exact date. It is with a heavy heart we share the passing of Big Jake, the Facebook post said. Big Jake was much more than a world record holder. He was a central part of our family. We feel very privileged to have had him in our lives. He truly loved people and impacted many over the course of his lifetime. We will miss you!! This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Mr Gilbert said that Big Jake was born in Nebraska weighing 240lbs at birth, which was about 100lbs over the typical weight of a Belgian foal. Jake was a superstar and Im not just saying that because he was, Mr Gilbert told WMTV. He was truly a magnificent animal. He was extremely talented. The family intended to keep the horses stall empty to memorialise the animal following his passing. A brick will also be inserted onto the outside of the stall with Big Jakes picture and name. Its very quiet (at the farm), Mr Gilbert said. The other horses know. I think they have their own grieving time because Jake was the center of attention around here. There is a huge void. It feels like hes still here, but hes not. Read More World's tallest horse Big Jake dies in Wisconsin at age 20 New infrastructure deal must focus on climate, activists say Study says hunting, poaching reduce Wisconsin wolf numbers The Supreme Court of Virginia has agreed to hear the case of a former Liberty University professor who was convicted of soliciting sex from a minor in actuality, an undercover cop posing as a teenager. Stephen James Kilpatrick, 66, of Forest, was sentenced in 2019 to 33 years on his five convictions. His case was overturned by the Virginia Court of Appeals in a May decision. He had communicated for around seven months with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old girl named Jenny, holding sexual conversations and referencing her age and youthfulness, according to evidence presented at trial. Officers planned a takedown in June 17, setting up a meeting at Jennys neighborhood in Forest, investigators said. Kilpatrick arrived there with lubrication and cookies and was arrested. Appeals judges considered expert testimony Kilpatrick was going to introduce at trial insisting he isnt a pedophile and lacked motive to engage in sexual activity with someone claiming to be a 13-year-old girl named Jenny. Bedford Circuit Judge James Updike refused to allow that testimony at trial. In the decades before the Civil War, Black Americans were often excluded from official July 4 events and instead would celebrate on July 5, both acknowledging July 4 and their distance from it. Frederick Douglass delivered his famed 1852 speech, "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July," on July 5. The Civil War itself was a time for competing interpretations. Southerners embraced the Declaration of Independence's message of defiance against tyranny. The North looked to it as a blueprint. In a letter to Congress sent on July 4, 1861, just months after the Civil War began, President Abraham Lincoln spoke of Independence Day as inspiration for a new and more humane society. "Our adversaries have adopted some declarations of independence in which, unlike the good old one penned by Jefferson, they omit the words `all men are created equal,'" Lincoln wrote, adding that the Union was upholding "government whose leading object is to elevate the condition of men; to lift artificial weights from all shoulders; to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all; to afford all an unfettered start and a fair chance in the race of life." Hello! Heres a look at how APs general news coverage is shaping up in the Mid-Atlantic, covering North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Questions about coverage plans are welcome and should be directed to 919-510-8937, 202-641-9660, 410-837-8315, 804-643-6646 or metro@ap.org. AP-Mid-Atlantic News Editor Steve McMillan can be reached at 804-643-6646 or smcmillan@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. For up-to-the minute information on APs coverage, visit Coverage Plan at newsroom.ap.org Get a look forward at APs plans for US national and regional news coverage by subscribing to our twice-weekly newsletter. http://discover.ap.org/NationalCoverage How can we help you plan your coverage more effectively? Let us know here. All times are Eastern. Some TV and radio stations will receive broadcast versions of the stories below, along with all updates. TODAYS TOP STORIES JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) Russias top diplomat expressed his backing for Southeast Asian efforts toward achieving peace in Myanmar on his visit Tuesday to Indonesia to demonstrate the regions importance to Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, on a four-day visit to Southeast Asian countries, arrived in Jakarta on Monday from Brunei, where he met with Bruneis Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, this year's chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. After holding talks with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi, Lavrov said he briefed Marsudi on the messages Russia has sent to Myanmar's military leaders and told Marsudi that Russia considered the ASEAN position a basis for restoring the situation back to normalcy. At their joint video news conference, Marsudi emphasized the importance of following up on the five-point consensus to which ASEAN and Myanmar's military leader agreed in April and asked Russia to support its implementation. This requires the commitment of Myanmars military to cooperate with other ASEAN member countries, she said. Oh? We can quibble about percentages, but that sounds more than a little high to me, especially considering the many more urgent issues for which she has been criticized, such as surges in the citys homicide rate and high-departure/low replacement rates of top-level city officials. Considering the landslide of voters and good will that greeted her election as the citys first Black and lesbian mayor and a champion for police accountability as head of the Chicago Police Board it sounds almost like an act of panic to jump so quickly to playing the race card. But, as the old saying goes, she knew the challenges she faced when she sought the job. For her to defensively shrug off complaints as 99% based on race and gender bias fills no one with confidence, particularly those who need city services the most. She cant solve all problems but neither should she add to the noise. Yet, she does have her defenders and so, it must be said, does Cosby. Youll know its all over for Cosby, for example, when he loses the support of his longtime Cosby show co-star Phylicia Rashad, newly appointed dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University. FINALLY!!!!, she tweeted triumphantly after his release. A terrible wrong is being righted a miscarriage of justice is corrected! Japan's government has revised down its projection for the country's economic growth in fiscal 2021. The Cabinet Office said at a meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy on Tuesday that Japan's GDP will expand about 3.7 percent in real terms, excluding price fluctuations. The figure is down 0.3 percentage points from the previous estimate that the Cabinet approved in January. But the government said GDP will this year return to levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic, as the figure for last fiscal year was better than expected. Previously, the government said GDP would recover this fiscal year, ending in March 2022. In the meeting, Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said GDP will likely surpass pre-pandemic levels this year, and hit a record high next fiscal year. Suga said participants in the meeting pointed out that vaccinations can help speed up normalization of economic activities and make further economic growth possible. He added that the government will do all it can to get people vaccinated as soon as possible. The participants also discussed basic guidelines for next year's draft budget. Suga said he wants to focus on investments to create a green society, promote digital transformation, revitalize local regions and tackle population decline. The history of the Iowa West Foundation represents only a small segment of the 175-year history of Kanesville and Council Bluffs, but the foundations impact on the community and the surrounding area has been entirely out of proportion to its relatively brief longevity. Founded a short 27 years ago in 1994, the Iowa West Foundation has given in excess of $500 million to community organizations and local governments. From the outset, the goal of the foundation was to positively impact the image that area residents had of their own communities and themselves and, in the process, change the impression the southwest Iowa/eastern Nebraska area would have on visitors. Brenda Mainwaring, the Iowa West Foundations president and CEO, points with pride to one of the first and then-largest of the foundations grants. In 1995, just one year after the foundation was founded, it granted $2.6 million, with nearly $2.4 million of that going to the effort to build a new Council Bluffs Public Library an effort that had been thwarted for years. The rest of the money went to 28 organizations serving 10 communities. Weve been working out of a building that was built in 1979 as a pole shed, so its time. Weve just outgrown our current space, Nelson said. The new Nature Center is going to be a hub for environmental education with a focus on water -- our greatest resource. Thanks to the foundation grant, people will be able to bring their families, school groups can take field trips, and everyone can come learn more about whats in their backyard in western Iowa. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SHIFT ATL purchased a two-story commercial building in 2019 to renovate the first story for a potential business and the upper story into a short-term rental, both major needs in the Atlantic community. A $35,000 grant from the Iowa West Foundation will aid in the completion of the capital project. We have fixed the structural issues, framed out the spaces, and are now working to add all of the finishing touches so that the space can be a fresh addition and asset to Atlantic, said Jessie Shiels, president of SHIFT ATL. We are very grateful for the partnerships, especially Iowa West Foundation, to make this project happen. This is really a question of culture, and for decades, the culture of hazing has been accepted as something that is tolerated, DeWine said. This bill says that, going forward, hazing in the state of Ohio is simply not tolerated. Foltz's mother called it a step in the right direction but not the end of her family's fight to prevent hazing altogether. Our fight is zero tolerance, Shari Foltz said. Seven current or former fraternity members have pleaded not guilty to various charges in the Foltz case. Seven people from a fraternity previously pleaded guilty to charges in the Wiant case. DeWine thanked the Wiant and Foltz families for advocating for the new law and channeling their grief into something positive in the hope that no other families would experience what they did. We can't wait to get serious about this until we lose another child, until we lose another college student, DeWine said. The nature of life is that we sometimes only get serious about things when there is a great, great tragedy. And so we say with this law today that we're not only going to get serious when there's a death. We're going to get serious and say that hazing is wrong when there's no deaths when everyone wakes up the next morning that still is wrong. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King said most delays were caused by weather, and that with fewer flights than before the pandemic, its harder for Southwest to recover from long thunderstorms. At American Airlines, unions say labor shortages are contributing to delays and the scrubbing of up to 80 flights a day from the schedule through mid-July. In echoes of Southwest, the pilots union at American said management did not act quickly enough to retrain 1,600 pilots who were temporarily furloughed then rehired last year or replace the 1,000 who retired. Delta canceled dozens of flights over Thanksgiving last year and again around Easter this year because of staffing problems. Airlines that pushed people to quit a year ago are now beginning to hire again, which could help fix staffing shortages. Delta, for example, plans to hire more than 1,000 pilots by next summer, starting with about 75 by this August. Passengers whose flights arent canceled or delayed still risk being on board with troublesome plane mates. Airlines have reported more than 3,200 incidents of unruly passengers since Jan. 1. Most involve people refusing to wear masks, as required by the federal government. Some of those passengers face large fines. IOWA CITY Authorities are investigating the cause of an accident that killed a boy on a popular boat ride at an Iowa amusement park its second deadly incident on the ride in five years. Adventureland Park in Altoona said one person died and three others were injured after an accident on the Raging River on Saturday night. The Altoona Police Department on Monday said 11-year-old Michael Jaramillo died Sunday from his injuries. The department said another minor remains in critical condition and that the others suffered only minor injuries. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Jaramillo family as they navigate the heartbreaking loss of their child, police department spokeswoman Alyssa Wilson said. The ride uses a conveyor belt to move rafts through faux river rapids, and the injuries occurred after a boat carrying six people flipped over. Emergency responders and witnesses helped to free the riders, and four were taken to a hospital for treatment, Wilson said. Four off-duty Altoona officers and fire medics who were working at the park quickly responded, she said. Detectives are working with Adventureland and state inspectors to understand this tragic accident, she said. With the Dakota Access pipelines permit under reconsideration and the Keystone XL pipeline canceled, Line 3 is a last gasp at keeping the filthy tar sands industry alive. The science isnt debatable: To counter mounting climate catastrophes, and to hold global warming to the Paris accords limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) tar sands must stay in the ground. Anything else risks incinerating our species future. About 20 miles from where the pump station protesters would ultimately be unchained and arrested, nearly 2,000 more demonstrators had another reason to stop Line 3: What the local Ojibwe, Anishinaabe and Chippewa call Misi-Ziibi. If Enbridge has its way, Line 3, which partly reroutes and replaces a decaying older pipeline, will bore under the Mississippi River twice as it flows north and then loops south from its source, Lake Itasca. Any leaks and spills by one count of company records, Enbridge is responsible for more than 1,000 between 1996 and 2014 could poison the Mississippi and more: Line 3 will cross 211 other rivers and streams, and threaten scores of lakes and wetlands in Minnesotas choicest wild rice harvesting region, granted to Indian tribes by 19th century treaties. Thursday, the Supreme Court issued two significant rulings on the sanctity and openness of our democratic republic, doing so along ideological lines, with the conservative 6-3 majority twice prevailing. It got one decision very wrong and one just right. First, the majority which goes to great lengths to claim to care deeply about the precise text of laws passed by Congress woefully and willfully misinterpreted the Voting Rights Act to uphold two Arizona ballot-casting restrictions. One invalidates otherwise legitimate votes cast out of ones precinct, even when some of the votes on a citizens ballot are for president, senator, governor and other officials on all ballots regardless of precinct. The other restricts who is allowed to transport early ballots to drop-boxes, election offices or polling places. Statistics and experience clearly show the first provision disproportionately invalidates the votes of Black and Latino voters, and in a statistically significant way; the second provision makes it relatively burdensome for Arizonas Native American population, who often live in far-flung rural areas far from mail carriers, to vote. The absolute numbers are small and no intent to discriminate is here established, but the Voting Rights Act cares not about total numbers, nor about intent; Congress wrote it to prevent rules that result in comparative discrimination. Lets declare our independence from the meat industry and their barbecue bugs. Lets welcome the convenient, delicious, healthful, ecofriendly, compassionate plant-based meats and dairy foods into our kitchens! Abbott Price Council Bluffs Good new$$ Based on the amount of nightly fireworks for the past two weeks, our local economy must be BOOMing (pun intended). Bev Nurton Council Bluffs Vaccines: We can do this Getting vaccinated is the most important thing you can do to help protect yourself and loved ones from COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines were made to save lives. They are safe and effective, and they help your body develop immunity to the virus. Additionally, COVID-19 vaccines cannot give you COVID-19 because they do not contain the live virus that causes the illness. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. There was a brief time that Ronda Livingston considered pursuing a career as a police officer. I have no idea why, she said with a laugh. Looking back, theres no way it was in my wheelhouse. Its not something that I could go out and do, but I can support those that do. Thats what she has done for more than three decades as an administrative secretary with the North Platte Police Department. They always say if you cant do something, you want to do something that is close to it, Livingston said. When this opportunity came up, it kind of hit me like, Yeah, its close. She has held the position since February 1989. The department is holding a party for her Tuesday as she heads into retirement. Livingston, a North Platte native, was born in the building that now houses the police department the former Memorial Hospital. Retirement is a move Livingston said has been in the works for nearly a year. It follows her husband Dwights completion of his second term as mayor last December. He served with the department from 1972 to 2011, MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. (AP) A white man who called multiple neighbors racist slurs and claimed he forced other Black residents to move, has been charged with harassment and disorderly conduct, according to local police. A warrant dated Monday and other charging documents show at least two neighbors called police to report Edward C. Mathews, 45, on Friday for harassing them in a Mount Laurel neighborhood. A Black woman in the neighborhood called police on Friday saying Mathews was harassing her, approaching her front door and shouting racial slurs, according to prosecutors. She had previously told police she suspected Mathews of criminal mischief involving her car. A doorbell camera captures Mathews bringing his dogs to her front yard, repeating a racial slur and thrusting his hips in a vulgar way after police responded and talked to him, prosecutors said. Police then received a second call from a nearby address and found Mathews using racial slurs to address four people, which appears to be the interaction caught on video that drew widespread attention online. Writer Beer & Society There is nothing that cannot be discussed and worked out over a beer. Join me as I explore local beer, breweries and how they can civilize us. In 2016, J.D. Vance, the successful author turned venture capitalist, was a hard-core critic of Donald Trump. The Republican nominee was unfit, his attacks on immigrants, Muslims, etc. were reprehensible, and his policy proposals ranged from immoral to absurd. Vance publicly endorsed Never Trump Republican Evan McMullin and expressed a fervent wish: In four years, I hope people remember that it was those of us who empathized with Trumps voters who fought him most aggressively. Now Vance hopes fervently that his aggressive fight against Trump is not remembered. Vance is currently running for the Republican nomination in Ohio, a constituency where Never Trump Republicanism plays more poorly than it does in, say, Silicon Valley. Vance appeared on Fox News to confess his sins and plead forgiveness from the voters whose approval he now seeks. Vance argued that, much in the way we judge leaders from past eras by the standards of their time rather than by those of today, we should bear in mind that his anti-Trump comments were a product of a bygone age. Like a lot of people, I criticized Trump back in 2016, Vance conceded. and I ask folks not to judge me based on what I said in 2016, because Ive been very open that I did say those critical things and I regret them, and I regret being wrong about the guy. Lots of people were calling Trump a lying predatory huckster back in 2016. Now they all know better or, at least, the ones who want to run for office as Republicans do. While Vances profile has changed quite a bit during his meteoric ascent, one constant has been a fixation with the ignorance of voters in white rural communities. He exploded into national prominence with a bracing memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, that seemed (to national audiences) to explain the pathologies of Trump voters. Then he likened Trump to cultural heroin, a narcotic voters turned to to avoid their real problems. Like any good capitalist, Vance pays careful attention to market signals and is quick to reposition his product when he has misjudged consumer demand. In his current role, he has tried to position himself as the enemy of the business elite (or at least the parts of the business elite not funding his campaign). Vance claimed that career politicians are upset with me because I actually say whats true which is many of these people dont care about their own voters; they think theyre either bigoted or they think theyre stupid. It is the other politicians who think Republican voters are stupid. Vance respects their intelligence enough to look them in the eye and beg their forgiveness for ever having suggested they are stupid to support Trump. Seals alleges that Airstrup was part of an effort to punish himself and colleague Mike Stern over their efforts to separate their department from the college and spin it off into its own college. Airstrup removed Seals and Stern from supervisory posts on the same day in May 2018 after a series of increasingly fraught exchanges over the course of that spring between Seals, Stern and their superiors. That lawsuit is pending in U.S. District Court in Opelika, as is a parallel suit by Stern. Franco-Watkins, a professor and chair of the Department of Psychological Services, became interim dean on July 1, following an internal search. She will lead the college until a permanent hire is announced. In addition to being a respected leader, scholar and colleague, Dr. Franco-Watkins brings a wide array of experience and service to the position, Hardgrave said in a press release. I know that she will successfully lead the college during this time of transition and will position its faculty, staff and students for continued success. Localnews featured Washington native chosen as president of UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center Courtesy of Elizabeth Wild Courtesy of Elizabeth Wild Elizabeth Wild, center, newly named as president of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, with her stepmother, Becky Wild, and her father, Tom Wild, at her graduation from Northwestern University, where she received her M.B.A. Courtesy of Elizabeth Wild Courtesy of Elizabeth Wild Trinity graduate Elizabeth Wild, right, who was recently named president of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, sits at a Pittsburgh Steelers game with her nephews, from left, Elliot and Oliver Bodart and Jonah Bieranoski. Wild is an avid sports fan and enjoys spending as much time as she can with her nieces and nephews. Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter A tree and plaque dedicated to Cathy Wild is located on the grounds of JFK Elementary School in Washington. Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter A tree and plaque dedicated to Cathy Wild is located on the grounds of JFK Elementary School in Washington. Courtesy of Elizabeth Wild Courtesy of Elizabeth Wild Elizabeth Wild, center, president of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, with her parents, Cathy Wild, left, and Tom Wild, right. Cathy died from cancer in 1993. Courtesy of Elizabeth Wild Courtesy of Elizabeth Wild Elizabeth Wild, who played basketball at Trinity High School and excelled in the classroom, delivers the valedictorian speech at Notre Dame University. Wilds father, Tom, also graduated from Notre Dame. Courtesy of Elizabeth Wild Courtesy of Elizabeth Wild Beth Wild, newly named president of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, was a standout basketball player for the Trinity Hillers. Elizabeth Wild has spent the bulk of her professional career at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, where she recently was named president of UPMC Hillmans large network of more than 70 cancer centers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Maryland, Ireland and Italy. But Wild, 43, a graduate of Trinity High School, where she excelled on the basketball court and in the classroom, and valedictorian at the University of Notre Dame, became familiar with UPMC hospitals as a teenager, long before she joined the cancer center in 2002. Wilds mother, the late Cathy Wild, was diagnosed with stomach cancer and underwent treatment at University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. Cathy Wild died in April 1993 following a nine-month battle with the disease. She was 39. So for Wild, who was 15 when her mother passed away, oncology care is personal. She knows how frightening and uncertain undergoing cancer treatment is for patients and their families. Wild a driving force behind much of UPMC Hillmans regional and international expansion and its innovative clinical initiatives is excited to take the helm at the cancer center, the regions only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Im really honored that UPMC had the confidence in me to move me into this role. Im thrilled, said Wild, of Lawrenceville. Im just so fortunate to do something that is so personally important to me. Working at Hillman meets my need to do something meaningful and to give back to my community, especially my local community. Wild has more than 20 years of oncology-related experience in the U.S. and internationally, and has held several leadership roles at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, most recently as senior vice president. She pointed out that while UPMC Hillman is young in terms of cancer centers by comparison, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has been around since 1884 it has developed into a top-rated clinical and research facility, and it provides care to more than 110,000 patients annually. Wild who on her first day on the job at UPMC Hillman in 2002 bumped into one of the physicians who treated her mother nearly a decade before credits UPMC Hillmans physicians, researchers, executives, and other employees for its growth as a world-class cancer center. The treatments and medications now available to patients werent available to her mother and other cancer patients nearly 30 years ago. Ive had the privilege over the past 20 years to witness progress made in the oncology space, and to see treatments that are now available and that allow hope for patients, said Wild. Were seeing amazing results in immunotherapies, and we have supportive care, drugs, and treatments that help patients live well with their disease. My mother had so much of her life and so much possibility taken away because of the disease. Wild considers UPMCs community care centers to be game-changers for patients, offering them access to the best cancer care close to home. In terms of building cancer centers in communities, its changed the way that cancer care is delivered. My mom and dad traveled a great distance for her treatment, and they were away from family for significant periods of time. That wouldnt happen today, the way Hillman has expanded, said Wild. In Washington County, UPMC Hillman has partnered with Washington Health System Radiation Oncology to offer cancer treatment at two locations. In her new role as president, Wild will provide the strategic vision to further enhance the growth and development of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center domestically and abroad. Internationally, Wild leads the expansion of UPMC Hillmans world-class cancer care to Italy, Ireland, China and Kazakhstan. She was part of a team that developed a joint venture with Bon Secours Health System, Irelands largest independent health care provider, to build an advanced radiotherapy center in Cork, joining UPMC locations in Waterford, Clane and Kilkenny. In Italy, Wild has collaborated with UPMCs Italian leadership team to develop cancer centers in Rome and southern Italy. The goal is to ensure that Hillmans treatment protocols and best practices are integrated across the network. Wild, who earned her M.B.A. from Northwestern University, said her mother would probably laugh if she knew I ended up in health care. Im very squeamish. I liked science but am nervous around blood and things like that, said Wild. My mom was really into that stuff. She loved nursing. The two, however, have other things in common. Cathy Wild was an advocate for Catholic education and volunteered at JFK Elementary School, where Wild, along with her two younger sisters, Laurie Bodart and Carrie Bieranoski, attended elementary school. A tree and memorial plaque dedicated to Cathy Wild in recognition of her contributions to the school and to Immaculate Conception Church are located on the campus grounds. Wild, who over the years has coached, volunteered, and supported sports, academic and extracurricular programs at JFK, shares her mothers passion for the school and its mission. My mother had a passion for service and helping others, whether it was as a nurse or supporting the church and school, said Wild. Im a strong supporter of Catholic education, too. And, like her mother, Wild has made family her priority. My mom was clearly involved with us as kids. She was at all of our sporting events and she rooted for us and supported us in everything we did, said Wild. Wild returns to Washington often to cheer for her five nieces and nephews at all of their events, and to spend time with her father, Tom Wild, CFO at Accutrex Products in Southpointe, and her stepmother, Becky Wild, a nurse at Advanced Orthopedics and Rehabilitation in Washington. Wild is a self-described compulsive over-achiever, and her trim, 5-foot, 1-inch frame somehow manages to contain her energy and infectious enthusiasm. An avid sports fan, she enjoys attending sports events ranging from Steelers, Pirates, Penguins, and Notre Dame games, to Super Bowls and national championship games when shes not working. My favorite team right now, though, is the JFK Comets basketball team, said Wild. She also lives a healthy lifestyle she runs and plays recreational basketball and other sports and follows a healthy diet to reduce her risk of diseases like cancer. Wild is grateful for the close-knit relationship she has with her family, and acknowledges how the loss of her mother has shaped her life. I think that anyone who has lost a loved one at a young age can say that experience teaches you that life is fragile, that life is short. For me, though, it also made me want to make an impact on the world around me to know that I left something behind, that Ive made the most of the life and the gifts, talents and opportunities that I have been given, whether that something is my relationship with my nieces and nephews, my work in the cancer field or my support of local institutions, such as John F. Kennedy School, said Wild. I think that it is important to know what and who is meaningful to you and to leave nothing on the table. To always go all-in and not wish that you would have focused more, spent more time or tried harder. Editors note: This story has been updated. Washington, PA (15301) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low near 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Washington, PA (15301) Today Cloudy early with peeks of sunshine expected late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low around 65F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. why would he sign up in the first place? did he think there would just be no covid restrictions? where was he the last year and a half that that would be the case? Reply Thread Link he truly thought COVID would be over and gone I guess Reply Parent Thread Link outdoor events are largely operating without covid restrictions (at least in terms of capacity, distancing, and masking) including this one that he pulled out of Reply Parent Thread Link This is going to be at full capacity, and I didn't see any information about having to be vaccinated, so I'm not sure what restrictions he's talking about. Reply Thread Link people responding to him on Twitter think it's because HE doesn't want to have to take a COVID test to perform Reply Parent Thread Link yeah, that's what i don't get. it's full capacity, no distancing or masking requirements, and no proof of vaccination required for entry. the "testing" he's referring to is basically operating an outdoor festival as normal and seeing if people get sick. Reply Parent Thread Link I get that after a year and a half of this people are exhausted and over it. I live in Ontario, so I totally understand. But the only way things will get back to normal is if we do our due diligence and take precautions. I don't get why folks like Richard Ashcroft don't understand that. One of my best friends has become a Covid denier and anti-vaxxer and it's so disheartening. She barely talks to me anymore and the only things she posts about online are conspiracy theories and unsubstantiated rhetoric. Usually, I leave it be as we said "agree to disagree" but she even posted Tucker Carlson once and I had to call her our on that. She's been one of my closest friends for 35 years and I'm just at a loss about what to do. Sorry for the rant. Reply Thread Link Ugh. I'm sorry about your friend. My mother in law has the same issue, her best friend is a QAnon believer. It's so terrifying. Reply Parent Thread Link My good friend is going through the same thing with a best friend of 20 years. I think at the moment they just arent talking and my friend is probably hoping when the pandemic is over they can go back to how it was before. I genuinely dont know if I would be able to do that. Reply Parent Thread Link as a fellow Ontarian, I would also like to point out that we have no clue what's happening with the Delta variant. okay "everyone" is vaccinated but the kids under 12 aren't and guess who's out of school/swarming summer camps now? I saw some ~Instagram Mommy~ with a chalkboard sign saying her online schooling days are finally over and I'm like... no they probably are not. Edited at 2021-07-05 11:46 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link If it helps there is a subreddit called qanoncasualities where people who lost family and friends to Q can get support. Reply Parent Thread Link It's one of my favorite Reddit communities. The people are all so supportive and kind to each other. I don't know if the moderators are amazing or if the members are unusually great. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I have friends and family like that. Intelligent people who have just bought into every single vaccine conspiracy. Its truly is depressing. Meanwhile, some of my distant hick family, super religious family members surprised me by taking the vaccine as soon as it was available Reply Parent Thread Link my bff of 20 yrs has unfortunately gone down that road. she started buying conspiracy theories last year and is now refusing to get vaccinated. its so incredibly disappointing. Reply Parent Thread Link yeah, we finally got our cases down in my city to a couple a day (which was a lot for my small city) and now everyone is all "lets get back to normal, why the hell are we still in lockdown" um because it LITERALLY just got better two days ago. and its not erased entirely. and not everyone is vaccinated. calm your tits. you can go eat out still. you can shop. you can get your hair cut. shut up about it Reply Parent Thread Link That is not a rant, that's a story that many can relate to. What you shared is not uncommon, but I think it's important to share, as it's a major side effect of Covid-19. Those who are smart and that one KNOWS just seemingly flip their script in their ideology. It's scary. And misinformation is part of it, exhaustion is too, but like you said it's disheartening. Reply Parent Thread Link My cousin and her husband are like that. But get this, he wound up getting covid and yet they STILL spew this garbage and denounce wearing masks! Reply Parent Thread Link wow saying no to money due to safety restrictions in a pandemic...such integrity Reply Thread Link all that Bittersweet Symphony cash he finally got! Reply Parent Thread Link Ohhhh! That's who he is. I legit didn't think him or side project he may have would still have an audience. Edited at 2021-07-05 11:39 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Ooh what happened? I missed this. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link what a loser Reply Thread Link yep and this is all there is to say about people like this Reply Parent Thread Link Wow, he is such a rebel! Such an independent thinker! This is the behaviour of an asshole teenager in the dorms common room discussing philosophical ideas that NO ONE ELSE has ever thought of before. Reply Thread Link Doesnt believe in monogamy, favorite book is The Stranger, etc Reply Parent Thread Link hahahah yes! Reply Parent Thread Link Like 4 people in 1998 will be devastated Reply Thread Link It's so frustrating. The theme parks in FL have given up and done away with masks everywhere. My business (a small attraction) still requires them bc its not fucking over yet, but guests are mad at us constantly bc "nothing else in FL requires them!" I don't trust anyone anymore. I can't imagine ever taking my mask off at work anymore. We see people from all over the country, and in normal circumstances, all over the world. I feel like I'm gonna wear a mask forever. Reply Thread Link I love his music but he's such a dickhead Reply Thread Link same. plus I'm sick of his other BS antics. I'm happy his team took his Twitter account permissions away from him also happy I didn't really like his last album, it gave me a nice break from him... and then this happened Reply Parent Thread Link I would like to thank everyone who is still wearing a mask. It saves me a great deal of time. Your mask tells me I dont need to talk to you, know you, work with you, or try to understand your mumblings. You are superfluous to requirements. Many thanks XX pic.twitter.com/qMOTJjf5hy Right Said Fred (@TheFreds) July 4, 2021 Reminded me of this Reply Thread Link Too sexy for a mask,eh? Truly embarrassing Edited at 2021-07-05 11:13 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Underrated comment! Reply Parent Thread Link sounds like a win win Reply Parent Thread Link Okay, one hit wonders from 30 years ago, no ones checking for your opinions so go back to oblivion where you belong. Reply Parent Thread Link I love you but I don't like ya Reply Parent Thread Link This and everything else on their Twitter looks like they dragged it out of the bottom of a high school football team's locker room trash can. Reply Parent Thread Link Lol this fucking guy. Probably the best thing they ever happened to him was Mary Kate Olsen wearing his bands t-shirt in 2007, making his t-shirt sales (but not album) fly through the roof. Reply Parent Thread Link There are so many people out there who just do not care at all about public health and safety, and it honestly astounds me Reply Thread Link Their utter lack of respect for others' health and well being is astounding as well. If you want to be a fucking idiot and die in an early grave for no good reason, knock yourself out. But your piss poor decision making skills are hurting/killing everyone else. ugh, people suck. Reply Parent Thread Link "The festival is part of a study being done by the British Events Research Programme to see how they can safely return to holding live music events again" I can see why he said yes to that and then backed out Reply Thread Link lmao if they covid, they get covid. The utter selfishness of people because they have to wear a mask. Reply Thread Link If he'd left it at the not liking the government experiment thing, I could understand. But beyond that? Be glad people would be willing to see you in concert at all. Reply Thread Link The two came together on Instagram Live this Sunday to answer some popular fan questions they've received, discussing their most challenging storylines and who the show's endgame couples should've been.Cassie says her fave bf was Craig, even though she liked Manny/Jay as ancouple. Meanwhile, Miriam tactfully says Emma and Spinner should've just remained friends, and that she wanted Em and Sean to be endgame.They also talk about storylines that should or could have been done, and Cassie says it would have made sense to her if the writers decided to make Manny bi.You can check out the full vid below, and I've put more fleshed out highlights behind the cut.Cassie says it was her abortion storyline in Accidents Will Happen and her "aspiring actress" storyline in Venus. The two recall how one of the casting producers (in the show, not IRL) told Manny she needed to "dump the rice and beans" because she wasn't stick thin. Cassie points out the racial nature of that comment.Miriam says it was her eating disorder storyline in Our Lips Are Sealed, and adds that she wished the writers fleshed out that storyline a bit more. That's something the two point out throughout the IG Live that certain plotlines could have been more developed, although Miriam says it's tough to touch on so many issues.As I'm sure many of you Degrassi heads can recall, Manny and Emma have an iconic exchange at the end of Against All Odds, where Manny tells Emma she doesn't want to be friends with a "stuck-up prude princess," while Emma responds by saying that she doesn't want to be friends with the school slut.Cassie is confused by this question, because she thinks all the brutal stuff was said toward HER. (LOL.) Cassie says her "stuck-up prude princess" line toward Emma was weak, and at the time, she thought Manny could have said even worse things toward her.When Cassie went back to real high school, things sucked, because people would repeat back that line to her.Miriam says she's always been a Sean/Emma fan, and it would have been amazing if they ended up together. However, Daniel Clark ended up leaving at one point to pursue other things. She wishes that Spinner and Emma ended it as friends, and that Sean should have returned from Afghanistan and reconnected with Emma.Cassie says she loves Jay and Manny. When she was younger, she really loved Craig and Manny, even though the relationship was volatile, and they had such intense chemistry. But she and Mike Lobel vibed very well, and had a fun time on the set. She says you can see that in their scenes.Later on, Miriam reemphasizes her love for Semma by saying that Sean was her fave boyfriend, but Cassie says that Craig was her favorite boyfriend. She actually had a crush on Jake Epstein, and was always saying weird things around him. One time, she accidentally bit his finger.Cassie felt very disappointed that it didn't air; says it was cutting edge at the time, and was her heaviest episode. Says those harder storylines are the ones that you need to tell.The two talk about that bond and how they all eventually drifted apart from each other. Cassie says it was realistic that the crew didn't stay intact, and that they would've held each other's storylines back given that Emma and Cassie dealt with more mature issues.Cassie talks about how much she related to this character, and how she felt like an outcast. She was always saying weird things and "making an idiot of herself." She went through a lot growing up, and would've loved to do more mental health storylines, like when Craig discovers he's bipolar.Later on in the vid, she mentions Manny could've been bi. She says they had that potential backstory there because of the way men treated her, and she might've decided that she was done with them. But regardless of her backstory, she says Manny was very up for things in general, and if she had met the right girl, she would have gone for it.Cassie says Manny would be on TikTok, while Miriam says it depends on which "version" of Emma we're talking about. She says younger Emma would probably have some type of Save the Dolphins campaign on Instagram.They talk about how the ravine was a real place, the hairstyles/outfits they wore on the show, what frozen food they are. Cassie would be frozen chicken wings, with both agreeing that Cassie would definitely be a meat. Meanwhile, Cassie says that Miriam is an ice cream or frozen yogurt. China banning Australian coal imports might be one of the most peculiar commodity stories of 2021. At a time when commodity prices are climbing, Chinese authorities decided to drop Australian coal, leading to a surge in worse-quality alternatives just as regional demand peaks. Meanwhile, Chinas aim of punishing Australia for calling for an investigation into the origins of Covid has largely failed as Australian producers simply rerouted their cargoes towards India. China, on the other hand, was forced to buy increasing amounts of Indonesian and Russian coal to accommodate domestic demand, triggering a more than 25% price hike compared to January levels. China is more or less self-sufficient in coking coal yet needs substantial amounts of thermal coal for its vast metallurgical industry. Technically, China has a plethora of options to choose from. Adjacent coal-rich Mongolia might have been one of the best and cheapest options, but the closed border hinders larger trade volumes. Thus, Indonesia emerged as the prime supplier of low-calorific value coal, with imports into China hitting an all-time high of 15.9 million tons in January. As heavy rainfall and the onset of Ramadan hindered Indonesias exporting potential, the United States took the baton, surging from minuscule export volumes to 1.6 million tons this March. Increasing Russian flows to China became the latest trend in the Asia Pacific, riding high on strong political support from Moscow. Related: Why Oil Prices Wont Hit $100 It should not come as a surprise that Russian coal producers latched onto the opportunity at hand. Aggregate Chinese imports of Russian coal in June 2021 totaled 4.04 million tons, almost 20% higher than the previous all-time high recorded in June 2020. In a sense, Russia was preparing for such an event to take place as it had extended the transportation capacities of Eastern-Siberian railways, including but not limited to the Baikal-Amur and Transsiberian Railway networks. Several major coal mines have Chinese co-owners and co-investors such as the Elgaugol in Eastern Siberia which is configured to bring almost all of its output towards the southern neighbor. Graph 1. Chinese Imports of Coal (million tons per month). Source: Thomson Reuters. Sticking to its pledge to place commodities trading on a more scientific footing, Chinese authorities have introduced an array of measures designed to bring coal prices down. The economic planning arm of the CCP, the National Development and Reform Commission, sought to boost domestic production to counteract the impending shortage it will take several months however before tangible results appear. Moreover, a recent string of coal mine suspensions in the Shaanxi province added salt to the wound. As China prepared to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Communist Partys founding, regional authorities cracked down on smaller mines suspected of violating safety regulations to be on the safe side and avoid any tragic incidents in such a memorable year - leading to the closure of four mines (potentially triggering further police investigations into alleged corruption). The NDRC also vowed to crack down on malicious speculation, however it would seem to be a tough job blaming the price surge on someone specific considering there is a perfectly market-based explanation. Even the fact that Chinese landed prices wield a significant premium to other Asian buyers such as India the nation that has become the main receiver of Australian supplies it all boils down to international traders understanding of Chinas weak spots, i.e. the necessity to buy a lot of coal really quick. Chinese authorities have also introduced a relaxation of import controls to speed up discharge operations and customs clearances, attesting its desperate need for more coal. In the past six months there has only ever been one measure China was unwilling to take in its attempt to reduce coal prices allowing Australian coal back into the country. Under normal conditions, coal prices would be kept within a so-called green corridor, a pricing bandwidth of 500-580 CNY that suits both domestic producers as well as end-users. The end result, however, was FOB Qinhuangdao surpassing the 1000 CNY per metric ton threshold, i.e. double the desired green corridor bandwidth. Meanwhile, media reports indicate that India and Russia are on the verge of signing a monster deal that would see the former securing some 40 million tons per year of coking coal. The deal seemingly has the full support of Delhi political elites, despite India having relatively little experience with Russian thermal coal. Tata Steel signed its trial agreement only last year and the overall volume this year remains far from ground-breaking. At the same time, the logic behind it is fairly straightforward as Indian buyers seek to get rid of their dependence on Australian supplies, especially given that they tend to be disrupted by massive flooding. This years floods in March effectively cut off the production sites in New South Wales from the main export terminal in Newcastle, so Indias preoccupation with supply security is entirely understandable. By Gerald Jansen for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: U.S. WTI futures are retreating after having reached a six-year high on Tuesday morning. The OPEC+ standoff has been the latest in a string of bullish events that has sent crude prices up by almost 60 percent since the beginning of the year. Chart of the Week - Investors that bet against U.S. oil fund USO (NYSEARCA:USO) got burned following the failed OPEC meeting. - The popular oil ETF nearly doubled in value since October last year as a result of falling U.S. crude inventories and tighter markets. - With oil continuing to trade around multi-year highs, oil funds such as USO, DBO, BNO, and USL make for popular investments. Market Movers - Talos Energy saw its stock price fall around 8% on Tuesday after Mexicos Energy Ministry awarded the operation rights of the countrys Zama field to state-owned Pemex. - JPMorgan advised clients to remain bullish on energy stocks, naming European oil stocks as the best investments in the space. - Chinese ride-hailing and food-delivery firm DiDi Global saw its share price tank on Tuesday morning after the Chinese Cyberspace Administration ordered app stores to remove services from their platforms. Tuesday, July 6, 2021 Iraqi Lawmaker Warns Of New Oil Price War. Following the discord within OPEC, the financial adviser to the Iraqi prime minister has warned that there is a danger of yet another oil price war within the cartel. "In the absence of coordination and understandings between OPEC producers, the beginnings of a price war will be formed again," Mazhar Mohammed Saleh said, as quoted by Reuters, yesterday. Others See This As An Unlikely Scenario. While some think that the absence of coordination could lead to chaos within OPEC, others say that OPEC+ may see its strongest period in decades. The CIO of a large energy fund in Canada was quoted as saying: A total breakdown is highly unlikely, the oil market globally is in a sweet spot, there is too much money on the line for all the players. Demand globally is strong, we are looking at a deficit of 2.3 to 2.5mbd in June, the highest since last year coming out of covid Biden Administration Urges OPEC To Raise Production. After a few months of very little high-profile correspondence between Washington and Vienna, the Biden Administration has now officially called on OPEC to increase production volumes. The White House is closely monitoring the OPEC+ negotiations and their impact on the global economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,. Saudi Aramco Hikes OSPs To Asia, U.S. Aramco has set the August OSP for Arab light at $2.70/barrel, up 80 cents per barrel from Julys price, Reuters reports, while the OSP to the United States was set up 20 cents a barrel for August. U.S. Oil Prices Hit 6-Year High After OPEC+ Deadlock. The U.S. benchmark oil price WTI Crude hit its highest level since November 2014 early on Tuesday, after OPEC+ on Monday called off its third attempt to reach an agreement over oil policy management for the coming months. The rapid rise in crude prices even got market-guru Jim Cramer nervous. After having been recorded as saying that fossil fuels are dead, Cramer said this morning that 'Oil's Got to Stop Going Up' Goldman Sachs: World Desperately Needs Extra 5 Million Bpd To Avoid "Critically Low Inventories". As markets continue to speculate about what OPECs next step may be, investment bank Goldman Sachs warns that the world is facing a serious supply deficit. Goldmans Damien Courvalin claims that the global market needs an extra 5 million bpd in production to avoid critically low inventories Explosion Rocks Iranian Oilfield Near Iraqi Border. Iranian media reported a large explosion at the Cheshmeh Khosh field near the Iraqi border on Tuesday afternoon. Local sources told Bloomberg that "Three oil workers were killed and four injured in an explosion on a pipeline that transfers oil from the Cheshmeh Khosh field." The oilfield is a relatively small one, which produces around 18,000 bpd of heavy crude. Former U.S. Energy Secretary: Oil Prices Could Very Easily Hit $100. In an interview with CNBC, former U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said that You could very easily see oil hitting $100 a barrel, potentially even higher, He also warned that if a no-deal scenario could lead to a collapse in oil prices as countries would create some sort of free for all scenario in which the taps would be opened. Debate About Biofuels Has EU divided. An intense debate about bioresources and biofuels comes ahead of the release of a new set of rules by the EU about what exactly can be defined as renewable biofuels. Historically, the use of biofuels has been controversial, and skeptics say that an increase in the use of biofuels would have serious consequences for the global food supply and biodiversity. Related: Record Decline In U.S. Crude Stockpiles Fuels Oil Rally Sportscar Maker Porsche To Make All Parts With Renewable Energy. Starting this month, the German carmaker is calling upon its roughly 1,300 suppliers to use 100 percent renewable energy in the production of parts for its new models. Porsche recently doubled down on its decarbonization agenda, and now aims for at least 80% of its total sales to be electric or plug-in hybrid by 2030. Mexico Snubs Private Oil Company, Awards Operation Rights Of Major Oil Field To Pemex. In what can be seen as a new push towards energy nationalism, the Lopez-Obrador government has decided to award the operation rights of the Zama discovery to state-owned oil company Pemex. Houston-based Talos Energy the oil firm that was credited with the discovery of the deposit back in 2017, said that it was very disappointed with the decision of the Mexican government. Tesla Faces Reality Check In China. After a few years of remarkable cooperation between the EV-makers and Beijing, the honeymoon between Tesla and the Chinese government is over. The deterioration in relations between the U.S. and China, the semiconductor supply crisis, and claims about failing braking systems have hurt Teslas reputation in the worlds largest car market. $140 Billion Asset Sale In Oil & Gas Creates Huge Opportunities For Some. While the worlds oil majors are rushing to put non-core assets up for sale, some smaller E&Ps are seizing the opportunity to acquire choice assets at a discount. According to WoodMackenzies Greg Aitken, The list of assets is way higher than the number of buyers out there and particularly for some of the bigger deals,. And according to the energy consultancy, the total value of oil and gas assets up for sale across the industry now stands at more than $140 billion. By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Saudi Aramco has raised the August official selling prices of crude to Asia, as the oil market tightens, sparking fears of another oil price war and prompting the Biden administration to call on OPEC to settle its internal differences and start bringing more oil to markets, Bloomberg has reported, citing administration insiders. Aramco has set the August OSP for Arab light at $2.70/barrel, up 80 cents per barrel from Julys price, Reuters reports, while the OSP to the United States was set up 20 cents a barrel for August. Rising oil prices and pain at American gas pumps have prompted Biden to step into the fray. This is the latest development in a drama that actually began last year but only escalated last week, when the United Arab Emirates refused to vote for an extension of the OPEC+ production control deal without an adjustment of its baseline, noting that the baselines for the current agreement are from November 2018 which is simply, too far back in the past. The UAE, which is OPECs third-largest producer after Saudi Arabia and Iraq, has a production capacity of some 4 million bpd but under the OEPC+ deal from last year, its actual output was capped at 2.59 million bpd until the end of 2020, rising to 2.74 million this year. We cannot extend the agreement or make a new agreement under the same conditions. We have the sovereign right to negotiate that, Emirati oil minister Suhail Al-Mazrouei told CNBC on Sunday. Then, on Monday, OPECs secretary-general Mohammed Barkindo announced the meeting planned for that day to settle the differences has been cancelled. The date of the next meeting remains to be announced. Naturally, this pushed oil prices even higher, suggesting the rift between Saudi Arabia, the de facto leader of the OPEC group, and UAE, until recently its staunchest ally in the region, ran deeper than previously assumed. The White House is closely monitoring the OPEC+ negotiations and their impact on the global economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a spokesperson quoted by Bloomberg. Administration officials have been engaged with relevant capitals to urge a compromise solution that will allow proposed production increases to move forward. Meanwhile, the financial adviser to the Iraqi prime minister has warned that there is a danger of a price war within the cartel. "In the absence of coordination and understandings between OPEC producers, the beginnings of a price war will be formed again," Mazhar Mohammed Saleh said, as quoted by Reuters, yesterday. "The increases in production within the OPEC member countries must be carried out with caution and in high coordination among the member countries themselves to avoid any potential glut in the crude oil supply market that may cause undesirable price imbalances," he added. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Iran blamed on Tuesday Israel for attacking in late June a civilian nuclear site near Tehran, admitting that the attempt damaged the building, Iranian state media reported. This is the second time that Iran has blamed Israel for an attempted sabotage against a nuclear facility since Iran, the United States, and the remaining signatories to the so-called Iranian nuclear deal started negotiations in April about the U.S. and Iran potentially returning to the agreement. If the parties agree to a deal, it would eventually mean the lifting of the U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil exports. Back in April, a week after the nuclear deal talks began in Vienna, Iran blamed Israel for what it said was sabotage on its Natanz nuclear site and vowed revenge against the perpetrators. Iran uses the Natanz site for uranium enrichment and had inaugurated new equipment at the facility a day before the incident. The sites power network suffered an incident, Iran said on the next day. After initially reporting that it was a power failure, Iran said later that the site was a target of sabotage and blamed the bitter rival Israel for it. The Zionists want to take revenge because of our progress in the way to lift sanctions... We will not fall into their trap...We will not allow this act of sabotage to affect the nuclear talks, Irans Foreign Minister Javad Zarif was quoted by state TV as saying at the time. Now Iran is blaming Israel again for what it says was an attempted attack at the civilian nuclear site in Karaj, 25 miles northwest of Tehran, on June 23. Back then Iran said it had foiled an attack at Karaj which didnt cause damages or result in casualties. Iran admitted on July 6 for the first time that the attack had caused damage to the building, the Associated Press reports. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: As rockets hit an Iraqi airbase housing U.S. personnel, the leader of an Iran-affiliated Iraqi militia has vowed to take revenge on the United States for the killing of four militiamen last month in an airstrike along the border between Iraq and Syria The Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq was hit with at least three rockets late Monday, presumably targeting U.S. forces stationed there, but causing no casualties, Reuters reports. The attacks coincided with a threat issued in an exclusive interview for the Associated Press, by a pro-Iranian Iraqi militia commander of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Abu Alaa al-Walae, who said We want an operation that befits those martyrs. Even if it comes late, time is not important. We want it to be an operation in which everyone says they have taken revenge from the Americans, al-Walae also said. It will be a qualitative operation (that could come) from the air, the sea, along Iraqs border, in the region or anywhere. Its an open war. In late June, the United States said it had carried out airstrikes against storage facilities used by Iran-backed militia in Iraq and Syria. The facilities, according to the U.S., were used in drone strikes in Iraq. Related: U.S. Warns Gulf Allies: Don't Normalize Relations With Assad The targets were selected because these facilities are utilized by Iran-backed militias that are engaged in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq. Specifically, the U.S. strikes targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one location in Iraq, both of which lie close to the border between those countries, the Department of Defense said in a statement. A few days later, the AP reports, U.S. forces in eastern Syria were subjected to rocket fire but no casualties were reported. The U.S. blamed the attacks, targeting a key oil field in Syria near a U.S. military base, on Iran-backed militias. Drone attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq have become increasingly frequent after the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani last year, also with a drone. This spurred a series of drone attacks against U.S. forces in the country but it also angered Iraqi parliamentarians, who earlier this year passed a resolution to pressure the government into sending foreign troops stationed in the country away. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Lebanon, which is in the midst of a severe economic crisis, is days away from a social explosion, the countrys caretaker prime minister warned on Tuesday, moments before renewed, violent protests broke out as people desperately search for essential medicines, gasoline, and food. Lebanon is a few days away from the social explosion. The Lebanese are facing this dark fate alone, caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab said in a speech during a meeting with international organizations and ambassadors. I appeal through you to the kings, princes, presidents and leaders of brotherly and friendly countries, and I call upon the United Nations and all international bodies, the international community, and the global public opinion to help save the Lebanese from death and prevent the demise of Lebanon, Diab added. Earlier this month, the caretaker government in Lebanon effectively slashed fuel subsidies and raised the prices of gasoline and diesel in the Middle Eastern country which is reeling from an unprecedented economic crisis. The Lebanese energy ministry announced a massive increase by 35 percent in fuel prices after slashing fuel subsidies amid a severe economic crisis and rallying global commodity prices. Related: Iran Restarts Its Only Nuclear Plant After Emergency Shutdown The move is expected to help government finances and stop the bleeding of foreign currency reserves. But it is a severe blow to consumers in Lebanon, who have been grappling with a plunge of the local currency and fuel shortages even before the gasoline and diesel price hikes. The gasoline price hike is also threatening to fuel further social unrest in the country. Last week, the Lebanese army was called to step in and rein in armed protests sparked by the rise in fuel prices. According to the World Bank, the economic and financial crisis is likely to rank in the top 10, possibly top 3, most severe crises globally since the mid-nineteenth century. In the face of colossal challenges, continuous policy inaction and the absence of a fully functioning executive authority threaten already dire socio-economic conditions and a fragile social peace with no clear turning point in the horizon, the World Bank said in early June. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Travel Eppley traffic taking off as COVID-weary travelers get away LILY SMITH, THE WORLD-HERALD Eppley's passenger counts have started turning higher month by month with the return of leisure travelers. LILY SMITH, THE WORLD-HERALD The federal government continues to require people to wear masks at airports and on airplanes through Sept. 13. LILY SMITH, THE WORLD-HERALD Travelers walk through the terminal at Eppley Airfield on Tuesday, June 29, 2021. LILY SMITH, THE WORLD-HERALD People load luggage into a car at Eppley Airfield on Tuesday, June 29, 2021. Air travel is climbing steadily at Eppley Airfield. As COVID-weary travelers take back to the skies, Omaha Airport Authority officials say they expect the return to air travel will only continue as COVID-19 vaccinations increase and the pandemic remains at a low level. Now, the airport authority is turning back to Eppleys future development, with a pair of construction projects totaling $28.6 million starting at the terminal roadway and the airports older parking garage. Eppley Airfield certainly experienced all stages of the pandemic: The bottom falling out early with a quiet concourse and nearly empty flights; the long, uncertain period where smaller numbers of travelers dealt with the virus; and now a hopeful recovery as people fly to see family or far-off vacation spots. Dave Roth, the airport authoritys chief executive officer, recalls walking through the Eppley terminal early in the pandemic and sensing a grave scenario. It felt a lot like the air traffic shutdown following the 9/11 terrorist attacks back in 2001, he said. Over the last three months, Roth said, hes sensed a more positive atmosphere throughout the airport more people and activity in the terminal, more people in airport garages, more travelers stopping for food and drinks. LILY SMITH, THE WORLD-HERALD Travelers ride an escalator at Eppley Airfield on Tuesday, June 29, 2021. Its just a good feeling to see that coming back, Roth said. The traffic numbers show Eppleys rocky trip. In April 2020 mere weeks into the pandemic total passengers at Eppley dropped nearly 96% over the same month a year prior. In the busy April 2019, Eppley typically saw some 6,700 people a day get on a plane. Early in the pandemic, that fell to a few hundred a day. At the quietest point, just two or three passengers would be on some 150-seat flights, Roth said. Within weeks after the pandemic started, Eppley was awarded $32.8 million in federal pandemic aid. Overall, it received some $60 million in federal assistance, some of which remains available through 2023, officials said. After months with traffic down more than half of the pre-pandemic numbers, passenger counts have started turning higher month by month. March, April and May each got notably better coinciding with the rise in vaccinations and drop in COVID cases. This May, traffic was down 27% over May 2019. As the pandemic continues, the airport authority continues to put an emphasis on its health and safety protocols, promoting more touchless travel using mobile apps, stepping up its cleaning routines, asking for social distancing and requiring masks. Even as local mask rules drop, the federal government continues to require people to wear masks at airports and on airplanes through Sept. 13. LILY SMITH, THE WORLD-HERALD Travelers move through the terminal at Eppley Airfield on Tuesday. June 29, 2021. Roth said Eppleys numbers are even running ahead of the nationwide trends thanks in part to the strong local economy. Airlines are responding by returning many of Omahas suspended nonstop flights to service, including routes to New Yorks LaGuardia Airport, Nashville, Tampa and Destin, Florida. Airlines suspended as many as 14 of Eppleys nonstop routes last year, but thats now down to four. People are getting out there, Roth said, with a large amount of the return in leisure travelers. Analysts are noting the air industrys recovery. In May, Moodys Investor Service switched its investment outlook for the airline industry to positive. Moodys said the industrys fundamentals will improve over the next 12 to 18 months, led by leisure travel with corporate and international travel following. The company said business travel will start to recover by this fall as offices reopen. AAA said that while road trips still dominate in peoples travel choices this summer, 3.5 million people were expected to fly over the Independence Day weekend. Thats high enough to reach 90% of pre-pandemic air travel, according to AAA. In Nebraska, the Bureau of Business Research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln noted that passenger counts increased rapidly in May, which contributed to a rapid rise in the states economic indicators. LILY SMITH photos, THE WORLD-HERALD There have been more people and activity in the terminal at Eppley Airfield over the past three months. Its just a good feeling to see that coming back, said Dave Roth, the Omaha Airport Authoritys chief executive officer. Things are starting to loosen up, said Scott Tarry, director of the Aviation Institute at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and I think were going to see some positive steps in the right direction for the industry. In the pandemic downturn, the airport authority has put on hold its planning toward a rebuild of the Eppley terminal that could cost $500 million. Roth said the airport authority continues to watch traffic numbers and industry trends to determine when the time is right to restart that. Part of the wait is to see how and when business travel recovers. Still, the airport authority is moving forward on two related projects: a $20.3 million rerouting of the terminal entrance roadway and a $8.3 million renovation of the South Garage. The roadway is funded in part with $12 million in federal grants. Initial work is underway and scheduled to conclude in late 2022. Roth said people driving to the airport wont encounter any significant delays from the construction. When the roadway is completed, it will have a new turn off Abbott Drive 1,500 feet farther south. Along with a route to the terminal building, the roadway also will offer a loop back to long-term parking or the short-term phone lot. Roth said the improvements will position Eppley for long-term growth. Then when the full terminal renovation moves forward, officials said, those two projects will be done and in place. An Omaha police officer used a key to enter his ex-girlfriends apartment uninvited, then threatened to shoot and kill her and another man there, a prosecutor said Tuesday. Terry J. Hughes, 51, was charged with two counts of terroristic threats, use of a firearm to commit a felony and a misdemeanor charge of damage to property. If convicted of all charges, he could face a maximum of about 56 years in prison. Douglas County Judge Stephanie Hansen ordered Hughes bail on the three felony counts to be set at $75,000, and $2,500 for the misdemeanor charge. That means Hughes would need to post 10%, or $7,750, to be released from jail. A prosecutor said Hughes entered his ex-girlfriends apartment near 35th and Jackson Streets about 2:30 a.m. Friday with a key he was given when the two were dating. The woman, who is 41 years old, was in her apartment with a 58-year-old man. Hughes then grabbed his service weapon and told the man, Ill (expletive) kill you, the prosecutor said in court. Hughes also told his ex-girlfriend, while holding a gun, I should shoot your ass, the prosecutor said. Safety is the number one priority at Adventureland, Cook wrote in a text message. The Raging River ride has been in operation for nearly four decades. It is a safe ride. He noted that the ride opened for the first time during the 2021 season after a state inspection on Friday found it was in sound working order. Adventureland spokeswoman Molly Vincent referred questions to the Altoona Police Department, which didnt immediately return messages seeking comment. Altoona is a city of 20,000 people just east of Des Moines. The park, whose roller coasters can be seen from Interstate 80, expects about 600,000 visitors this year. The Iowa Division of Labor is responsible for conducting safety inspections of each ride at least once a year, and Cook said that agency is leading the investigation. The Raging River has been a staple of the park since 1983, when then-Gov. Terry Branstad took one of the inaugural rides. Adventureland advertises the ride as a great way to cool off with the whole family, warning it might leave participants soaked. But the ride has been the site of two tragedies in recent years. But McKesson, who serves as finance director for the Nebraska Democratic Party, voiced her support for Shelton and others who may throw their names in the ring, and said shes considering her opportunities. We respect our elective processes and those who get involved, Bacon said in an emailed statement. Our focus in the 117th Congress right now is on stopping a far-left agenda and where possible, find some bipartisan consensus something I have been working diligently on with the Problem Solvers Caucus and the For Country Caucus. In 2022 we will work to get the majority back in the House to serve as a check and balance against the far left. Sheltons campaign highlighted her experiences helping others and being raised in Omaha by a single mother along with seven siblings. She moved to Omaha at age 12 from Staten Island, and her first job was detasseling corn. As the long and deadly conflict between Israelis and Palestinians heats up once again, a freshly designed peace and development initiative with Rep. Jeff Fortenberrys fingerprints all over it begins to take effect. The Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act, named in honor of former Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, was enacted by Congress last December. It will provide $250 million over five years to expand people to people Israeli and Palestinian grassroots programs that generate peace and reconciliation while also helping bolster Palestinian economic development. Congressman Fortenberry and I certainly dont share the same political philosophy, Lowey said in a telephone interview from New York, but he really has been key in establishing this program. He has really shown leadership on this, she said. I have always been grateful for friends like Jeff Fortenberry. As the initiative begins to be implemented, the 1st District Republican congressman from Lincoln has been in direct contact with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the new program. He assured me he was very much aware of it, Fortenberry said by telephone from Washington. The tomahawk was conveyed to the Peabody in 1982 as part of a bequest from William Henry Claflin Jr. of Belmont, Massachusetts, according to the museum. Claflin had purchased it from the widow of Omaha attorney William Morris in 1930. The museum does not know how Morris obtained the tomahawk. The history and prominence of the artifact many sculptures and paintings of Standing Bear depict him holding a tomahawk make its return all the more significant, said Stacy Laravie, a member of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and descendant of Standing Bear. And the fact that a member of the Ponca Tribe initially raised the issue makes the tomahawks return even more special. I am really proud that a Ponca (member) stepped up and did that and that just shows right there the heart of the Ponca people. We are resilient, Laravie said. I am just so proud of the Ponca people. Chapman, who jump-started conversations, said he was proud to have played a role in the return of a piece of Ponca and American history. It makes me happy to think about how all the future Ponca children in 50 or 100 years will be able to have this connection with their peoples proud past, he wrote in an email. It belongs to the Ponca people then, now and will forever. BERLIN (AP) German security officials said Tuesday they made more than 750 arrests and seized large amounts of drugs after gaining access to extensive chat data of encrypted cellphones. The focus of the investigation, which started in April 2020, was on data from users of the provider EncroChat who were involved in the illegal drug trade, Frankfurt prosecutors and the countrys Federal Crime Police Office said in a written statement. Dutch and French officials helped with the investigation, prosecutors said. The EncroChat data was obtained in the context of a French investigation, Frankfurt prosecutor Julia Bussweiler told The Associated Press. The French authorities, together with the Dutch authorities, set up a so-called joint investigation team and within this investigation team they managed to decrypt the encrypted data and thus read the communication between the users of the Enchrochat mobile phones. Investigators seized 3.2 metric tons (3.5 short tons) of cannabis, about 320 kilograms (700 pounds) of synthetic drugs, more than 125,500 ecstasy pills, almost 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of cocaine and 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of heroin, authorities said. Lithuania has set up tent camps to accommodate the growing number of migrants, most of them from Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Cameroon. The Baltic country is sending delegations to Turkey and Iraq later this month to discuss the matter with local governments. Michel promised to contact the countries where migrants were coming from. But Lukashenko reaffirmed his warning that Belarus will no longer try to stem the flow of migrants. If some think that we will close our borders with Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine and become a camp for people fleeing Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Tunisia they are mistaken, Lukashenko said Tuesday during a government meeting. We won't hold anyone, they are coming not to us but to the enlightened, warm and cozy Europe, he added mockingly. The Belarusian Union of Journalists, a pro-government media organization, said in a statement that the number of migrants heading West via Belarus will top 5,000 this month and warned that flows might begin into Poland too. BERLIN (AP) Germany is easing strict restrictions on travel from Britain, Portugal and some other countries that were imposed because of the rise of the more contagious delta virus variant. Germanys national disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute, said late Monday that Britain, Portugal, Russia, India and Nepal will be removed from the countrys highest risk category of virus variant areas effective Wednesday. They will move into the second-highest category of high-incidence areas. The U.K. had been in the top coronavirus risk category since May 23, and was joined last Tuesday by Russia and Portugal, one of Germanys partners in the European Union. Airlines and others are restricted largely to transporting German citizens and residents from virus variant areas, and those who arrive must spend 14 days in quarantine at home. People arriving from high incidence areas, however, can avoid quarantine if they can prove that they are fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19. Others can cut short a mandatory 10-day quarantine by testing negative after five days. Transport is no longer restricted. COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) Norways largest pension fund said it has divested itself of 16 companies that operate in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Oslo-based KLP, which manages more than 300 billion kroner ($35 billion), said that after attempting to talk with the companies, it sold shares and bonds valued at 275 million kroner ($32 million). There is an unacceptable risk that the excluded companies will contribute to the violation of human rights in war and conflict situations through their connection to the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, senior analyst Kiran Aziz said in a statement Monday. All 16 companies appeared on a list published by the United Nations last year of 112 companies it said were complicit in violating the human rights of Palestinians by operating in the West Bank. As of June 2021, KLP won't do business with companies including those in banking, construction, infrastructure and telecommunications in the West Bank. Among them are Motorola Solutions and French power and transportation company Alstom SA. Messages seeking comment were left with both companies. Failure of the State of Nebraska to avert an environmental disaster at the Alt-En ethanol plant in Mead is a familiar story of money and politics at work to create a public health problem. For example: 2018: Two ethanol production companies make political contributions to Gov. Pete Ricketts: $55,500 from KAAPA and $55,000 from Green Plains. 2019: Gov. Ricketts asks for state legislation to merge the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality with the Nebraska Energy Office. The Legislature approves the merger, creating Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE). 2019: NDEE director Jim Macy, an appointee of Gov. Ricketts, develops a $3 million grant proposal to subsidize private companies to add ethanol pumps throughout the state. The grant would be funded by the Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET), on whose board Director Macy sits, along with several other appointees of Gov. Ricketts. Meanwhile, Mead residents, suffering from an outbreak of medical ailments, are pleading with NDEE to enforce environmental regulations against the local Alt-En ethanol plant, which is using pesticide-treated seeds in ethanol production. Things are starting to loosen up, said Scott Tarry, director of the Aviation Institute at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and I think were going to see some positive steps in the right direction for the industry. In the pandemic downturn, the airport authority has put on hold its planning toward a rebuild of the Eppley terminal that could cost $500 million. Roth said the airport authority continues to watch traffic numbers and industry trends to determine when the time is right to restart that. Part of the wait is to see how and when business travel recovers. Still, the airport authority is moving forward on two related projects: a $20.3 million rerouting of the terminal entrance roadway and a $8.3 million renovation of the South Garage. The roadway is funded in part with $12 million in federal grants. Initial work is underway and scheduled to conclude in late 2022. Roth said people driving to the airport wont encounter any significant delays from the construction. When the roadway is completed, it will have a new turn off Abbott Drive 1,500 feet farther south. Along with a route to the terminal building, the roadway also will offer a loop back to long-term parking or the short-term phone lot. The Feyiase community in the Bosomtwe District of the Ashanti Region was on Sunday, (July 4, 2021) afternoon thrown into a state of shock when a headless body of a man believed to be in his mid-thirties was found in front of an uncompleted building at Feyiase New Site. The man was later identified as Israel Agyei Manu, a teacher in a private school at Atonsu in Kumasi. He was also working on part time basis as a cabdriver [online hailing cabbie]. Police suspect he was killed by some unknown assailants who requested for his services. The incident has thrown the community into a state of fear and panic as it was the first time such an incident was being recorded in the area. His head was found meters away from the body with his mobile phone and wallet. A Toyota Vitz vehicle with registration number GE 3170-21 believed to be his was also found at the crime scene. Assemblyman The Assemblyman for the Feyiase Electoral Area, Mr Samuel Yaw Kwae told the media that he received a phone call around 2pm on Sunday that a decapitated body had been found lying in front of an uncompleted building at Feyiase New Site. He said he informed the police and together they went to the scene and found the body without the head. Mr Kwae said the team searched the area and found the head about 200 meters away from where the body was lying. The head had wounds suspected to have been inflicted by a machete. The deceased was said to be visiting his fiancee at Feyiase when he had a request for a trip and decided to drop them off. The body has since been deposited at the morgue of the St Michael Hospital at Pramso. Read also: Suspect in Feyiase murder arrested, confesses to the crime - Police Meanwhile information reaching Graphic Online indicates that police in Kuntenase in the Ashanti region have picked up a suspect in the death of the cabdriver Israel Agyei Manu. The police has named the suspect as Rashid Ibrahim who has reportedly confessed to the crime. He is said to have killed Israel Agyei Manu, who was also a head teacher of Rogel Montessori Basic School at Atonsu Kumasi. Manu owned a Toyota Vitz vehicle with registration number GE 3170-21, which he used on part time basis as a Bolt driver. The police said the suspect initially gave an "untenable alibi." But later confessed to committing the crime and led police to retrieve the matchete which he allegedly used to behead the deceased at Feyiase New Site on July 4, 2021. The suspect is in Police custody pending arraignment before court. The Police has commended the Feyiase community members who volunteered their observation of movement of neighbours and strangers alike to Police, leading to the arrest. The Police has assured them of the strictest confidentiality and appeals to such informants to desist from blowing their own cover by bragging about such exploits. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The police have arrested a suspect in the June 5, 2021 fuel station robbery incident at Krokowhe near Ashalaja in the Greater Accra region. The suspect, Iwejuo Anthony alias Chibona, together with others reported attacked and robbed the Pacific Filling Station at Krokowhe near Ashalaja at dawn on June 5, 2021. The suspects were said to have assaulted and tied the fuel station attendants, broke into the metallic safe of the filling station and stole an unspecified amount of money, a laptop and other items. However, with security interventions laid by the station owner, coupled with his bravery and support of neighbours, the suspect was arrested, the police said. The police said some of the items stolen and a heavy pointed metal bar was retrieved from the suspect. Efforts are underway to arrest the other suspects. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The lack of access to water in the central business district (CBD) of Accra was a major hindrance in battling Monday morning's fire outbreak in a building at Makola in Accra. Even though there are fire hydrants in the central business district, there was no water in them at the time of fighting the fire, according to the Mayor of Accra. He said the fire tenders which were mobilised for the fire fighting had to trek longer distances to refill at places such as Kwame Nkrumah Circle. There were seven fire tenders at the scene of the fire and within eight minutes, their tanks were emptied and they had to go and refill. Since there was no water in the hydrants in the CBD, they had to go to longer distances to refill. The fire started in the three-storey building near the Makola Market around 9am. The fire reportedly started in one of the top floors of the building. The building houses different shops in the central business district (CBD) of Accra. Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) arrived at the scene in an attempt to douse the fire. Supported by military, police personnel cordoned off the busy business district of Accra so as to give free access to the fire personnel to battle the fire. Some eyewitnesses close to the scene of the incident shared photos and videos of the fire outbreak on social media. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A fire broke out on Monday night in a storehouse in the church of the late influential Nigerian preacher TB Joshua in Lagos. The fire incident occurred during a candle-lit procession that was being held in tribute to the influential evangelist who died last month at 57. Worshippers who had gathered in the Synagogue church for the service that was being led by TB Joshua's widow Evelyn Joshua scampered for safety. The church attributed the fire to a minor electrical fault. It said the fire had been put out and there were no casualties. TB Joshua will be buried at the church premises on Friday. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minister of Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has begun a six-day tour of five (5) regions across the country. The tour forms part of the government's plans to increase production in six tree crops--cashew, coffee, rubber, shea butter, coconut and palm oil. It was also to afford the minister the chance to see progress or otherwise of government's flagship programmePlanting for Food and Jobs. The four regions are Ahafo, Bono, Bono East, Ashanti and Eastern Regions. Addressing journalists in Ahafo regional capital of Goaso which was his first port of call last Monday, Dr Afriyie Akoto said the government has resolved to turn its attention to the cultivation of more tree crops to ensure that the country rakes in the full benefit. . He said the government was determined to place much premium on six more tree crops production. Addressing journalists, the minister charged the District Director in charge of Asunafo South, Kofi Senti, to, as a matter of urgency, ensure that irrigation facilities in the region were maintained to support this initiative by the government. And though cashew production was making some progress in the region, he was disappointed at the breakdown of its processing plant at Mim. He, therefore, assured that his ministry would ensure that the plant works again. Presenting the overall performance of both crops and animal production in the region, the Regional Director of Agriculture, Mr Kingsford Nyame, observed that despite some progress made, both crops and animal products were faced with some challenges. These challenges, he said, included the delay in the release of Modernising Agriculture (MAG) funds to District Agriculture Development Units (DADUs) and fertilisers to district assemblies. He said the above factors impacted the overall performance of crops and animal production in the region. Inadequate veterinary staff members also contributed to the low output in the production of animals, he added. The presentation, however, was without the first quarter of 2021 crop yield. This did not sit well with the minister who was obviously not happy. According to Mr Nyame, there was a marginal increase in yields of crops like maize, cassava, rice, cocoyam, yam and plantain in 2020. For instance, he disclosed that in 2020, rice production recorded 22,028 as compared to 10,494 in 2019. Furthermore, the Ahafo regional director of agriculture said animal production in 2020 also saw some increment. Poultry production, for example, he revealed, recorded a 37.7% increment which is 631,592 in 2020 compared to 393,772 in 2019. Sheep production recorded a 24% change with 47,202 in 2020 as compared to 35,756 in 2019, he disclosed. Dr Afriyie Akoto seized the chance to urge the regional agriculture directors to work with a sense of urgency to ensure that the investment made in both crops and animal production were realised. He also tasked them to encourage more women in agriculture activities. However, Inputs Dealers Association expressed worry about the rather slow supply of inputs. Later, the minister and his entourage visited the Kenyasi Prison Farm of about 200 acres of land out of a total of 600 acres and assured that his outfit would provide the needed machinery to uproot tree stumps to enable the expansion of the farm. "We paid a courtesy call on the chief of Kenyasi who also complained about the road network", he added. Finally, the minister and his team interacted with some women who were into rice production, and promised to support them with machinery to enable them venture into large scale production. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A communal clash between some Zongo youth and the youth at Ntonso in the Kwabre East District in the Ashanti Region has left items destroyed. It also left the windscreens of some vehicles smashed, shops vandalised, traders wares destroyed and rickshaws set ablaze. The clash is said to have been sparked by some youth from the Ahwiaa Zongo, a suburb of Kwabre, who destroyed items belonging to residents of Ntonso after a night out at Ntonso. So far, one person has been arrested, with the names of other people suspected to have been involved in the attack coming up. It is unclear what really sparked the clash between the two groups, but information picked up by the Daily Graphic indicated that some Zongo youth from Ahwiaa and Aboaso were at Ntonso last Sunday evening to have fun at a popular bar there. While returning to Ahwiaa, and without any provocation, the Zongo youth went on rampage and destroyed shops and even entered houses to destroy items. That information was corroborated by the Kwabre East District Chief Executive, Nana Osei Assibey Bonsu, who said early in the morning, when the youth of Ntonso saw the damage caused the previous day, they assumed that it was done by the Zongo youth from Ahwiaa and went on a reprisal attack there. He said the police had to call for support from Ntonso, which in turn called for reinforcement from the Mamponteng Police District and the Tafo Divisional offices to bring the situation under control. Measures He said the District Security Council had held an emergency meeting with all the stakeholders and asked that all economic activities cease by 8 p.m. yesterday. Nana Bonsu said this is just a precautionary measure to ensure that nobody takes advantage of the dark to do anything. According to him, for now there is relative calm. The police will be patrolling the town and anyone found after 8 p.m. holding any harmful weapon will be arrested. He said drinking bars had also been asked to close down until further notice. He said per the rules of the assembly, the bar in question should have closed at 10 p.m. but it operated till 2 a.m. when the first incident was said to have taken place. Rival clashes In 2018, there was a similar clash between Akan and Zongo youth at Ahwiaa, leading to the death of one person. In the said clash, properties worth thousands of Ghana cedis were also destroyed. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Commercial Division of the High Court presided over by Justice Akua Sarpomaa Amoa last Friday dismissed an application for judicial review filed by Power Distribution Services Limited (PDS) against the Attorney General (AG), following the cancellation of PDS Operating Licences issued by the Energy Commission. By two agreements a Lease Assignment Agreement and a Bulk Supply Agreement both dated July 3, 2018, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) had leased its assets worth billions of dollars to PDS and also permitted PDS to carry out ECGs obligations regarding the distribution of electricity in the Southern Distribution Zone of the country. The government also, in a separate agreement dated July 3, 2018, described as the Government Support Agreement, guaranteed the transfer of assets of ECG to PDS. The three (3) agreements were a culmination of the commitment of the Government of Ghana and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) of the United States of America to undertake private sector participation (PSP) in the energy sector, with the objective of ensuring efficiency in the management, operation and investments in the electricity distribution business of ECG. Conditions Precedent Conditions Precedent to the agreements entered into with PDS required the company to furnish to ECG Payment Security in the form of either a Demand Guarantee or a Letter of Credit issued by a Qualified Bank. PDS submitted the Payment Securities in the form of Demand Guarantees issued by a Qatari insurance firm, Al Koot Insurance and Reinsurance (Al Koot) on February 27, 2019, two days before the Transfer Date of March 1, 2019. ECG Efforts Efforts by ECG to confirm the Demand Guarantees issued by ECG resulted in the receipt of a letter dated June 16, 2019, from Al Koot by which Al Koot denied the validity of the Demand Guarantees and had said among other things that Al Koot is not authorised by its constitutional documents to underwrite counterparty and trade risk. It had also said the Guarantees purportedly issued in respect of the Transaction are not an approved product line; the Demand Guarantees were not executed by authorised signatories of Al Koot, and also added that the letter dated March 13, 2019, forwarded by MiDA to ECG purporting to confirm the issuance of the Demand Guarantees was part of the fraud and misrepresentation practised in respect of the purported issuance of Demand Guarantees to secure the transfer of assets of ECG to PDS, as the signature on the letter was forged. It said also that Al Koot denied the existence of the Guarantees, refused to accept any present or future legal obligations in connection with the purported Guarantees, and concluded that Criminal action will be instituted by Al Koot against personnel and all reinsurers who might have aided and abetted the fraudulent issuance of the unlawful Guarantees. Final Termination The government and ECG consequently on July 2019, suspended the three agreements pending the conduct of a full inquiry into the circumstances of the letter written by Al Koot and upon completion of their investigations, on October 23, 2019, the government acting through the Energy Commission, cancelled the licences issued to PDS and ordered a transfer of ECGs assets back to ECG. The government had said the action was to safeguard the assets of ECG worth. PDS Fightback On February 12, 2020, PDS through its counsel, Minkah-Premo and Co., instituted a judicial review action against the Attorney General seeking a declaration among other things that the suspension or cancellation of the Operating Licences comprising the Electricity Distribution Licence and Electricity Retail Sale Licence of the Applicant by the Respondent as per its letter dated July 30, 2019, is inconsistent with the condition precedent of prior hearing required by the Energy Commission Act, 1997 (Act 541) and therefore unlawful and void. PDS also wanted a declaration that the purported cancellation of the Operating Licences comprising Electricity Distribution Licence and Electricity Retail Sale Licence of the Applicant by the Respondent as per its letter dated July 31, 2019, contrary to the requirement of prior hearing as stipulated in the Energy Commission Act, 1997 (Act 541) is unlawful and therefore void, as well as a declaration that the purported transfer and appointment of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) as Operator under the Electricity Sale Licence number EC/ESL/02-19-001 of the Applicant by the Respondent per its letter dated July 31, 2019, without prior meeting with and consent of the Shareholders and Lenders of the Applicant as well as an invalidation of the licences as required by the terms of the licence and the Energy Commission Act, 1997 (Act 541), is unlawful and therefore void. More Reliefs They also said the cancellation of the Operating Licences comprising the Electricity Distribution Licence and Electricity Retail Licence of the Applicant as per its letter dated October 23, 2019, contrary to the minutes of meeting dated September 6, 2019 was unreasonable and in breach of legitimate expectation, as well as a declaration that the Respondents cancellation of the operating licences comprising the Electricity Distribution Licence and Electricity Retail Sale Licence of the Applicant and the issuance of new Electricity Distribution Licence and Electricity Retail Sale Licence covering the same Southern Distribution Zone to the Electricity Company of Ghana when a Complaint was pending before the Minister was unlawful, and the purported gazetting of the same void as such gazetting and any other publication is proscribed by the provisions of the Energy Commission Act, 1997 (Act 541) and therefore void. Orders Sought PDS then sought an order of certiorari directed at the AG to bring before the court and quash all unlawful publications made of the issuance of new Operating Licences namely Electricity Distribution Licence No. EC/EDL/02-19-002 and Electricity Retail Sale Licence No. EC/ESL/02-19-002 in the name of Electricity Company of Ghana. They also wanted an order directed at the AG for the restoration of the PDS Electricity Distribution and Electricity Retail Sale Licences pending the expiration of the post-termination transitional period under the Transaction Agreements or in the alternative compensatory damages for the unlawful suspension and or cancellation of the Applicants Licences. AGs Opposition The Attorney General filed an opposition to PDS action in which he contended among other things, that, the action was manifest without any basis and unwarranted within the specific circumstances of the facts leading to PDS action. The AG asserted that most of the reliefs claimed by PDS related to steps taken by the respondent to give the applicant a hearing, before the government proceeded to take the final decision to cancel the PDS licences by a letter dated October 23, 2019, and could therefore not be the object of a relief in a judicial review application and also said PDS action violated the express mandatory statutory provisions under Sections 20 and 21 of the Energy Commission Act, 1997 (Act 541), which required PDS to have complained to the Minister for Energy and request the Board of the Respondent to set up an arbitration panel to arbitrate and settle the dispute before a court action could be filed. The Attorney General contended that depositions in PDS affidavit were laden with deliberate misstatements and misrepresentations of fact, and said the government did not breach the agreement. Justice Amoa dismissed all of PDS reliefs and indicated that the full reason would be filed in the registry of the court. It is noted that other issues relating to the operation of accounts in which PDS held various monies now supposedly belonging to ECG, were outstanding pending the determination of the court case filed by PDS. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A woman who claims to have witnessed the Ejura attack on social media activist Macho Kaaka on June 27, has opened up in a media interview. She claims she saw Mohammed Baba Iddi, a brother of Kaaka attacking, the late Kaaka on the night of the incident. Speaking to the media in Ejura, she said she saw Baba Iddi pulling Kaaka's body after the attack. She has since given a statement to the police. According to her, on that day, she heard noise outside whilst preparing for dawn Islamic prayer (Salat al Fajr). Prior to that, she had heard the engine sound of Kaaka's motorcycle outside. When she heard the noise [the sound of someone hitting another with something], she initially thought Kaaka was trying to clear goats from the compound but she claimed she later heard someone breathing profusely. So she moved outside to check what was happening and saw Baba Iddi, Kaaka's brother trying to pull him [Kaaka] into a dark area, she claimed. According to her, she rushed to knock on Kaaka's wife's door for her to come witness the incident and Baba Iddi left Kaaka and went outside. She claimed Baba Iddi bumped into her [the witness'] sister who was outside whilst going out of the house. She said her husband had travelled outside of Ejura at the time of the incident and therefore she opted to wait till the husband arrived before going public with what she witnessed. She said she rather told the husband what she witnessed and they decided to inform the police about what she had witnessed later on. She said it was based on her witness statement that the police arrested Baba Iddi. Arrest The police in Ejura picked the third suspect in connection with the death of Kaaka on Wednesday. The suspect, named as Baba Iddi Mohammed, is a brother to the deceased. The suspect was arrested Wednesday (June 30, 2021) morning. On Monday evening, the police with the assistance of the military arrested the first two suspects in Macho Kaakas death. They are Ibrahim Issaka also known as Anyass and Fuseini Alhassan. Who was Macho Kaaka? Macho Kaaka was a social activist who was interested in the wellbeing of the Ejura community in the Ashanti Region where he lived. He was always recording videos on wrongdoings and other issues in Ejura and posted them on social media with the hope that the menace will stop. Through that, he became very popular in Ejura. The committee set up by the Minister of Interior to look into the incident and the subsequent security personnel action which resulted in the death of two people will start public hearings on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minister for National Security Albert Kan-Dapaah has cautioned against hasty conclusions following the killing of two persons in Ejura when an armed military officer was seen aiming into a crowd that was protesting and demanding justice for the slain community advocate, Ibrahim Mohammed also known as Macho Kaaka. Speaking on Wednesday, June 30 2021, at the opening ceremony of a 3-day national stakeholders dialogue on the theme, Countering post-2020 election violence and building consensus for greater political tolerance, Mr. Kan Dapaah said investigations into the incident will provide details on what truly happened on June 29, 2021. So what really happened in Ejura? The truth with Ejura is that people are drawing conclusions when nobody knows what exactly happened. As the head of the security apparatus, I really dont know what happened and yet people are drawing their own conclusions and I think that is the danger we have in this country. He continued We are being told that he was a prominent member of the fix the country movement, is that true? We are being told that he was member of a particular political party. Is that true? Yesterday the story in town was that he was an NDC guy. But the truth is that he is an NPP guy. So we need to wait to see exactly what has happened. And I am hoping that in the next one week or so, all of us will know what went wrong before we start putting blames where they should be. Mr. Kan Dapaah said. The National Security Minister who was speaking just a day after the incident said it was unthinkable for a trained military officer to kneel and aim directly into protestors, arguing that there may be a good reason for the action albeit wrong. Somebody says that a whole military officer, a well-trained soldier went there with the sole purpose of aiming his gun at civilians and killing them. It doesnt happen. Soldiers dont behave like that. If that was what happened, there may be a very good reason, even if it wrong for him to have done that, but to assume that soldiers go there and start shooting, ask General Kotia, soldiers dont behave like that. So we need to wait to see exactly what happened. Mr. Kan Dapaah noted that that the essence of the investigations being carried out by the Ministry of Interior and not the police was to ensure there were no cover-ups as he reiterated the calls for Ghanaians to wait for the outcome before drawing conclusions. This morning (June 30, 2021), the president has said the police should forget about their investigations that we should set up a public committee, we want a public inquiry so that the police do not come and tell us what we want to hear. We want people to come from outside to do independent investigations and tell us exactly what happenedSo what I want to say is that let us wait to have a better understanding and better knowledge of exactly what happened before blaming.. Source: starrfm.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Passion Air, a domestic commercial airline, on Saturday made its first flight to the Ho Airport when it dropped former President John Mahama off for a retreat in the Volta Region. The former President was in Ho to open a national retreat of the Partys Communicators at the Volta Serene Hotel. Mr Mahama and his entourage, including top Party officials, disembarked the chartered flight at 0937 hours. The flight, with call sign Passion 500 and registration number 9G-DIA, departed with the former President at 1150 hours to Kumasi after he had opened the retreat. The flight is among the few to call at the airport, which had been ready for some time but yet to see commercial use. Africa World Airlines, a commercial airline, has expressed its readiness to fly the Ho route and recently undertook a test flight to the facility but is yet to begin commercial operations. Meanwhile, enthusiasm over the airports opening is high among people who frequent the Region, particularly tourists, and there are some indications that commercial airlines would soon begin scheduled flights. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Johnson Asiedu Nketia has urged all members of the party and other Ghanaians who will be demonstrating on Tuesday July 6 to adhere to all the protocols outlined to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. A statement he issued on Monday July 5 said I wish to urge the organizers of tomorrows demonstration to ensure strict adherence by all protestors in the following precautionary guidelines; All persons should endeavor to wear face masks through out the march, that is from the converging point to the end point, social distancing at arms length between rows of protestors should be maintained. "Protestors should endeavor to use hand sanitizers periodically in the course of the march, protestors should ways their hands at the end point. Meanwhile, the NDC has announced routes for Tuesdays protest dubbed March For Justice. Protesters have been asked to converge at the Accra Mall at 6:00am for the procession. The party, in its letter seeking permission from the police, had indicated that the protest would follow four routes with one chapter starting from Madina, the other from the Accra business district, the third from Osu and the last from Lapaz. But after negotiations with the Ghana Police Services top officer, James, Oppong-Boanuh, on Friday, July 2, NDCs Youth Wing, under whose auspices the protest will be staged, said after converging at the Accra Mall, the protest marchers will proceed onto the Liberation Road to Opeibea House then through the Switchback Road. From there, the single batch will use the Ako Adei Interchange to Parliament House. The organisers are expected to present a petition to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, at the Jubilee House and another to Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, at Parliament House. We wish to assure the general public that much effort has been put into ensuring the safety of everyone who will participate in the street march, NDCs National Youth Organiser George Opare Addo stated in a press release on Saturday, July 3. All existing Covid-19 protocols will also be enforced to ensure the safety of all. He noted that the action has so far received goodwill and support from many Ghanaians. This demonstrates that the generality of Ghanaians are in support of marching against the social ills this government has visited on us as a people. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The U.S. Embassy in Accra is alerting Americans in Ghana to "exercise caution" as members of the NDC protests in the capital today. The American government has issued an alert warning its citizens in Ghana to be mindful of a planned street protest on Tuesday under the aegis of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). The largest opposition party says the demonstration is aimed at demanding justice for the recent killings of civilians, state of insecurity and to seek social justice for all unemployed youth in the country. Issuing the alert, the U.S Embassy in Accra said: We are aware of a march planned on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. The activity is likely to draw a large crowd and disrupt traffic. Considerable police presence and heavy congestion are expected along the planned route, beginning from Accra Mall at 6 am and then moving south towards Parliament House throughout the day. ACTIONS TO TAKE: Monitor local media for updates. Exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings or protests. Plan for alternate travel routes. Comply with all police and security service instructions. Security The police have assured the public of their safety throughout the march. Rallying the youth In an earlier statement, the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said the protest will remind president Akufo-Addo of his responsibilities towards the people of Ghana, especially in the area of public safety and security. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) wishes to urge all Ghanaians, particularly the youth and members of the party to massively participate in the upcoming demonstration which is being organised under the auspices of the youth wing of the party, it said. The planned demonstration and street protest, which has been scheduled for Tuesday, 6 July 2021, is to help raise awareness about the state of insecurity and lawlessness in Ghana and compel President Akufo-Addo to wake up from his slumber and act with urgency, the NDC statement added. Below is the full statement The National Democratic Congress (NDC) wishes to urge all Ghanaians, particularly the youth and members of the Party to massively participate in the upcoming demonstration which is being organized under the auspices of the Youth Wing of the Party. The planned demonstration and street protest, which has been scheduled for Tuesday, 6th July, 2021, is to help raise awareness about the state of insecurity and lawlessness in Ghana and compel President Akufo-Addo to wake up from his slumber and act with urgency. The protest march will therefore remind President Akufo-Addo of his responsibilities towards the people of Ghana especially in the area of public safety and security. It will seek to draw attention of the government to the growing loss of public confidence in the hierarchy of some security agencies. The march will also signal the beginning of public sensitization activities to compel the government to rid the security agencies of NPP hoodlums and misfits who have been recruited and are being used to terrorize innocent and peace-loving Ghanaians. The march will also be in solidarity with the silent majority of security personnel who are concerned about the undue politicization of recruitment and appointments to the detriment of professionalism and discipline. Finally, we intend to remind the Akufo Addo junta that Ghanaians have had enough of the state-sponsored brutalities and harassment against innocent, peace loving citizens. The NDC is alarmed and appalled at the increased-spate of state-sponsored brutalities, killings and harassment against innocent citizens being supervised by President Akufo-Addo, as was witnessed during the Ayawaso West Wuogon bye-election and the December 7 Polls in Techiman South and other areas, as well as the Gregory Afoko case and the recent murder of Ibrahim Mohammed, AKA Kaaka by hoodlums belonging to the NPP and state-sponsored killings and maiming of some innocent youth of Ejura. These issues are of grave concern to Ghanaians across the political spectrum. We therefore urge the public to join hands with the youth of the NDC in a common goal to restore sanity into the security services and the nation as a whole. Signed, Hon. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah (General Secretary, NDC) Source: asaaseradio.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Democratic Congress (NDC), has issued a directive on COVID-19 safety protocols for the Party's "Protest March for Justice", slated for Tuesday, July 6 in Accra. Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the General Secretary of the NDC, in a statement to the organisers, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, encouraged the protestors to endeavour to observe all the necessary COVID-19 safety protocols. "As we march for justice tomorrow, in protest against the growing levels of insecurity, lawlessness and impunity under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government, it is important that we endeavor to observe all the necessary COVID-19 safety protocols in the interest of the health of protestors and the nation at large," it said. It said this had become even more imperative, given the emergence of the deadly Delta Variant of the novel coronavirus in the country. "I therefore, wish to urge the Organisers of tomorrows demonstration to ensure strict adherence by all protestors to the precautionary guidelines." It said all protestors should endeavor to wear face masks throughout the march - from the converging point to the end-point. It urged them to observe social distancing at arms length between the rows of protesters and should be maintained throughout the march, while avoiding physical contact as much as possible. "Protestors should endeavour to use hand sanitizers periodically in the course of the march," it said. "Protestors should wash their hands at the end-point of March before dispersing." Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Women Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) Dr. Hannah Bissiw says they will stand up against any government-sponsored intimidation in the country going forward. She said this after a handing over ceremony organized by Tertiary Education Institutions Network (TAIN) at the University of Education, Winneba, Ajumako Campus, over the weekend. Dr. Hannah Bissiw stated shes learned never to file a report with the police whenever shes assaulted because it will be a useless exercise. The veterinary doctor by profession added that shes resolved that anytime shes physically attacked shell respond in equal measure. I was beaten at Ayawaso West Wuogon, I didnt file a complaint with police because they did not give birth to me. In any case, it would have been useless. The President set up a commission and they bastardized the very commission that they set up and so if Id gone to the commission to recount the pain that Akufo-Addos hoodlums and criminals put some of us through and reliving that pain it would have been a waste of time. From that time, Ive learned that when you slap me Ill slap you back, if you stab me I stab you back. We should stop this hypocritical attitude of saying that if youre beating us and were not beating back then theres peace in Ghana, its fake peace. There can never be peace without justice and when I say if you slap me I will slap back then Im being violent what about you who is practicing the violence? Im only telling you that were going to be diplomatic. Whatever the NPP government gives us we in the NDC shall also give back to them. If they give us love we shall also give them love, if they give us caning we shall also give them back caning, if they give us shooting we shall also give them back shooting. Source: kasapafmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Ningo Prampram constituency, Sam Nartey George, has given a strong warning to the military over the latter's planned involvement in the partys ongoing demonstration dubbed March For Justice. The outspoken lawmaker, whiles addressing the crowd before the start of the demonstration, said the military is not invited for any form of protection since they are only dealing with the police service. He warned that any person spotted in a military uniform during the walk would be treated as a criminal and handed over to the police. The NDCs March For Justice, according to the organizers, is to register its protest at the unbridled hardship in the country and the wanton disregard of the rights of Ghanaians that has resulted in the brutalization of some citizens by various security agencies in the country. Before the march, the police declined a request to protect them but later agreed after a series of meetings. Watch Sam Georges threat . . . Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Thousands of members and sympathizers of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), have hit the streets of Accra to protest over the killing and brutalization of some citizens by various security agencies in the country. Some placards seen include; 'Akufo-Addo is using our money to bath in the sky', 'Abdul Nasir Deserved to Live', Akufo-Addo, you are a dictator', 'Ahmed Suale deserved to live', 'No justice for the dead, no peace', '#WeAreAllKaaka!', 'We feel your silence Akufo-Addo and Bawumia, Ghanaian lives matter' among others. Some notable persons sighted during the demonstration included; former MP for Ketu South, Fifi Kwettey; Member of Parliament for Buem, Kofi Adams; Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam George; National Women Organizer of the party, Dr. Louisa Hanna Bissiw; National Chairman of the party, Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and General Secretary of the party, Mr. Johson Asiedu Nketia among others. Meanwhile, there is a heavy security presence to ensure law and order and the observation of COVID-19 protocols during the march. Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video There was stampede at the entrance to the Parliament as protesters of the March for Justice demonstration by the NDC clashed with security officers. There was a clear disregard for the social distance protocol on Covid-19 as the organisers made their way to the legislative assembly to present a petition to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has presented its petition to the Presidency as scores of supporters marching in Tuesdays protest head to Parliament House. Dubbed March for Justice, the protest is demanding justice for families who have lost relatives as a result of state-sponsored thuggery as the NDC puts it in the hands of the police and military under the current administration. It is under the auspices of the Youth Wing of the party. The first of two petitions was presented by NDCs General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia and Womens Organiser Hannah Bissiw. It was received at the Jubilee House by a Deputy Chief of Staff, Emmanuel Adumua-Bossman. Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Three Member Ministerial Committee chaired by the Appeals Court Judge, His Lordship Justice George Kingsley Koomson tasked to investigate the Ejura killing incidents and provide recommendations is requesting the Ashanti Regional Minister to provide the source of a circulating video he presented to the committee. The committee began their inquiries today at the Prempeh Assembly Hall in Kumasi of which the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah was the first witness to appear before the committee. In his presentations, Simon Osei Mensah admitted ordering the Commanding Officer for the 4th Battalion, Lt Col Kwasi Peprah to deploy members of Operation Calm Life to the riot scene for reinforcement. He backed his decision with Security and Intelligence Agencys Act ( Act 1030) section 5 that establishes Regional Security Council. In the course of the accounts given, the Regional Minister provided a video that saw some of the agitated protestors chasing a police water cannon car to buttress his accounts. This video was marked as Exhibit A by the committee and requested to the Regional Minister to provide his source for further questions by the committee, but the Regional Minister declined which according to him is not safe for the life of his source. His Lordship with all due respect I cannot endanger the life of my source, if I do that I might not receive any intelligence again and this will not help with my fight against insecurity in the region, he said. His lordship Justice George Kingsley Koomson continuously persuaded the first Witness to provide his sources to the video since the source might have more information on the grounds. When asked about the reason behind the military deployment but not police, he said for some years now as the Ashanti Regional Minister, he has been using both the military and the police as and when it is necessary to deal with some insecurities, and according to him this strategy has been yielding good results, however, only the Ejura incident recorded injuries and deaths. As to why he didnt hold a meeting before the deployment, Simon Osei Mensah said he was in Accra for Regional Ministers Conference and he couldnt have waited to have a meeting be it physical or virtual due to the critical situation at hand. After the interrogation of Simon Osei-Mensah, the committee went on recess and returned with an eyewitness account by a multimedia Journalist, Erastus Asare Donkor who had gone to Ejura for reportage with his team. Another eyewitness who has been invited by the committee is the multimedia reporter, Erastus Asare Donkor, who was at the scene during the incident. Source: Prince Kwadwo Boadu/Hello FM Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video "Why should some people be allowed to demonstrate and others not allowed?", seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has hit hard at the Ghana Police Service for allowing thousands of members and supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to hold their "March for Justice" protest today. NDC members and supporters hit the streets of Accra to demonstrate against the killing and brutalization of some citizens by security agencies in the country. The protesters brandished placards with inscriptions like; ''Akufo-Addo is using our money to bath in the sky'', ''Akufo-Addo, you are a dictator'', ''Ahmed Suale deserved to live'', ''No justice for the dead, no peace'' among others. Some notable persons sighted during the demonstration included the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu South, Fifi Kwettey; Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam George; Member of Parliament for Buem, Kofi Adams; National Women Organizer of the party, Dr. Louisa Hanna Bissiw; National Chairman of the party, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and a host of other NDC leading members. During the demonstration, Sam George sent a strong warning to the Military as he indicated that their intelligence showed the Military were being deployed to disrupt their protest. According to him, they would treat any Military officer they find on their way as a ''criminal''. Also, joining the protest, Dr. Hanna Bissiw warned; "If you slap me, I will slap you back. If you stab me, I will stab you back. We should stop this hypocritical attitude of because they are beating us and we are not beating back; it's fake peace'. Addressing the issue on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', Kwesi Pratt wondered why the NDC had been allowed to protest when the ''Fix the Country'' campaigners had planned their protest a long time before the NDC demonstration but were restrained by the Police under the orders of the court. To Mr. Pratt, the Fix the Country campaigners have been unfairly treated by the Police and the Judiciary. ''Why should some people be allowed to demonstrate and others not allowed? . . . The ''Fix the Country'' campaigners have been long wanting to embark on a protest. Even today as we talk, they are in court but other people have been given the opportunity. Is the COVID afraid of the NDC and not the Fix the Country campaigners or what?," he questioned. "The inconsistencies are becoming too much," he exclaimed and advised that "citizens should have the right to demonstrate and so on. It's an expression of people's anxiety, people's discomfort and so on. It must take place''. Mr. Pratt expressed his disappointments saying, "I can't really say I'm happy that the NDC have been given the opportunity to demonstrate because the Fix the Country campaigners have not been allowed up till now". Watch video below Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Social media personality, Efia Odo, who is also a key member of the FixTheCountry campaign, says she is taking a break from championing the course. In a statement she shared on Instagram yesterday, she hinted that the reason for her hiatus is political and that her mental health is at stake and didnt explain further. The controversial actress is however, taking her break from the FixTheCountry campaign which has largely been associated with elements of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). There have been wild allegations that some NDC bigwigs have been sponsoring and pushing envelops to some conveners of the campaign. The conveners of the campaign were in court with the police, in their drive to stage demonstrations to further push their agenda. Efia Odo is among some of Ghanas top showbiz personalities who joined thousands of social media users to protest against the government using the FixThe Country hashtag on Twitter and other social media platforms, and has always been using her social media handles to project the course of the campaign. Recently, she was even among more than ten (10) persons who were arrested by the police for demonstrating in front of the Law Court Complex in Accra, as part of the #FixTheCountry protests. The group was demonstrating in front of the Law Court Complex where the Criminal Division of the Court was hearing a case by the police seeking to place an injunction on the #FixTheCountry demonstration. But she was subsequently released, and has been on some traditional media platforms to keep pushing the agenda of the campaign. In an Instagram post on June 25, she indicated that FixTheCountry is a course worth fighting for. However, on Monday July 5, 2021, she made u-turn saying she is taking a break from the campaign. I will like to take this time to let you all know that I am going on hiatus. My mental health is at stake at this moment. My love for this country and humanity has turned into something I am not, political. I am for peace and equality. My heart and intentions are as pure as gold. Things are too heavy for me right now. Take care, she wrote on Instagram. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Office workers wearing masks cross a street during lunch hour, amid the coronavirus disease outbreak in Singapore on 12 May, 2021. (PHOTO: Reuters) SINGAPORE The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday (5 July) confirmed 13 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, taking the country's total case count to 62,630. Six of them are domestic cases in the community, of whom four are linked to previous infections and have already been placed on quarantine. Monday marks the 71st consecutive day with local cases reported in Singapore. The remaining seven cases are imported, of whom five were detected upon their arrival here, while two developed the illness during their stay-home notice or isolation period. The MOH announced one new cluster named after the case number of a 36-year-old Malaysian man who works as a driver at Omni Aquatic Supplies and was confirmed to have COVID-19 on 22 June. One of Monday's community cases is linked to the "Case 64388" cluster, bringing the total linked to it to three. The cluster at MINDSville@Napiri linked to 33 cases is now closed. This brings the total number of active COVID-19 clusters in Singapore to 24. The largest active cluster in Singapore remains at the 115 Bukit Merah View market, linked to 93 cases. One community case was added to the 105 Henderson Crescent cluster, which now has 21 infections. It was first linked to a 67-year-old Singaporean man who is a retiree. The fully-vaccinated man was confirmed to have COVID-19 on 17 June. The remaining two linked infections in the community have been added to the Changi General Hospital cluster, which now has 20 cases. The cluster at the hospital was first linked to a 35-year-old Singaporean man who works as a porter there and was confirmed to have COVID-19 on 23 June. The fully-vaccinated man had tested preliminarily positive for the Delta variant. The MOH noted that the number of new cases in the community has decreased from 86 in the week before to 28 in the past week. The number of unlinked cases in the community has also decreased from 14 in the week before to four in the past week. Story continues It added that the seven-day moving average number of all linked community cases and all unlinked community cases are 3.4 and 0.6 respectively. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. 10 require oxygen supplementation; 3 in ICU Over 62,000 cases in Singapore, or over 99 per cent of the total tally, have fully recovered from the infection. As of Monday, 102 cases are currently warded in the hospital, most of whom are well and under observation. There are currently 10 cases of serious illness requiring oxygen supplementation, and three in critical condition all aged above 60 and unvaccinated in the intensive care unit (ICU). Apart from the 36 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. "There is continuing evidence that vaccination helps to prevent serious disease when one gets infected. Over the last 28 days, 23 local cases required oxygen supplementation, were admitted to ICU, or passed away," said the MOH. Of the 23 cases, 20 are unvaccinated, three are partially vaccinated and none was fully vaccinated. As of Sunday, 5.78 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered under the national vaccination programme. Some 3.61 million or over 60 per cent of Singapore's population have received at least one dose of the vaccine, of which some 2.17 million are fully vaccinated. On the now-closed MINDSville@Napiri cluster, Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for Health Masagos Zulkifli on Monday in a Facebook post said that the incident showed "that vaccination works". Of the 33 positive cases, only three were symptomatic prior to swabbing, with three others only developing symptoms later, after being placed in quarantine, he noted. "The low symptomatic rate was quite likely because of the high vaccination rate of the staff and residents in the adult disability home all except four of the 33 cases were vaccinated, and none of the symptomatic cases presented severe symptoms requiring intensive care," Masagos said. Separately, the MOH on Monday said that it is investigating an incident involving a 16-year-old boy who suffered a cardiac arrest after lifting weights six days into receiving his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The boy had collapsed at home on Saturday and remains in critical condition at the National University Hospital's ICU. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore More Singapore stories: Boy, 16, had cardiac arrest after exercise following 1st Pfizer vaccine dose 7 more clinics chosen to offer Sinovac vaccine: MOH COVID: Staff who reject vaccination should not be penalised MOM, SNEF, NTUC NDP 2021 to be 'milestone event' for mass events: NDP ExCo Site of the Toba supereruption, in present-day Indonesia Credit: Clive Oppenheimer A massive volcanic eruption in Indonesia about 74,000 years ago likely caused severe climate disruption in many areas of the globe, but early human populations were sheltered from the worst effects, suggests a new study published in the journal PNAS. The eruption of the Toba volcano was the largest volcanic eruption in the past 2 million years, but its impacts on climate and human evolution have been unclear. Resolving this debate is important for understanding environmental changes during a key interval in human evolution. "We were able to use a large number of climate model simulations to resolve what seemed like a paradox," said lead author Benjamin Black from Rutgers University. "We know this eruption happened and that past climate modeling has suggested the climate consequences could have been severe, but archaeological and palaeoclimate records from Africa don't show such a dramatic response. "Our results suggest that we might not have been looking in the right place to see the climate response. Africa and India are relatively sheltered, whereas North America, Europe and Asia bear the brunt of the cooling. One intriguing aspect of this is that Neanderthals and Denisovans were living in Europe and Asia at this time, so our paper suggests evaluating the effects of the Toba eruption on those populations could merit future investigation." The researchers analysed 42 global climate model simulations in which they varied magnitude of sulphur emissions, time of year of the eruption, background climate state and sulfur injection altitude to make a probabilistic assessment of the range of climate disruptions the Toba eruption may have caused. The results suggest there was likely significant regional variation in climate impacts. The simulations predict cooling in the Northern Hemisphere of at least 4 degrees Celsius, with regional cooling as high as 10 degrees Celsius depending on the model parameters. In contrast, even under the most severe eruption conditions, cooling in the Southern Hemisphereincluding regions populated by early humanswas unlikely to exceed 4 degrees Celsius, although regions in southern Africa and India may have seen decreases in precipitation at the highest sulphur emission level. The results explain independent archaeological evidence suggesting the Toba eruption had modest effects on the development of hominid species in Africa. According to the authors, their ensemble simulation approach could be used to better understand other past and future explosive eruptions. "Our work is not only a forensic analysis of Toba's aftermath some 74,000 years ago, but also a means of understanding the unevenness of the effects such very large eruptions may have on today's society," said co-author Dr. Anja Schmidt from the University of Cambridge. "Ultimately, this will help to mitigate the environmental and societal hazards from future volcanic eruptions." Explore further Ancient volcanic eruption destroyed the ozone layer In Review of Scientific Instruments, researchers at Gdansk University of Technology describe a measurement device designed to analyze air samples containing various volatile organic compounds. Credit: Kwiatkowski, Drozdowska, and Smulko Emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) include a variety of chemicals. Many of these chemicals are associated with a range of adverse human health effects, from eye, nose, and throat irritation, to liver, kidney, and central nervous system damage. The ability to detect VOCs in air samples simply, quickly, and reliably is valuable for several practical applications, from determining indoor air quality to screening patients for illnesses. In Review of Scientific Instruments,, researchers at Gdansk University of Technology, in Poland, describe a measurement device designed to analyze air samples containing various VOCs. The setup "utilizes commercial and prototype resistive gas sensors of low-energy consumption to detect volatile organic compounds, such as methane, ethanol, toluene, methylene, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, ammonia, among others, in air samples," said researcher Andrzej Kwiatkowski. "The sensors change their resistance in the presence of VOCs, which exist in the environment and exhaled breath." After environmental conditions like humidity, temperature, and air pressure are monitored, the device inhales an air sample, either from the atmosphere or from a breath sample, enabling the sensors within its 220-milliliter aluminum gas chamber to analyze and respond to detection of VOCs in real situations. Consisting of the gas chamber, a set of electrical valves, and an electrical micropump, the device is controlled by a touch-screen electronic module that can process and save data. Sensor responses are recorded and can be parametrized for further data processing using various detection algorithms. In practical applications, the instrument can detect and measure the presence of VOCs within the span of 10 minutes. "The setup is a low-cost device of simplified maintenance and service," said Janusz Smulko, one of the co-authors. "Additional environmental sensors boost the accuracy of gas sensing by correcting effects induced by temperature and humidity changes. The device can monitor the air quality collected in a human environment, such as in an office or warehouse, to detect molds or bacteria by emitted smells. "In medical applications, doctors can investigate the exhaled breath of patients by this noninvasive method to signal the need for a more detailed checkup." The researchers are currently applying it in hospital studies to determine the difference in the exhaled breath between healthy volunteers and patients infected by the COVID-19 virus. Explore further Toward a coronavirus breathalyzer test More information: "Embedded gas sensing set-up for air samples analysis" Review of Scientific Instruments, aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/5.0050445 Journal information: Review of Scientific Instruments "Embedded gas sensing set-up for air samples analysis" The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has been a source of conflict between Addis Ababa and Egypt and Sudan since construction began. Ethiopia says it has started the next phase of filling a controversial mega-dam on the Nile River, Egyptian authorities said Monday, raising tensions ahead of an upcoming UN Security Council on the issue. Egypt said the move was "a violation of international laws and norms that regulate projects built on the shared basins of international rivers," and had expressed its "firm rejection of this unilateral measure", its irrigation ministry said in a statement late Monday. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is set to be Africa's largest hydroelectric project when completed, is the source of a long-running diplomatic stand-off between Addis Ababa and the downstream countries of Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopia says the project is essential to its development, but Egypt and Sudan fear it could restrict their citizens' water access. Both nations have been pushing Addis Ababa to ink a binding deal over the filling and operation of the dam, and have been urging the UN Security Council to take the matter up in recent weeks. Thursday's meeting was requested by Tunisia on Egypt and Sudan's behalf, a diplomatic source told AFP. But France's ambassador to the UN said last week that the council itself can do little apart from bringing the sides together. Map of East Africa showing the Nile and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Addis Ababa had previously announced it would proceed to the second stage of filling in July, with or without a deal. Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in one note to the UN that negotiations are at an impasse, and accused Ethiopia of adopting "a policy of intransigence that undermined our collective endeavors to reach an agreement." The Nilewhich at some 3,700 miles (6,000 kilometres) is one of the longest rivers in the worldis an essential source of water and electricity for dozens of countries in East Africa. Egypt, which depends on the Nile for about 97 percent of its irrigation and drinking water, sees the dam as an existential threat. Sudan hopes the project will regulate annual flooding but fears its dams would be harmed without agreement on its operation. Ethiopia broke ground on the 475-foot (145-metre) dam in 2011, and said that last year it reached its first target in the years-long filling of the dam. 2021 AFP Farmer varieties in Wangjinzhuang village, Hebei province. Credit: Qiubi Wangjinzhuang village is nestled amongst the steep slopes of the South Taihang Mountains in Hebei Province, China. To prosper in the northern climate, the villagers have developed a tried-and-true strategy: Using the land to plant a hundred kinds of crops and not rely on the sky. Their fields contain red millet, white sorghum, purple and green eyebrow beans, and yellow radishes. Having survived for over a thousand years, this agrobiodiversity is a vibrant cornerstone of the village's agricultural heritage that is too precious to lose. In an effort to combat dwindling crop diversity across China (the Ministry of Agriculture found that of 11,590 grain crop varieties planted in the country in 1956, only 3,271 varieties remained in 2014), the government has bolstered its system of national genebanks, plus issued recent policy recommendations. These are making positive steps towards large-scale conservation; however, there has been relatively little attention given to the role of the country's 260 million farmers who have saved, used, and contributed to the evolution of diverse, local crops for centuries. The services provided by China's community seedbanks have been documented for possibly the first time by an article recently published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. Twenty-seven seedbanks were surveyed to understand their ability to meet a wide range of needs, with positive implications for climate resilience, improved farmer livelihoods, and increased food security. Wangjinzhuang village's Community Seedbank. Credit: Qiubi Seedbanks the Chinese way The seedbank at Wangjinzhuang village, one of the case studies covered by the article, has quickly grown since its establishment in 2019 by a local farmers' association. Now run by 43 members, 26 of whom are women, the seedbank holds viable samples over a hundred crop varieties, including essential grains such as millets and 82 traditional varieties. Members have organized multiplication plots and stipulate that for every kilogram of seeds withdrawn, 1.5 kg must be returned. This, combined with the guidance of plant breeders and a farmer field school, ensures a future supply of seeds that continue to evolve to meet local environmental conditions. Elsewhere, in Jiangsu Province (a region with 6,000 years of rice paddy culture), economic development and large-scale agriculture have depleted many aquatic crops. But, spurred by increased consumer demand for sustainable and healthy foods, farmers have begun to turn back towards more diverse traditional rice varieties such as Suyunuo, an aromatic sticky rice that had been abandoned for over two decades. This "lost" crop diversity is being reintroduced at an organic farm backed up by community seed banking. The community seedbank facilitates farmer-to-farmer exchange of seed and brings new diversity to the area through samples obtained from a regional public genebank. However, farmers realized that they no longer knew how to cultivate Suyunuo for the best results. Only by collaborating with public research institutes is it possible for farmers to re-adapt the crop to match new environmental conditions and consumers' interests. Article author Dr. Yiching Song from the Chinese Academy of Sciences spearheaded the Farmer Seeds Network, a national initiative that organized many seedbanks. She reflects, "Community seedbanks encourage seed and knowledge exchange within and among rural communities, between rural communities and the formal conservation and seed sectors; and add value to local crop diversity through new linkages with markets and cities." Bringing seed to the community seed bank, Guangxi. Credit: Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT / Ronnie Vernooy Growing seedbanks across China and beyond Researchers emphasize the need for policies to recognize the complementary role of community seedbanks within the national conservation system and standardize processes for seed storage and benefit-sharing. Dr. Song notes that a formal system of incentives and rewards would "encourage farmer communities to establish community seedbanks and work together with plant breeders and other researchers to take care of our country's rich agrobiodiversity." Further support to develop seedbanks can come through organized training. Ronnie Vernooy is a scientist at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, which was part of the establishment of China's first-ever community seedbank in 2010. Since then, he says, "The Farmer Seeds Network, using our training handbooks developed for facilitators and farmers, has done remarkable work enabling farmers to open new community seedbanks across China. This is an important and exciting step in building more resilient seed systems." More information: Xin Song et al, Community Seed Banks in China: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects, Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems (2021). Xin Song et al, Community Seed Banks in China: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects,(2021). DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.630400 Provided by The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture Cod stocks will probably decrease in the future. Credit: David Young via Fotolia The future of cod stocks in the North Sea and the Barents Sea may be much easier to predict than before. This is the result of an international research project led by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon and its Institute of Coastal SystemsAnalysis and Modeling. For the first time, the team has succeeded in predicting the development of stocks for ten years in advance, taking into account both changes due to climate and fishing. Traditionally, fisheries experts provide catch recommendations for about a year in advance, on the basis of which fishing quotas are negotiated and set internationally. This involves first estimating the size of current cod stocks and then calculating how much cod can be caught in the coming year without endangering the stocks as well as harvesting the stock optimally. The climatic change, long-term changes in water temperature, circulation and mixing, which have a decisive influence on how well cod reproduce, are not included in this prediction, so that the development of stocks can only be predicted in the short term. Warm North Sea causes stress As the experts around climate modeler Vimal Koul und Corinna Schrum of Hereon now write in the journal Communications Earth and Environment, they have taken temperature into account in their calculations. For the North Sea, the climate forecast continues to predict temperatures at a high level, so that cod stocks are unlikely to recover or reach earlier levels. As a result, catches are expected to remain low. Things look better for the Barents Sea, where stocks can be managed sustainably. For the researchers, the challenge was that climate models cannot calculate how much fish there will be in the oceans in the future. They only provide information about expected temperatures. "So we first had to develop a program that translates water temperature into fish quantities," says Vimal Koul. Among other things, this took into account the ocean temperature in the North Atlantic. The researchers were then able to run their prediction model. The model starts with today's conditionsthe current temperature conditions and the current carbon dioxide content of the atmosphereand can then calculate how the situation will change as carbon dioxide concentrations increase. The future temperatures are then translated into expected fish abundance and stock sizes. To test how reliably the model works, it was first compared with real fish data from the 1960s to the present. As it turned out, it was able to correctly estimate fish stocks for the ten-year periods since the early 1960s. In this respect, the researchers led by Vimal Koul can assume that the current view of the coming ten years is also correct. Fishing intensity taken into account Another interesting aspect of the study is that the team of climate modelers, fisheries biologists and oceanographers took four different fishing scenarios into account. This allowed them to determine how cod stocks would fare if they were fished at different levelsfrom intensive to sustainable. In this respect, the results of the current study are very practical. "The 10-year estimates will help the fishing industry better plan catches in the futureso that cod stocks are fished sustainably and gently despite changes in climate," says Vimal Koul. The new 10-year calculation model could also help fishing companies in their strategic planningby providing a secure basis for investments in new vessels or processing facilities. Explore further EU cuts 2020 cod quotas for the Baltic More information: Vimal Koul et al, Skilful prediction of cod stocks in the North and Barents Sea a decade in advance, Communications Earth & Environment (2021). Journal information: Communications Earth & Environment Vimal Koul et al, Skilful prediction of cod stocks in the North and Barents Sea a decade in advance,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-021-00207-6 Galaxy density map with members of Abell 3158. Credit: Whelan et al., 2021. Astronomers from the University of Bonn, Germany and elsewhere have used the eROSITA telescope onboard the Spektrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) mission to perform X-rays observations of a nearby galaxy cluster known as Abell 3158. Results of this observational campaign, published June 28 on arXiv.org, offer more clues on the properties of this giant structure. Galaxy clusters contain up to thousands of galaxies bound together by gravity. They are the largest known gravitationally bound structures in the universe, and could serve as excellent laboratories for studying galaxy evolution and cosmology. At a redshift of 0.059 and characteristic radius of approximately 23.95 arcminutes, Abell 3158 (or A3158 for short) is a quite extended nearby galaxy cluster. Given its relative proximity, Abell 3158 is a good place to examine the faint outskirts where physical and enrichment processes are taking place, such as minor mergers or infall of gas clumps. A team of astronomers led by Beibhinn Whelan of the University of Bonn, has employed eROSITA to investigate the peripheral regions of Abell 3158 in order to shed more light on the properties of this object. The study was complemented by data from ESA's XMM-Newton satellite. "We determined 1d temperature, abundance and normalisation profiles from both eROSITA and XMM-Newton data, as well as 2D maps of temperature and metal abundance distribution from eROSITA data," the researchers wrote in the paper. The overall temperature of Abell 3158 was measured to be about 4.725 keV. The astronomers noted that temperature, abundance and normalisation profiles of eROSITA are consistent with previous studies of this cluster. The eROSITA data provided tighter constraints on the metal abundance of Abell 3158 out to large radii. According to the paper, the normalisation profile shows that the values obtained from the XMM-Newton observation are slightly higher than those from eROSITA. The study found that the morphology and surface brightness profile of Abell 3158 seem to be regular. However, the 2D temperature map of Abell 3158 shows that the cluster does not have a cool core, what is unusual for a cluster with such a surface brightness profile. Furthermore, based on the spectroscopic redshifts of 365 members of Abell 3158, the velocity dispersion of the cluster member galaxies was measured to be some 1,058 km/s. The total mass of the cluster was calculated to be 1.38 quadrillion solar masses. The research also identified an extension of gas some 2.2 million light years in the west direction from the center of Abell 3158. This finding suggests that the cluster is not relaxed but is undergoing merger activity. "There exists an extension of gas 10 arcmin (865 kpc) to the West of the cluster centre, observed in the bottom image in the logarithmic scale. We present this extension of gas as a new finding. The irregularities between the different scales would suggest that there may be a sloshing effect occurring in the cluster further supporting the claim that the cluster is undergoing merger activity," the authors of the paper concluded. Explore further Image: Hubble gazes at a cluster full of cosmic clues More information: X-Ray Studies of the Abell 3158 Galaxy Cluster with eROSITA, arXiv:2106.14545 [astro-ph.CO] X-Ray Studies of the Abell 3158 Galaxy Cluster with eROSITA, arXiv:2106.14545 [astro-ph.CO] arxiv.org/abs/2106.14545 2021 Science X Network Concept and experimental setup - (a) Concept of the transient grating induced by the shaped infrared pump pulse in a transparent dielectric. The probe signal diffracted by the transient grating is collected in the far-field. (b) The Kerr-induced transient grating has a period and is tilted with respect to the probe axis by an angle . The length of the transient grating is a few tens of microns while the sample can be much thicker. c Experimental setup design. (d) Magnified view of the setup in the dashed box of (c) to show the interacting beams and the imaging configuration. In the interaction region, the beams are in plane-wave configuration. They are, therefore, focused in the back focal plane of the microscope objective. The relay lens images the back focal plane on the camera with a magnification factor of 1. The focal length of the microscope objectives is 3.6 mm. Credit: Light: Science & Applications, 10.1038/s41377-021-00562-1 Ultrafast imaging plays an important role in physics and chemistry to investigate the femtosecond dynamics of nonuniform samples. The method is based on understanding phenomena induced by an ultrashort laser pump pulse using an ultrashort probe pulse thereafter. The emergence of very successful ultrafast imaging techniques with an extremely high frame-rate is based on wavelength or spatial frequency encoding. In a new report now in Light: Science & Applications, Chen Xie, Remi Meyer, and a team of scientists in China and France used a pump-induced micrografting method to provide detailed in situ characterization of a weak probe pulse. The method is non-destructive and fast to perform and therefore the in-situ probe diagnostic can be repeated to calibrate experimental conditions. The technique will allow previously inaccessible imaging to become feasible across a field of superfast science at the micro- and nanoscale. Superfast physics and chemistry The concept of laser matter interactions in ultrafast physics and chemistry is based on imaging with high spatial resolution and high temporal resolution. In this work, Xie and Meyer et al. described a highly sensitive in-situ diagnostic for weak probe pulses to solve the issue of ultrafast imaging at high spatial resolution. The team first derived the diffracted signal and presented the optical setup to then demonstrate its functionalization under any polarization configuration. Then they experimentally retrieved the absolute pump-probe delay and solved the issue of pulse front tilt removal using a visualization tool. To set up the experiment, they formed a two-wave interference field inside a dielectric sample from a single pump beam using a spatial light modulator to ensure the synchronization between the two pump waves. In the experimental setup, the team used a titanium-sapphire chirped pulse amplifier laser source to deliver 50 femtosecond pulses at 790 nm central wavelength to perform all measurements by integrating the signal across 50 shots at a repetition rate of 1 KHz. (a) Peak cross-correlation signal as a function of pump intensity. Crosses show experimental data and a quadratic fit is shown as solid line. (inset) Cross-correlation signal as a function of pumpprobe delay for different pump intensities, showing the peak position and shape are invariant with pump power. (b) Cross-correlational signal. Cross-correlation signal as a function of pumpprobe delay for the four combinations of pump and probe polarization orientations. Credit: Light: Science & Applications, 10.1038/s41377-021-00562-1 A Kerr-based transient grating valid for all combinations of pump-probe polarizations In this work, Xie and Meyer et al. showed how pump-induced micro-grating can be generated from the electronic Kerr effecta phenomenon where the refractive index of a material changes due to an applied electric fieldto provide a detailed in-situ characterization of a weak probe pulse. The scientists validated the measured diffracted signal and showed the validity of the measurement for all combinations of input pump and probe polarizations. They first reported on the validation of the technique, followed by the optimization of the probe pulse. Then they optimized the duration of the probe pulse to characterize both polarizations and showed how the method is very useful to detect spectral phase differences in the optical path of the pump and probe beams. Pump-probe delay change by sample translation. (a) Evolution of the TG signal as a function of sample position in sapphire (from 0 to 200 m). (b) Barycenter of TG signal as a function of sample displacement; experimental data are in excellent agreement with the model. The error bar is due to the determination accuracy of the barycenter, linked to the positioning accuracy of the delay line. Credit: Light: Science & Applications, 10.1038/s41377-021-00562-1 Visualization of angular dispersion. (a) Concept of the diffraction of an angularly dispersed probe pulse by the transient grating. The transient grating effectively samples the chirped pulse at the pumpprobe delay and diffracts the corresponding sub-pulse on the ROI (region of interest) in the first order of diffraction. (b) Typical experimental result. Diffracted signal as a function of delay and deviation angle in y direction. Credit: Light: Science & Applications, 10.1038/s41377-021-00562-1 Spatial confinement of the synchronization During the experiments, Xie and Meyer et al. defined the synchronization criterion of the pump and probe pulses for a precise location of focus in the sample and localized the interaction region between the pump and probe down to tens of micrometers. The strong localization of the experiment allowed them to retrieve the effect of the difference in group velocities on the pump-probe synchronization. The probe pulse can generate a pulse front tilt, which can limit ultrafast imaging experiments. To solve this, Xie and Meyer et al. used an aberration-free prism compressor by using two prisms that were perfectly parallel, although the parallelism can experimentally deviate by several milliradians. This deviation has a dramatic impact on the probe pulse. The team therefore used transient grating to offer a straightforward visualization of the pulse front tilt and then effectively resolved it by accurately adjusting the parallelism between the compressor prisms. The work showed excellent agreement between the experiments and simulations. The transient grating diagnostic introduced in this work was helpful to accurately remove pulse front tilt even for faint changes in the deviation angle of the prism compressor. Cross-correlation of pulses with angular and temporal dispersion. In the table, each trace shows the diffraction efficiency in arbitrary units as a function of delay (vertical axis) and spatial direction ky (horizontal axis, ky = [1.03; 1.03] m1). The left table shows experimental results for 15 different combinations of temporal chirp 2 and angular dispersion. The angular dispersion has been numerically characterized from the prism angle mismatch. The value of second order phase 2 has been characterized from the prism insertions in the prism compressor (first row 3 mm, second row 2 mm, and last row 0 mm. The latter is the position for optimal pulse compression). For each trace, the horizontal axis scale has been converted to wavelength using the angular dispersion coefficient. When the angular dispersion is removed (central column), all wavelengths have the same direction ky. In this case, the lateral width of the spot is simply determined by the Gaussian beam size. To show the consistency of the results, the rightmost column show three cases (A, B, C) where analytical formula for the diffraction efficiency of the transient grating has been integrated using the parameters extracted from the ZEMAX simulations of the misaligned prism compressor. Credit: Light: Science & Applications, 10.1038/s41377-021-00562-1 Outlook In this way, Chen Xie, Remi Meyer and colleagues devised an extremely localized in-situ diagnostic method to allow the characterization and synchronization of a weak probe pulse with a higher intensity pump. The diagnostic is highly flexible to diverse pump-probe crossing geometries to characterize the probe pulse. The technique is also valid for a variety of pulse durations and is relevant even in the presence of spherical aberrations and widely applicable across most ultrafast imaging and pump-probe experiments. The results have diverse applications and can be useful to determine transient phenomena at the micron-scale as well as understand laser-matter interactions within condensed matter. More information: Xie C., Meyer R. et al. In-situ diagnostic of femtosecond laser probe pulses for high resolution ultrafast imaging, Light: Science & Applications doi.org/10.1038/s41377-021-00562-1 Xie C., Meyer R. et al. In-situ diagnostic of femtosecond laser probe pulses for high resolution ultrafast imaging, Wrinkler T. et al. Laser amplification in excited dielectrics., Nature Physics, doi.org/10.1038/nphys4265 Frontiers in ultrashort pulse generation: pushing the limits in linear and nonlinear optics. Science, 10.1126/science.286.5444.1507 Journal information: Nature Physics , Light: Science & Applications , Science 2021 Science X Network Credit: CC0 Public Domain Chemical elements make up pretty much everything in the physical world. As of 2016, we know of 118 elements, all of which can be found categorized in the famous periodic table that hangs in every chemistry lab and classroom. Each element in the periodic table appears as a one-, two-letter abbreviation (e.g. O for oxygen, Al for aluminum) along with its atomic number, which shows how many protons there are in the element's nucleus. The number of protons is enormously important, as it also determines how many electrons orbit the nucleus, which essentially makes the element what it is and gives it its chemical properties. In short, the atomic number is an element's ID card. The periodic table should include oxidation states Publishing in Nature Chemistry, chemical engineers at EPFL's School of Basic Sciences investigate another number that must be reported for each element in the periodic table: the element's oxidation state, also known as oxidation number. Simply put, the oxidation state describes how many electrons an atom must gain or lose in order to form a chemical bond with another atom. "In chemistry, the oxidation state is always reported in the chemical name of a compound," says Professor Berend Smit who led the research. "Oxidation states play such an important role in the fundamentals of chemistry that some have argued that they should be represented as the third dimension of the periodic table." A good example is chromium: in oxidation state III it is essential to the human body; in oxidation state VI, it is extremely toxic. Complex materials complicate things But although figuring out the oxidation state of a single element is pretty straightforward, when it comes to compounds made up of multiple elements, things become complicated. "For complex materials, it is in practice impossible to predict the oxidation state from first principles," says Smit. "In fact, most quantum programs require the oxidation state of the metal as input." The current state-of-the-art in predicting oxidation states is still based on a something called "bond valence theory" developed in the early 20th century, which estimates the oxidation state of a compound based on the distances between the atoms of its constituent elements. But this doesn't always work, especially in materials with crystal structures. "It is well known that it is not only the distance that matters but also the geometry of a metal complex," says Smit. "But attempts to take this into account have not been very successful." A machine-learning solution Until now, that is. In the study, the researchers were able to train a machine-learning algorithm to categorize a famous group of materials, the metal-organic frameworks, by oxidation state. The team used the Cambridge structural database, a repository of crystal structures in which the oxidation state in given in the name of the materials. "The database is very messy, with many errors and a mixture of experiments, expert guesses, and different variations of the bond valence theory are used to assign oxidation states," says Smit. "We assume that chemistry is self-correcting," he adds. "So while there are many errors on individual accounts, the community as a whole will get it right." "We basically made a machine-learning model that has captured the collective knowledge of the chemistry community," says Kevin Jablonka, a Ph.D. student in Smit's group at EPFL. "Our machine learning is nothing more than the television game "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" If a chemist does not know the oxidation state, one of the lifelines is to ask the audience of chemistry what they think the oxidation state should be. By uploading a crystal structure and our machine-learned model is the audience of chemists that will tell them what the most likely oxidation state is." Explore further Researchers report upside-down magnesium chemistry discovery More information: Kevin Maik Jablonka et al, Using collective knowledge to assign oxidation states of metal cations in metalorganic frameworks, Nature Chemistry (2021). Journal information: Nature Chemistry Kevin Maik Jablonka et al, Using collective knowledge to assign oxidation states of metal cations in metalorganic frameworks,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41557-021-00717-y A yellow-banded bumblee. Credit: York University Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change grad student Victoria MacPhail, an author on the paper What's stressing out bumblebees? To find out, York University scientists used next-generation sequencing to look deep inside bumblebees for evidence of pesticide exposure, including neonicotinoids, as well as pathogens, and found both. Using a conservation genomic approachan emerging field of study that could radically change the way bee health is assessedthe researchers studied Bombus terricola or the yellow-banded bumblebee, a native to North America, in agricultural and non-agricultural areas. This new technique allows scientists to probe for invisible stressors affecting bees. Like many pollinators, the yellow-banded bumblebee has experienced major declines in the last couple decades, which threatens food security and the stability of natural ecosystems. "Next-generation sequencing is a totally new way to think about why bees are declining, which could revolutionize conservation biology. We're looking directly at bee tissues to try and get clues to the stressors that are affecting this bee. I think this is a gamechanger for sure. With a single study, we are able to implicate a couple of really obvious things we've talked about for yearspathogens and pesticidesin the case of Bombus terricola," says Faculty of Science Professor Amro Zayed, director of the Centre for Bee Ecology Evolution and Conservation (BEEc) at York and corresponding author of the study. Credit: York University In addition to sequencing the RNA of 30 yellow-banded worker bees, the researchers also used the sequence data to directly search for pathogens infecting the bumblebees. The team found five pathogens in the abdomens of worker bees, three of which are common in managed honey bee and bumblebee colonies. This supports the theory that spill over of pathogens from commercial operations can affect the health of wild bees. What surprised the researchers, including former York biology grad student Nadia Tsvetkov and Associate Professor Sheila Colla of the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, is how well the technology worked. "Bumblebee diseases are a key threat and this technology can help us detect new diseases and stressors quickly so we don't lose species the way we did the rusty-patched bumblebee, where the problem was only detected when it was too late to do anything about it in Canada," says Colla. "The rusty-patched bumblebee hasn't been spotted in Canada since 2009." A yellow-banded bumblebee on goldenrod. Credit: York University Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change grad student Victoria MacPhail, an author on the paper Bumblebees are particularly important pollinators, even better than honey bees for some plants, because their ability to "buzz" pollinate (vibrate the plants to release pollen) and tolerate cooler temperatures, which makes them critical pollinators for certain plants and regions. Expanding the scope of conservation genomic studies will help to better understand how multiple stressors influence the health of other bumblebee populations. "We think this is the way forward in terms of managing and conserving bumblebees," says Zayed. Explore further Inbreeding and disease are factors in decline of yellow-banded bumblebee More information: Nadejda Tsvetkov et al, Conservation genomics reveals pesticide and pathogen exposure in the declining bumble bee Bombus terricola, Molecular Ecology (2021). Journal information: Molecular Ecology Nadejda Tsvetkov et al, Conservation genomics reveals pesticide and pathogen exposure in the declining bumble bee Bombus terricola,(2021). DOI: 10.1111/mec.16049 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A study led by University of Barcelona researchers and carried out together with more than 1,650 students and their family members from 18 educational centers in Barcelona shows that citizen science is a valid approach able for doing high quality science, and in this case, able to provide nitrogen dioxide values with an unprecedented resolution and to assess the impact of the pollution in the health of their inhabitants. The journal Science of the Total Environment has published the results of a study carried out by the research group OpenSystems of the University of Barcelona, the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), promoted by La Caixa Foundation and the 4Sfera company, that shows the key role of citizen science in the relationship between the assessment of the exposure to air pollution and the collective action for the improvement of air quality. The publication describes the xAire project, which involved the organization of collective data gathering in Barcelona regarding the concentration of nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant related to the motorized vehicles. This concentration was measured during a 1-month period between February and March 2018 thanks to the families with children aged between 7 and 18, from 18 public primary schools in the different districts of the city. The results provide unprecedented information on the pollution of the air in the city with a notable precision. The location of the measuring spots was decided autonomously among the students and their families following the same scientific process. "xAire has not only shown the problems surrounding the schools and the neighborhoods but it has also provided arguments to the families and schools to ask for improvements in their environment according to the data they gathered," notes Professor Josep Perello, leader of the study and member of the Institute of Complex Systems of the UB (UBICS). Air pollution in Barcelona, a serious and underestimated problem The results of the research show a wide and representative distribution of nitrogen dioxide concentration levels of the city regarding population density. The study analyzed very high levels, with an annual average of 49 g/m3, above the thresholds of the European directive and the WHO, which are 40 g/m3. More than 5% of the samples double the threshold value of 40 g/m3, thus confirming that air quality is a serious problem in Barcelona. The measured levels also show large differences between districts and within the same district, depending on the street. The average values obtained in Ciutat Vella, Sants/Montjuic, Les Corts and Horta/Guinardo by xAire are particularly worrying, as they are higher than those of the nearest official stations. The obtained data by school groups is available publicly in an interactive map. Credit: Perello, J. et al. (2021) Improvements in a model of the pollution impact on health The obtained data have also made it possible to obtain a more up-to-date and accurate estimation of the models for estimating the impact of NO 2 on health used by the scientific community. Specifically, the study has estimated that 1,084 new cases of childhood asthma are attributable to NO 2 each year in Barcelona, an equal figure to 48% of the total annual cases. According to Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, head of Urban Planning, Environment and Health Initiative of ISGlobal, "If we reduce NO 2 levels, especially around schools, we could significantly reduce cases of childhood asthma." A coordinated effort to measure pollution in 725 areas of the city xAire was born with the aim to expand the detail and representativeness of the city's levels of pollution, provided by the city's seven official stations. The effort with more than 1,600 involved people has resulted in measurements of nitrogen dioxide in 725 locations. The number of obtained samples exceeds previous campaigns conducted by professional scientists, who gathered the concentration of nitrogen dioxide in a maximum of 200 locations simultaneously. The xAire project returned the data to each school group and these are available publicly on an interactive map. The results were discussed in the schools mainly considering the WHO and EU limit values. The discussions showed a clear understanding of the follow-up data and the scientific research process. Boys and girls aged between seven and eight were able to perfectly explain the scientific protocol and the meaning of the data in the InfoK of the Super 3 Channel during the Science Congress, organized by the Barcelona Education Consortium and in front of the city mayor Ada Colau (Escola El Sagrer). The same schools provided the data to City Council officials along with a set of proposals based on scientific evidence, at an event held in Salo de Cent. The proposed measures range from the promotion of public transport in the neighborhood and pedestrian routes to the need to cover part of the ronda de Dalt (Dolors Monserda, Sarria) or to accelerate the reform of Avinguda Meridiana (El Sagrer). Large-scale citizen science campaigns on air quality should not be seen simply as a public awareness activity and an education program. "In this intense participatory component, citizens can be actors in research and not just recipients of a message. This approach to citizen science adds sophistication and diversity to the scientific research process, as it requires multidisciplinary professional scientists and the participation of non-academic organizations," says Isabelle Bonhoure, researcher at the OpenSystems Group of the UB. Explore further Nearly half of all childhood asthma cases in Barcelona are attributable to air pollution More information: Josep Perello et al, Large-scale citizen science provides high-resolution nitrogen dioxide values and health impact while enhancing community knowledge and collective action, Science of The Total Environment (2021). Journal information: Science of the Total Environment Josep Perello et al, Large-scale citizen science provides high-resolution nitrogen dioxide values and health impact while enhancing community knowledge and collective action,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147750 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Researchers including a Keele University scientist have engineered an innovative approach to disable highly powerful genetic devices that control harmful insect populations. Dr. Roberto Galizi from Keele's School of Life Sciences was part of a research team that previously developed gene drive technologies that proved highly effective in eliminating populations of mosquitoes in the laboratory, offering a powerful new strategy to prevent deadly vector-borne disease such as malaria. Gene drive elements inserted in the mosquito genome can rapidly spread genetic modifications, such as impairment of fertility, throughout the entire population target by biasing their genetic inheritance after mating with wild insects. The gene drive technologies show great potential for suppressing the mosquito species that transmit malaria with increased power compared to other methods, thanks to their capacity to self-spread through the population. However, this also makes it difficult to retain control of this technology once released. So to combat this, the researchers have now developed an innovative and highly effective technology that allows them to control and even reverse the effects of gene drives. In this new study published in Nature Communications, the researchers have been able to deactivate the gene drive machinery by using a bacteriophage-derived protein, called AcrIIA4, directly encoded in the mosquito genome. Modeling predictions as well as the cage testing performed in the laboratory show that a single release of male mosquitoes carrying the protein can block the spread of the suppressive gene drive and prevent population collapse. Dr. Galizi, co-leader of the study with colleagues from Imperial College London, said: "Further testing is still required before applying these technologies to the field, however this is a crucial step forward. Not only we have found new powerful solutions that can help combatting nasty infectious diseases such as malaria, but we now have potent ways to control these." Dr. Chrysanthi Taxiarchi from Imperial College London, who co-authored the study, added: "Having a technology able to block gene drives can be very useful for future release planning and management. It is exciting to have generated a system with this capacity and the potential for use in various CRISPR-based applications, developed for insects that pose tremendous risk to human health." Explore further Simple genetic modification aims to stop mosquitoes spreading malaria More information: Chrysanthi Taxiarchi et al, A genetically encoded anti-CRISPR protein constrains gene drive spread and prevents population suppression, Nature Communications (2021). Journal information: Nature Communications Chrysanthi Taxiarchi et al, A genetically encoded anti-CRISPR protein constrains gene drive spread and prevents population suppression,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24214-5 Credit: University of Cordoba A research group at the University of Cordoba has conducted study focused on evaluating the potential of the Sentinel-2 sensor system's configuration to predict the amount of forage on permanent Mediterranean grasslands. Pasture quality assessment in permanent grasslands is essential for their conservation and management, as it can facilitate real-time decision-making regarding livestock management. In this regard, the Sentinel-2 satellite constellation, launched in 2015, has proven to be a promising tool for permanent grassland monitoring. This is a sensor system developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and that provides free and available data worldwide, with a review time of five days, and 13 spectral bands. The spectral configuration of Sentinel-2, featuring three red-edge bands and two of non-destructive NIR technology, boasts great potential for the study of grassland quality due to these regions' known sensitivity to changes in the nitrogen, chlorophyll and fiber content of plants. A study carried out by a research group at the University of Cordoba evaluated the potential of the Sentinel-2 configuration to predict forage quality in permanent Mediterranean grasslands having a great diversity of open forests. There are very few studies that have focused on this area using remote sensing data. This study analyzed the potential and limitations of the Sentinel-2 configuration to promote and facilitate the implementation of this technology in permanent Mediterranean grasslands. The project was carried out on eight ranches of Andalusian dehesa, or wooded pasturelands. This region is characterized by a continental, Mediterranean climate, with hot summers and cold, rainy winters. The soil is mainlycomprised of cambisols featuring a clay-loam and sandy-loam texture and limited fertility. The topography generally flat, or characterized by rolling hills and plateaus, without steep slopes. Two of the ranches in question are dedicated to the breeding of Iberian sheep and pigs, and the other six to Iberian cattle and pigs. The permanent pastures on the ranches include plant communities dominated by annual grasses featuring limitedgrowth. Irrigated and permanent grasslands are also present on the ranches, replanted with mixtures of commercial seeds, mainly legumes. This evaluation system has made possible a qualitative analysis of the protein content of the pastures, yielding data on the pastures and the livestock on the dehesa farms, such that one knows where to move their livestock depending on forage quality. "It provides us with information every five days, with approximate values, qualitative information on the protein content of the adjacent plots," added researcher Jesus Fernandez-Habas. Explore further Ants restore Mediterranean dry grasslands More information: Jesus Fernandez-Habas et al, Investigating the potential of Sentinel-2 configuration to predict the quality of Mediterranean permanent grasslands in open woodlands, Science of The Total Environment (2021). Journal information: Science of the Total Environment Jesus Fernandez-Habas et al, Investigating the potential of Sentinel-2 configuration to predict the quality of Mediterranean permanent grasslands in open woodlands,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148101 Map of Canberra, showing location of reference samples. Location of test (blinded) samples in blue. Credit: Patrice De Caritat Scientists have taken the first steps in developing a new method of identifying the movements of criminals using chemical analysis of soil and dust found on equipment, clothing and cars. The locating system allows police or security services to match soil remnants found on personal items to regional soil samples, to either implicate or eliminate presence at a crime scene. The work is presented as a Keynote Lecture at the Goldschmidt Geochemistry Conference, after recent publication. Dr. Patrice de Caritat, Principal Research Scientist at Geoscience Australia, Australia's public sector geoscience organisation, said, "We've done the first trials to see if geochemical analysis could narrow down a search area. We took a 260 km2 area of North Canberra and divided it into cells (squares) of 1 km x 1 km, and sampled the soil in each cell. We were then given 3 samples from within the survey area, and asked to identify which grid cells they came from. This was a 'blind' experiment, in other words we did not know where the samples came from until the end of the experiment. For comparison, Manhattan Island is around 60 km2, so that shows that we looked at a pretty big area." Using these methods, they were able to eliminate 60 percent of the territory under investigation. Dr. de Caritat said, "Much of forensics is about elimination, so being able to rule out 60 percent of an area is a substantial contribution toward successfully locating a sample. You can reduce the time, risk and investment of the ongoing investigation. The more parameters we look at, the more accurate the system is. We have reached 90 percent detection in some cases, although we think that would involve too many factors for real-world crime detection." The team used a range of analytical instrumentationFourier Transform InfraRed Spectroscopy, X-Ray Fluorescence, Magnetic Susceptibility and Mass Spectrometry to compare the 3 blind samples to the previously collected samples. Dr. de Caritat, who is also Adjunct Professor at the National Centre for Forensic Studies at the University of Canberra, said: "This shows that our systems work, and that we have a potential new tool for criminal and intelligence investigations. It's the next stage which is potentially most interesting. Most developed countries have existing soil databases, used for such things as mineral exploration or land use decision support. We're plugging our methods into these databases to see if we can locate samples from the database information, rather than needing to collect samples specifically for each investigation. Conventional soil analysis has already been used in Australia to identify and prosecute criminals. For example, soil analysis was used to identify the movements of a man who carried out a sexual assault on a young girl in Adelaide. There are several such examples. We now want to take this further." Dr. de Caritat worked with the Australian Federal Police in 201718, where he helped them develop their capability to analyse soils for forensic location. He said, "Geoscience Australia is now working with the Australian Federal Police, the University of Adelaide, Flinders University and the University of Canberra on a Defence Department project to incorporate environmental DNA (e.g. from local plants) and X-Ray Diffraction mineralogy into the soil and dust location system." Professor Jennifer McKinley (Queen's University, Belfast) said, "The breakthrough in Dr. de Caritat's work is that it integrates robust compositional data analysis of the multivariate geochemical data into forensic geoscience and applies this in an innovative way to forensic soil provenance." Explore further New tool to combat terrorism More information: 2021.goldschmidt.info/ Patrice Caritat et al, Predictive Soil Provenancing ( PSP ): An Innovative Forensic Soil Provenance Analysis Tool, Journal of Forensic Sciences (2019). DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14060 Patrice Caritat et al, Forensic soil provenancing in an urban/suburban setting: A sequential multivariate approach, Journal of Forensic Sciences (2021). DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14727 Provided by Goldschmidt Conference Vertical greenery planted on the exterior of the NTU learning hub, The Arc, a six-storey building with smart classrooms. Credit: Nanyang Technological University Vertical greenery 'planted' on the exterior of buildings may help to buffer people against stress, a Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) study has found. The benefits of nature on mental health and for wellbeing have long been recognized, and now a team of NTU Singapore psychologists has used Virtual Reality (VR) to examine whether vertical greenery has a stress buffering effect (ability to moderate the detrimental consequences of stress)in an urban environment. Using VR headsets, 111 participants were asked to walk down a virtual street for five minutes. Participants were randomly assigned to either a street that featured rows of planted greenery(e.g., on balconies, walls, and pillars of buildings), or one with only buildings that had green painted walls in place of green plants. The virtual environments used in the study was developed by the NTU research team. To match a real-world experience, heavy traffic noise was played as the participants walked through the virtual street. Heart rate variability, which is a physiological indicator of stress, was continuously monitored using a portable electrocardiogram (ECG) device. The study found that those who viewed buildings which only had green paint experienced a signicant increase in stress as recorded by one measure of heart rate variability, while those who viewed the buildings with the green plants did not experience any change in stress. Following the experiment, participants answered a questionnaire that assessed their positive (e.g., interested, excited) and negative emotions (e.g., upset, hostile), and the level of anxiety they were feeling. Participants reported feeling less positive when walking through the street with buildings covered by only green walls, while those walking through the street with buildings covered by plants did not report feeling either more or less positive. The findings published in the peer-reviewed academic journal Landscape and Urban Planning, have implications for the well-being of people living in urban areas and can guide greening efforts in cities, say the researchers. Walls of greenery can help lower ambient temperature, which reduces energy consumption from cooling systems. They can also reduce carbon emissions and lessen the effect of 'urban heat island' a phenomenon where city centers experience much warmer temperatures than less populated areas because of limited greenery and a high concentration of built structures. While vertical greenery is often planted for these sustainability benefits, the NTU study is one of the first to explore its contribution to mental health, and the authors say that it provides additional impetus for city planners to adopt a 'biophilic design' conceptan approach to architecture that seeks to connect people more closely to naturewhich is favored in cities such as Singapore, Wellington (NZ), and San Francisco. Principal investigator of the study, Associate Professor Lin Qiu from the Psychology program at the NTU School of Social Sciences, said, "With urbanization, more people are expected to be living in urban areas globally in future. It is thus important for urban city planners and architects to understand factors that can contribute to healthy living, as urban planning can have a direct impact on quality of life for the population. Our work can guide efforts to green cities, by providing evidence of how vertical greenery can be a viable way to integrate nature into our built environment and promote mental health." Co-lead author of the research, Sarah Chan, a Ph.D. candidate from the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program at NTU said, "Our ndings have important practical implications for city planning and design, especially for high density urban areas that face land constraints. It provides evidence that vertical greenery systems, which make use of vertical structures above-ground, may help moderate the detrimental consequences of stress. "While previous studies looked at effects of green vegetation, the fact that the color green could simply be a primitive visual feature, resulting in positive effects, was not considered. Thanks to emerging technology like VR, we overcame this limitation and were able to use a control condition, matching vertical greenery with the color green in our study." Explore further Green space around primary schools may improve students' academic performance More information: Sarah Hian May Chan et al, Vertical greenery buffers against stress: Evidence from psychophysiological responses in virtual reality, Landscape and Urban Planning (2021). Sarah Hian May Chan et al, Vertical greenery buffers against stress: Evidence from psychophysiological responses in virtual reality,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/J.LANDURBPLAN.2021.104127 Credit: Snappy Goat / Flickr New Zealand's indigenous biodiversity is unique and complex, and it is declining and threatened. People and companies are often uncertain about what they should or should not do to help maintain it. A new paper in the New Zealand Journal of Ecology sets out some comprehensive and concise criteria to provide guidance on what biodiversity is the most important to safeguard from further degradation. Co-author Suzie Greenhalgh says, "We developed our criteria for the Biodiversity Collaborative Group (BCG) in their preparations for the long-delayed National Policy Statement for indigenous Biodiversity (NPS-IB). The BCG asked us 'In order to maintain biodiversity what effects on biodiversity must be avoided, and what effects could be remediated or mitigated, and why?'" "We responded with a set of criteria that every person, business, and organization can use to make wiser decisions about maintaining biodiversity. We've set them out as clearly and concisely as we could, based on existing information and datasets wherever possible." Indigenous biodiversity will inevitably continue to decline if more permanent losses occur. The criteria therefore focus on effects that are irreversible and can't be fully and promptly remediated. The most pervasive irreversible effects are those that reduce the extent or quality of remaining indigenous ecosystems and species habitats, including ecosystems that are highly modified or regenerating. The authors stress that multiple small local reductions collectively add up to major losses: 'death by a thousand cuts'. Because only a few, usually low-diversity and recently-established indigenous ecosystems and habitats can realistically be restored, the authors suggest that a human generation (25 years) should be the maximum time to full remediation. They also identify some effects that might be reversible, such as replacing individuals from some species' populations in certain circumstances, and the clearance of some young (< 25 years), nonindigenous ecosystems. Lead author Susan Walker says that "the draft NPS-IB proposed identifying significant natural areas which has many advantages but is likely to be a protracted process. In the interim, indigenous biodiversity continues to decline, and these criteria offer an important resource and starting point for those wanting to do the right thing for nature. That will often mean 'leave it alone'." Explore further Indigenous peoples and local communities key to achieving biodiversity goals More information: Susan Walker et al, New Zealand Journal of Ecology (2021). Susan Walker et al,(2021). DOI: 10.20417/nzjecol.45.26 Provided by Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research Bail was set at $50,000 cash or $100,000 bond. Assault is not one of the crimes where defendants can be held without bail, according the state law that took effect last year. Zaugg has not posted bail and remains in Warren County Jail. Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to contact Glens Falls Police at 518-761-3840. Parenting resources Warren County Department of Social Services Deputy Commissioner Christina Mastrianni said when her office receives a report from Child Protective Services, the department assesses the situation within 24 hours. Then, the department provides support services and makes referrals. Its important to note that parents have rights and our goal is to develop partnerships to empower them while keeping families safe and intact. The department also offers preventive services that can provide more intensive services to families. Mastrianni added that preventing child abuse takes a collaborative community effort and help is available to prevent abuse and maltreatment. PLATTSBURGH Requiring unvaccinated employees to wear masks is 100% within employers authority, local lawyer Jacqueline Jaci Kelleher said Wednesday. Pointing to the more contagious nature of the newer delta variant of the coronavirus, she said asking whether employers have to require masks is the wrong question. The right question, she said is whether its a good idea for employees to wear masks because those unvaccinated employees are going to be traveling, somebody is going to get exposed to that delta variant and its going to rip through your workplace and your vaccinated individuals will be sitting in the office holding the bag. Not that I have a strong opinion on that, said Kelleher, laughing. Speaking during a webinar hosted by the North Country Chamber of Commerce, Kelleher explained that the masking issue is currently in flux in New York. Certain policies have yet to be repealed, and the state is saying unvaccinated individuals continue to be responsible for wearing masks. Without a doubt, employers may still require unvaccinated individuals to wear masks in the workplace and practice social distancing, Kelleher said. Murphy lifted the ban, which was part of a health emergency that was allowed to expire as the state continues to vaccinate residents and COVID-19 cases decline. The situation is now what it was before the pandemic: Casino patrons can smoke on no more than 20% of the casino floor, signs designate areas where smoking is allowed and the casinos have invested heavily in air filtration systems. But smoking opponents say those systems are not the answer, stating there is no healthy level of secondhand smoke. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Several casino executives declined to comment on the resumption of smoking at their properties this week. Earlier this year, the Casino Association of New Jersey, the trade group representing the Atlantic City casinos, said a permanent ban would do great harm to the industry. Banning smoking permanently would have long-term financial implications for the industry and the region, the group said in a statement. Going completely nonsmoking would place Atlantic City casinos at a competitive disadvantage with other nearby casinos that allow smoking. Such a ban would lead to fewer customers, fewer casino jobs and lower tax revenue, it said. Scromo said the current arrangement is workable. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Mullock said it will be up to the justice system to resolve the accusations against Bezaire, not council. Several members asked that he take a leave of absence so that we can continue with the citys business, Mullock said. +2 Additional charges filed against Cape May Council member Bezaire CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE Additional charges have been filed against Cape May City Councilman C There are five members of City Council in Cape May, including Mullock and Bezaire. Bezaire was elected to council in 2020. He is a real estate agent whose family has lived in the city for five generations. On Tuesday afternoon, hours before the start of the first council meeting since his release, Bezaire contacted reporters to say he would not attend the meeting. He said he would not attend any council meeting until we get this litigation figured out. He later corrected himself. He faces criminal charges, not civil litigation. Bezaire said he would make no comment on the charges themselves, saying any further statement would be up to his attorney. More charges due as Cape May councilman remains in jail CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE Cape May City Councilman Christopher Bezaire remains in jail after a According to the second criminal complaint, filed June 24, Bezaire is accused of creating a false account on Facebook in February and posting under the name of the second victim. Neither of the alleged victims has been named. The complaint alleges he posted lewd, indecent or obscene material to a Facebook group with the intent of causing emotional harm. Contact Bill Barlow: 609-272-7290 bbarlow@pressofac.com Twitter @jerseynews_bill Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. However, county figures show Somers Point would save almost $200,000 a year through joining the county plan. Levinson sees progress on combined court proposal MAYS LANDING A pitch for a countywide municipal court system got a boost from the Judiciar The two party leaders said they applaud municipalities such as Galloway and Egg Harbor townships, which have voted in favor of consolidation, and urged more to do the same. Gilmore said Egg Harbor Township stands to save more than $450,000 a year and Galloway more than $235,000, based on the participation of 11 towns. When we get this done, we will demonstrate that Atlantic County is the place where Republicans and Democrats can work together to regionalize government for the betterment of all taxpayers, Davis and Suleiman said. Sandson has said a court system run by the county would be a better and fairer municipal court. There are 15 municipal courts in the county, according to Ferguson. Most serve a single municipality. Egg Harbor Township votes to support countywide municipal court system EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP The Township Committee passed a resolution Wednesday to support the es Some were great. Some OK, and some were horrendous, Sandson said of his experience with the different municipal courts when he was an attorney. He said that meant for someone facing an accusation, the justice received would at least in part depend on which court heard the case. A bill to establish a pilot program to allow countywide municipal courts in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Salem and Gloucester counties in South Jersey; and in Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties in North Jersey has passed the Senate and Assembly (S3049/A5176) and awaits the governors signature. Contact Michelle Brunetti Post 609-272-7210 mpost@pressofac.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. UPPER TOWNSHIP For eons, the ability of piping plovers, terns and other beach nesting birds to blend in with the sand has served as protection from predators. Their coloring hid them so well as to make them all but invisible. But with their nesting season overlapping the massive migration of human visitors to New Jersey beaches each summer, their extraordinary camouflage is as likely to get them stepped on as it is to save them from a fox or a crow. Theyre really tiny, said Deb Rivel, a wildlife film producer who spends her summers and part of some winters in the beachside village of Strathmere in Upper Township. Im used to looking at them and I dont even see them sometimes. This year, for the first time in many summers, two pairs of plovers nested on the beach in Strathmere. Rivel believes this is the first time that has happened since Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Rivel has long been fascinated by the birds and sought to protect them. This year, with two nests in her own town, she helped launch The Strathmere Plover Project, with the aim of protecting those nests and the other beach nesting species in the area, the least tern. He said his slurs werent meant to be racist and that he used the same language against white people. Anybody that knows me know that I just talk like this, he said. Asian American leaders see 'a pivotal moment' for political participation amid rising hate WASHINGTON Andy Kim remembers the warnings from political professionals when he first cons The crowd began forming early Monday, demanding to speak with Mathews. Things were contentious at points when people pressed toward the front door, shouting at the row of officers. He said to pull up. We pulled up, said Aliya Robinson, 43, a real estate agent who lives in a nearby development. Were not going to tolerate this anymore. Neighbors blamed Mathews for problems that began about two years ago, said Ashleigh Gibbons, 35, who has lived in the condo development for about 20 years. Hes been harassing ever since, she said. Mathews denied any involvement in past harassment or vandalism. In the episode shown in the video, Mathews stood outside a neighbors house and repeatedly taunted a Black man at the door and used racist slurs against him. Pleasantville pastor organizing effort to oppose Absecon withdrawal from school agreement PLEASANTVILLE About a dozen community members traveled to Trenton on Friday morning to han Learn your law. Its not Africa, Mathews says as he tells the man hes allowed to stand there. I was born in America, sir, the man replied. The transportation funding bill proposed by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee makes incremental improvements, such as requiring states to demonstrate that they have at least considered alternatives, including expanding public transit systems, before using federal funds to expand highway capacity. And a bill introduced by Rep. Hank Johnson, a Georgia Democrat, would provide $20 billion a year in federal funding for transit operations. Traditionally, the federal government has funded the construction of transit infrastructure, but not its operation. That has left states and transit agencies to fund operations on their own, often over-relying on regressive revenue sources such as fares. Federal funds to operate systems would help transit agencies make service improvements (such as more frequent and reliable bus operations) that riders really need. Rep. Chuy Garcia, an Illinois Democrat, offered amendments to the House transportation bill to expand and electrify transit and create funding parity between highways and transit. Unfortunately, these amendments didnt make it into the bill, but Garcia got a verbal commitment from House leaders to continue working with him on his proposals. They should be pressured to keep that commitment. But none of this goes far enough. SPRINGFIELD Illinois is not mandating K-12 students receive the COVID-19 vaccine before the fall, the Illinois Department of Public Health said. While three different vaccines have been authorized for emergency use in the U.S., only one, Pfizer-BioNTech, has been authorized for anyone under the age of 18. Children ages 12 and up are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, and clinical studies for younger children are underway for the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson shots. Non-public schools may choose to require vaccination, IDPH Public Information Officer Melaney Arnold said in an email. IDPH anticipates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will release additional guidance in early July, which IDPH will follow, Arnold said. IDPH and the Illinois State Board of Education are working to update school guidance as well. While IDPH plans to follow CDC guidance, the CDC does not set vaccine requirements for schools or childcare facilities, nor do individual public school districts states do. WASHINGTON (AP) Secretary of State Antony Blinken met virtually on Tuesday with Uyghur Muslims who were detained at camps in Chinas northwest Xinjiang region to hear about their experiences and seek advice on how best to pressure China to halt repression there. The State Department said Blinken wanted to hear directly from the seven former detainees, relatives of others and advocates about conditions that they and the Uyghur community more broadly face. The secretary thought it important to meet with these individuals to hear firsthand their stories, to hear firsthand their impression of the ongoing atrocities in Xinjiang and the internment of a million Uyghurs," department spokesman Ned Price said. Also, its an opportunity for these participants to offer any recommendations they may have." China has come under severe international criticism and sanctions for detaining more than 1 million Uyghurs and and other minorities for political re-education in Xinjiang. Price said the meeting showed continuity in American policy on the matter between the widely divergent Biden and Trump administrations. The Biden administration in February released a declassified intelligence report concluding that Mohammed bin Salman, son of the aging King Salman, had authorized the team of Saudi security and intelligence officials that killed Khashoggi. Prince Khalid was the kingdoms ambassador in Washington at the time of Khashoggi's killing. He was recalled soon after amid bipartisan U.S. outrage over the death of the widely known journalist. When Khashoggi vanished after going to the Saudi consulate in Turkey, Khalid bin Salman insisted for days that accusations of official Saudi involvement in his disappearance were groundless. The Washington Post reported that it was Prince Khalid who told Khashoggi to go to the consulate in Turkey to pick up his wedding papers and said it would be safe to do so. The princes official travel to Washington comes as the kingdoms rulers still keep numerous members of the royal family and advocates for more rights in detention or under travel bans that sometimes apply to their relatives as well. About 9:15 a.m. Monday, a 34-year-old man was killed in Little Village. Officers went to the 3400 block of West 26th Street in response to a ShotSpotter alert and found him unconscious in the drivers seat of an SUV that had crashed into a parked car. He had been shot multiple times and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A 25-year-old woman was shot in the 7300 block of South Lowe Avenue in Englewood about 5:45 a.m. Someone fired shots from a gangway across the street as she was standing on her porch, police said; she was shot in the hip and listed in good condition. Just after 5 a.m. Monday, a 27-year-old man was shot near Riis Park in Belmont Cragin. He was shot in the upper chest and back; the circumstances of the shooting were not immediately known. His condition was stabilized, police said. A 39-year-old man was shot in the hand in the Englewood neighborhood when someone fired from a passing car in the 5800 block of South Peoria about 3:25 a.m. He went to Holy Cross Hospital in good condition. About 3:10 a.m., two men were critically injured in a shooting in Logan Square. They were on a porch in the 1700 block of North Albany Avenue when they each suffered multiple gunshot wounds; further details were not immediately available. According to the federal government, the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are around one in 500,000. As they launch their long-shot campaigns for governor, Joshua Kuhn-McRoberts, Robert Bond and Kim West each hope to be the one. Democrats West and Kuhn-McRoberts, and Bond, an independent, share many of the same views about incumbent Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who they hope to unseat in the 2022 election. Everybody has suffered as a result of your failure to lead in this time of need, said West, a Des Moines attorney, who may have the catchiest campaign slogan: Iowa needs a new Kim. In this time of need, when we needed a governor most, you have been absolutely ineffective, he said about Reynolds. McRoberts, who is from Waukee and works for the Iowa Finance Authority, is presenting himself as a compassionate disrupter who isnt afraid to change the status quo and reject the radical ideas of the far-right wing conservatives that have moved Iowa back, not forward. For Bond, also from Des Moines, its a matter of being the change he wants. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker in 2019 raided over $30 million dollars from the Illinois State Police fund. A major part of that money came from the FOID cardholders and was supposed to be used to fund the FOID program. The Illinois State Police had to cut the excellent employees who were running that program. There is no reason for changes in the program. Just return the money that Pritzker raided from the fund so the Illinois State Police can do their job. South Dakota state representatives and senators will host hundreds of their colleagues on July 11-14 for the 75th Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments. The event will be held in Rapid City at The Monument. This event gives the regions legislators the chance to learn from one another as well as some of the nations foremost policy experts in a nonpartisan setting, according to a news release. The groups current chair is South Dakota Senate Majority Leader Gary Cammack, R-Union Center, who is leading the planning efforts for the event. This conference gives lawmakers and other government officials an opportunity to discuss possible solutions to current issues and plan for the future, Cammack said in the news release. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Some of the featured sessions include: A lot of those overdose deaths are attributed to opioids, fentanyl, said Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead. That has a huge impact on peoples lives and families. A lot of the time, these people arent trying to kill themselves. These are accidental overdose deaths. The Minnehaha County Jail will soon become the first facility in the state to treat inmates with opioid addiction medications after they arrive. The jail has allowed inmates who are already on the treatment to continue it, and has long allowed pregnant women to start or continue the treatment. Previously, the Yankton County Jail was the only jail that allowed patients to continue on the treatment, according to the Center for Family Medicine. Crowe, the Sioux Falls resident, is now in her last phase of drug court. She heard about medication-assisted treatment through other women who were also staying at the New Start treatment center. I said, I dont know if I can take this anymore, Crowe said. They said, Why dont you try medication? I said, Theres medication? On Monday, he talked about his injury as he sat on the patio of his moms home in Boulder. His mother, Marilyn, sat to his side. It is what it is, she said. You always have to remember that in the blink of an eye your life can change forever. Not for me, Levi Gadaire shot back. I plan on moving forward. It wasnt always that way for Gadaire, he said, noting he spent much of his life in the corrections system. He said he has been in several prerelease programs and been through every drug treatment known to man." But his mom was getting older and he said he wants to be around to help her out. I looked deep inside and said I need to be good on parole, Gadaire said. My mom is 65. I need to get my crap together and then Boom!' God throws me a curve ball." He mentioned later that he has kids who I dont even know; I needed to get my head out of my butt. Gadaire plans to return to Woodys, where maybe he can work in the booth or chat with customers, until he graduates from college. His goal is to get his bachelors degree in computer science from Colorado Tech University. He said customers there have been generous to him in the past with tips. The night before Katie was attacked, about half a mile away, two women were assaulted as they slept in the same room. The pair awoke confused. Their clothes had been cut from their bodies a similar method was used in a 2015 assault. Like Katie, it would be months before they learned what happened. Three years ago, when the cops sat me down and asked what I remembered from the previous night, one of them offhandedly said, If you had been raped or anything like that, you would probably remember it, one victim wrote in an impact statement she read aloud at a trial earlier this year. Even as I stared down at the thumb-shaped bruises on my inner thighs, I thought I was immune. *** On Sept. 27, 2018, Harvey turned himself in to VCU police, who arrested him. He was questioned about two up-skirting incidents near the Monroe Park campus that had occurred a few days earlier. At 12:45 a.m. on Sept. 21, 2018, a VCU student reported that while she was walking in the first block of South Harrison Street, near West Cary Street, a man approached her from behind and pulled up her dress. Not long after Robertsons initial appearance on the federal charges, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies began to suspect that he was ordering firearms online. The motion to revoke his bond cites an arsenal of 34 guns that were ordered since Jan. 6. According to the motion, Robertson paid $3,600 for what was falsely described as Wedding Photos. Records from an online gun dealer show that other orders he placed amounted to more than $12,000. But Roberson never collected any of the guns, which were described by his attorney as antiques from the World War II era. As for the M4 carbine found when federal agents arrived at Robertsons home last month with a search warrant, he says he was away that day to meet with his pretrial case manager and that the gun belonged to his son, who had just been honorably discharged from the U.S. Army. And the partially assembled pipe bomb found in a garage was a prop for a law enforcement class taught by Robertson, and had been there previously when police searched his home, the motion states. Robertson remains free on bond. A court date for his hearing has not been scheduled. We just wanted to thank Mr. Gilliam for his service to the commission at this point, co-chair Greta Harris, president and CEO of the Better Housing Coalition, said Tuesday. We appreciate your attendance, your thoughtfulness and your care to the democratic process. Gilliam, appearing virtually, said he enjoyed his time on the panel and that he wished he could have met participants in person. The panel previously had met virtually because of COVID-19. I do wish everyone good luck moving forward, Gilliam said. He said commission members have a difficult task ahead, and I wish you all the best. The 14 remaining names on Norments original list are: Jeffrey Wayne Bolander of McGaheysville in Rockingham County; Erick Fletcher of Spotsylvania County; Thomas Douglas Heffernan of Elkton in Rockingham County; Ben Hudson of Montross in Westmoreland County; Thomas H. Hueg of Fairfax Station in Fairfax County; Charles Johnson of Williamsburg; Joni Organ of Lynchburg; Christian Ortego of Williamsburg; Mark G. Rinaldi of Williamsburg; Mary Catherine Slusher of Rockingham County; Shelly Smith of Powhatan County; John Thomas of Roanoke; Virginia Trost-Thornton of Forest, which is part of Bedford and Campbell counties; and Robert West of Norfolk. Mother Nature's talking: heat waves, floods, fires Editor, Times-Dispatch: Twelve years ago, six ordinary citizens concerned about the future met in our living room to discuss global warming. We were starting the Richmond chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby. We talked about bringing the message of climate change to our communities, families and, importantly, to our legislators. One member said, How will we convince people its real? Another answered, Unfortunately, Mother Nature will help us with that. As we read about Portland, Ore., and people dying in Canada with temperatures exceeding 120 degrees Fahrenheit, we see he was right. Unlivable heat waves, frequent floods, droughts and forest fires are nightly news. My friends sister, in her 80s, lost her home last summer, barely escaping with her life. The United Nations Secretariat has adopted a 10-year Climate Action Plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions 45% by 2030. The previous goal of 2050 is not urgent enough, given what now we are experiencing. Tropical Storm Elsa is most likely to be remembered as a rainmaker for central Virginia, but effects varied greatly within the Richmond metro area alone. The rainfall in southern Chesterfield County was 20 times heavier than northern Hanover. Here's a preliminary summary based on National Weather Service reports and data. Flash flooding The main cluster of flood reports on Thursday evening coincided with the bull's-eye of heaviest rain between Chester and the Tri-Cities. High water reportedly blocked numerous roads in Petersburg, several secondary routes in southern Chesterfield County, and encroached on some lanes of Interstate 95. Flash floods also affected portions of Charles City, Prince George, Dinwiddie and Lunenburg counties. Rainfall Elsa's heaviest 2 to 4 inch amounts fell in a southwest-to-northeast oriented band just to the west of the track of the low pressure center, between Kerr Reservoir, the Tri-Cities, Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck. At most, 5.57 inches fell near Swift Creek between Pocahontas State Park and Colonial Heights. Several other gauges in the Petersburg vicinity topped 4 inches. A slight 20-mile shift in the storm's track might have put that torrential, flooding rain over Richmond instead, while the opposite nudge could have put the worst conditions in Williamsburg. Most of central and eastern Virginia saw at least 1 inch, except areas north and west of Short Pump. Amounts were lighter and spottier over western and northern tiers of the state, but locally heavy near Roanoke. Richmond International Airport reported 1.94 inches, which went down as a daily record for July 9. That was the wettest day (and first daily rainfall record) at the RIC weather station since December. River flooding Flooding is not expected on the James River and most main rivers in the region. The National Weather Service expects minor flooding this weekend on the Nottoway River between Rawlings and Stony Creek, on the Meherrin River near Lawrenceville, and the Chickahominy River near Providence Forge. Wind gusts Elsa's center of circulation passed right over Emporia, Williamsburg and Tangier Island as it swirled to the northeast. But as predicted, the strongest winds blew on the southeastern flank of Elsa to the right of that track, near the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic coast. Several areas in Tidewater clocked gusts above 40 mph, with one unofficial report up to 58 mph from a station in the Chesapeake Bay between Gwynn Island and Exmore. Richmond's peak gust was a modest but noticeable 30 mph. Tornadoes The National Weather Service in Wakefield confirmed three tornadoes hit southeastern Virginia: two in Suffolk and another near Smithfield in Isle of Wight County. Several tornado warnings were issued throughout Thursday afternoon and evening between Franklin, Newport News and Virginia Beach. Check Richmond.com/weather for John Boyers forecast updates. Contact him at JBoyer@timesdispatch.com. CHRISTIANSBURG Eric Duane Martin pleaded no contest to three child sex crimes Tuesday in a deal that took a mandatory life sentence off the table. Martin, 47, of Christiansburg was arrested in August after he called a Virginia Department of Social Services office and said that he had shown a photo of his genitals to a child, Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Sam Norman said during Martins plea hearing in Montgomery County Circuit Court. Subsequent law enforcement interviews with the child and with Martin revealed that the photo was only part of a history of sexual abuse, and that Martin had committed various sexual acts with the child, Norman said. Martin told officers that he was a bad alcoholic and had periods of blackout, the prosecutor said. At Tuesdays hearing, Martin entered pleas of no contest to charges of forcible sodomy of a child younger than 13, to taking indecent liberties with a child, and to soliciting a child by electronic means the latter charge involving the photo that Martin had on his phone and showed to the child. Norman and defense attorney Ryan Hamrick of Christiansburg presented a plea agreement that amended the sodomy charge so that instead of a mandatory life sentence, it would have a punishment range of five years to life behind bars. Skills, friends for beyond Moving forward, Spencer, the program director, said she hopes Roanoke County Recreation Therapy will soon resume its usual offerings, but for now is slowly ramping out of a coronavirus hiatus that substituted virtual programs for in-person activities. I love seeing them at programs, and seeing them be able to create peer relationships, Spencer said of participants. Thats probably one of the most beneficial and the most impactful things that we do. Perhaps above all else, recreation therapy provides participants the opportunity to create peer relationships that they otherwise dont have a chance or place to find, she said. Most adults or young adults, they have things to do on a Friday or Saturday night, hanging out with their friends, Spencer said. We are able to provide them an opportunity to do that, because otherwise those opportunities wouldnt be there for them. Therapeutic recreation provides the place and the staff to facilitate social interactions that may otherwise be unfamiliar or difficult, Spencer said. At the end of the day, whether its after Summer Camp Saturday or a lunch in the park, enabling that dynamic creates friendships. Rural Texas is generally not a place where we look for advice, but perhaps it should be. A recent commentary in The Amarillo Globe-News caught our eye because the problems it describes sound so similar to the ones we find in rural Virginia. The writer bemoans the population exodus from rural counties as the economy finds more and more reasons to create jobs in metro areas and fewer reasons to create them in rural communities. That rural exodus has come at a cost, the writer says. As people have moved away to the urban areas, the lifeblood of many smaller Texas communities has been eroded. Fewer residents mean a shrinking tax base to pay for roads, schools, law enforcement, first responders, and sometimes even the local hospital or community college. When a community loses its hospital, school, or grocery store, not only does it lose the physical building, but part of the communitys history is forever lost not to mention their future. All that sounds exactly like what has happened across much of Southside and Southwest Virginia. Then the writer comes to is proposed solution: Renewable energy. Saudi Arabias Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son on Monday. The signing ceremony was held during an online meeting during which both sides stressed the need to strengthen bilateral ties in all fields. The MoU seeks to boost political consultations between the two ministries on international issues of common interest and aims to strengthen ties at all levels. Prince Faisal bin Farhan congratulated Vietnam over its candidacy for nonpermanent membership of the Security Council for the second time and its nomination for the presidency of the Security Council in April 2021. He also assured Vietnam about the Kingdoms support for its membership on the UN Human Rights Council. The Saudi foreign minister also called on Vietnam to take measures to facilitate Saudi investors to increase the volume of bilateral trade. The Vietnamese foreign minister affirmed that his country attached importance to consolidating and enhancing the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Saudi Arabia. The signing of the MoU will contribute to establishing a framework for the enhancement of collaboration between the two ministries and countries as well, he said. CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. Dan Walters has been a journalist for nearly 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers. WILMINGTON, N.C. Tropical Storm Elsa, forecast to be Tropical Depression Elsa upon arrival in the Pee Dee, will blow through the Carolinas starting Wednesday night and continuing throughout the day Thursday. No watches or warnings are currently in effect, but that is likely to change by early Tuesday morning, according to a briefing issued on the storm. The storm is forecast to approach the Florida Keys Tuesday and move up the western Florida coast through Tuesday and Wednesday before it weakens into a depression and heads for the Carolinas. Heavy rain across the coastal Carolinas may produce isolated flash and urban flooding Wednesday night through Thursday evening. Isolated tornadoes are also possible, according to a briefing issued by the National Weather Service office in Wilmington, North Carolina. Wind gusts as high as 45 miles an hour are possible by late Wednesday night. Dangerous wells will result in a high rip current risk, according to the briefing. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} There is a one-in-four chance of tropical-storm-force winds occurring across northeast South Carolina and southeast North Carolina. Important perspectives as rising homicides garner ever more attention | Main | "The Revelatory Nature of COVID-19 Compassionate Release in an Age of Mass Incarceration, Crime Victim Rights, and Mental Health Reform" I am glad to see that NBC News has this lengthy new article about electronic monitoring under the headline "Incarcerated at home: The rise of ankle monitors and house arrest during the pandemic." Unfortunately, the piece only scratches the surface concerning how the pandemic may have enduringly altered sentencing practices and the pros and cons of greater reliance on home confinement with electronic monitoring. I still recommend this piece, but I hope future coverage will gather more data and dig even deeper into pandemic-era experiences on this important topic. In the meantime, here are excerpts from this lengthy NBC News piece: During the pandemic, as jails raced to release incarcerated people because prisons became coronavirus hot spots, many judges nationwide responded by putting those who were being released in electronic ankle monitors that tracked their movements 24 hours a day. Other people were assigned ankle monitors as an alternative to bail as they awaited trial in a backlogged court system that moved online. Now, early data shows how much the use of electronic ankle monitoring rose nationwide during that time, according to research from Kate Weisburd, a law professor at George Washington University and a former juvenile defender. Researchers are finding that ankle monitors are keeping people connected to the prison system longer than ever, as more remain strapped to the devices for over a year. Everyone is looking for ways of getting people out of custody, which obviously is a good thing, Weisburd said. But what's happening in some jurisdictions in the adult system is that more and more people are being released on monitors as a response to decarceration. In Chicago, the Cook County Sheriff Office's use of ankle monitors for adults who are awaiting trial jumped from 2,600 people in April last year to over 3,500 in December, according to data from the Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts, a research and civil liberties group that advocates to improve court processes and find alternatives to incarceration. Chief Adriana Morales of the sheriffs office said in a statement that electronic monitoring is always court-ordered and confirmed that during Covid-19 theres been a dramatic increase in orders for them. Law enforcement departments that use electronic monitoring say the devices are supposed to serve as an alternative to incarceration and help people remain in their community rather than serving time in jail. But interviews with people who have been incarcerated and then placed on ankle monitors and researchers who study recidivism say the surveillance devices hurt people trying to get their life on track after prison and that theres no evidence the technology is rehabilitative. They often drag adults and youth even deeper into the criminal justice system and sometimes back behind bars.... Law enforcement experts find that ankle monitors seem to work best for a targeted population, like adults who are found to be at high risk to reoffend, said Kelly Mitchell, executive director of the Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice at the University of Minnesota. But for your average drug and property offenses, its not a good use at all. Mitchell said electronic monitoring can be helpful from a probation officers perspective when keeping track of individuals who have committed more serious offenses or violent crimes but would still benefit from being taken out of the jail system. Electronic monitoring can provide a little bit of extra something to monitor that person for a period of time if we decide that were ready to give them a chance in the community, Mitchell said. Ankle monitors were first developed by social psychologists in the 1960s in an effort to offer positive reinforcement to juvenile offenders. They came into use by the justice system in the 1980s and early 1990s. While they still offer the upside of an alternative to prison or jail, they have in recent years become the focus of growing skepticism particularly as their use has widened. Advocates for criminal justice reform say that while ankle monitors may appear preferable for people who hope to get out of jail sooner, they dont address systemic issues that land so many people behind bars. We're not putting resources into their communities to address the issues of violence, to address the issues of unemployment and poverty and structural racism, said James Kilgore, an author and activist with the Challenging E-Carceration project at the Center for Media Justice. Instead were going to slap this thing on them so we can track them, and we can keep them locked up in their house.... Though electronic monitoring is cheaper for municipalities and states than jail, the cost of the surveillance device is often passed on to the people wearing them. And during the pandemic, when millions of people lost their jobs and unemployment benefits were backlogged, that cost added up. In at least 30 states, agencies require those who are placed in an electronic monitor to pay between $2 and $20 a day to wear one, not including activation fees that some counties tack on, according to Weisburds research.... While the cost of incarceration is higher than the cost of an ankle monitor and being on house arrest for many is a better option than being in jail, in places like Chicago, the majority of people who are on electronic monitoring are awaiting trial and have yet to be convicted. But unlike other jurisdictions, Cook County does not charge offenders.... Like so many electronics, ankle monitors also dont always work. When the electronic monitor senses a violation, whether from not being charged at the right time or when someone steps outside their house at the wrong time, the company running the monitor notifies law enforcement. Then officers may be sent to the wearers home or work. With the dramatic increase of people on ankle monitors during the pandemic in Chicago, local watchdogs say theyre seeing a rise in violations for small infractions. Matthew McLoughlin, an organizer with the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice, said hes also seen an increase in more false violations and technical glitches for people whose ankle monitors rely on GPS tracking. Let freedom ring via recent postings at Marijuana Law, Policy & Reform | Main | Asking hard (but incomplete) questions about electronic monitoring as an alternative to prison July 5, 2021 Important perspectives as rising homicides garner ever more attention In this round up of recommended reading, I noted the the New York magazine article titled, "Progressives Dont Need to Downplay Rising Homicides." I wanted to flag the article again in the separate post because I think this piece provides particularly useful perspectives on the ever-growing concerns about increased homicides in the US and about a variety of reactions thereto. I highly recommend the piece in full (and its many links), and here I will spotlight just a few of many passages that merit attention (with some links from the original): At our most peaceful, the United States is an exceptionally murderous nation. In 2014, America recorded the lowest homicide rate in its history and the highest homicide rate of any comparably prosperous country. That year, Americans were more than three times as likely as Western Europeans to die by murder. Like most things in the U.S., this aberrantly high risk of homicide was not distributed equally. Residents of Washington, D.C., were murdered at eight times the rate of those in Iowa. Within the District, as in virtually all major U.S. cities, killing was largely quarantined to a select group of politically disempowered, economically dispossessed neighborhoods. Poor Black people did the bulk of the dying. Americas distribution of violent death has changed little over the past seven years. But the sum total has risen considerably. In 2019, the U.S. murder rate was about 11 percent higher than it had been in 2014. We do not yet have an official body count for 2020. But preliminary data suggests that, across major cities, homicides rose by an average of 30 percent last year and then jumped another 24 percent through the first few months of this one.... The dismissive posture that many progressives adopt toward coverage of violent crime is motivated by inarguable insights: Americans routinely overestimate the prevalence of crime, a fact that is largely attributable to the medias if it bleeds, it leads modus operandi. Despite the homicide surge of the past two years, Americas murder rate remains far lower than it was in the 1990s, and mainstream coverage does not always convey this fact. Even last year, the number of Americans killed by homicide (roughly 20,000) paled in comparison to those killed by more mundane, perennially under-covered social ills such as the tobacco industry (est. 480,000), air pollution (est. 100,000), or lack of health insurance (est. 45,000).... Progressives arent going to get the media to ignore crime for the sake of social justice. And we arent going to persuade the urban working class to disregard rising homicide. Thus, our best bet for resisting a punitive turn in criminal-justice policy is to convince voters that our approach to public safety is more effective than the pro-carceral status quo. Happily, the evidence that a progressive anti-crime agenda would outperform Americas traditional draconian one is quite strong. Contrary to the wishful speculations of some pundits, the past years spike in homicide is not attributable to the rise of progressive prosecutors: Murder rates have risen no faster in cities with reformist district attorneys. Meanwhile, criminological research suggests that: Long prison sentences do not deter crime, and are actually counterproductive for public safety. Investments in preschool and summer-job programs lower disadvantaged young peoples susceptibility to criminal activity. Community-based violence interrupter programs can preempt lethal violence. Raising wages for low-skill workers can reduce recidivism, and thus, pro-labor policies are anti-crime policies. If the Medicaid expansion is any guide, then increasing access to affordable health care in general and free drug treatment in particular can deliver immediate reductions in both violent and property crimes. Laws tightening licensing requirements for handgun purchases have yielded dramatic reductions in firearm homicide rates. July 5, 2021 at 07:47 PM | Permalink Comments Many are struggling to understand why the number of homicides is rising in so many places, despite the fact that the rates for so many other crimes are falling. Here in Lexington, Ky., we had 2 more homicides over the July 4th holiday weekend, making 22 homicides so for in 2021. This is a contrast to the record of 34 homicides set in 2020. In Louisville, they had a record 173 homicides in 2020, but have already had more than 100 homicides by the first week of July 2021. In 2020, it took Louisville until August 18th to reach 100 homicides. These are troubling trends. In part, I attribute the rise in homicides to youngsters, 16 to 25, getting their hands on guns more frequently than in past years. I would like to hear the theories of others concerning the widespread rise in homicides presently happening. Posted by: Jim Gormley | Jul 6, 2021 7:49:45 AM Post a comment By Saeed Azhar and Tom Arnold DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) - Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has raised its stake in Credit Suisse to 6%, in a move seen as underlining its long-term commitment to the troubled lender. The stake, higher than earlier estimated, follows QIA subscribing to two convertible notes, which will be converted into shares later this year, according to a regulatory filing. "It shows the continued support of a loyal long-term shareholder," said Andreas Venditti, senior analyst at Bank Vontobel, adding that the deal involved a select group of large core shareholders, including QIA, committing to subscribe to the full amount of the two convertibles, including the balance that was not subscribed by other shareholders. Qatar's $300 billion sovereign wealth fund is the biggest shareholder of Credit Suisse, but a filing in late June showed its stake had slipped below 5%, raising questions about its commitment to the investment. Credit Suisse's top management are under pressure to come up with an overhaul plan after losing more than $5 billion in the rush to unwind trades by family office Archegos and suspending funds linked to Greensill.] However a new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission showed that the Qatari fund was among the investors who subscribed to Credit Suisse's capital raising in April when the Swiss lender issued mandatory convertible notes. Stock exchange data still shows QIA's stake of 4.84%, however the stake rises to 6.01% if the convertibles are taken into account, the new filing shows. Credit Suisse in April said the mandatory convertible notes will be converted upon six month maturity, but they could be subject to early conversion upon the occurrence of certain events. It follows recent strong bets on fintech start ups, with QIA participating in venture capital rounds in Starling Bank, Paycor, Tandem, said Javier Capape, director of sovereign wealth research at Spain's IE Center for the Governance of Change. Story continues "For QIA to bet on 'traditional banking' while betting on disruptive financial technologies is a way to balance risks in this challenging sector." QIA first invested in Credit Suisse in 2008, at the height of the financial crisis, and later increased its stake to above 5%. Shares of Credit Suisse were down 0.9% in late morning trading and are down 15.5% year to date. (Reporting by Saeed Azhar in Dubai and Tom Arnold in London, editing by Louise Heavens and Chizu Nomiyama) Health Minister Ong Ye Kung speaking in Parliament on 6 July 2021. (SCREENSHOT: Ministry of Communications and Informations/YouTube) SINGAPORE The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has made free trade agreements (FTA), particularly the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) between Singapore and India, "political scapegoats" in order to discredit the People's Action Party government, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung in Parliament on Tuesday (6 July). Ong told the House that the PSP has repeatedly alleged that CECA allows professionals from India a free hand to come and work in Singapore. "Nothing in the agreement implies Singapore must unconditionally let in professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) from India,"said Ong, a former trade negotiator who was delivering a Ministerial Statement. "Contrary to PSPs claim, our ability to impose requirements for immigration and work pass, has never been in question in CECA or any other FTA that we have signed." Ong charged that, for months, the PSP has alleged that FTAs and CECA have led to the "unfettered inflow" of Indian professionals, displacing Singaporeans from their jobs, and bringing about all kinds of social ills. "This is a seductively simplistic argument that workers facing challenges at their workplaces can identify with, and has stirred up a lot of emotions. CECA-themed websites have sprouted, filled with disturbing xenophobic views about Indian immigrants." In the process, said Ong, "toxic views" turned into verbal and physical assaults on Indians, including Singapore citizens. It was the opening salvo of a debate with the PSP on CECA, a challenge issued by Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam which the opposition party accepted last month. Last Thursday, PSP also refuted Ongs false allegations that it has helped fuel sentiment against Indian immigrants arising from its position about CECA. Signed in 2005, CECA was Indias first comprehensive bilateral FTA with any country. CECA is 'part of the solution' Story continues On Tuesday, Ong declared, "Our FTAs in general, and CECA in particular, are not the cause of the challenges our PMEs face; if anything, they are part of the solution." Singapore's network of FTAs is a "major selling point" for investors, with its total trade in goods and services three times its gross domestic product. Since 2005, its total trade has nearly doubled from around $890 billion to $1.5 trillion. Ong explained that an FTA requires a country to remove or lower tariffs on substantially all trade between FTA partners. He noted that FTAs are especially important to Singapore's small and medium enterprises, as they free them from being constrained by the small domestic market, and give them access to world markets. "We could not have advanced the welfare of Singaporeans to the degree we have without FTAs. When you attack FTAs, and worse if your attack succeeds, you are undermining the fundamentals of our existence." CECA, claimed Ong, gave Singapore a "strategic first-mover advantage" in India, just when the latter was taking off to be an economic powerhouse. According to Ong, CECA reduces tariff barriers, which made Singapore goods more competitive in the Indian market. Partly because of that, bilateral trade between the two countries had grown by over 80 per cent, from $20 billion in 2005 to $38 billion in 2019. Similarly, Singapores direct investment abroad in India grew by nearly 50 times, from $1.3 billion to $61 billion during the same period. In 2019, 660 companies from Singapore have investments in India, almost double the number a decade ago. "As these companies grow regionally, they hire more people back home too. In 2019, they employed 97,000 locals," said Ong, who is also a Member of Parliament for Sembawang. More competition for jobs Ong conceded that many parties to FTAs commit not to impose labour market tests. This is a common clause in Singapore's FTAs, including with India, Australia, China and the US, and means that companies are not required to go through "onerous processes" and documentation to prove that no suitable locals will take a job, before they can hire a foreigner. Instead, the common and best practice is to interview the suitable candidates, consider them fairly, and make a judgement on the best person. "These are all market-friendly, widely adopted, reasonable obligations." Ong acknowledged that this means foreign PMEs can compete for jobs with locals at the company level and there can be a zero-sum situation. Hence, a trade-off is at play many jobs, strong competition, or few jobs, no competition, he added. He revealed that the number of employment pass (EP) holders has increased from 65,000 in 2005, to 177,000 in 2020. This is an increase of 112,000, or an annual growth rate of just under 7 per cent. He stressed, "Over this period, the increase in number of local PMEs is much higher, by over 380,000. We need to find the right balance where there are more jobs, some competition." Ong warned, "If someone promises you many more jobs with no competition from foreigners, he is selling you snake oil. It is not possible. It cannot be on any governments policy menu." The minister noted that foreign PMEs also help cushion the impact on the local workforce when times are bad, as they bear the brunt of job losses. Amid the pandemic, for the 12 months to April 2021, the number of Employment Pass holders dropped by about 21,600, and S Pass holders fell by about 26,800. Foreign PME concentrations Ong also acknowledged that foreign PMEs are concentrated in certain sectors, and from certain countries of origin. "Indeed, as our digital economy and our needs for tech talent grew, more PMEs from India came into Singapore, through our EP framework." The Minister added, "And when the concentration happens in areas like Changi Business Park, some may feel that we have lost a part of Singapore. Members of the House have raised this concern." However, dealing with this "excessive concentration" is not a straight-forward matter of chopping up the operations of a company here. "We dont want to unintentionally cause the whole investment to move elsewhere. This will hurt even more Singaporeans." Welcoming diverse talent As a city-state connected to the world, Singapore must welcome diverse talent from all over the world and invite them to fit into society. "When Singaporeans go overseas to live and work about 200,000 of us do we expect the same of ourselves, and hope that we receive hospitable welcomes from our foreign hosts too," said Ong. The minister alluded to Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai's comment in the House that Piyush Gupta, the naturalised Singaporean CEO of DBS, was not "home grown", and that this was a "failure". He urged members of the House not to give credence to "very negative, even ugly, minority views" and that they should be very careful about what they say on such matters. "We must always be a big-hearted people, even while we grapple with the significant challenges of globalisation to forge the best path forward for Singapore." Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore More Parliament stories: Police reports on racial, religious friction nearly doubled in 2020: Shanmugam No PR data by nationalities as it would create negative sensitivities - Shanmugam HDB's Ethnic Integration Policy still necessary: Desmond Lee Review of Singapore's COVID response will be more 'broad-ranging' than COI: Teo Chee Hean "Ordinarily, we'd travel to compete in tournaments," Vanderloo said. "Because of the pandemic, most of our contests were done virtually." This made it difficult for Vanderloo to get into the character of young corporate executive Ross Gardiner, who was found guilty of reckless driving after nearly running over an 86-year-old widower known only as Mr. Green in playwright Jeff Baron's "Visiting Mr. Green." As a way to serve six months of community service, Gardiner must pay weekly visits to Mr. Green (played by Braunstein), who resented the younger man's presence. "Normally, you draw a lot of energy from an audience," Vanderloo said. "You get it when they laugh at a funny scene or when they're touched during a dramatic scene." During a taped, virtual performance, an actor must rely entirely on instinct and ability. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} "When your performance is captured only on a split screen on a computer, it becomes like a choreographed dance," Vanderloo said. "I had to know exactly what Max was going to do, so I could respond to it." The art of performance was nothing new for Vanderloo, who has been acting since the third grade. BEEBE, Ark. (AP) The Rev. Al Sharpton and attorneys for George Floyd's family on Tuesday mourned a white Arkansas teenager fatally shot by a sheriff's deputy, as they urged support across racial lines for efforts to reform police practices. Photos taken in January show Rittenhouse drinking in a Mount Pleasant bar and gesturing with what appeared to be a white power symbol. Prosecutors said in their motions they have learned the people Rittenhouse was with included the leader of the Proud Boys' Wisconsin chapter and several of its high-ranking members. Richards filed another motion on Thursday arguing evidence related to the altercation between Rittenhouse and the teenage girl is irrelevant. He also argued that there's no indication Rittenhouse knew any of the Proud Boys before that night in the bar or that he has associated with the group. What's more, nothing supports the argument that race was a factor in the shootings, Richards said. Huber and Grosskreutz were part of a "mob that was chasing Rittenhouse, Richards wrote in the motion. Huber hit Rittenhouse with a skateboard and tried to grab his gun, and Grosskreutz pointed a pistol at him, Richards wrote. Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder has scheduled a hearing on the motions for Sept. 17. Follow Todd Richmond on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trichmond1 Associated Press writer Gretchen Ehlke in Milwaukee contributed to this report. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 KYIV, Ukraine (AP) The highest court in Belarus convicted an aspiring rival to the nation's authoritarian president on corruption charges that he rejects as politically motivated and sentenced him Tuesday to 14 years in prison. As the last American troops leave Afghanistan, ending our 20-year warthe longest in U.S. historymore suddenly and swiftly than anyone had anticipated, a few grave evasions should trouble us all, regardless of our opinions on the decision to pull out. The first concern is the fate of the many Afghans who served as translators to U.S. troops for all these years and who will almost certainly be arrested or killed if theyre left behind and the Taliban come to power. Pentagon officials say evacuation plans are in the works. But it seems doubtful that the plans are as extensive as they would need to be to rescue all of the deserving and their families, especially since the Taliban have blocked many roads from the provinces to Kabuland since the countrys largest runway, at Bagram air base, has been shut down and abandoned. But we shall see. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. The second ambiguity is that, in April, when President Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of U.S. armed forces, he also reaffirmed a continued U.S. commitment to keep Afghanistan free of terrorist ruleand yet its not at all clear how to do both: how to fight the Taliban or any other terrorists without any troops on the ground. Biden said he would prevent reemergence of terrorists in Afghanistan from over the horizona military term that means just what it sounds like: from far away and from up in the sky. In this case, it means that Taliban and other forces would be monitored by distant sensors and satellitesand, if necessary, fired upon by fighter jets, missiles, or drones launched from U.S. military bases. The closest of these bases, in or around Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, are more than 1,000 miles away. Advertisement Two things are known about over-the-horizon defense: Its not very effective (good intelligence and combat are best performed close in, on the ground), and its very expensive. It requires tying up more fighter planes, refueling tankers, jet fuel, missiles, and drones at those distant bases; filling them with more personnel (pilots, maintenance crews, intelligence specialists); and possibly keeping an extra aircraft carrier in the region. Advertisement The high cost is the most puzzling piece of Bidens formula. The real, underlying rationale for getting out of Afghanistan is that the place has simply fallen off the list of our top security priorities. Biden said as much in his speech announcing the withdrawal: We have to shore up American competitiveness to meet the stiff competition were facing an increasingly assertive China. We have to strengthen our alliances defeat this pandemic. Well be much more formidable to our adversaries and competitors over the long term if we fight the battles for the next 20 years, not the last 20. Advertisement He was right. He was also right in noting that terrorism has many havens these days and that excessive focus on Afghanistan detracts attention from other hot spots. Finally, he was right that everyone has long admitted that military victory in Afghanistan is impossible; that a firm commitment from the Taliban to play nice if they take over would be welcome but isnt likely; that were going to have to get out at some point, so why not now. But in that same speech, Biden also talked as though the pillars of our commitmentstaving off the Taliban and protecting the Kabul regimeremained solid. He said: Advertisement Well hold the Taliban accountable for its commitment not to allow any terrorists that threaten the United States or its allies from Afghan soil. We will keep providing assistance to the Afghan National Defenses and Security Forces Advertisement When Biden met in late June with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, he emphasized enduring United States support for the Afghan people, including Afghan women, girls, and minorities (whose rights would be seriously endangered by a resurgent Taliban government) and firmly agreed that although U.S. troops are leaving Afghanistan, the strong bilateral partnership will continue. (This is according to the official White House readout from the meeting.) Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has also spoken of bombing and strafing Taliban forces if they try to take over Kabul or other major Afghan cities. (If the president refuses to authorize such actions, if and when those threats arise, there is likely to be internecine conflict within the Biden administration.) Advertisement There was an obligatory tone to these reassurances, especially as they were proclaimed while looters were stripping all the hardware from what had been the countrys largest American air base (and, decades before then, the largest Soviet base). Advertisement If (some would say when) the Taliban move to overthrow the Kabul government, one of two things will happen: Biden will make good on his commitments, in which case the U.S. will be stuck there for years to come, though with less firepower and at greater cost; or he wont, in which case one of the drawbacks of the U.S. troop withdrawalthe devaluation of American commitments generallywill be compounded. Biden had good reasons to pull the plug, but if the place unravels, manyand not just his criticswill recall two facts. First, American troops hadnt been fighting in Afghanistan for quite some time; theyd mainly been providing the Afghan military with training, intelligence, and air support. No U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan since February 2020. (Four were killed in January and February of that year combined.) Advertisement Second, in his final months in office, President Barack Obama decided to keep a few thousand troops in Afghanistannot to conduct nation-building (hed ended that futile mission already) but to fight terrorists along the Pakistani border. His logic was that it would be good to have a counterterrorism base in the region; hed recently signed a security agreement with the Afghan government (something the U.S. does not have with any other country nearby); so, since counterterrorism was still a military mission, why not hang on to a base or two in Afghanistan, especially since the presence of U.S. troops could also keep the country from imploding. Biden knows all these arguments; he participated in them as Obamas vice president and, before then, as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He no doubt knows that Obama had a point, but he also knows that, as long as U.S. troops remain, theres a chance they risk getting drawn into serious combat again. He came down against that side of the risk. But if Afghanistan falls apart, many will blame him for picking the wrong side. To understand whats happening right now with critical race theory, it helps to go back to when the idea was first germinated in the 1970s. During that time, Derrick Bell, whod become the first tenured Black professor at Harvard Law School, was researching racism wasnt just about individual choices, but structuralbaked into systems, legal and otherwise, that people come up against in their lives. Bells ideas gained purchase among other Ivy League scholars, including Kimberle Crenshaw, who helped organized a 1989 conference called New Developments in Critical Race Theory, effectively giving this new field a name. Bell and his compatriots tried all kinds of ways to impart his big ideathat American law is imbued with racial bigotryto the broadest possible audience, from sci-fi stories to discursive books that were recommended in universities. But in recent times, the theory behind these stories has been infamously squashed and twisted by Republicans and conservative pundits. After decades of use within academia, how did critical race theory become so controversial, so quickly? To find out, I spoke with Adam Harris, a staff writer at the Atlantic who was introduced to critical race theory during college, on Tuesdays episode of What Next. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adam Harris: As a framework for understanding, race in American law, critical race theory has been, for academics, a very useful tool. But the problem is that, as with other academic frameworks and theories, it gets distorted when it leaves academia. Mary Harris: I was surprised by how long these three wordscritical race theoryhad been used as a conservative boogeyman. Never been as much as now, but its come up before. Like Lani Guinier, who was nominated by President Bill Clinton to be an assistant attorney general, her nomination was scuttled partially because of discussion about critical race theory. Can you talk about when these three words were seized on in order to criticize people, especially Democrats? Advertisement Lani Guiniers nomination was one of the first times you really saw the theory show up in a major waywhen Democrats backed away, they were all effectively saying she was too radical and CRT too divisive of a concept. But then it kind of went dormant in the broader conversation. You saw a mention of it when Derrick Bell died in 2011 and a video resurfaced of President Barack Obama introducing Bell when Obama was a student in the 1990s. Conservatives said this was evidence the president was consorting with radicals. And that was the first mention of CRT on Fox News. The second instance is a throwaway mention after George Zimmerman acquitted for the murder of Trayvon Martin. Then you dont really hear about it much. There are about four or five mentions in between Zimmermans acquittal and June 2020, right after George Floyd is murdered by Derek Chauvin. Then people take to the streets, and you start to see a pushback to this fundamental reassessment of the gaps and inequities in American society. Advertisement Advertisement Over the past year, one person in particular has been leading the charge against critical race theory: Christopher Rufo. He lives in Seattle and works for a conservative think tank. As protests were sweeping the country last summer, he got an email from a city of Seattle employee. It said required diversity training was teaching employees to hate their country and it included PowerPoint slides as proof. Rufo saw this as an opportunity, and he started writing about it. He doesnt use the term critical race theory at first. But he starts to get messages from other school districts, various anecdotes from the federal government, and he writes each of these up and into a small portfolio of stories. Then hes invited by September on Tucker Carlsons show. Rufo starts off by saying that critical race theory is infecting the upper echelons of American bureaucracy, that its become the dominant theory of diversity trainings, and that it should be banned because it is teaching white people to hate themselvesthat its teaching Americans to hate America fundamentally, things that are contrary to what critical race theory actually does. Rufo then calls on President Donald Trump to ban critical race theory and federal workforce trainings. He receives a message the next day from the presidents chief of staff. The president had apparently been watching the program. And three weeks later, the president signs an executive order banning the fun house mirror version of critical race theory that Rufo had outlined on Fox News. Advertisement Advertisement Rufo seems to know exactly what hes doing: Theres a name, CRT, that he can hang a whole bunch of feelings on. Hes not subtle about it. He says he wants everyone to associate any negative feelings they have about race and about being forced to talk of race with this phrase. You know, I asked him to define what critical race theory was at that time. He defined the theory in a way that many critical races theorists actually would not disagree with. But outside of the definition of the theory, he said that effectively he wants to wrap all of the things that, you conservatives disagree with under this veil of critical race theory so that its fundamentally changed the publics understanding of what the term actually means. Advertisement Its important to say flat out that what conservatives are mad about right now is not necessarily critical race theory itselfthats the brand name theyve assigned to a bigger fight over how Americans talk about race. But that hasnt stopped Republicans in statehouses around the country from rushing to legislate away any mention of critical race theory in school curriculums or government trainings. Sometimes the language is much broader than that, simply looking to quash divisive concepts in the classroom. So far, legislation about critical race theory or related ideas has been introduced in 22 states, and signed into law in six of them. The language, mechanisms, and consequences are different between each bill, but the overall effect is mostly the same. Advertisement Advertisement What free speech advocates were worried about at the beginning was that such bills would effectively chill speech, chill what teachers and professors felt comfortable being able to say. Youve written that the vagueness is part of the point: If youre so vague anything can go in there. That is effectively the point of the way that the bills are written. Some of these divisive concepts are written in a way that its like, if I teach my students about exclusionary zoning laws, is that how you understand a divisive concept? One persons divisive concept is another persons truth and history. Exactly. Teachers are just teaching history and facts. It is true that redlining continues to affect housing segregation in cities today. Thats not a belief. That is a fact. Advertisement The most chilling rule to me was one in Florida requiring folks at public universities to be surveyed to ensure that there was intellectual diversity. Theres no indication of how the surveys will be used. Its just a vague, clouded threat. I also keep coming back to the Pennsylvania legislation that says certain books cant be taught, that certain speakers, cant come to campuses. Its been interesting because over the past several years, that has been a prominent conservative criticism, that theyre shutting down conservative speakers, and now you have conservative lawmakers introducing bills that would ban speakers from coming to campus, that would ban teachers from assigning certain texts. Thats a textbook free speech violation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Youve studied equity in education for a long time, and this whole debate makes me wonder if you have thoughts about why education in particular is such a lightning rod for these issues. Why are we always fighting in the schools? The conversation about curriculum and what people are being taught has such a long, long history. America is dead set on this idea of local control over schools, and in time that extends into the curriculum. Of course, the idea of local control over schools is in part what keeps Americas schools remarkably inequitable, in terms of the funding they receive through local tax dollars and such. But going back even further than that, you saw, during the civil rights movement, the University of Mississippi was almost literally in 1962. You had protests, bombings Advertisement Because they were trying to integrate schools. Yeah. Schools have historically been this this flashpoint. It comes as no surprise now that when were in the wake of another reassessment of American history and the deep inequalities in American society, schools have once again become one of the flashpoints. I wonder if you look back at that history and think that all this may be the beginning of something rather than the end. Advertisement When you have parents literally being arrested protesting this boogeyman of critical race theory in schools, you are seeing a more aggressive pushback to this iteration of reassessment. There are a couple of ways this could go. Its clear at this point that this boogeyman is not going away anytime soon. And in the conservative publishing ecosystem, there are books coming out soon that will point to critical race theory as something broadly infecting American society. Advertisement When I think about how we teach race in America, I often in my mind compare it to Germany. After World War II, there was a curriculum implemented where students were taught from a young age about how Hitler rose and why the Nazis came to power. They were explicitly taught that it was wrong. We dont do anything close to that when it comes to slavery in the United States. And then I think about how Germany is struggling with its own right wing that seems to have come about in spite of this very careful thinking about how we talk about our history and who we are. It makes me wonder, I dont know if we know how to have this conversation and I dont know if anyones figured it out yet. I dont think America has figured out how to talk about race. I dont think the world more broadly is able to talk about imperialism and the history of colonialism in a way that is consistent what actually happened. I still dont think we are having those kinds of robust conversations because theyre difficult, because they make people uncomfortable. And when people get uncomfortable, they want to push back and rebel against that feeling of unease. Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts Get more news from Mary Harris every weekday. Most us have encountered the old trope where a girl starts down a staircase, usually in the dark, unsure of what shell find. Its an old strain of horror that relied on suspense. It had other elements too: If there were monsters, for instance, they were generally understood as things to be avoided. Characters went to some trouble to flee, and audiences rooted for them, knowing they were trying their best. But genres change. Horror these days is different: It consists of (for example) watching peoplespecifically, Democratic politiciansmarch knowingly, slowly, and fully informed of what awaits them and their voters, into civic annihilation. Advertisement Theyre playing the trumpet in hi-vis vests at the bottom of the stairs. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are marching down that staircase anyway. Theres no mystery here. No suspense. It is clear what will happen if the filibuster isnt abolished: Voting rights legislation will not be passed. Republicans have not been subtle about their oppositioninstead, theyve introduced more than 300 bills to make it hard or even impossible for the Americans they do not believe deserve representation to vote. A certain kind of Democrat likes to respond to this kind of threat by saying constituents just need to turn out. But if we learned anything in this last election, its that mustering ever greater numbers wont be enough: Joe Biden won by an unprecedented 7 million votes, and many Republicans still refuse to admit he won the presidential election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its this last bitRepublicans still indulging election conspiracy theories as possibly legitimate and then somethat should really be the dead giveaway that there isnt a whisper of bipartisan possibility here. Republican politicians, and I give them credit for this, could not have been clearer. Theyve switched on every light in the old basement and painted signs that say, Here is what we plan to do to you, hello! Theyre playing the trumpet in hi-vis vests at the bottom of the stairs. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are marching down that staircase anyway. And were not just watching; theyre dragging us down there with them. Let this be a comfort: They are nattily dressed. Advertisement Horror shouldnt be boring either, but it is boring, dreadfully so, to watch yet another instance of Democrats failing to meet the moment, particularly since the moments that matter are running out. Its the repetitive strain, I think, compounded by the fact that impotence is no longer an excuse. Democrats could actually legislate now. Instead of securing the right to vote, Manchin and Sinema are hellbent on preserving that beloved American principle: the filibuster. You know, the filibuster. The thing Americans gather every Fourth of July to revere. That cherished organ of democracy. That procedural fillip thats gotten a million headlines and which, despite unrelenting media coverage, most Americans couldnt competently explain if you held one of our millions of guns to our headsas demonstrated by recent poll results on Senate procedure showing that a majority of Americans said theyd prefer both a 51-vote simple majority and to preserve the filibuster (the filibuster prevents a 51-vote simple majority). Americans do not care about the filibuster itself. It is in this specific sense a placeholder, the latest issue to organize Republican solidarity and Democratic moderation around. As Ryan Cooper said on Twitter: If it had been abolished two months ago, the public would have moved on to fresh outrages by now. A specific political grievance, no matter how grave, can only remain front of mind for so long. Consider Republicans decision to pack the Supreme Court with a supermajority; the outrage it provoked was justified and immense, but it has also been basically metabolized. Democratic voters are no longer treating it like the dire generations-long transformation of the American political landscape that it plainly is. Advertisement Advertisement Maybe they cant. People arent built to live in a state of constant panic. Some might even take comfort in the fact that the court this term was moderate (in the sense that it didnt blow everything up; it wasnt actually moderate at all) as if Supreme Court justicessome of the canniest operators on the planetmight not be thinking strategically about how to reassure a rattled public until a Republican majority is safely secured. And even those optimists ought to be shaken by Thursdays Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act, an ostensibly moderate decision by Justice Samuel Alito that, to quote my colleague Mark Joseph Stern, dismantled what remains of the Voting Rights Act, all but ensuring that every voter suppression law passed in the wake of the 2020 election will survive judicial scrutiny. Democracy is on the line, President Joe Biden said in a statement responding to the decision, also noting that the present struggle is no longer just about a fight over who gets to vote and making it easier for eligible voters to vote. It is about who gets to count the vote and whether your vote counts at all. House leaders have addressed this catastrophic decision by saying theyre working on an updated John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This is cold comfort. Unless the filibuster is abolished, it will die in the Senate. Advertisement Advertisement One might expect politicians to be better political scorekeepers, given their jobs. And yet the Democratic senators who pledge their troth to bipartisanship are acting like blank slates; they barely seem to remember Jan. 6 happened, let alone the Republican takeover of the Supreme Court. And thats what the Manchin-Sinema posture is, in the end: an unconvincing exercise in denial. To defend the filibuster is to insist that politics have not changed despite the reality that Republicansseveral of whom have made common cause with the Jan. 6 extremists who attacked the Capitol while refusing to honor its defenders, the Capitol Policeare escalating hostilities not despite losing an election but because they lost it. They are not trying to win the moderates they lost back; they are radicalizing further and trying to entrench minoritarian rule. If youre interested in the health of a democracy, thats a code red. The Manchin-Sinema response on this front has been unilateral disarmament in the name ofof all thingsmoderation. Manchin has argued that a bipartisan approach is the only way to restore faith in American elections, by which he means responding to extremism with compromise. Its not hard to predict how that movie ends. Advertisement Advertisement Manchin and Sinema, unlike the poor girl on the stairs, arent just perfectly informed about whats down there; theyre also armed with the power to stop it. The twist, such as it is, is that theyve decided not to use it. And so the horror film contains a comedy of sorts within it in which we, the spectators, become the punchline. Unaware were the joke, we wishfully treat these two as undecided even though theyve both made their decisions clear: They value the filibuster, by which they mean bipartisanship, even when bipartisanship means compromising with an increasingly extreme GOP that is presently hellbent on disenfranchisement. They value this more, it would seem, than voting rights, the ability to legislate, or the future of American democracy. Advertisement You cant go back to normal after Trump revealed what Republicans would go along with. Its an understandable impulse in its way. It might even be politically smart for their specific constituents: Plenty of not-particularly-political Americans exhausted by Trumps viciousness and lack of principle long for a return to some kind of shared vision for a country they once regarded as at least nominally functional or institutionally intact. The filibuster is after all a rule, and preserving rules feels right to a lot of people who found the norm-shredding lawlessness of the Trump administration truly alarming. For moderates clinging to the view that the truthor the correct course of actionlies somewhere in the middle between equally dishonest sides, bipartisanship isnt a bad code word. It gestures, however feebly, at a longing for normalcy and good faith and cooperation; it sounds reasonable, moderate, practical. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is not. You cant go back to normal after Trump revealed what Republicans would go along with. Pretending it didnt happenor that its better now that Trump is gonemight feel reasonable precisely because it isnt. This is how a state bleeds out. The damage is not in the past. Republicans are not stopping. But neither, curiously, is the mentality that insists, despite ample evidence to the contrary, that Republicans will suddenly snap out of it and become responsible political partners. Respect for the opposition seems to be operating more like a core value than an empirical analysis. Michael Hobbes suggested on Twitter that the problem is that pretending Republicans can be reasoned with is key to a certain kind of Democrats sense of self; they understand on an intellectual level that Republicans will never compromise and Democrats simply have to win electionsbut they dont want to believe it. It changes how they see themselves. So they act like its not true. Advertisement Ah well. Were stuck in the theater, and hope is the fetid air we breathe. Maybe the infamous infrastructure bill will sate Manchin and Sinemas craving for bipartisanship and free them up for desperately needed action, partisan or not. Maybe this will turn out to have been a conversion story all along, some of us think, starring a West Virginia man and an Arizona woman, instead of the horror flick were all trapped in. Dutifully and because we have no other choice, we read the tea leaves. Ooh, Manchin signaled hell support reconciliation for the infrastructure bill even if it only has Democratic support! Does this mean hes softened his stance on bipartisanship? Breaking: Manchin will vote in favor of debating a bill on voting rights that he himself helped negotiate. Gasps in the crowd! (It will not passbecause of the filibuster.) Advertisement Advertisement What Manchin says behind closed doors matters more than what he says to the public, and what hes said in both settings is that he wants to save the filibuster. He was very explicit in a frank chat with wealthy pro-filibuster donors that was leaked to the Intercept: He said his best shot at defending the filibuster from the far leftwhich he wants to dowas getting some Republicans to get on board for the Jan. 6 commission. None joined. And yet, despite some teasing here and there, he has not changed his stance. Look, it would be great if this rotten, boring, high-stakes film switched genres. It would be amazing if it became the Manchin and Sinema Redemption Story: How They Changed Their Minds and Saved Democracy. But were tired of watching the movie were also in. The suspense is killing us, except that it is also boring usso much that many of us are tuning out. What else is there to do here, stuck on the steps. Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones told CBS This Morning she has turned down a tenured faculty position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has instead accepted a tenured position at Howard University, the historically Black university in Washington, D.C. The decision by the acclaimed New York Times writer concludes an embarrassing and troubling episode at UNC where Hannah-Jones was offered the position at UNCs journalism school without tenure, despite it being customary that appointees to the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism are tenured. The faculty board had recommended Hannah-Jones for tenure and each of the previous white appointees had gotten tenure along with the position, but UNCs board of trustees failed to offer Hannah-Jones a tenure-protected position. Facing student protests and widespread recriminations for what appeared be political meddling, UNC, last week, reversed course, offering Hannah-Jones tenure along with the five-year position. On Tuesday, however, Hannah-Jones declined, saying after all of the resistance, its just not something that I want anymore. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement JUST IN: Award-winning journalist @nhannahjones reveals on @CBSThisMorning she has declined the University of North Carolina's offer for tenure and will be the inaugural Knight Chair in Race and Reporting at @HowardU. pic.twitter.com/w9j0gVe0cd CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) July 6, 2021 Hannah-Jones is an alumna of the UNC journalism school, receiving her masters degree there; a MacArthur fellow, the so-called genius grant; and the creator of the New York Times 1619 Project about the lasting impacts of slavery. Of all Hannah-Joness writing and work on race, the 1619 Project rankled conservative politicians the most for its depiction of the history of the slave trade and its persistent and insidious influence on America. The board of trustees, which is under political control in North Carolina and appointed by the Republican-led state Legislature, initially withheld tenure saying there were questions that needed to be answered about Hannah-Jones candidacy. The reaction was immediate: The decision was decried as an unjust and racist restriction on the academic freedom of a leading American voice on race and journalism. The board ultimately voted 9-to-4 to offer Hannah-Jones tenure, but the damage had already been done. Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Hannah-Jones said she will instead take up a newly created position at Howard as the Knight Chair in Race and Journalism; she will also found a new Center for Journalism and Democracy. She said she will use those positions to train and encourage Black students to accurately and urgently [cover] the challenges of our democracy with a clarity, skepticism, rigor and historical dexterity that is too often missing from todays journalism. Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates will also join the Howard faculty as a writer-in-residence. The new positions are supported by nearly $20 million in grants to Howard from the Knight Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and an anonymous donor. In many ways the 2020 term at the Supreme Court followed the progression of the coronavirus. There were different phases and stages, distinct strains and variants; there was death and grief and new life and rebirth. And through it all there was gaslighting and denial. Until about a week ago, we heard a lot of media stories of a confounding and unpredictable court, with improbable lineups and unlikely bedfellows. And sure, there has been a lot of that. But Thursday saw a change in narrative with the thunking down of two cases that seemed to poke at the very fabric of democracy; a one-two punch that took aim at Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the ability to challenge election laws that burden racial minorities, and seemingly opened the floodgate to unaccountable and untraceable dark money flooding into a system that is already drowning in it. It almost defies comprehension that a Supreme Court that devoted so much energy, all year long, to appearing removed from partisan politics, chose the very last day of the term to let us know that when the rubber hits the road, partisan politics is what matters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its hard to find a metric to measure which story holds up. Was it a 3-3-3 court? Was it a 4-4-1 court? Was it a 2-2-1-2-3 court? Only Count von Count might be able to say. Each of those tales was true, and also not true. There were only 58 merits cases from which to judge. Some of the seeming blockbusters fizzled: The Affordable Care Act challenge not only failed but got kicked to the curb. It turns out enough time has passed to make ACA challenges passe, and also that throwing people off their health care plans in a pandemic was too Dickensian for even this court. The swearing cheerleader got a lot of media attention, because who doesnt like Cocoa Hut, middle fingers, and varsity cheer? But the case stands for the enduring First Amendment proposition that student speech off campus is to be tolerated, unless it is not. The same basic rule emerged from Fulton v. Philadelphiawhat should have been the most important religious liberty case of the year was decided unanimously and seems to stand for the landmark principle that if there is any discretion within your foster care certification policy, it isnt a generally applicable policy, but who knows what all else. As we have been writing in this space for years now, the court is phenomenally good at using the distinction between the warp speed of political time and the slow burn of judicial time to make big things seem inconsequential and tiny things seem vital. Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. The statistical measures of winning and losing justices will only get you so far. Its true that the liberal justices were in the majority a lot. Its true that Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett seem to have staked out a middle place with Chief Justice John Roberts that leaves a far-right flank of the court frustrated at the slow progress of reactionary change. Its also true that Justices Clarence Thomas and Sam Alito are in a hurry, whereas the three Trump justices and Roberts seem to know they have decades in which to operate. On criminal justice and immigration, the lineups were sometimes surprising. On voting rights, not at all. The Chamber of Commerce won 83 percent of the time at the court this yearno surprises there. The court chose not to take a long-standing challenge to the transgender bathroom case that has roiled the conservative culture wars docket for years. And none of what we have described takes into account what happened on the shadow docket this term, where late night, unsigned orders in matters that were never argued or fully briefed significantly changed the way the court looks at death penalty cases, religious liberty, and election law. In a sense, the court that operated in the shadows in 202021 was as consequential as any that operated in the light of day. Yet in at least some of those episodes, we still dont even know which justices authored critical opinions or even who signed on to them. Advertisement Advertisement If the 2020 term ends up standing for anything beyond the decimation of voting rights and undermining of campaign finance disclosure protections, it will be for the 2020 election cases the court flirted with in the summer and fall, then slouched away from when it mattered in November. That four justices were at least tempted to get involved in fights about mail ballots, vote fraud, and the power of the courts to interfere in elections is chilling, yes. That a majority of the courts six conservatives decided to stay away from Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powells claims about stolen ballots and hacked machinery in November doesnt mitigate the fact that they were all in for the Republican Partys efforts to stymie minority voting based on the lie of vote fraud in June. Advertisement Look a bit closer at the courts two bitterly divided voting rights cases this term, and we can see where this Supreme Court is headed next. Back in October, before Barrett joined the bench, the justices split 44 over the Pennsylvania Supreme Courts modest extension of the deadline for mail ballots. At the time, it was easy to see what the four hardcore conservatives were teeing up: A postelection Bush v. Gorestyle case in which the Supreme Court handed itself the power to nullify thousands of legal ballots. To do so, they tried to stop state judiciaries from protecting voting rights under their states constitutiona notion that was too radical even for the Bush v. Gore majority and constituted a direct assault on states rights to set their own election rules. They also floated Trumpian conspiracy theories designed to undermine public confidence in the integrity of the election. And they even suggested that Democratic election administrators were meddling with ballots. Advertisement Advertisement But the Four Horsemen lost, and Donald Trump lost much too decisively for them to get a rematch. In the months that followed, Republicans flooded the courts with frivolous lawsuits attempting to overturn the election. These challenges, it cannot be stressed enough, were meritless nonsensea symptom of the rot at the heart of the conservative legal movement that never stood a chance in court. Yet when the Supreme Court predictably turned them away, the conservative justices received praise for staying out of the election. Even Justice Stephen Breyer lauded the court for staying out of the conflict. But the Supreme Court did get involved in the 2020 election. The conservative justices fought hard to disqualify a huge number of valid mail ballots in swing states like Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Just because they did not succeed, and declined to hop on Sidney Powells crazy train to Kraken town afterward, does not mean they didnt try. Advertisement Now fast-forward to Thursdays 63 decision in Brnovich v. DNC mangling what remains of the Voting Rights Act beyond all recognition. As Justice Elena Kagan wrote in dissent, the majority opinion is a law-free zone. It rewrote the VRA to strip protections from racial minorities who are currently being targeted by voter suppression laws around the country. Roberts and Barrett sided with the rest of the conservatives to ensure that a substantial number of minorities will struggle to access the ballot in 2022 and beyondif they manage to cast a vote at all. There was no compromise here, as in Fulton, no 3-3-3 split that divided the conservatives. When it came to eviscerating the VRA, the Republican-appointed justices spoke with one voice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Decisions like Brnovich hedge against the necessity of a future Bush v. Gore. Why wait until the eve of an election to disenfranchise voters when you can do it in the middle of the summer of an off year? If we pluck out these two major voting cases and examine them side by side, we see an alarming trend: an overt hostility to democracy and to equal access to the ballot. If we look at Brnovich sandwiched in between compromises like Fulton, by contrast, it might not seem that bada conservative victory, yes, but one of just a few decisions that fractured the court along ideological lines. This is a trompe lil. The rush of opinions at the end of the term can diminish the impact of a disaster like Brnovich. But single out the cases that really matter, the ones that affect Americans ability to govern themselves, and the court doesnt look so unpredictable or nonpartisan. It looks a lot like what Democrats feared the most when Kavanaugh and Barrett replaced their more liberal predecessors. It looks, in short, like an ultra-conservative Supreme Court that has taken aim at the one right preservative of all other rights. Advertisement Advertisement Roberts, Kavanaugh, Barrett, and sometimes Gorsuch play the long game. They may each serve on the bench for decades to come. This term, they began to set the table. But apart from Brnovich, the cases were appetizers. The main course will arrive in the coming years. It was always silly to expect a monumental shift during Barretts first eight months on the bench. She may well hold this seat well into the 2050s. And by going big in cases that undermine democracy, she and her conservative colleagues have bought themselves more time to dismantle the other remnants of progressive jurisprudence. On a recent episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick convened a Supreme Court brain trust to unpack the end of the 2020 term and analyze the shape of the court and the ramifications of its decisions. Lithwick is joined by Melissa Murray, professor at NYU School of Law and co-host of the podcast Strict Scrutiny; Jeffrey Fisher, Stanford Law School professor and co-director of Stanfords Supreme Court Litigation clinic; Perry Grossman, senior staff attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Unions Voting Rights Project; and Slates own Mark Joseph Stern. A portion of their conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, has been transcribed below. Advertisement Dahlia Lithwick: OK, here we go. I want to start with the big, big picture. The term was very surprising in a lot of ways. We had cases we thought were big-ticket cases, Fultonthe Philadelphia foster care caseand the Affordable Care Act case, that fizzled into nothing. Deeply surprising lineups all year long, no clear sense of what kind of conservative supermajority were looking at, if were looking at one at all. Melissa, what do you make of the end of term? Barring Thursdays cases, everybody was saying, Hey, whatever this is, its not a 63 juggernaut. Not a big shift to the right. Strange bedfellows, maybe weve got moderates in Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh? How much did Thursday confound that narrative? How much did it bear it out? And was that narrative ever really true? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Melissa Murray: I dont think that narrative was ever really true. The whole idea that this is a moderate or minimalist or restrained court is really a gross exaggeration. And one that doesnt take into account the very significant rulings that have been happening off of the courts regular docket and have been happening on the shadow docket. I think if you consider the shadow docket in tandem with the courts regular docket, a much different picture emerges, and its not one of moderation or restraint. So it is true that there were some surprising coalitions and some places where the liberal justices seemed to have found common cause with their more conservative brethren. But on the whole, this is very much a conservative court and Thursdays rulings really confirmed its conservatism. And even in the places where the rulings appeared on the surface to be more restrained, we may have overlooked the degree to which the law did change and change in a more conservative direction. Advertisement Jeff, I want to ask you a version of that same framing question, because I know you have to actually think about this as you organize cases for the clinic. Do you look at this now as effectively the same court that you and I knew 15 or 20 years ago when there was Anthony Kennedy and Sandra Day OConnor at the middleand now we have Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett at the middle, and its essentially the same enterprise? Ive been kind of chuckling even at the end-of-term stories that are like, its an 81 court, its a 72 court, its a 333 court. Its a 54 court. Its a 441 court. What is it? Advertisement Advertisement Jeffrey Fisher: I do think its different than the court of yesteryear or even of recent years in that I dont think youre going to have as many 414 divides as in the past. Were going to talk later about substance of particular cases, but if you were just to say, is the court better off with two, three justices in the middle and different ideological approaches among several of the justices that can result in shifting coalitions? I think wed say yes. So in terms of a big group of the courts cases, I think that is actually a positive thing. But I think youre still going to have some cases where its going to be dramatically divided. And I think the voting cases like on Thursday are those kinds of cases where the court sort of retreats to their camps a little more often and in ways that do resemble the court of yesteryear. Advertisement And Mark, one of the things that is descriptively complicated, even when you look at the SCOTUSblog numbers that describe how many people vote in the majority and who votes with whom and what the blocs areand that kind of bump in the center that Jeff is describing, clearly something is happening thereis that not all cases are the same and that also we tend to focus a lot of attention on swearing cheerleaders or on the demise of the ACA. And we treat that as though it is the same somehow as an incredibly consequential case, like, for instance, the voting case from Thursday. So I wonder how you think about this, if youre not going to just slice and dice it as 441 court, and youre not going to slice and dice the 60 whatever merits opinions and say they all count for the same amount. What is the rubric that we use to analyze what happened this year? Because the numbers dont get us to what Jeff just described. Advertisement Advertisement Mark Joseph Stern: I think the proper rubric is roughly how sad these decisions make us feel inside on a scale of one to 10. So a couple of things, its simply impossible to quantify a lot of decisions in the way that stat nerds want to, especially with this court. Look at a case like Fulton v. Philadelphia, where the court awarded Catholic Social Services a right, at least temporarily, to refuse to work with same-sex couples. There is no way that the three liberal justices would have sided with Catholic Social Services if there were two more justices on the left flank of the court who were ready to side against them. This was so obviously strategic voting by the liberal justices to limit the damage, to choose the least bad option on the table, given the 63 conservative split, and throw their weight around as much as they can to let Chief Justice Roberts hand down a smallish disaster for LGBTQ rights instead of a major disaster for LGBTQ rights. Advertisement You cant really put that speculation into a computer and have it spit out stats that the average person can understand. And that fact misleads a lot of folks who dont pay close attention to the court, who read the end-of-year New York Times summary and look at all the graphics on how the court divided and they say, Oh well, Sonia Sotomayor said it was OK to discriminate against gay people here so this decision must not have been too bad. Advertisement The other issue isand this one is maybe even more problematicthere are a lot of cases that the Supreme Court hands down that are really complicated. And that prevents both the media and the general public from really digging into their consequences and their impact. So a case like TransUnion v. Ramirez, where the court actually split 54 to hold that Congress does not have the authority to create new rights and allow federal courts to enforce those new rights, like certain rights to privacy, for instance. And this is an example of where the 63 majority really matters because Clarence Thomas, raging liberal, peeled off and sided with Sotomayor, Kagan, and Breyer, but that didnt change the outcome because there were still five conservative votes to really defang Congress authority to create and enforce new rights. And most people just didnt pay attention to TransUnion because its complicated, because were talking about causes of action, which make peoples eyes glaze over. Advertisement I get it, it is a complicated case, but the problem is its not included in those end-of-term roundups of how the justices voted on the big cases. Its too confusing. Its too wrapped up in legalese. And so that leaves a lot of casual spectators of the court thinking that we are in better shape than we are, at least from my perspective, and thinking that this court was not as maximalist and conservative as it actually was in cases like that. Advertisement Advertisement We cant quite wrap this conversation without at least thinking about whats coming down the pike next year. Melissa, maybe you could walk us through what you think is coming and whether theres any relationship between the sort of relative calm of the end of this term and what is to come? Advertisement Melissa Murray: I think if this term was heralded as a triumph of restraint and moderation, which it was not, it really is only as table setting for what I think will be a barnburner of a term next year, where the court will take up a number of hot button cases. Abortion is on the docket; gun regulation is on the docket. There are going to be so many more opportunities for this very conservative court to continue to flex its own views of where the law should go. And indeed, if its been inching to the right, I think next term we will see more of a lurch in that direction. So again, this is perhaps the not moderate calm before the storm. Advertisement Perry, I want to give you the very, very last word, because at least among the stuff that I was getting in my inbox post Brnovich, there was a lot of Whats to be done? It feels as though, if in fact Section 2 has been pared down to the bone, Section 5 is dead, the court is pretty determined that barring the announcement that this is a racist attempt to privilege the Republican Partywhich by the way, kind of almost was said, not the racist part, but certainly at oral argument in Brnovichwere just never going to be able to litigate discriminatory voting practices. I think probably an awful lot of folks just want to know what they should do. Advertisement Perry Grossman: Ill give just a couple of very small, bright sides about Brnovich, but the short answer to your question is always you can organize, you can vote, you can get out and bring people to the polls. And you can donate and you can volunteer, vote, make sure everyone you know votes, and make sure everyone you dont know votes. Thats in the end the most important thing. In terms of the takeaways from Brnovich in terms of upside is its an opinion from Justice Alito thats actually full of holes. And theres a lot of places for conscientious, diligent litigants to find places to successfully litigate Section 2 cases still. The intent finding, you mentioned the DOJs case, is reliant on proving that the Georgia law is discriminatory. The amount of damage that the Supreme Court did to the intent issue in Brnovich is not that great. Basically it said that the district courts finding that there was not intent to discriminate was not clearly erroneous. And that was the basis for overturning the 9th Circuit. So if you can persuade a district judge that there is intent to discriminate, that will get reviewed for clear error. So theres a lot of work to be done to investigate and prove facts on the ground. Advertisement Advertisement But in the end, the most important thing is always going to be this is the landscape that were going to have to live with and all of the litigation of the world is only going to cure so much of it. And it is just absolutely imperative that we do everything we can to get everyone to the polls all the time. To hear their entire discussion, listen below, or subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. Note: The comments made by Perry Grossman express Grossmans personal views and are not necessarily those of the NYCLU or ACLU. For years, I danced in secret. I was 6 when the Islamic Revolution erupted in Iran. The strange new laws banned girls from running in public or playing with boys. Spies lurked and listened to private conversations. Protesters were tear-gassed and imprisoned, and anti-revolutionaries were executed. Then the bombs began falling. The Iran-Iraq War lasted eight years and destroyed countless lives. As dreadful as the war was, the regimes war on joy hurt in a different way. Our collective spirit wilted as the arts were targeted and most music and dancing became illegal. As years went by and funerals became part of our daily lives, my friends and I grew restless. We broke the law to feed our souls. As an adolescent, I went to my friends basement to study but ended up watching contraband Wham! and Madonna videos. We practiced break dancing moves in secret and critiqued one anothers technique. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dancing is good for our healthit makes our bodies stronger, and learning new moves can even sharpen the mind. It can also help us heal, including healing from the mental health toll of the past year and a half. It promotes mindfulness and authentic, genuine responses to life stressors, says Leela Magavi, the regional medical director of Community Psychiatry in Southern California. Magavi is a strong believer in the power of dance and movement, and has witnessed a clinical response with her patients who dance: improved body image and boosts in mood. I felt that as a teen, then as a newcomer to the United States, and now in my work with the nonprofit, Musical Ambassadors of Peace. We facilitate ongoing dance sessions as a means of mental health support in migrant shelters in Mexico. Asylum-seeking families residing in these shelters have fled home to escape violence. They are mostly from Central America and parts of Mexico and are waiting to be processed by U.S. authorities. When we dance together, we learn moves from one another, we tap into a sense of connectedness, and we laugh a lot. Children delight in seeing adults let loose and mimic partner-dancing to cumbia. Researchers have taken interest in our sessions and are following our work. Advertisement Advertisement I joined MAP because I wanted to provide what was denied to me as a child. One incident in particular showed me just how risky dancing in Iran could be. People in our circle did their best to bring a sense of normalcy to their lives by bending the rules. My next-door neighbor, who was terminally ill with a brain tumor, gathered all her strength and threw a birthday party for her teenage daughter. When I arrived at the party with my mother and sister, I couldnt relax. While the guests seemed to have momentarily forgotten their woes, I took an inventory of all the ways we could get into trouble. Unrelated men and women had made a circle around the birthday girl, laughing and shimmying to the music as she beamed with delight. The music, recklessly, was louder than during any of the low-key dance sessions with my friend. Advertisement Soon, a whirling wave of panic spread through the house as someone screamed the dreaded words: The Morality Police! Two men armed with AK-47s stormed the place. The guests scrambled, and many took our lead, jumping over the wall into our yard. The Morality Police followed. Advertisement I knew in my bones that dancing would lessen my homesickness and sense of isolation. While everyone rushed about, taking off through the front gate, our neighbor, the mother with the brain tumor, collapsed under the willow tree in our front yard. She was having a seizure. One of the men blocked my mother from moving any closer. The other pointed his rifle at us. Shes going to die, my mother pleaded. Then let her die, said the shorter one in a casual tone. Through a veil of tears, I watched our neighbor shake as the men tore our house apart, looking for party guests and contraband. Disappointed that they found nothing, they warned us they would return later. Advertisement Our neighbor survived that night and so did we. But violence has a way of carving its invisible marks. It shows up in hypervigilance. It shows up in trembling hands. It shows up in nightmares. When I immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 14 without my parents, I would listen to songs by exiled Iranian pop stars just so I could remember my home and what I had lost. Then I binge-watched MTV and danced. I knew in my bones it would lessen my homesickness and sense of isolation. It turns out that the feedback loop between body and mind helped me regulate my emotions. As the body explores new movements, new perceptions and feelings are given a chance to emerge. New and old movements may evoke repressed memories, allowing them to surface so they can be released. This is why dance movement therapy is particularly successful for some people in easing depression. Advertisement Advertisement Dancing alone was helpful, but it wasnt the same as dancing with others. I yearned for a supportive community that would play and laugh with me. Long after my ears stopped listening for the sound of air raids, and my eyes stopped looking for spies, I joined MAP and began holding drum and dance sessions for refugees. In these gatherings held in San Diego and Tijuana, we came up with opening and closing rituals, engaged our five senses, and took time for conscious breathing. We even drummed our feelings. When we debriefed after each session, people often said they forgot their worries and felt a sense of belonging. On different occasions, some noted their headache was gone. Many said the feelings of well-being from the sessions lasted a few days to a week. Advertisement When dancing is performed in community and combined with rituals, the outcomes can be particularly beneficial for the participants. In a small 2015 Duke University study, researchers with the help of the Congolese dancer and educator Mabiba Baegne modified the Zebola ceremony, an African healing practice, to be religion-neutral and to involve only moderate exercise. Most of the 15 study participants who were living with a chronic illness described an increased exercise tolerance, stress reduction, and feelings of group support following the experience. Advertisement Advertisement Generally this form of healing (ritualized dancing, singing, chanting, drumming) is referred to as an endogenous healing response, says Samantha Hurst, a medical anthropologist at the University of California San Diego. Endogenous healing involves the autonomic nervous system that regulates bodily functions, such as the heart rate, digestion, and respiratory rate. The response may include susceptibility to suggestion, positive expectation and hope, relaxation, enhancing personal well-being through a support system, and the release of repressed psychological reactions such as guilt, shame, and catharsis. Advertisement My regular dance sessions with shelters in Tijuana were cut short in 2020, when, for the second time in my life, I found myself hesitant to dance with others. Now, it wasnt the Morality Police but a virus that made it unsafe to gather for a party. Losing people, not to the war, but to the pandemic, became part of my daily reality. But just as people in Iran refuse to forgo dancing even during the grimmest of circumstances, asylum-seekers stuck in Mexico wanted to keep our sessions going. So last spring, we pivoted to Zoom. I was alone in my living room, while the asylum-seekers were confined in the shelter. There was a lot of trial and error, but we eventually figured things out. I missed being there in person and hugging the kids, but our connection remained intactwe blew kisses to one another and made heart signs with our hands. We yelled, I love you, over and over again. Advertisement Advertisement When an individual moves in a group setting, they receive sensory feedback of their relationship with others. They perceive themselves as a part of something larger, dancer and author of Why We Dance Kimerer LaMothe explains. They share in the common reality of the dance. Participants also experience being moved by the beat, the song, memories, the collective energy, and other dancers. This is the paradox of dancing together: a person has the potential to feel both connected and singular. Bonded and uplifted as an individual. As we find ways to mitigate the effects of the past 18 months, those of us who can should count on dancing together to enhance a sense of safety and belonging, and to support us in healing. As for me, Im thrilled that well soon hold our first session in person with refugees in Tijuana. As the Dalai Lama completes 86 today, it is not an altogether bad idea to offer this excerpt from my authorized biography of his titled "The Denouement: The 14th Dalai Lama's life of persistence" available on Amazon. The excerpt is from the first chapter. It was updated about three years ago and I am in the process of recasting some of the material. By Mayank Chhaya The Denouement At 83, the Dalai Lama is closer than ever before to his corporeal mortality. China is watching out with considerable morbid interest for that eventuality. Even though as a state and a political system China is unreligious, it is acutely aware of the cultural and philosophical appeal of Buddhism, something that Tenzin Gyatso has embodied his entire life from the age of 3. In his inevitable death, whenever that may come to pass, lies a powerful opportunity for China to reshape an institution of over six[1]centuries-old and in the process deepen its control over Tibet even more. April, 2019 marks the 60th anniversary of the 24-year-old Tenzin Gyatsos exile from Tibet after he traversed the unforgivably inhospitable Tibetan plateau by foot and horseback, to reach the northeastern border of India near Tezpur in Assam state. In some sense, any reasonable resolution of the Tibet issue seems as distant in 2019 as it was in 1959. In fact, it appears even more unlikely from the Chinese standpoint as the state knows it can outlast the individual. Not willing or able or both to deal with the currently living Dalai Lama, China insists that he must reincarnate after his death, presumably as a pliable 15th Dalai Lama. The 14th Dalai Lama, who is arguably the most popular and consequential in the traditions history, is much more inclined to end his lineage and preempt reincarnation. In a bizarre believe-it-or-not twist to the question of whether the Dalai Lama should reincarnate, Beijing now seems to insist that he must but as a sort of made-to-order successor who could be shaped and conditioned to accept complete Chinese control over Tibet and Tibetans. Even as the Chinese Communist Party does not accept the concept of Dalai Lamas as an old institution and is particularly contemptuous towards the current one, it is astute enough to recognize the political and cultural consequence of having a Dalai Lama in place as long as he is the kind they can run as their operative. It would not mind some return to Buddhism as long as it is this Dalai Lama-free. In March, 2015, eight years after the original version of this biography was published worldwide under the title Dalai Lama: Man, Monk, Mystic, Zhu Weiqun, chairman of the ethnic and religious affairs committee of the top advisory body to China's parliament, was quoted as saying, Decision-making power over the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, and over the end or survival of this lineage, resides in the central government of China. In fact, according to a Reuters story by Ben Blanchard from Beijing said Zhu even described the Dalai Lama not wanting to reincarnate as a betrayal of Buddhism and China. He has known to be a hardliner on Tibetan issues with which he has dealt for a long time. In a measure of how derisive he is of the 14th Dalai Lama that he went to the extent of saying, "One minute he will reincarnate as a foreigner ... the next as a woman. If you gave him a jar of honey, he'll happily tell you that in his next life he'll be a bee. At some level, the politics of reincarnation is realpolitik for Beijing. Ideas such as spiritualism, religion and reincarnation may not fit with communist philosophy but Chinas leaders such as Zhu know the value of using them as convenient instruments of state control. Beijing also knows the value of controlling all aspects of Tibetan Buddhist traditions beyond the lifetime of this Dalai Lama. As far as it is concerned, the living Dalai Lama is now a figure of little consequence given that he is getting in on years. At the same time though it has to be extremely mindful of his reincarnation even if it means buying into an idea its atheistic foundation does not permit. Many people may not realize that for an atheistic or an unreligious political system it is not the beliefs of some of its people that are important but how well they can be used to maintain control over them and their territory. That is the reason why leaders such as Zhu are positioning China beyond the 14th Dalai Lama even if it comes across as contrary to communist philosophy. That explains what Chris Buckley of The New York Times quoted Zhu to say something which is even more hilariously disingenuous. The 14th Dalai Lama has taken an extremely frivolous and disrespectful attitude toward this issue. Where in the world is there anyone else who takes such a frivolous attitude toward his own succession? Zhu has asked. The unseemly eagerness shown by Zhu in keeping up the tradition of reincarnation whether or not the living Dalai Lama, whose reincarnation is under debate, wants it is quite a story. Here is a simple fact. Irrespective of whether you believe in reincarnation and irrespective of whether Tenzin Gyatso would like to reincarnate, Beijing has next to no role in the matter. It is an entirely and uniquely Tibetan question that must be decided by Tibetan people, both inside and outside Tibet. In the end, it is also the Dalai Lamas personal decision. If he thinks the lineage should end now, then it should. In this amusing series of assertions made by Zhu what was perhaps most plausible is his claim that the Dalai Lamas influences has waned in proportion to the economic development of Tibet. "I think that Tibet's development ... has made the situation in Tibet better and better, and this is the basic reason for the fall in the Dalai Lama's international standing," he was quoted as saying. There could be some truth to it except that there is not because the Dalai Lama remains not just as popular with the Tibetan people but in the last decade or so, he has grown way beyond just his core constituency. By all available evidence, he has outgrown his role as just the Tibetan leader and become a globally consequential articulator of human issues. However, beyond the question of the Dalai Lamas unprecedented stature in the twilight of his life, as a civilization and culture China is motivated by a long-term view post his exit. As the Chinese society continues to adjust to the fruits of an extraordinary economic success over the last four decades, unparalleled in history, the power elites have become mindful of allowing them exploration beyond the material world. Given Buddhisms long history in the country coupled with its near total identification with the person of the Dalai Lama around the world, Beijing has to find a way to create a matching figure. It is that logic which is at the heart of pronouncements of the kind made in 2015 by Zhu Weiqun. Apart from leveraging the influence of the generic Dalai Lama, which can be done only after the life of this specific one reaches its denouement, there have been reports about how Beijing has been moving aggressively to invest billions of dollars in tapping into the vast reservoir of Buddhism not just inside China but other Buddhist-amenable parts of Asia. As part of that endeavor, it has already spent $3 billion on Lumbini, the Buddhas birthplace in modern-day Nepal. It wants to develop the Gandhara trail in Pakistan, where Buddhism flourished between the 3 BCE and 1200 CE. Beijing is also funding a 14 Buddhist center in Myanmar. All this while it continues with its campaign of Sinicization of Tibet even as it encourages aspects of Buddhism across the mainland. It is while trying to reclaim Buddhism as its own that China runs into the problem of India where the Buddha, in fact, pioneered his enduring worldview and perfected. India has its own plan to mine the Buddhist philosophical treasure. Ironically for India, the Dalai Lama is the most famous Buddhist even in India even though the institution he embodies in not Indian. For New Delhi, the challenge for any government has been to separate Buddhism of the Buddha from that of the Dalai Lama, which are essentially the same except that the former is about its origin and the latter about its modern articulation. India has its own problems vis-a-vis China balancing the presence of the Dalai Lama on its soil for six decades even while trying to maintain a reasonable neighborliness with China. An instance of how tricky this equation is came in April 2017 when the Dalai Lama visited its northeastern state Arunachal Pradesh. It was like his six previous visits, the last one being in 2009. Beijing chose to respond to this visit with an outrage that felt discernibly sharper than in the past. Perhaps what accentuated the Chinese anger was an accompaniment in the form of Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju. Beijing, which treats the Dalai Lama purely as a political animal even at the best of times, saw in Rijiju's presence a calculated political dimension. New Delhi, being justifiably crafty about it, dismissed the suggestion. The simple fact is that the Indian government is now more amenable to occasionally tapping into the Dalai Lama's obvious political consequence than before. The logic seems to be that since China treats all things Dalai Lama short of his breathing as political, India might as well make the most of it. Meteorologists warn against high temperatures in the upcoming days Wednesday and Thursday will be especially hot days. Font size: A - | A + Meteorologists have issued warnings against high temperatures in Slovakia this week. High temperatures will start on July 6 in southwestern Slovakia. The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMU) issued a first-degree warning for Bratislava, Banska Bystrica, Nitra and Trnava Regions, where temperatures may reach 33 Celsius degrees. Tuesday, July 6 (Source: SHMU) High temperatures may be potentially dangerous for human health and physical activities, and it may cause fires, SHMU stated. The warning applies from 14:00 until the evening hours. SHMU claimed that the given temperature is nothing unusual in these areas. Temperatures will increase in the following days. Meteorologists issued a second-degree warning for July 7 and 8 for southern Slovakia. This will apply to Bratislava, Banska Bystrica, Nitra and Trnava Regions on July 7 where temperatures may reach 35 to 36 Celsius degrees between 14:00 and 18:00. Temperatures in Trencin and Kosice Region will likely reach 33 to 34 Celsius degrees that day. Wednesday, July 7 (Source: SHMU) Warnings against high temperatures have also been issued for all of Slovakia on July 8. People in Bratislava, Trnava, Banska Bystrica, Nitra and Kosice Regions should prepare for temperatures higher than 35 Celsius degrees. In Trencin, Zilina and Presov Regions, temperatures may be between 33 and 34 Celsius degrees. Thursday, July 8 (Source: SHMU) 6. Jul 2021 at 11:48 | Compiled by Spectator staff Travel agencies reported cancellations, decrease of interest and losses after change of border rules The organisation added that domestic tourism has suffered greatly due to the decrease of foreign clients in Slovak accommodation and eating facilities. Passengers arrive at Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport in Heraklion, on the island of Crete, Greece. (Source: TASR/AP) Font size: A - | A + Travel agencies reported cancellations, a decrease in interest and losses as a result of changed rules when travelling abroad and returning to Slovakia starting July 9. They criticise the government for what they call absurd measures, saying they are not justified in the current epidemic situation. Moreover, the measures come at the beginning of the summer season, when clients have purchased their holidays. How to travel to and from Slovakia during COVID-19 Read more The Slovak Forum of Tourism, which unites 150 subjects in tourism, is asking the government to cancel what they call discriminatory measures. As Zuzana Ballaschova from the organisation stated, the measures have negatively impacted tourism and harm Slovakia's reputation not only as a trustworthy holiday destination but also as a country that operates on democratic principles. We ask, why have a holiday traffic light warning system? Why have a Covid pass that should have guaranteed the equality of travelling options for all inhabitants regardless of their vaccination status? Zuzana Ballaschova asked, as quoted by the SITA newswire. The government is arbitrarily introducing rules that do not correlate with any of the long-announced and discussed measures, valid for the whole European Union, which citizens and travel agencies had in mind when planning summer holidays. 6. Jul 2021 at 11:26 | Compiled by Spectator staff Rodne cislo will be kept for now. The coalition moves to change the former govts plan The state has already spent nearly 12 million on the plan introduced by ex-interior minister Denisa Sakova. The Interior Ministry led by Roman Mikulec will have to change a reform of birth numbers prepared by his predecessor. (Source: TASR) Top stories End of years-long dispute: state lottery does not have to pay a Cypriot shell company The Constitutional Court dismisses suit of Lemikon Limited against Tipos. Font size: A - | A + The years-long dispute between the state-run lottery company Tipos and the Cyprus-based company Lemikon Limited seems to be over. The Constitutional Court turned down a lawsuit submitted by the Cypriot shell company over breaching its rights, meaning that Tipos does not have to pay anything to the company. Leaked video shows Smer's former fin min talk corruption with Trnka Read more As stems from its statement, the rulings issued by the Bratislava Regional Court and the Supreme Court in no way violated the rights of the Cypriot firm. At the same time, the court stated that it scrutinised some questions in the past, so it could not issue any new decision on some claims, the SITA newswire reported. This is already the third decision issued in the case, confirming that the suit of Lemikon Limited towards Tipos is not justified, and that the rights of the company have not been breached in any way. The other two cases include the 2019 Supreme Court ruling, which dismissed Lemikon Limited's lawsuit against Tipos, and the late 2020 ruling of the Supreme Court that dismissed an appeal submitted by the Cypriot company. 20-year dispute The dispute had lasted for more than 20 years. Back in 2000, the Sportka company sued Tipos for an unauthorised use of the Sportka, Sanca and Mates trademarks and their know-how back in 1996-2002. From our archive State lottery wins dispute with Cypriot shell firm Read more The court dispute, in which Sportka was replaced by Lemikon Limited, involved unfair competition and compensation for damages. The plaintiff was originally asking for 33 million, which later increased given the length of the dispute. "The Lemikon case is a long-term trauma for our company, and it will take long to recover from it," Marek Kanka, head of Tipos, said after the court's decision, as quoted by SITA. 6. Jul 2021 at 17:40 | Compiled by Spectator staff Prepare for heat waves in the coming days. Real estate prices in downtown Bratislava and Kosice fall slightly. Font size: A - | A + Good evening. The Tuesday, July 6, 2021 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready with the main news of the day in less than five minutes. We wish you a pleasant read. Hot days ahead Illustrative stock photo (Source: TASR) The new working week started with extremely high temperatures. The meteorologists even issued warnings against hot weather, especially in the southern parts of Slovakia. In some districts, temperatures may be as high as 35 or 36 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and Thursday. High temperatures may be dangerous to human health and physical activities, and may cause fires, the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMU) stated. Police launches intensive border checks (Source: SITA) Many people arriving in Slovakia these days will not be able to evade border checks. Police patrols are particularly focusing on the obligation to fill in the eHranica online form prior to arrival at the border. The patrols may also ask which country the people are arriving from and ask to demonstrate an EU Digital Covid Certificate or other document proving they are vaccinated against Covid, have recovered from the disease, or taken a Covid test with a negative result. The Health Ministry stresses that everyone coming to Slovakia has to be registered with the eHranica form, even if only returning from shopping in the border regions. It is now possible to register as many as 30 days in advance. Police recommend preparing these documents beforehand to shorten the inspection, and thus secure the flow of traffic. An extra lane for vaccinated people may be a possibility. Apart from more intensive border checks, the police have closed some smaller and less frequently used border crossings. More coronavirus and vaccination developments Illustrative stock photo (Source: SITA) Laboratories performed 2,889 PCR tests on Monday, 15 of which were positive. The number of hospitalised patients with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 dropped by 10 to 120 . One more person died of Covid. of which were positive. The number of with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 dropped by 10 to . died of Covid. 12 million antigen tests purchased by the state will expire in 2022 and 2023; the Health Ministry plans to use them if the epidemiological situation in the country worsens. Currently, there are 120 mobile testing sites across Slovakia carrying out PCR tests, with a daily capacity of 30,000 swabs. If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription . Thank you. Picture of the day Employees of the Tatra National Park, with the help of volunteers, will count chamoix in the Tatras on July 7. Simultaneously, the count will also take place on the Polish side of the national park. (Source: Unsplash) Feature story for today Law firms in Slovakia are innovating the processes they follow to provide legal services. At the same time, individual innovations correspond to world trends and predictions. Several offices have implemented tools that involve artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence helps lawyers sort documents and protect sensitive data Read more In other news Given the repair works on the traffic island at Hodzovo Square in Bratislava, drivers and pedestrians should prepare for some restrictions at least until August 15 . The public transport stop of Hodzovo Square was temporarily moved by 45 metres, in the direction of Prazska Street. at Hodzovo Square in drivers and pedestrians should prepare for some restrictions at least until . The public transport stop of Hodzovo Square was temporarily moved by 45 metres, in the direction of Prazska Street. It is currently forbidden to light candles at Bratislava cemeteries and crematoriums due to droughts and hot weather. due to droughts and hot weather. Former special prosecutor Dusan Kovacik will remain in custody , as stems from the Supreme Court's decision. The court had to decide on Kovaciks complaint from November 2020 again, after the Constitutional Court accepted the complaint that Judge Juraj Kliment was not unbiased. , as stems from the Supreme Court's decision. The court had to decide on Kovaciks complaint from November 2020 again, after the Constitutional Court accepted the complaint that Judge Juraj Kliment was not unbiased. Retail revenues went up by 11.5 percent year-on-year in May 2021, and by 5 percent compared with May 2019. A higher turnover was reported by supermarkets, mail order and internet sales, according to the data of the Statistics Office. in May 2021, and by 5 percent compared with May 2019. A higher turnover was reported by supermarkets, mail order and internet sales, according to the data of the Statistics Office. Real estate prices in downtown Bratislava and Kosice fell slightly in the second quarter of the year , according to the Nehnutelnosti.sk real estate website. in downtown Bratislava and Kosice , according to the Nehnutelnosti.sk real estate website. A shortage of specialists like allergists, neurologists and endocrinologists still exists in Slovakia, as confirmed by all three health insurance companies in Slovakia. like allergists, neurologists and endocrinologists as confirmed by all three health insurance companies in Slovakia. The Panta Rhei bookshops and the Ikar book publisher will have the same owners. The Antimonopoly Office approved the acquisition of Panta Rhei by Patrik Tkac, the co-founder of the J & T financial group, and Ladislav Bodok. At the same time, the two entrepreneurs, along with Igor Mrva, will control the IKAR publishing house. Do not miss on Spectator.sk today A new acquisition of a development site Read more Pohoda returns to Trencin airport, but will differ from previous festivals Read more Pack some extra layers if you want to visit this icy UNESCO place Read more Travel agencies reported cancellations, decrease of interest and losses after change of border rules Read more If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk. 6. Jul 2021 at 17:53 | Nina Hrabovska Francelova Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} This summer, Firefly will work with localities to identify the unserved areas and come back with final proposals in late August and early September. Well go back to them and say, heres what it takes from local funds, heres what we think well get from state funds and heres what were putting into it in order to make this a reality, that well build every unserved area over the next three years, Wood said. Once counties sign on and commit to local funding, Firefly plans to submit an application to the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative with a regional plan for broadband service. Dominion will have to take its proposal to the State Corporation Commission for regulatory approvals. Were working really hard to make sure we have a really good grant application that gets funded, then well get this built over the next three years, Wood said. The partnerships with Dominion and Rappahannock are formal, but Wood said they also have a gentlemans agreement with American Electric Power/Appalachian Power that AEP will work to facilitate the project on its lines, as much as possible. Wood said Firefly is also working with Madison, Culpeper and Amherst counties on similar projects, but they came up later or were a slightly different fit because they had neither Rappahannock nor Dominion territory. Firefly also has already committed to providing universal service in Nelson County, he said. I think that every single person is broken in some way, whether its by grief, by loss, insecurity, betrayal or whatever it may be, I think everyone has experienced trouble in their life and theyve had to overcome something, she said. Its a very honest and unique book that while it is based on true events, it is something that everyone can apply to their life because it covers so many different life experiences. The books cover with the bus also highlights the journey of life down paths that we may not always choose for ourselves, but with some love and hope those pieces come together for a purpose. Being broken is being genuine and honest with yourself and until we acknowledge that we have brokenness, then we can never truly believe in the promise of tomorrow, Svorec said. We all have the power to believe in a better tomorrow, the power to believe in possibilities and we can all believe to see a different perspective. With her book now on the market, Svorec will begin to travel and hold book signing events, including at the Box Butte County Fair Aug. 4-8. The book is now available on Amazon and at Barnes and Nobles. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The second restoration of the cabin was done in 2020 and brought the cabin to a more period authentic representation. At least 30 votes are required in the Senate to override a governors veto, as well as at least 72 in the House. The Senate is made up of 28 Republicans and 22 Democrats, while the House has 69 Republicans and 53 Democrats. The Senate approved HB453 on June 10 with no Democratic yes votes. The House approved the bill May 6 with six Democrats voting yes. Mitch Kokai, senior policy analyst with Libertarian think tank John Locke Foundation, said if Cooper is confident of no Senate Democratic support for the veto-override vote in that chamber, "its possible that his political team will give House Democrats a free pass to vote as they choose on this veto override. Bill opponents said they fear the doctor-patient conversation requirements in the bill could jeopardize womens trust in medical care and could lead some women with other reasons for considering an abortion to carry pregnancies to term once they learn of a Down syndrome diagnosis. This bill gives the government control over what happens and what is said in the exam room between a woman and her doctor at a time she faces one of the most difficult decisions of her life, Cooper wrote in his veto statement. Although police found a hand gun inside the New Jersey hotel room where Wyble was arrested, Thomas said that firearm did not match the shell casings found at the scene. That gun, he said, was never located. At the plea hearing, last Tuesday, Blankenship acknowledged that neither Funk nor Anderson saw Wyble shoot into the hotel room. He also said that Anderson was scared to death to testify and that the commonwealth had only had sporadic contact with the man Wyble was looking for that day. Additionally, Blankenship said that while Funk had testimony of value to the commonwealths case, he also had information that the defense could gain traction with. Although sentencing guidelines called for an active sentence of one year and nine months, Blankenship said the slight deviation from the guidelines was based both on the evidence and on the fact that Wyble waived his extradition from New Jersey without knowing what the outcome of the case against him would be, which Blankenship said showed a certain level of responsibility. Wybles defense attorney, Robert Galumbeck, noted that his client had asked to be extradited as soon as possible. He also made note of a message to Wyble from one of his co-defendants that said something like Were in big trouble. Weve got to figure out a way to get out of this. Instagram is reportedly working on the ability to allow creators to monetise their Instagram stories with exclusive content, which could work in a similar way that Twitters Super Follow feature works. The service which currently allows followers to see all the content on a story could soon restrict access to some stories to subscribers, according to a recent leak. The first hint that the image and video sharing platform was working on such a feature was first shared recently by Twitter user Alessandro Paluzzi who is known for revealing features on popular apps by reverse-engineering them. At the time, Paluzzi had shared a screenshot of a dialog on the Instagram app that showed signs of a new feature called Exclusive Story. Also read: Looking for a smartphone? Check Mobile Finder here. Paluzzi also shared additional images of the feature that is currently being developed, with a dialog box that informs users that only members of a particular group (hinting at an exclusive fan club) can access. Another screenshot also shows a suggestion to save exclusive stories to Story Highlights on a profile so fans always have something to see when they join. The tipster also claims that a user will not be able to screenshot Exclusive Stories. The leaked screenshots of the Exclusive Stories feature that the company is reportedly working on. (Alessandro Paluzzi @alex193a) While the feature could eventually launch for beta testers on the app, it is unclear at this whether every Instagram user would be able to use the service. While features like swiping up on stories to share links were limited to Instagram accounts with more than 10,000 followers, the company recently began testing sharing links in stories for all users. The latest leak from Paluzzi shows a new Subscribe button on a users profile, which is expected to show up when a user has a fan club. While Instagram recently confirmed to TechCrunch that the company was working on a feature, the company stated that the screenshots were only internal prototypes. The company also reportedly declined to comment on specific details about its plans and that it was not at a place to talk about the project yet. The feature isnt even available for alpha testers on Android, and it could completely change by the time the feature is launched by the company. Instagram head Adam Mosseri has previously stated that the company is looking at other monetisation features like tipping, subscriptions and Non Fungible Tokens (or NFT). It looks like the company could be looking into branded content, affiliate marketing, gated content, tips and payment type products that could tie into user content like IGTV and Reels, according to the report. China's central bank has warned companies against assisting cryptocurrency-related businesses. China's central bank warned companies on Tuesday against assisting cryptocurrency-related businesses as it shut down a software firm over suspected involvement in digital currency transactions. Beijing has turned a sharp eye on cryptocurrency in recent months as it widens its regulatory crackdown on the tech sector. Cryptocurrency trading is banned in China, and authorities have recently closed mines and warned banks to halt related transactions. On Tuesday, a Beijing office of the central bank ordered the closure of software company Beijing Qudao Cultural Development, alleging it had been involved in providing software services for cryptocurrency transactions. The move was necessary "to prevent and control the risk of speculation in virtual currency transactions, and protect the safety of the public's assets", it said in a statement. The bank also warned organisations not to "provide premises, commercial display, advertising... and other services for cryptocurrency-related business activities". Financial and payment institutions are instructed not to provide cryptocurrency-related services to customers. The announcement comes shortly after provinces including Sichuan, Inner Mongolia and Qinghai shut down crypto minescausing miners to look abroadand follows an earlier warning for banks and a payment giant to halt crypto-related transactions. Last month, bitcoin tumbled after China's mining ban in southwestern Sichuan. China is in the middle of a wide-ranging regulatory crackdown on its fintech sector, whose biggest playersincluding Alibaba and Tencenthave been hit with big fines after being accused of monopolistic practices. Explore further Bitcoin dives as China widens crackdown on crypto mining 2021 AFP China's crackdown on Didi is the latest move to rein in the country's tech sector. Chinese regulators urged ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxin to delay its $4.4 billion New York IPO to examine security concerns, advice the company did not heed, according to a report. Didi was banned from app stores on Sunday by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), and now faces a probe over unspecified national security issues, in a move that stoked fresh concerns about Beijing's crackdown on the country's tech sector. The watchdog attempted weeks before the bumper initial public offering to dissuade Didi from going ahead with it and urged the firm to launch an internal security probe, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. But the industry giantdubbed China's Uber, with more than 15 million drivers serving nearly 500 million userswent ahead with last week's listing, which was one of the biggest in the United States for a decade. Officials were "wary of the ride-hailing company's troves of data potentially falling into foreign hands" owing to public disclosure around the listing, the Journal's sources said. Beijing's scrutiny of Didi is the latest move in a wider crackdown on major US-listed tech firms and was followed hours later by the announcement of a review of truck-hailing platform Full Truck Alliance and the owner of popular online recruitment site Boss Zhipin. All three platforms were told by the CAC on Monday to stop registering new users "to prevent security risks to national data, safeguard national security and protect public interest". While the CAC gave few details, Didi has pledged to rectify any problems and said the takedown "may have an adverse impact on its revenue in China". The crackdown also comes at a time of heightened tensions between China and the United States, with technology and national security major points of friction. The timing of the ruling on Didi, coming so soon after the listing, was met with surprise by some. But Xiaomeng Lu, a senior analyst at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, told Bloomberg News: "Beijing is not pleased to see its national champions cosying up to foreign stakeholders. "It also wants tech companies to keep their core assetsdata and algorithmsin China." Explore further China extends probe into US-listed tech firms after Didi blow 2021 AFP Yandex is already using the robots in some parts of the United States and in Russia. Russian tech giant Yandex said Tuesday it planned to launch self-driving delivery robots on US college campuses later this year, the company's latest push into foreign markets. In a statement, the Russian group said it would partner with US delivery giant Grubhub, which operates on 250 campuses, to deploy the self-driving rovers. "We are delighted to deploy dozens of our rovers, taking the next step in actively commercialising our self-driving technology in different markets across the globe," said Dmitry Polishchuk, CEO of Yandex Self-Driving Group. Diners receive notifications when the rover approaches its destination, and its hatch can be opened using the app. "Together with Yandex, we're changing the way college students experience food delivery," said Brian Madigan, vice president of corporate and campus partners at Grubhub. "While college campuses are notoriously difficult for cars to navigate, specifically as it relates to food delivery, Yandex robots easily access parts of campuses that vehicles cannot." Yandex's statement said that its self-driving rovers have been operating in Russia since late 2020 and have already been deployed in the United States, delivering orders from restaurants in Ann Arbor, Michigan since April. The expansion is Yandex's latest foray abroad, after announcing in April plans to launch its rapid grocery delivery service in France later this year. It is also gearing up to start operations in London. Having started out as a search engine in Russia, the company is now also known for food delivery and taxi services, including self-driving vehicles. The company, nicknamed the "Russian Google", is already present in some European countries, such as Finland and the Baltic states, mainly with its taxi service. Explore further Russian tech giant dashes hopes for smartphone 2021 AFP A US software firm scrambled to restart its systems after a massive ransomware attack affecting organizations worldwide. A US software firm hit by a major ransomware attack that crippled hundreds of companies worldwide said it was on track to restart its servers later Tuesday to bring customers back online. Kaseya, the Miami-based IT company at the center of the hack, said it pushed back its forecast by two hours and hoped to resume operations between 2000 and 2300 GMT. The news comes after an unprecedented attack that affected an estimated 1,500 businesses and prompted a ransom demand of $70 million. The systems were being brought back online with "enhanced security measures" and "the ability to quarantine and isolate files and entire ... servers" in case of infection. "Later today we will release a customer-ready statement for you to use to communicate to your customers on the incident and the security measures that we have put in place," a Kaseya statement said. While Kaseya is little known to the public, analysts say it was a ripe target as its software is used by thousands of companies, allowing the hackers to paralyze a huge number of businesses with a single blow. Kaseya provides IT services to some 40,000 businesses globally, some of whom in turn manage the computer systems of other businesses. The hack affected users of its signature VSA software, which is used to manage networks of computers and printers. Sweden's Coop supermarket chain is racing to reopen hundreds of stores closed as a result of the ransomware attack. Experts believe this could be the biggest "ransomware" attack on recordan increasingly lucrative form of digital hostage-taking in which hackers encrypt victims' data and then demand money for restored access. The Kaseya attack has ricocheted around the world, affecting businesses from pharmacies to gas stations in at least 17 countries, as well as dozens of New Zealand kindergartens. Most of Sweden's 800 Coop supermarkets were shut for a third day running after the hack paralyzed its cash registers. Kaseya said Monday that while less than 60 of its own customers were "directly compromised", it estimated that up to "1,500 downstream businesses" had been affected. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the administration was monitoring the situation amid reports that the attacks came from a Russia-based cyber gang. But she noted that "the intelligence community has not yet attributed the attack... we will continue to allow that assessment to continue." Psaki reiterated the warning President Joe Biden gave to his counterpart Vladimir Putin about Russia harboring cybercriminals, stating that "if the Russian government cannot or will not take action against criminal actors residing in Russia we will take action, or reserve the right to take action on our own." Biden, asked about the incident Tuesday, said that so far there appeared to be "minimal damage to US businesses" but that "we are still gathering information to the full extent of the attack." Notable cyber attacks since 2006. Going out with a bang? REvil, a group of Russian-speaking hackers who are prolific perpetrators of ransomware attacks, are widely believed to be behind Friday's assault. A post on Happy Blog, a site on the dark web associated with the group, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had infected "more than a million systems." The hackers demanded $70 million in bitcoin in exchange for the publication of an online tool that would decrypt the stolen data. While the hackers are thought to have been reaching out to individual victims requesting smaller payments, the unprecedented demand for $70 million has surprised analysts. French cybersecurity expert Robinson Delaugerre suggested that REvil could be treating the Kaseya attack as a final spectacular act before going out of business. The group was responsible for around 29 percent of ransomware attacks in 2020, according to IBM's Security X-Force unit, looting an estimated $123 million. "Our hypothesis is that REvil is going to disappear and this is its final big act," he told AFP, predicting that the groupwhich also goes by the name Sodinokibicould re-emerge under a new name. The FBI believes REvil was also behind a ransomware attack last month on global meat-processing giant JBS, which ended up paying $11 million to the hackers. The United States has been a particular target of high-profile cyber attacks in recent months blamed on Russia-based hackers, with the Colonial oil pipeline and IT firm SolarWinds among the targets. Explore further Up to 1,500 firms hit in Kaseya ransomware attack 2021 AFP South Hills (15301) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low near 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. No, we are not talking about Amazon Prime. Introducing Subscribe and Save for Botox and Filler by Dr. Diane Bowen, at Golden Isles Center for Plastic Surgery. Over the past few years, we have heard from many of our patients that they wish the important self-care routine and wanting to acco Looking for in-depth reporting on labor issues? You're in the right place. Subscribe to The Chief and get stories that cover every side of civil service in New York City and beyond. You can sign up in minutes for immediate access. SOME MORE READY FOR THEIR SHOTS THAN OTHERS: While Mayor de Blasio in March had Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi give him the needle in March, many city workers, particularly in uniformed agencies, have remained reluctant to be vaccinated, causing uneasiness among some union leaders who fear their members are at risk. Brazos County leaders said last week they have no plans to send jail officers to the Texas-Mexico border, citing staffing shortages. Late last month, Gov. Greg Abbott put forth a statewide call for jailers to assist border personnel with the operation of detention facilities and for local departments to provide jail beds for those arrested on state charges at the border. Kevin Stuart, the countys chief deputy for corrections, said Friday that the sheriffs office received a letter from the state requesting assistance. He explained the jail has 17 positions open and is effectively running four work shifts with the number of personnel that would usually constitute three shifts. The best way to put it is we all know theres a big problem down there that the governor is trying to address, Stuart said. Everybody wants to help in Brazos County thats always our philosophy, and in our jail we want to help anyone we can but I think its important for people to know that even when were fully staffed, we are always very conscientious with how we spend taxpayer dollars and use resources. Right now, like much of the rest of the state, we are having some extreme staffing shortages. Richwood, TX (77531) Today Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 77F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Smith Mountain Lake enjoyed a safe Fourth of July weekend, free of any major incidents as boaters packed onto the water for several lake activities including two fireworks shows. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Services on Thursday announced Operation Dry Water, an awareness and enforcement campaign to encourage boaters to stay sober and safe on the water. More than 2,000 boats were in attendance for the fireworks show held at Mitchell's Point Marina on Sunday significantly more than the marina's previous show Friday night. Despite the large crowds in the narrow Craddock Creek area of the lake, DWS conservation police Sgt. James Slaughter said boaters refrained from creating wakes coming and going to the fireworks show which helped to prevent any major boating issues. "I would consider it a successful weekend for safety, for sure," Slaughter said. Only two boating incidents were reported during the entire Fourth of July weekend with both occurring Sunday. The first incident involved three individuals being towed on an tube. The head of one of the individual on the tube struck another on the chest. The individual sustained a head injury that later required medical attention, Slaughter said. The Supreme Court on Monday left in place a decision that allowed a transgender student to use the bathroom that corresponded to his gender identity, a victory for the LGBTQ community that has been fearful the high court would take up the case and reverse a lower court opinion. The case concerns the scope of Title IX that prohibits schools from discriminating "on the basis of sex." It began when Gavin Grimm, a transgender male who was then a high-school student, challenged the local school board's decision to require him to use either a unisex restroom or a restroom that corresponds to the sex, female, he was assigned at birth. Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito said they would have taken up the case for next term. "I am glad that my years-long fight to have my school see me for who I am is over. Being forced to use the nurse's room, a private bathroom, and the girl's room was humiliating for me, and having to go to out-of-the-way bathrooms severely interfered with my education," Grimm said in a statement Monday. "Trans youth deserve to use the bathroom in peace without being humiliated and stigmatized by their own school boards and elected officials," he added. Law enforcement authorities with the Interpol have apprehended a threat actor responsible for targeting thousands of unwitting victims over several years and staging malware attacks on telecom companies, major banks, and multinational corporations in France as part of a global phishing and credit card fraud scheme. The two-year investigation, dubbed Operation Lyrebird by the international, intergovernmental organization, resulted in the arrest of a Moroccan citizen nicknamed Dr HeX, cybersecurity firm Group-IB disclosed today in a report shared with The Hacker News. Dr HeX is said to have been "active since at least 2009 and is responsible for a number of cybercrimes, including phishing, defacing, malware development, fraud, and carding that resulted in thousands of unsuspecting victims," the Singapore-headquartered company said. The cyber attacks involved deploying a phishing kit consisting of web pages that spoofed banking entities in the country, followed by sending mass emails mimicking the targeted companies, prompting email recipients to enter login information on the rogue website. The credentials entered by unsuspecting victims on the fake web page were then redirected to the perpetrator's email. At least three different phishing kits presumably developed by the threat actor have been extracted. The phishing kits were also "sold to other individuals through online forums to allow them to facilitate similar malicious campaigns against victims," Interpol said in a statement. "These were then used to impersonate online banking facilities, allowing the suspect and others to steal sensitive information and defraud trusting individuals for financial gain, with the losses of individuals and companies published online in order to advertise these malicious services." The scripts included in the phishing kit contained the name Dr HeX and the individual's contact email address, using which the cybercriminal was eventually identified and deanonymized, in the process uncovering a YouTube channel as well as another name used by the adversary to register at least two fraudulent domains that were used in the attacks. Additionally, Group-IB said it was also able to map the email address to the malicious infrastructure employed by the accused in various phishing campaigns, of which included as many as five email addresses, six nicknames, and his accounts on Skype, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. In all, Dr Hex's digital footprint left a tell-tale trail of malicious activities over a period stretching between 2009 and 2018, during when the attacker defaced no fewer than 134 web pages, along with creating posts on different underground forums devoted to malware trading and evidence suggesting his involvement in attacks on French corporations to steal financial information. "The suspect, in particular, promoted so-called Zombi Bot, which allegedly contained 814 exploits, including 72 private ones, a brute-forcer, webshell and backdoor scanners, as well as functionality to carry out DDoS attacks," Group-IB CTO Dmitry Volkov told The Hacker News. KEARNEY Meg Schluns is looking for a way to make new friends when she is a freshman at University of Nebraska at Kearney this fall. After attending New Student Enrollment recently at UNK, the recent ONeill High School graduate decided to learn more about sororities at Fraternity and Sorority Lifes UNK Hangout Thursday night at Harmon Park. I just heard a lot of great things about it. Its a great way of meeting new people, she said. Schluns, who plans to go through sorority recruitment the week before UNK classes start Aug. 23, also met other elementary education majors who will be her roommates in the fall. One of those new roommates will be Marissa Kalb of Kearney. Kalb said she too wants to meet new people through sorority membership, as well as get involved on campus. About two dozen incoming students enjoyed the free, casual event, which included barbecue, yard games and Loper merchandise. The event was the first of three UNK Hangouts slated this summer. Upcoming events will be 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Cody Park in North Platte and July 15 at Stolley Park in Grand Island. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Texas House and Senate lawmakers are considering identical bills, SB 6 and HB 2, that would change how and if people can be released from jail before their criminal cases are resolved. The bills also would ban the release of those accused of violent crimes unless they had enough cash, as well as restrict charitable groups ability to pay to get people out of jail, according to The Texas Tribune. While opponents say the bills would create an overreliance on cash thats unfair to people who are poor, supporters say reform is needed to keep violent and habitual offenders from being released on low-cash bonds. Is Texas in need of bail reform? You voted: Colonel William M. (Bill) Connor, V, USA (Ret.), 90, will join The Citadel Board of Visitors as its newest member on July 1, 2021. Connor is a retired Army officer, an attorney and the owner/founder of Bill Connor Law Firm LLC, headquartered in Orangeburg, South Carolina. For over 30 years, Connor served as an Infantry officer in the U.S. Army, then South Carolina National Guard, and then Army Reserve, beginning after graduating from The Citadel in 1990. He deployed to the Central Command Area multiple times, including service as the senior U.S. military advisor to Afghan National Security Forces in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Connors decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Ranger tab and Combat Infantrymans Badge. Connor currently serves as chairman of the South Carolina Floodwater Commissions National Security Task Force. He has also served as chairman of the board for Orangeburg Christian Academy and chairman of the Republican Partys 6th Congressional District, among multiple club presidencies and board memberships. In addition to a B.A. in history from The Citadel, Connor graduated from the U.S. Army War College in 2018 as a Distinguished Graduate with a master of science in strategic studies. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina in 2005. Lukashenko's reelection to a sixth term was widely seen as rigged and triggered months of protests, the largest of which drew up to 200,000 people. Authorities responded to the demonstrations with a massive crackdown that saw more than 35,000 people arrested, thousands beaten by police and opposition leaders jailed or forced to leave the country. The European Union and the United States have responded to the crackdown by slapping Belarus with sanctions. They have imposed new, tougher restrictions after Belarus diverted a passenger jet on May 23 to arrest an opposition journalist. Speaking in Brussels on Tuesday, European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said that Babarikos sentence is one of at least 125 unfair and arbitrary recent verdicts by Belarusian courts in politically motivated trials, often held behind closed doors and without due process of law. Stano said that serious human rights violations come at a price, and that the EU stands ready to consider further measures beyond the series of sanctions it has already imposed on top Belarus officials and businesses. My mom called me in the early evening that same day and told me she had called Dr. Gaillard (who routinely made house calls), and he was there. He said Daddy needed to go to the hospital. They were waiting on the ambulance (another story). So Charlie and I went right on to my parents home, which was less than two miles away. We had not been married very long at that time. Many of you readers will have no idea that in 1955 there was no home ambulance service. No EMS. The ambulance itself was the hearse from the local funeral home. It was equipped with a stretcher in the back. Thats it. No EMTs. So a family member usually rode in the back with the patient. My dad was not feeling well at all when they loaded him in this transport vehicle, and my mother climbed in with him. She asked Dr. Gaillard if he would ride with them also, and he agreed to. Charlie and I followed in our car. By the time we arrived at the emergency room (in the old hospital on Carolina Avenue), Mama was in the waiting room. In a very short time, the doctors came out to tell us that he didnt make it. The same day of his first pain, he also had his last. Its not the first study that gives the Palmetto State and Orangeburg -- high marks for the older population. SmartAsset, a New York financial technology company, has for the seventh year released its study, Best Places to Retire in the U.S. https://smartasset.com/retirement/retirement-calculator#southcarolina SmartAsset gathers data on three separate regional factors that affect the quality of life for retirees, including tax-friendliness, medical care and social opportunities. First, it looked at state and local tax rates, considering two types of taxes: income and sales. It calculated effective rates based on a retiree earning $35,000 annually (from retirement savings, Social Security and part-time employment). Income taxes paid were subtracted from the gross income to determine disposable income. Sales taxes paid were calculated based on the disposable income being spent on taxable goods. SmartAsset determined the number of doctors offices, recreation centers and retirement centers per thousand residents in each location. Finally, it measured the number of seniors in each city as a percentage of the total population. Its important to note that Orangeburg and surroundings are not left out when people are considering retirement destinations. This subscription will allow existing subscribers of The World to access all of our online content, including the E-Editions area. NOTE: To claim your access to the site, you will need to enter the Last Name and First Name that is tied to your subscription in this format: SMITH, JOHN If you need help with exactly how your specific name needs be entered, please email us at admin@countrymedia.net or call us at 1-541 266 6047. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit Here Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Tomorrow Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds light and variable. Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight A few clouds. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Tomorrow Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds light and variable. There was definitely a desire to see students be able to apply the learnings, she said. Much of the conversations focused on striking a balance between college and career readiness and building soft skills like time management and teamwork. A desire for more flexibility for students was also raised, as well as concerns about how students access new opportunities. What does this mean for students? That remains to be seen. The state board is still relatively early in this process. It just wrapped the first phase of gathering public input, and now will devise a draft of what the profile should include. Clapp explained the board could decide to alter existing state standards, or it could decide to fold the graduation standards into the standing language. The biggest impact on students would come if revising those standards also meant changes to graduation credit requirements. The board isnt likely to reach that phase until early 2022, according to the project timeline. Why is the state doing this work now? Ovando is a popular resting point for bicycle tourists traveling Highway 200 across the Continental Divide. It was the site of at least one organized group biking event over the Fourth of July weekend. Roselles said the bear wandered into the campsite a couple different times and may have had contact with other campers before the attack. FWP spokesman Greg Lemon said a bear was seen on Ovando-area video cameras Monday night and is suspected of raiding a chicken coop in town the same night the bicyclist was attacked. The agency has deployed a Wildlife Human Attack Response Team comprised of game wardens, biologists and wildlife conflict specialists to help track and capture the bear. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} A helicopter was dispatched for an hour early Tuesday afternoon to search for the bear in the creek drainages radiating out of Ovando both north and south of Highway 200. We have not had much grizzly conflict in Ovando so far this year, Lemon said. In the past, weve had bears come into town. A few years ago we had two subadult bears that got into trash cans and caused problems. Weve worked in the past on bear conflicts and to secure attractants. Its not out of the ordinary to have a bear in the Ovando area get into attractants. The arrangements made by the former government caused the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobagos $2.1 billion loss. And documentation at the ministries of the Attorney General and Energy reveal that the Kamla Persad-Bissessar government, on the eve of the 2015 general election, placed substantial pressure on public servants as it sought to sign off on a contract detrimental to NGC and the country. If life is a stage, then veteran calypsonian Brother Valentino is determined to continue to give a performance for the ages. Valentino turned 80 on Wednesday. The venerable bard says he is well aware his set is now in extra time and is inspired to make full use of every encore. I feel great and I give thanks to the Most High because you are allowed three score and ten and now I am enjoying the extra time that has been given to me, the affable calypsonian told the Kitcharee during a chat this past week. A Princes Town man who allegedly threatened the lives of President Paula-Mae Weekes and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley by phone is to appear at the Princes Town Magistrates Court tomorrow. Vinu Dallsingh, 65, was charged with the offence of misuse of telephone facilities on July 9. On May 6, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Emergency 999 Command Centre, St James, received a call threatening the lives of the President and the Prime Minister, the Police Service said in a statement yesterday. EVEN as the world comes to terms with the need to live with the virus, it is also becoming clear that living with the Covid-19 virus is not as easy as one might think. While it is extremely rare, it's a statistical certainty that some of the nearly 540,000 people fully vaccinated in Pima County will get COVID-19, and that a tiny fraction of them could die from the disease. Early voters The common thread in the measures Kramer hopes to refer to voters are that some see them as a way of giving Republicans an edge in future elections, particularly after Biden beat Trump in Arizona last year by just 10,457 votes. The first involves the permanent early voting list. Once someone signs up, he or she remains on the list as long as that person is registered to vote. But Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, said those lists are now clogged with people who apparently are not interested in using early ballots. She also said that sending early ballots to people who may not want them creates the chance they could be used fraudulently by someone else. The new law she sponsored says someone who does not use an early ballot in two successive election cycles is sent a notice asking if they continue to be interested. If they do not respond, they are removed from the list. Nobody responds to these government mailings, Kramer said. Theyre not much of a safeguard. Ugenti-Rita said those removed from the list can reapply. And she noted they retain their right to go to a polling place. I dont want to come out before the state does, she said. I would rather wait to see how the state moves forward and then we can follow suit. Supervisor Matt Heinz, who also voted against rescinding the emergency declaration, said his job as a physician at Tucson Medical Center reminds him nearly every day that the pandemic isnt over yet. Im seeing patients multiple times per week who are critically ill, who are fighting for their lives. And yes, mostly theyre not vaccinated yet and theyre still getting really bad COVID, he said. I had a gentleman, not even a month ago, in his early 20s come in to the hospital, who almost immediately had to be transferred to the intensive care unit ... hes still fighting for his life and may not survive. Heinz said the move could be a public messaging failure giving residents a false perception that the county is further along in COVID-19 recovery than it is. From a (public relations) standpoint, this is a catastrophe, he said. The most important thing we can do is keep up the messaging about the importance of getting vaccinated and that we still have a pandemic. And I dont see how were supposed to do that when we declare mission accomplished like we just did. If you are driving around and notice the American or Arizona flags flying at half-staff, you may wonder why. Sure, you know when a former president has died, but sometimes these are done in memory of a tragic event. For all of 2021, we are going to tell you when and why the flags for the United States of America, Arizona or any other state or territory of the U.S. are flown at half-staff. The source for much of this information is FlagSteward.org According to USFlag.org, which links to a copy of the United States Code, when the flag is flown at half-staff, it should first be hoisted to the peak and then lowered to half-staff. At sunset the flag should be raised back to full-staff and then lowered slowly all the way down. The U.S. flag must be flown at half-staff for the following office holders or former holders: President of the United States or former president: 30 days from the date of death. Vice President, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, retired Chief Justice or Speaker of the House of Representatives: 10 days from the date of death. Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a member of the Cabinet, a former Vice President, President pro tempore of the Senate, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives and Minority Leader of the House: From the day of death until the date of interment. Unites States Senator, Representative, Delegate or the Resident Commissioner from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico: In the District of Columbia the flag will fly at half-staff on the day of death and the following day, in the state, congressional district, territory or commonwealth of the deceased, the flag will fly at half-staff from the day of death until interment. Governor: Within the state, the flag will fly at half-staff from the day of death until interment. The Old Farmers' Almanac was also used as a source. Hunter did nothing wrong, just like we felt George Floyd did nothing wrong," Sharpton told reporters before the memorial. But if we segregate how we react, then we're wrong." It was unclear what impact Sharpton's and the attorneys' calls for action would have in Lonoke County, a rural county of 73,000 people that is 90% white. Even before the memorial service, Brittain's friends and family were calling for change at the state level with petitions urging the Legislature to require officers to wear body cameras that would be turned on as soon as their shift begins. I never thought anything like this would happen until it hit so close to home," said Scott Hendrickson, whose son was close friends with Brittain and who is . Once it happened to my son's best friend, I said it could happen to my son so it was too close to home to not do anything about it." Dozens of people gathered outside the sheriff's office after the memorial service for a rally with Brittain's family, attorneys and the NAACP Melissia McMahan, who is the Brittain family's mail carrier and knew the teen since he was a toddler, said she had thought about the need for police reform before Brittain's death but hadn't thought it was something her own community would face. I never expected anything like what happened, especially not just a country boy working on his truck and taking it for a test drive," she said. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California lawmakers will wait until next year to continue considering a bill that would give opioid users a place to inject drugs in supervised settings, the bill's author said Tuesday. State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, said he was told the Assembly Health Committee will delay a hearing on his bill until January. The measure would allow Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles County to start programs giving people a place to inject drugs while trained staff are available to help if they suffer accidental overdoses. Safe consumption sites are a proven strategy to save lives and help people into recovery, Wiener said. Currently the sites are illegal in the United States, but legal in Canada. Wiener's bill cleared the Senate in April with the minimum number of votes needed for passage there. The Senate Republican Caucus said in a statement at the time that the bill would establish taxpayer-staffed and funded drug dens. The proposal is opposed by some law enforcement groups, but Wiener said in a statement that it is very much alive, albeit delayed. The group called themselves a Bible study but also talked about firearms training events, the FBI said. During a Feb. 12 meeting, Duong discussed a Virginia secession movement that he said would be peaceful, according to the affidavit. A man whom Duong described as a member of the Three Percenters far-right militia movement addressed a group meeting on March 20, the affidavit said. Duong said his loosely affiliated, unnamed group was similar to a militia based in northern Virginia but that his groups mission was different because they cant be out in the open and needed to be a little bit more cloak and dagger, the agent wrote. Duong said he went to the Jan. 6 rally in Washington alone and dressed in all black to look like a member of Antifa," referring to the anti-fascist activists who often gather at protests, the affidavit said. He also said he did not necessarily approve of actions taken on January 6 at the U.S. Capitol and that it probably did more to hurt President Trump than to help him, the FBI agent wrote. In May and in June, the undercover agent and Duong discussed making and testing Molotov cocktails, according to the affidavit. It says Duong repeatedly talked about engaging in violence against groups that don't share his views. The state already has filed an appeal. Central to the issue is the argument by Brnovich that the change in priorities put in place in January by the Biden administration are causing financial harm to the state. He said the state has to provide emergency medical care to noncitizens who would otherwise have been deported. Ditto, he said, in providing education. And Brnovich had specific arguments and numbers to go with his claim. Bolton said he presented evidence that Arizona annually spends $4,164 for each individual placed on community supervision after they are released from state prison. And she said that there are at least four individuals in that program who, but for the change in guidance, would have been picked up by ICE and removed. The judge also noted there is reason to believe that could grow, citing figures provided by the state showing that 2,434 inmates are not only not citizens of the United States but already have orders for removal upon their release orders that are not being enforced. All that, she said, gives Arizona standing to sue. LAS VEGAS (AP) The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is proposing rounding up more than 500 wild burros in the desert north of Lake Mead. The feral donkeys are stripping the land of vegetation and could die off if the population isn't managed along the Arizona-Nevada line, the agency said. It wants to gather most of them to offer up for adoption. If approved, the government also plans to temporarily sterilize other burros and round up the animals at other points over the next decade, the Las Vegas Sun reported. No date for the roundup has been set. It could be years away or as early as this fall if a historic drought in the U.S. West dries up enough plants and grass to force starvation conditions, agency documents indicate. The proposal also includes removing a small herd of wild horses in the same area. The Bureau of Land Management estimates at least 554 burros and 36 horses live in the Lake Mead Complex, an expanse of rangeland covering about 291 square miles (753 square kilometers). It's one of the biggest herds in Nevada. The Arizona Daily Star Opinion team has been hosting a weekly Zoom chat for over a year now. We have loved getting to know our readers better, Millions of cats live in two worlds as indoor-outdoor animals (still a cultural norm in the U.K. and many other countries), and often bring home wild animals they have killed or injured, such as chipmunks, voles, baby rabbits, chickadees and lizards. The cats often require veterinary treatment for injuries and diseases acquired while hunting, and their owners may need medical attention if they contract infections from these gifts. They may also confront infestations of any insects that these cats bring back into their homes and beds. One more reason to keep cats indoors is the public health risk posed by their feces. Cat feces can contain pathogens transmissible to humans and other species, wild and domesticated, be they around farms or in rural, suburban or urban communities. (For a list of diseases that can be passed to humans from cat feces, visit the website of Cornell Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine vet.cornell.edu and search zoonotic cat.) The question then becomes: What are well-meaning cat owners to do? You have likely heard of the practice of TNR (trap-neuter-return), my opposition to which is well-documented. For a humane alternative, read about TNE (trap-neuter-enclose) at trapneuterenclose.com. Nationally, Oklahoma ranks 40th for percentage of total population with at least one dose, at 44.9%. The top state is Vermont, at 74.0%, while the worst is Mississippi, at 36.3%. Dr. Gitanjali Pai, chief medical officer for the state, said variants of any virus are to be expected but still should be taken seriously. Cases of COVID-19 in people who have already had the vaccine, known as breakthrough cases, are less likely to occur but possible, Pai said in the states release. If you are vaccinated, it is less likely that you will have a severe or life-threatening case of COVID-19 if you do become infected. The Delta variant poses a significant risk to those who have not been vaccinated, though, because it spreads more easily than other strains and, like all strains, can cause severe illness in unvaccinated people. Health officials are urging residents to be aware of new symptoms possible from contracting the delta variant as it marches down the Interstate 44 corridor from southwestern Missouri to the Oklahoma City metro area. President Joe Biden said Saturday that he ordered a deep dive by U.S. intelligence into the attack and that the U.S. would respond if it determines the Kremlin is involved. In Geneva last month, Biden sought to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to end safe haven for REvil and other ransomware gangs that operate with impunity in Russia and allied states as long as they avoid domestic targets. The syndicates' extortionary attacks have worsened in the past year. On Monday, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked if Russia was aware of the attack or had looked into it. He said no but suggested it could be discussed during U.S.-Russian consultations on cybersecurity issues. No date has been set for such consultations, and few analysts expect the Kremlin to crack down on a crime wave that benefits Putin's strategic objectives of destabilizing the West. Hannah-Jones and Coates' Howard appointments are being supported by nearly $20 million donated by the Knight Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation, as well as by an anonymous donor, to support Howard's continued education of and investment in Black journalists, the university said. "It is my pleasure to welcome to Howard two of today's most respected and influential journalists," Howard President Wayne A. I. Frederick said in a news release. "At such a critical time for race relations in our country, it is vital that we understand the role of journalism in steering our national conversation and social progress." Coates celebrated his return to Howard, which is his alma mater. "I heard a wise man once say, 'A man who hates home will never be happy.' And it is in the pursuit of wisdom and happiness that I return to join the esteemed faculty of Howard University. This is the faculty that molded me. This is the faculty that strengthened me," Coates said. "Personally, I know of no higher personal honor than this." Lankford said that obviously the state party makes their own decisions on what they want to be able to do. But every state party chairman Ive ever talked to has at a minimum its always just remain neutral. Thats the nature of every leader of every party, by the way, Republican or Democrat. Through a representative, Bennett responded to the Tulsa World on Monday evening only to liken the situation to the governors being able to personally endorse Sen. Lankford. Lankford is not the only incumbent Republican to draw Bennetts criticism. U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice took flak from the chairman on Facebook in May after she voted in support of a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. State Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, said hes never seen a sitting party chairman publicly support a candidate officially or otherwise in a primary election in over 30 years of political involvement. It requires only a few seconds for this variant of the virus to spread from carrier to carrier, and its patients, who generally are younger, and often sicker by the time they make it to the hospital. This could be due to the rapid deterioration of patients who at first had seemingly mundane symptoms, such as fever and headache. Only about one-fourth of Ratermanns patients have been vaccinated, he said, and those infections tend to resolve more quickly and with fewer complications than in the patients who are unvaccinated. About 60% of Delaware Countys population remains unvaccinated, according to the last weeks state epidemiology survey; 40% of the countys residents have received at least one dose. In response to a question about data showing the Pfizer vaccines efficacy against the variant may be as low as 64%, Ratermann said it could also be as high as 88%. Until its clear how much delta is out there, he said, it is hard to quantify vaccine efficacy for the variant in Oklahoma. Thats one of the reasons that were pushing so hard for testing and sequencing to detect the delta variant, he said. The plan to eliminate toll booth collectors on all the Oklahoma turnpikes is another subtle way to put Tulsa at a disadvantage to Oklahoma City. Six out of seven of the major four-lane highway connections that access Tulsa are turnpikes or turn into turnpikes. Only two out of seven major four-lane highways that access Oklahoma City are turnpikes. Therefore, tourists visiting Tulsa will more than likely be paying a toll to get there. The plan is for the tolls to remain the same for PikePass holders once the toll booths are eliminated. Customers without a PikePass will use PlatePay and will pay an average of 75% more than the current cash rates. A tourist visiting Tulsa is more likely to not have a PikePass. Besides being more likely to have to pay a toll, a tourist going to Tulsa will have to pay substantially more. Potentially, tourists and commercial trucking will be driven to take a route away from Tulsa. It seems that the same mentality is in use here as in the 1950s and 1960s when Tulsa was promised that the Turner and Will Rogers turnpikes would become free roads when the bonds were paid off. Tulsa ignores the downside to turnpike policy. Despite fresh water supplies from water plants, people in Hoi An Ancient Town still cherish the habit of drinking from an ancient well. The well water sellers, therefore, have made a living for decades. In Hoi An Ancient Town a popular tourist destination in central Vietnam's Quang Nam Province selling well water is a recognized occupation and many people have pursued this job. The only source the Ba Le ancient well has a special appeal to local people. It has provided a clean water supply for household consumption and culinary practices. The well has been around and never dried since the 10th century. Selling water from a well The streets of Hoi An Ancient Town are unusually quiet due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the silence was disrupted by the sound of walking feet coming from a ragged old man who was carrying water along the lines of vintage houses. Who wants some Ba Le well water? he cried. A wooden window on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street creaked open. A female voice came out, I want some. Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, the buyer, said that for decades, her family have used this water source for cooking, especially for preparing local specialty dishes like cao lau and mi Quang, both of which are noodle courses. Despite the prevalence of clean fresh water from water plants, Hoi An residents cannot part with the Ba Le well. According to Trang, her two major contractors for the well water are Nguyen Quoc, who lives in the old town, and Huynh Ngoc Noi, who resides across the river in Commune 3, Duy Vinh Ward, Duy Xuyen District, Quang Nam Province. Four decades of hard work At around 8:00 am, the 10-square-meter area of the Ba Le ancient well was occupied by a single man Noi on a shabby bicycle with two large plastic baskets hanging on the backseat. He parked his bicycle right next to the well and quickly cleaned up the space around there, which was filled with leaves and dirt, using a tiny broom he picked from a nearby corner. This 54-year-old water transporter has remained loyal to this job for 41 years, serving only the people in the old town. Noi considers the well as his livelihood for life. For decades, he has not had a single day off. The man was adopted by a woman who lives across the Thu Bon River when he was a child. His foster mother used to be a well water seller, and Noi dabbled his feet in at age 13. He has been on the job ever since. Hoi An Ancient Town is tiny. The farthest anyone can get within its scope is under two kilometers. Therefore, Noi knows every single person here and he himself is rather well known. From his jacket pocket, he revealed a list of the restaurants and households that he frequents each day. For decades, these have been his stopovers. He knows like the back of his hand all the family members of these places, but has to keep a written record in case money disputes arise. Most of the time, Noi gets paid right on the dot, but many household owners cannot pay in cash upon delivery, so their payments are made at the end of the month. To get the water up from the well, he uses a bucket attached to a long string placed over the well, which is around 10 meters deep. The clean and fresh water goes straight through a fabric sieve at the tip of the two water cans on his bicycle. Once the cans have been filled to capacity, he embarks on this delivery trips. His decades of hard work transporting water has kept his family fed. Although the manual labor is tough and the old man might physically snap along the way, the remuneration is minimal in comparison. For every 40 liters of water, which is the volume of one can, Noi gets VND5,000 (US$0.22). For every turn, he makes VND10,000 ($0.44) from delivering two full cans of water. During this pandemic, this job has helped his family so much. Noi believes that selling well water this way is still much less physically demanding than being a construction worker or a xe om driver. Besides the two water cans, Nois bicycle is another essential tool. Huynh Ngoc Noi transports two cans of well water to his customers in Hoi An, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam on a daily basis. Photo: B.D. / Tuoi Tre It was bought when he was 27 years old. Before that, he had been walking with the cans of water balanced from a peg on his shoulders. With enough money, he purchased an old made-in-France bicycle and has stuck to it ever since. The bicycle is half his age. It is too old. It shrieks with every pedaling. It breaks down all the time. But whatever is broken, I will fix it, Noi said. Now there is only the frame left, but its not really very sturdy. "There are cracks here and there. "Ive had them repaired a few times. I take it to the repair shop whenever theres a new crack somewhere, and I apply some paint on it to prevent rust. Following in his fathers footsteps In 2014, the Vietnam Record Association recognized the longest-living well water seller in Vietnam, Nguyen Duong, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 90. This man was on the job from 1975 to 2018. After his father died, Nguyen Quoc followed in his footsteps and kept this service alive. Quoc has 15 families and restaurants as his customers. The job takes him around half a morning and earns him roughly VND100,000 ($4.36). Quoc spends the rest of the day at home while his wife goes to work. Their children have become financially independent, so the money they make is basically enough. According to him, tourism in Hoi An before COVID-19 struck was in blossom, so his service was quite in demand. For days he pulled out all the stops and earned a few hundred thousand dong (around $10-20). Due to the pandemic, however, only about 10 households are using his service on a daily basis. The buyers sometimes offer him a small tip as they empathize with his difficult life. As the earnings from this work are too low, there are only a few well water sellers left, some of whom are temporary workers. Certain sellers have even upgraded their capacity with a large container attached on their motorbike in order to serve bigger customers. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Israel agreed on Monday to provide about 700,000 expiring doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine to South Korea, the Haaretz newspaper reported, citing Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Delivery of the doses is to begin later in July, and as part of the deal Israel will receive in September and October an identical number of Pfizer vaccine doses that had been ordered by Seoul, Bennett said. A spokeswoman for South Korea's Health Ministry said on Tuesday she had no comment on the report. South Korea has quickly distributed the COVID-19 vaccines it has, but has struggled to obtain enough doses in a timely manner amid tight global supplies, particularly in Asia. The government said last week it is hoping to achieve herd immunity earlier than its November target by inoculating at least 70% of its population with a minimum of one vaccine dose, mostly mRNA ones such as Pfizer's. Here are todays leading news stories: Politics -- The 13th Party Central Committee opened its third plenum in Hanoi on Monday under the chair of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. The five-day plenum discusses and makes a decision on a number of important issues relating to the socio-economic development plan in 2021-25. COVID-19 Updates -- The Ministry of Health documented 277 local COVID-19 patients, including 230 cases in Ho Chi Minh City, on Tuesday morning, raising the countrys tally to 21,312, with 8,022 recoveries and 90 deaths. -- Five people in a family have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Hanoi after the capital had gone nearly 10 days without detecting any case in the community, the municipal Center for Disease Control said on Monday evening. -- A 35-year-old doctor from the north-central province of Nghe An has been diagnosed with COVID-19 after he visited many places while being subject to seven-day home quarantine. -- Authorities in the southern province of Kien Giang have proposed the suspension of all flights between the provinces Phu Quoc Island and Ho Chi Minh City from Tuesday to prevent the spread of COVID-19. -- The first batch of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine with 97,000 doses, part of the 31 million shots Vietnam had purchased, will arrive in the country on Wednesday, according to a source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. Society -- Authorities in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong have initiated legal proceedings against a woman for spreading COVID-19 to at least five other people. She had previously stated false information in her health declaration after returning from a virus-hit area. -- Three former police officers in Hanoi have been sentenced to 24 to 30 months in prison for assaulting three people who were suspected illegal street racers in late March 2020. -- A 50-year-old Hanoi man was condemned to 23 years in jail on Monday for buying sex from five girls aged 12 to 15 between February and May 2020. Business -- Vietnams gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 5.64 percent in the first half of 2021, the Vietnam News Agency reported, adding that the country only achieved a 1.82 percent increase in the same period last year. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Five people in a family have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Hanoi after the capital had gone nearly ten days without detecting any case in the community, the municipal Center for Disease Control said on Monday evening. The family, living in My Duc District, spent time outside their home before the detection of their infections. The father, 39-year-old L.V.C., traveled with D.D.D., a 33-year-old man from Ha Nam Province, to Nghe An Province to sell trucks on June 13. The two men took a passenger bus to return to Ha Nam on the same day and C. spent the night at D.s house. D. developed COVID-19 symptoms on July 1 and tested positive for the coronavirus by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) of Ha Nam on Monday. Before that, C. and his wife and three children visited the wifes parents in Hoa Binh Province on June 23 and returned home on the same day. C. began having a mild fever on June 28. He visited My Duc District General Hospital on Monday to have a check and performed a rapid test for COVID-19, whose result returned positive. His medical samples were then retested by Ha Dong General Hospital. The results were also positive. The Hanoi CDC has conducted one more test on C.s sample to affirm the results. His wife and three children also tested positive for the virus, using the rapid testing kits, and are waiting for confirmatory test results from the Hanoi CDC. The municipal CDC has also sent a task force to the familys residential area to perform epidemiological investigation. Before these five new local cases, Hanoi last documented a COVID-19 patient in the community on June 26. People in the city have gradually resumed normal activities as restrictions have been relaxed. The capitals caseload in the ongoing coronavirus wave, which broke out in Vietnam on April 27, stood at 468 as of Tuesday morning. The country has recorded 21,312 infections, including 17,871 local cases since April 27. Recoveries have reached 8,022 while 90 people, most of whom were aged patients with underlying health conditions, have died. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Two Hanoi men have been sentenced to 19 and 23 years in jail for buying sex from five girls aged 12 to 15. The municipal Peoples Court on Monday conducted the trial of Nguyen Van Hai, 50, and Nguyen Van Duc, 45, who both reside in Phuc Tho District. Hai was sentenced to 14 years in jail for raping under 16-year-old people and another nine years for buying sex from under 18-year-old people. Duc received a 12-year prison term for raping under 16-year-old people and another seven-year term for buying sex from under 18-year-old people. According to the indictment, Hai and Duc became acquainted with Nguyen Thi Dieu Linh, 18, via social media in late February 2020. From late February to May the same year, Linh introduced five girls aged 12 to 15 for Hai and Duc to have sex with on seven occasions. The two men agreed to pay VND1.5 million (US$65) per time. On some occasions, Duc refused to have sex with the prostitutes as they were too young. Parents of one of the young girls discovered the crime and reported it to local police on June 10, 2020. Hai and Duc were arrested four days later. At the trial, Linh was condemned to four years behind bars for prostitution brokerage. Nguyen Van Nam, 20, who was boyfriend of one of the prostitutes, received a four-year jail term as he had had consensual sex with his 14-year-old girlfriend twice. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The largest wholesale market in Ho Chi Minh City has been temporarily closed due to the complicated development of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Peoples Committee in District 8 has ordered the suspension of direct transactions at Binh Dien Wholesale Market from 8:00 am on Tuesday. The activities will be allowed to resume when the market meets all requirements on pandemic prevention and control. Merchants are required to move their products out of the venue by 8:00 pm the same day. They are advised to switch to online sales and have their products delivered to customers during this period. The management board has been tasked with fumigating the entire market as well as working with the municipal Department of Industry and Trade and District 8 People's Committee to establish suitable epidemic prevention and control measures. Binh Dien Wholesale Market required all merchants and customers to undergo rapid COVID-19 tests on Monday following the detection of 56 cases linked to the site. People were only allowed to enter the market if they presented a certificate proving they had tested negative for the novel coronavirus. However, the plan resulted in the gatherings of large crowds as approximately 14,000 people flocked to the testing site at the venue. Binh Dien Wholesale Market has about 11,000 laborers and thousands of stalls selling mainly aquacultural products, pork, and vegetables. Around 2,000 metric tons of products are gathered at the market on a daily basis. Covering 30 hectares, it is considered the largest wholesale market in Ho Chi Minh City, supplying more than 70 percent of fresh food in the city and neighboring provinces, according to VnExpress. Ho Chi Minh City has three major wholesale markets, namely Binh Dien, Hoc Mon, and Thu Duc. Hoc Mon Wholesale Market, located in the namesake district, has been ordered to shut down from June 28 to July 15 over COVID-19. Vietnam has documented 21,312 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday morning, with 8,022 recoveries and 94 deaths, according to the health ministry. The country has recorded 17,871 local infections in 55 provinces and cities since a fresh outbreak began on April 27. Ho Chi Minh is currently the hardest-hit locality with 6,905 cases. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Ministry of Health reported more than 1,000 locally-acquired coronavirus infections for the second day in a row on Tuesday, most of which were registered in Ho Chi Minh City. Health workers detected 1,029 cases in 17 provinces and cities, including 710 in Ho Chi Minh City, 99 in Dong Thap, 92 in Binh Duong, and 12 in Hanoi, the health ministry said. Eight hundred and seventy-two patients were found in centralized quarantine centers or isolated areas, it added. This is the second successive day that Vietnam has recorded over 1,000 local cases, after the country announced 1,089 domestically-transmitted infections, the highest-ever daily jump, on Monday. Medical staff in Ho Chi Minh City are tracing the sources of 114 of the new cases while the rest were detected in quarantine or locked-down areas, the municipal Center for Disease Control said in a report. Vietnam has struggled with the fourth and worst virus wave since April 27, after having gone nearly a month of zero known transmissions. The country has confirmed 18,613 COVID-19 patients in 55 out of its 63 provinces and cities in this round, with Ho Chi Minh City reporting 7,385 cases and Bac Giang finding 5,673 infections. The city is proceeding with its mass screening of the community for infected patients so health workers have recorded a daily increase in the hundreds over the past week. Local authorities have put enhanced social distancing measures in place for over a month, shutting down non-essential businesses, banning crowded events, and ordering eateries to offer takeout only. 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. The Southeast Asian country has confirmed 22,064 cumulative infections since the pathogen first hit it early last year. Recoveries have amounted to 8,077, including 55 announced on Tuesday, whereas todays seven virus-related fatalities have taken the toll to 97. The country has administered 3,903,105 AstraZeneca vaccine doses to medical workers, teachers, factory workers, and other frontline staff since it rolled out inoculation on March 8. A total of 226,858 people have been fully vaccinated. The government set a target of immunizing two-thirds of a population of nearly 98 million people against COVID-19 by the end of this year. It has approved AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Sputnik V, Moderna, and Sinopharm vaccines for emergency use to date. Nearly five million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses, including donations by Japan, have arrived in Vietnam as yet, in addition to 2,000 Sputnik V jabs donated by Russia and 500,000 Sinopharm doses gifted by China, according to the Ministry of Health. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Refuting rumors of a total lockdown, Ho Chi Minh City leaders have announced other stringent measures, including diligent moves to monitor the traffic flow entering and leaving the city. The new directions were settled during a meeting on epidemic prevention and control measures on Monday between leaders of Ho Chi Minh City and central government officials. They squashed rumor that the city would be placed on complete lockdown given the COVID-19 escalation. Traffic control During the meeting, Vietnams Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam pointed out a need for all-out and synchronous measures among authorities of all levels in Ho Chi Minh City, as the caseload in the locale has steeply risen in recent weeks. Dam suggested that more stringent monitoring procedures for entrances to and departures from the city are required, but conveyance of products and groceries to cater the needs of people in the city should be prioritized. On June 30, the Ministry of Health stated a COVID-19 test result is required for all inter-provincial drivers in the country. The deputy premier requires Ho Chi Minh City, the Ministry of Health, and other relevant authorities to concur upon a solution for traffic control, which must be announced publicly 24 hours before it is enacted. Citizens are recommended to only leave or enter Ho Chi Minh City in cases of utmost importance. Health officials are required to work with information and communication authorities to devise a QR code system detailing vaccination status and testing results of citizens, which can provide COVID-19 checkpoints with necessary information for monitoring purposes. Dam urged Ho Chi Minh City to keep an eye on the progress of the citywide health declaration plan, plus the utilization of multiple testing techniques to ensure prompt tracing of COVID-19 spread. The city should avoid sampling beyond testing capacity, he said. Testing results should provide all details , including viral load, to inform the contact tracing process." Prioritizing contact tracing, testing Following a meeting chaired by the premier on Sunday, Ho Chi Minh City leaders have worked to connect the local epidemiological database with the central authority to provide insights on the local situation, said Nguyen Van Nen, secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, during Tuesday's meeting. The city is prioritizing COVID-19 testing in hotspot areas, ensuring quick results and avoiding excessive sampling. Local authorities put emphasis on quick contact tracing as it can be key to detecting transmissions and preventing the pathogen from spreading out of control. According to Nen, the city should uphold its focus on contact tracing and epidemiological investigation. All direct contacts of a confirmed case should be listed within one hour and sent to quarantine centers afterward. Testing should be repeated every 1-3 days in at-risk areas, while monitoring measures at industrial zones and workers residential areas need to be maintained. Nen also suggested that the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Transport join forces in conceiving a common COVID-19 testing certificate that is accepted in all provinces of Vietnam. As Nguyen Huy Dung, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, pointed out, all citizens who use contact tracing apps such as Bluezone or NCOVI have been provided with QR codes, which can act as a certificate at monitoring checkpoints. He promised that the Ministry of Information and Communications will incorporate coronavirus test results and vaccination status into the current QR code system within 24 hours. The Ministry of Information and Communications required all people who leave or enter Ho Chi Minh City to complete health declarations and obtain negative test results. Residents from surrounding areas who have jobs in the city will be subject to regulations as settled between the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City and the respective provinces. Once the directions on medical declaration, testing results, plus integration of such details into personal QR codes are completed, the issues of long monitoring procedures at airports and road checkpoints will be alleviated, according to Le Anh Tuan, Deputy Minister of Transport. Vietnam has recorded 17,871 local infections in 55 provinces and cities since a fresh outbreak began on April 27. Ho Chi Minh is currently the hardest-hit locality with 6,905 cases. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A man working for a company at Hoa Phu Industrial Park in Vinh Long Province, situated in Vietnams Mekong Delta region, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus after coming into contact with a COVID-19 patient. Hailing from Vinh Longs Mang Thit District, the 38-year-old worker of Ty Xuan Co. Ltd. had his real-time RT-PCR test result return positive on Sunday evening, the provincial steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control said on Monday. He had directly interacted with a COVID-19 patient previously. His wife also works at the same company. The committee has found out 85 and 800 people who came into direct and indirect contact with the male worker, respectively. Fifty-two workers on the same production line as the patient hail from Chau Thanh District in neighboring Dong Thap Province, which has recorded a surge in infections over the past few days. The 85 direct contacts have been sent to centralized quarantine facilities and are waiting for the results of their COVID-19 tests, while the 800 indirect contacts and all workers of Ty Xuan Co. Ltd. have also been tested, using rapid test kits. Two factories where the patient and his wife work have been temporarily closed for disinfection. Medical authorities have asked all factory workers in Vinh Long and Dong Thap to temporarily stay home to prevent transmission and perform health declaration in their locales for medical management and monitoring. Vinh Long and Dong Thap have recorded 16 and 226 local infections, respectively, in the ongoing coronavirus wave, which broke out in Vietnam on April 27. The Peoples Committee of Vinh Long has previously put two concentrated isolation facilities set up at the two campuses of Vinh Long Vocational College into operation. Vietnam has documented 21,560 infections so far, including 18,113 local cases since April 27. Recoveries have reached 8,022 while 90 people, most of whom were aged patients with underlying health conditions, have died. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Updated: The Australian Formula One Grand Prix and the MotoGP at Phillip Island have been cancelled for 2021. The Victorian government has blamed the decision on the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic including a slower than forecast rollout of the Commonwealth vaccination program and subsequent caps to international traveller intake. The Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula said, This is the reality of the pandemic but until we get much higher vaccination rates we cannot return to more normal settings. We are getting to work on plans for 2022 immediately and cant wait to welcome the worlds best drivers and riders and all motorsport fans back to Albert Park and Phillip Island. Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chairman, Paul Little said, Were deeply disappointed that for a second consecutive year, both MotoGP and Formula 1 fans wont be able to see the worlds best riders and drivers compete at the wonderful Phillip Island and Albert Park Grand Prix Circuits. We appreciate the challenge Australia faces with current international travel restrictions and the importance of vaccinations. I would like to reassure our motivated and professional staff, suppliers and partners, as well as the Victorian tourism and major events community that we will work tirelessly to deliver these iconic events in 2022. Australian Formula 1 McLaren driver, Daniel Ricciardo added, Its a huge disappointment for all of the drivers that we wont be coming down to Australia in November, but we understand the reasons. For me personally, I cant wait to have the chance to race at home again, and itll be even sweeter when we do because its been so long. Fingers crossed things can change for 2022 and we get to see the awesome fans at Albert Park again and put on a good show for them. Earlier: Seven News is reporting the 2021 Australian Grand Prix will be cancelled. The race is scheduled to be held in Melbourne in November after being postponed earlier this year due to the pandemic. Seven reports long negotiations over a quarantine hub for drivers has broken down, with an official announcement expected this afternoon. Race officials reportedly put a proposal to the Victorian Government asking racing teams to fly in and out of a strict bubble because a two-week hotel quarantine wasnt feasible as it meant drivers would miss other races overseas. The Herald Sun is also reporting the Australian MotoGP race, scheduled for October 24, is off too. 10 has the rights to both the Australian Grand Prix and Australian MotoGP which would likely entail a refund or rights extension were they not to proceed. The Australian Grand Prix was last held in 2019 after the 2020 event was cancelled as the pandemic hit Australia. Source: ABC Part 2 of Foreign Correspondents Clash of the Titans from Bill Birtles screens this week on ABC. By the end of this decade, China is expected to take over America as the worlds biggest economy. The rivalry between the worlds two biggest superpowers has never been more intense. China and other countries are closing in fast. We have to develop and dominate the products and technologies of the future, warns US President Joe Biden. Both countries are still reeling from the fallout of the trade war. When Trump slapped a tariff on a list of Chinese imports in 2018, China responded tariffs on American products. Presented by Bill Birtles, this second episode of Clash of the Titans explores the emerging, critical battleground of technology. Traditionally the US has had the edge here, home to the most successful and innovative tech companies such as Facebook, Google, Tesla and Apple. But China is catching up fast, investing heavily in such areas as robotics, Artificial Intelligence, 5G and 6G and surveillance technologies. In these difficult situations under sanctions, we still shipped 240 million smartphones, and became the worlds second largest smartphone maker, says the CEO of Huawei. The US has long accused China of stealing of its intellectual property, of copying not innovating. But in Shenzhen, the Silicon Valley of China, the energy and creativity is on full display. China is now filing more patents that the US, many coming from the start-ups in Shenzhen. The common misconception of China is that its a big factory, says US entrepreneur Garrett Winther. In reality theres a lot of expertise, knowledge, understanding. English engineer Xiong Chang, whos developing a robot to help farmers kill weeds, says the speed with which things happen in Shenzhen gives him a huge business advantage. If he needs a spare part, he can get it in hours rather than waiting days. Its really true what they say. A month in Shenzhen is similar to four months anywhere else. The US is fighting to stay in the race, with President Biden supporting a bill which will invest in billions in technology research and the semiconductor industry. As other countries continue to invest in their own research and development, we cannot risk falling behind. America must maintain its position as the most innovative and productive nation on earth. The US tried many times to contain and impose sanctions on China. We have not only survived but also thrived. And our way forward is brighter yet, says Le Yucheng, Chinas Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. Thursday 8 July at 8pm on ABC Amongst the July premieres on architecture / lifestyle streamer Shelter is an original commission Permanent Camping 2. Push (92 mins) Canada 2019 (Available from July 5) A documentary from award-winning director Fredrik Gertten, investigating why we cant afford to live in our own cities anymore. Housing is a fundamental human right, a precondition to a safe and healthy life. But in cities all around the world, having a place to live is becoming more and more difficult. Who are the players and what are the factors that make housing one of todays most pressing world issues? My hope is that Push will form a platform for better conversation, says Director Fredrik Gertten. That people in countries around the world realise that the development in their town is not unique. Theres a global pattern, a business model repeated over and over again. A new kind of landlord, a hedge fund whose customers are not the tenants but the investors. Everywhere, I meet people who through the film now feel less lonely. Just more angry. Winner of the Politiken Audience Award (2019) CPH:DOX, Young Jury Reteena Award (2019) Docs Barcelona, Premio del Jurado Global Docs Jury Award (2019) Docs MX, Justin Louis Award Best Documentary (2019) Freedom Film Fest, Best Feature (2019) San Francisco Green Film Festival, Open Eyes Youth Jury Award (2019) Nuremberg Human Rights Film Festival & a Special Mention (2019) Life After Oil Film Festival. Interiurs Series 9 (25 x 26mins) France 2019 (Available from July 12) A look at European interior design through amazing decors, charming guest houses, surprising discoveries and alluring home makeovers, Interieurs is a series for trend addicts and beautiful houses lovers. Permanent Camping 2 (27mins) Australia 2021 (Available from July 19) A Shelter Original, World Premiere 10 Years after the construction of the inaugural Permanent Camping, architect Rob Brown has teamed up once again with master builder and joiner Jeffery Broadfield for a second iteration of the famous Permanent Camping building. The film documents the relationship between architect, builder and client and follows the building from its early iterations to its completed build. Writer & Director: Jim Lounsbury Producer: Dustin Clare Associate Producers: Camille Clare & Lynette Lounsbury Green Touch Series 1 (20 x 13mins) France 2016 (Available from July 26) The Green Touch series presents the most striking green buildings in an effort to embrace modern housing and ecological awareness. From utopian projects, green materials, recycling tips and information on sustainable energies, todays initiatives will make tomorrows standards. 22 year old Victorian Zak Stolz has won $100,000 after being the furthest fastest competitor in Nines Australian Ninja Warrior 2021 Grand Final. He was one of two competitors who qualified for the dreaded Mt Midoriyama tower, alongside last years runner-up, Charlie Robbins (both are residents of Rye on the Mornington Peninsula). But Robbins stumbled not long in the second stage of the course leaving the field open to friend Zak Attack, who went one better. Unlike 2020 where Mt Midoriyama was conquered by Ben Polson, nobody came close this year. Polson failed to qualify for Stage 2. Girlfriend Olivia Vivian, the only female in the Grand Final, also lucked out. But the Ninja community is tight and cheered on Stolz as he went the furthest, fastest. Stolz said: Winning means so much more than just prize money to me. To be honest, the feeling is yet to sink in fully, but theres a massive sense of accomplishment that comes with the title that I believe Ill be able to reflect upon for the rest of my life and look back on whenever times are tough. It is such a surreal moment and I know my father would be so proud of me. Not to mention putting a smile on my mum and other supporters faces. That is honestly more valuable than anything to me. Tonight Nine screens a one-off special Australian Ninja Warrior: Record Breakers featuring the Rising Mega Warped Wall, Ferocious Ferris Wheel, Sprinting Steps Showdown, Soaring Sonic Shelf Grab and Super Salmon Ladder. A total prize pool of $90,000 is on offer. Tyler, TX (75702) Today Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low 73F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Local centerpiece Flying high: Jacksonville teen earns his pilots license Jessica Payne / Jessica T. Payne/Tyler Morning Telegraph photos Top: The Iron Butterfly, a private plane owned by Colton Hamilton, sits at the Cherokee County Airport in Rusk. Hamilton, who began flying lessons at the age of 15, earned his pilots license before graduating high school earlier this year. Middle: Hamilton puts on his head gear while sitting in his plane at the Cherokee County Airport. Above: Hamilton, 18, smiles for a photo while standing next to his plane. Jessica Payne / Jessica T. Payne/Tyler Morning Telegraph Planes line part of a runway at the Cherokee County Airport in Rusk where Colton Hamilton, who earned his pilots license before graduating high school, houses his plane The Iron Butterfly. Jessica Payne / Jessica T. Payne/Tyler Morning Telegraph Colton Hamilton puts on his head gear while sitting in his plane at the Cherokee County Airport in Rusk. Hamilton began flying lessons as a freshman at the age of 15 and earned his pilots license before graduating Jacksonville High School this year. Jessica Payne / Jessica T. Payne/Tyler Morning Telegraph The Cherokee County Airport in Rusk houses the plane of 18-year-old pilot Colton Hamilton who earned his pilots license before graduating high school this year. Jessica Payne / Jessica T. Payne/Tyler Morning Telegraph Several buttons and gauges line the dash of The Iron Butterfly, a private plane owned by recent Jacksonville High School graduate and pilot Colton Hamilton. Jessica Payne / Jessica T. Payne/Tyler Morning Telegraph A sign off of Highway 69 points to the Cherokee County Airport in Rusk where 18-year-old Colton Hamilton, a recent Jacksonville High School graduate, houses his plane The Iron Butterfly. Jessica Payne / Jessica T. Payne/Tyler Morning Telegraph The Iron Butterfly, a private plane owned by Colton Hamilton, sits at the Cherokee County Airport in Rusk. Hamilton, who began flying lessons at the age of 15, earned his pilots license before graduating high school earlier this year. Jessica Payne / Jessica T. Payne/Tyler Morning Telegraph Colton Hamilton holds a keychain reading the name of his private plane, The Iron Butterfly. Hamiltons twin brother Caleb had the keychain specially made after Hamilton received his pilots license. Jessica Payne / Jessica T. Payne/Tyler Morning Telegraph Eighteen-year-old Colton Hamilton, a recent Jacksonville High School graduate, smiles while sitting on the wing of his plane The Iron Butterfly. Hamilton began flying lessons as a freshman and received his pilots license before graduating earlier this year. JACKSONVILLE Colton Hamilton was never a huge plane enthusiast or had much interest in aviation and he wasnt born into a family that did. In fact, flying as a child caused him tremendous fear and anxiety. But that would all change his freshman year of high school when a friends flying instructor took him flying in his private airplane. By the time the duo landed, Hamilton, who graduated from Jacksonville High School in May, had found his calling and a passion for flying he didnt know existed. I went on a flight with my friends instructor for my friends graduation party and realized at that moment I wanted to fly as a career, Hamilton said. The process of earning a pilots license is a long one with many phases and obstacles. For Hamilton, it was one that was stalled several times over the years due to COVID-19 and extreme weather. The first step involves an application process to obtain your student pilot certification, which is a license to learn and entails learning the plane equipment while on the ground, flight training, or knowledge test. However, this certificate is required before you can fly solo. A student pilot license also allows future pilots to fly with an instructor, practice landing the plane, and maneuvers. Once an instructor believes a student is ready, he will allow the student to fly solo. After passing both a written knowledge test and a flight test, having at least a third-class medical certificate, and logging a minimum of 35 flying hours, students are able to receive their private pilot license, commonly known as a PPL. Hamilton began taking flying lessons at age 15 from a flying instructor in Jacksonville. He didnt yet have his drivers license so his mom would drop him off at the hanger around dawn before school. She would work out at a local gym while he took lessons, and then pick him up on her way home to get ready for school. None of this would have been possible without her, both of my parents, actually. She and my dad have been so supportive and walked with me through every step of this journey, Hamilton said. There was a time when I got frustrated with the process and how much it involved and thought about quitting; thats when my dad told me a story about when he and my mom would sometimes take a blanket and go up on a hill to watch planes flying over when they were younger and daydream about places they would go in the future. I feel like he was saving that story for a time when he thought I might have doubts about following through on my ambitions of flying. As a Mothers Day present, Hamilton surprised his mom by flying her to Hot Springs, Arkansas for lunch. I told her we had to run some errands but ended up bringing her to the hanger. We hopped in the plane, flew to Hot Springs for lunch at Red Lobster then flew home, Hamilton said. I think she got a kick out of it and it was neat to be able to give her such a unique Mothers Day gift. The funny part about that surprise was when we landed in Hot Springs I went to go rent us a car to get to the restaurant but wasnt old enough! My mom had to rent the vehicle, he added. His mother Deanna Hamilton remembers her favorite moment during her sons more than a four-year unique flying journey. One of my favorite memories of Colton flying has to be the very first time he completed his solo flight. Even though I was not there in person, his instructor sent his father and I a video of Coltons very first solo landing. What I remember the most about that moment was the smile on his face when he landed that plane all by himself, she said. The smile on his face was crystal clear. That was a turning point for Colton and I. In that moment he gained the confidence he needed to pursue his dream. His father Chance Hamilton said the idea of his son wanting to pursue flying at such a young age was definitely difficult in the beginning but after seeing his dedication, it became clear they would stand behind him for the long haul. We let Colton take some lessons to see how committed he was. After a while, it was obvious about his commitment. We helped him study for his written FAA exams and they are fairly tough for anyone, much less a High School kid, his dad said.On numerous occasions, Colton was faced with a decision about extracurricular activities or flying, he always chose to fly without any influence in his decision from us. This is what compelled us to support him along his journey. His father added that Colton has come a long way over the years. He was mowing yards on a Zero Turn Mower at age 7, operating large tractors at age 10, and also driving his truck at age 14 and 15 with his parents present. He has always seemed relaxed when it comes to operating equipment. Now he is flying over our house in his plane and all over the southern states, he said. Hamiltons longest flight, so far, was a trip when he flew his grandfather to West Texas. Round trip was about a six-hour flight. People dont realize it but wind plays a huge part in flight time, especially flying a private plane. The flight there was rather fast but coming home we battled a lot of wind and it took much longer, Hamilton said. Once the pandemic hit, Hamilton began lessons with Tyler instructor Robert Garza due to more availability. Hamilton has been under his direction ever since. Hamilton, then a student at Jacksonville High School, would get out of school at 3:50 p.m., head straight to Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, and fly until around 7 p.m. three to four days a week. Now that school is out and he has graduated Hamilton, who currently has a little more than 300 flying hours under his belt, plans to rack up even more. His dad bought him a plane in 2020 which he eventually named The Iron Butterfly. Hamilton plans to attend Tyler Junior College then transfer to UT Tyler to receive his bachelors degree to become an airline pilot. To reach this goal, he has to be 23 years old, hold a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating, have a first-class medical certificate, complete an airline transport pilot certification training program for a multi-engine rating, and have a minimum of 1,500 flying hours. I plan on continuing to work as an instructor throughout college building my flight hours, then once I meet age requirements and flight hour requirements, apply for cargo airlines, Hamilton said. Hamilton said its been an incredible journey and he is proud of how far he has come. It feels good knowing just how much I have achieved in such a short amount of time and seeing all the progress through my training, he said. Later this year the family will enjoy a new family tradition, started after Hamilton got his license: flying to look at Christmas lights instead of driving. By Mark Gokavi Two podcasts produced locally address regenerative, agricultural and other sustainability challenges. Both recently discussed the importance of soil conservation. Alive with Cristina Redko features ways to disseminate ideas about regenerative practices. Recent episodes of Alive address hydration in California, soil health as public health and planting trees. Redko is an associate professor of population and public health at Wright State Universitys Center for Global Health at the Boonshoft School of Medicine. She said new episodes debut every other Friday. You will hear stories about how our lives, all living beings and our living systems are intertwined: big and small, close and far, including us, human beings, Redkos website says. Along the way we will discover our contributing human roles to regenerate life on Earth. Grounded Hope pairs podcast director Renee Wilde with people at the Arthur Morgan Institute for Community Solutions and Agraria. The series introduces the people of Ohio to the past, present and future of Ohio agriculture. Listeners will learn how historical farming practices - including those of indigenous people and early Black farmers - hold ideas for how our degraded soils can be regenerated. Recent episodes include talks about healthy soils and healthy people, plants as food and medicine and animals in regenerative agriculture. One recent installment included an award-winning scientist researching how healthy soils can combat climate change and a visit to an urban mushroom farm in Dayton. For more sustainability news and information, visit HSIs news blog, the Hanley Sustainability Institute website and the sustainability program website. To sign up for HSIs Sustainability Spotlight newsletter, register here. The biannual U.S. Catholic bishops meeting received more than its usual attention this June due to one particular item on its agenda: a proposed document on the Sacrament of the Eucharist, a ritual also known as Holy Communion. Communion has been described as the fount and apex of the whole Christian life. Geoffrey Clements/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images Because this as yet unwritten document is expected to include guidance on when and whether Holy Communion may be refused to a Catholic who presents her or himself in a manifest state of serious sin, this church matter received note in the pages of national newspapers. It also prompted a Statement of Principles from 60 Democratic Catholics in the U.S. House of Representatives urging bishops to not move forward and deny this most holy of all sacraments. As a scholar of Catholic sacramental theology, let me offer some thoughts on the central role of Holy Communion in the Catholic Church, and the pain it can cause some members to be denied reception of it. One of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, the Eucharist is a ritual in which, according to Catholic theology, bread and wine blessed by a priest really become the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. Such is its central role in Catholicism, it has been called the fount and apex of the whole Christian life. Catholics are obliged to receive Communion at least once a year, but in practice many do so far more frequently during Mass, or Catholic public worship. Why might Catholics be concerned with lacking access to this one practice when there are presumably many other opportunities for spiritual growth both within and without the Catholic Church? The answer lies not only in a sense of injustice about being denied access or forcing a change of habit. It is found in the history, practice and theology of Holy Communion itself. Eucharist in early Christianity In the formative years of Christianity around 2,000 years ago, the practice of ritual meals was already common in both Jewish and Greco-Roman culture. Early Christian Eucharistic practice took seriously the ritual power of a meal to transport participants beyond the physical world by connecting them to both past events and spiritual realities. Early Christian Eucharistic practice took seriously the ritual power of a meal to transport participants beyond the physical world by connecting them to both past events and spiritual realities. Jesus shared many meals throughout his time on Earth, culminating in his last supper, during which, according to biblical passages, he instructed followers to share bread and wine, saying, This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Early followers of Jesus worshiped in synagogues and continued to take part in Jewish rituals. Thus, the Eucharist flowed from the same stream as the Passover Seder in which Jewish tradition says each person is to regard him or herself as having been personally freed from slavery in Egypt. Yet, Christian ritual meals were unique because they were centered on Jesus, a crucified victim of the Roman Empire, whom, Christians believe, passed over death to be resurrected by God. Body of Christ The whole structure of the Mass, which normally culminates in reception of Communion, is about thrusting participants into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, so that they may see the death-and-resurrection shape of life in the world. Catholic theology distinguishes three ways of speaking of the body of Christ, all rooted in the Bible: There is the historical Jesus who walked on Earth, the body of Christ that is present in the bread and wine of the Eucharist, and finally the assembly of people who, as St. Paul the apostle put it, are the body of Christ and individually members of it. The early Christian celebration of, and reflection on, the Eucharist did not imagine a sharp divide between the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and in the people who celebrate it. But an 11th-century controversy over the nature of Christs presence in the Eucharist, which became closely associated with the historical Jesus, initiated what one scholar called a deadly break between the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the presence of Christ in people. Twentieth-century Catholic theology recovered that deep connection between Christs presence in the Eucharist and in the community. Being set apart In its most basic terms, Catholics receive the really-present Christ in Communion so that they may be Christ in the world. Catholics receive the really-present Christ in Communion so that they may be Christ in the world. Catholics believe that when one consumes the Eucharist, one is incorporated into Christ and becomes bonded to others who are also part of the body of Christ on Earth. It is not simply a matter of individual belief, but of Church unity and the mission of being Christ in the world. To set oneself outside of the practice of Communion or to be set outside by another is to be apart from the very practice that incorporates one into the body of Christ. Timothy Gabrielli is the Gudorf Chair in Catholic Intellectual Traditions at the University of Dayton. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. FILE PHOTO: A vial of the Pfizer vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is seen as medical staff are vaccinated at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel is in talks with other countries about a deal to unload its surplus of Pfizer/BioNtech COVID-19 vaccines, doses of which are due to expire by the end of the month, officials said on Sunday. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said he spoke with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla about securing more vaccines for Israel and about possible deals to swap vaccines between Israel and other countries, though he did not say which ones. "Contacts are being handled by the Health Ministry, Foreign Ministry and the National Security Council," Bennett said. The director-general of the Health Ministry, Hezi Levi, said in an interview with Radio 103 FM that the doses expire on July 31 and that any deal would have to win Pfizer's approval. He did not say how many doses Israel was looking to swap. The Haaretz newspaper put the number at about a million. "We are negotiating with other countries," Levi said, without naming them. "We are dealing with this day and night." He confirmed that such a deal had been discussed with Britain last week but said an agreement had not materialised and was "a thing of the past". A Pfizer spokesperson said the company was "happy to discuss potential donation requests of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine between governments on a case-by-case basis, particularly if this helps ensure the vaccine is used to protect people from this disease". Last month, the Palestinians rejected about a million doses from Israel, saying they were too close to their expiry date. Israel launched one of the world's fastest vaccine drives in December and has since vaccinated nearly 90% of people over the age of 50, a group considered to be at the highest risk. Overall, however, around a fifth of all eligible Israelis have not yet had the vaccine, according to health ministry data. With infections falling from more than 10,000 a day in January to single digits, Israel, with a population of 9.3 million, has dropped nearly all coronavirus curbs. Story continues But an uptick of cases that began in mid-June, attributed to the more contagious Delta variant, may bring some restrictions back, Levi said. Vaccination rates peaked in January and gradually fell until June, when 12 to 15-year-olds were made eligible for the jab. Delta's spread, particularly among schoolchildren, has spurred parents to get their children inoculated and the rate has increased five-fold since early June. Levi said Pfizer's vaccine was about 85-88% effective against the Delta variant, a high figure but lower in comparison with its effectiveness against other variants. He based that figure on a British study as well as recent research by the health ministry. A ministry spokesperson did not immediately provide more details about the study. (Reporting by Maayan Lubell and Steven ScheerEditing by Jeffrey Heller, Catherine Evans and Nick Macfie) Tropical Storm Elsa making landfall in Taylor County, Florida. Mark Wallheiser/Getty Tropical Storm Elsa is weakening as it moves inland into the Carolinas. It made landfall in Taylor County, Florida, on Wednesday morning. One person has died in Jacksonville, Florida, and ten were injured in Camden County, Georgia. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. As of 5 a.m. ET Thursday, Tropical Storm Elsa was near South Carolina's border with Georgia. It is weakening as it moves inland. A visualization of Tropical Storm Elsa as seen at 5:17 a.m. ET on July 8, 2021. The colors represent brightness temperature, a measure of atmospheric intensity. Tropical Tidbits As of 5 a.m. ET Thursday, Tropical Storm Elsa was near Blackville, South Carolina, a town near the state's border with Georgia, the National Hurricane Center said. It was also weakening as it moves inland, currently carrying maximum sustained winds of about 40 mph, the NHC said. Before it made landfall, the storm was carrying winds of 65 mph. Elsa is forecasted to move over South Carolina and North Carolina on Thursday, pass near eastern mid-Atlantic states by Thursday night, and move near or over the northeastern US on Friday and Friday night before crossing over to Canada, the NHC said. As of 5 a.m. the storm was moving northeastward at a speed of about 18 mph, the NHC said, though it expects the speed to increase in the coming days. The storm made landfall in Taylor County, along Florida's northern Gulf Coast, around 11 a.m. ET Wednesday. A tropical storm warning is in effect for large parts of the US East Coast, including the area from Little River Inlet, South Carolina, to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and the area from New Haven, Connecticut, to Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts. That area includes the popular holiday destinations of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. Elsa is also expected to bring heavy winds and rain, including up to 8 inches of rain across parts of South Carolina on Thursday. The NHC also warned that "a few tornadoes are possible" across the eastern Carolinas and southeast Virginia through Thursday afternoon. The storm has killed one person in Florida and injured ten in Georgia. One person was killed in Jacksonville, Florida, on Wednesday when a tree fell during heavy rains and struck two cars, the Associated Press reported, citing authorities. No one else was injured. Story continues Also on Wednesday, about ten people were injured and hospitalized after an apparent tornado hit an RV park at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in Camden County, Georgia, on Wednesday, the base said in a statement. The extent of their injuries was not clear. The video below shows the damage done to vehicles at the base: To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. Elsa had killed three people in the Dominican Republic and St. Lucia earlier this week. The National Hurricane Center warned that a combination of storm surge and high tide could cause normally dry areas near the coast to see flooding. A truck drives through Steinhatchee, Florida avenue after Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall nearby on July 7, 2021. Mark Wallheiser/Getty The water could reach heights of up to 4 feet between Longboat Key to Suwannee River, Florida, including Tampa Bay. Parts of Georgia could see up to 2 feet of flooding. A storm surge warning remains in effect for the west coast of Florida, from the Suwannee River to the Aucilla River. The NHC also reported that a few tornadoes are possible across northern Florida and southeastern Georgia into eastern South Carolina through Wednesday night. Video from Tampa early on Wednesday showed dead fish and other debris washed up on a sidewalk after heavy rains on Tuesday night. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. Source: Tampa Bay Times photographer Luis Santana Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency for nearly 100 counties ahead of Elsa's landfall. Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Georgia). AP Photo/John Bazemore Kemp issued a state of emergency for 92 counties in middle, south, and southeast Georgia on Tuesday night in preparation for Tropical Storm Elsa's anticipated Wednesday morning landfall. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also warned residents to prepare for the impending storm and its aftermath. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Photo by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images DeSantis and state lieutenant governor Jeanette Nunez issued warnings to Florida residents on Tuesday. "We ask Floridians to please begin their preparations that include to potentially be prepared to potentially be without power for a few days," Nunez said at a press conference. Nearly 15,000 Florida residents in Taylor County and the six surrounding counties were without power as of Wednesday afternoon. Both Nunez and DeSantis urged Floridians throughout the state to take precautions. "Be prepared to be without power for a few days and having enough food and water for each person in their family, including for your pets," DeSantis said, according to CBS Miami. On Monday, DeSantis reminded residents that if they plan to use a backup generator in case of a power outage, they must safely vent exhaust fumes outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Elsa killed at least three people in the Dominican Republic and St. Lucia. Cloudy skies hang over Havana, Cuba, after Tropical Storm Elsa passed the Caribbean island. AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa The tropical storm hit Cuba and other Caribbean islands over the weekend and on Monday. Weather from Elsa's approach scuttled search-and-rescue efforts at the collapsed Champlain Towers South condominium near Miami. Rescue teams work at the site of the collapsed Champlain Tower South condo in Surfside, Florida. Eva Marie Uzcategui Trinkl/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Workers recovered 10 additional bodies from the rubble of the collapsed Florida condo tower, bringing the total number of known deaths to 46 as of Wednesday. About 109 people are still missing. Although currently a tropical storm (meaning its sustained wind speeds are slower than 74 mph), Elsa was briefly classified as a Category 1 hurricane. Two people on Dodecanese Boulevard at the Tarpon Springs, Florida, on July 6, 2021, as the state prepares for Storm Elsa to make landfall. Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP Forecasters classified Elsa as a Category 1 hurricane on Friday, then it weaken to be a tropical storm on Saturday. It then regained hurricane status on Tuesday, then weakened once more, becoming a tropical storm around 2 a.m. local time Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Elsa is the fifth named storm of 2021. It's the earliest in the season that the fifth name storm has ever formed. Hurricane Elsa churns in the Caribbean Sea. NOAA Hurricanes and tropical storms in the Atlantic are getting stronger, on average, as the climate crisis causes ocean and air temperatures to climb. The chances of a tropical storm becoming a major hurricane have increased by 8% every decade for the past 40 years. The 2020 hurricane season shattered records with a total of 30 named storms. That year tied 2016 as the hottest ever on record. Read the original article on Insider With the exception of tragedy, trains rarely stir the international media. But when a new rail-line could hand one of Americas greatest threats renewed clout in a region currently closed to it, that should change. Particularly when that country has a new hardline leadership on the cusp of power. As The National Interest writes, formerly a hanging judge, Iranian president-elect Ebrahim Raisi will be the least trustworthy of his recent predecessors. More ruthless and zealous in his revolutionary Islamist conviction, the distinguishing feature of his career was his role in a death commission that oversaw the secret executions of 30,000 thousand political prisoners in 1988. But though struggling under the weight of sanctions and isolation, Iran and its new leadership may soon be thrown a lifeline in the South Caucasus. Perhaps bizarrely, Armenia may inadvertently cast it to them. With renewed influence with Yerevan, America must prevent this at all costs. Some geographical and historical context is necessary. Last autumn, Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a conflict over a region called Nagorno-Karabakh. The result was a return of internationally recognized lands to Azerbaijan that had been occupied since the two nations went to war as the USSR collapsed. Another consequence of their ceasefire agreement was the re-opening of transit routes between and within one anothers countries. This is of grave importance to both Armenia and Azerbaijan. For Yerevan, its thirty-year occupation had left it isolated and reliant on Russia, with neighboring Azerbaijani Turkish borders closed to it. For Baku, it means the reopening of a transit line that runs twenty-six miles across Armenias southern border with Iran, reconnecting Azerbaijan with its long-isolated exclave Nakhchivan. However, Armenias Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyanuntil recently in the midst of a post-conflict crisis electionhas said he will never entertain the idea of the Nakhchivan corridor, in spite of its explicit mention in the ceasefire agreement. Few realize there could be an alternate rail line south of the border, through Iran, that mirrors the one envisaged in the ceasefire agreement. This would weaken Armenias hand in post-conflict negotiations; it should be cause to exercise caution. Re-establishing direct connection is of great symbolic importance to Azerbaijanis, and therefore figures highly in any geostrategic calculation. Traveling to or from Nakhchivan currently entails a lengthy circumvention through Iran on poor roadsor freighting through Georgia and Turkey to the enclave. Up until now, the most logical line was to run it where it once was; and was assumed possible with the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani dispute. But this calculation is changing due to Armenias intransigence. Within some circles in Baku, it is leading to consideration of this alternate Iranian route. Not only would this cut Armenia out of the future regional economy but it would hand Tehran renewed influence where it had recently been lacking. Last autumns conflict blindsided Irans leadership in a region it believes is part of its domain. Russia and Turkey, allied respectively to Armenia and Azerbaijan, emerged as the key external power brokers. Tehran, waking up, has been touring the region post-war to re-establish its presence. The rail line will be that fix. Regional connectivity, long stymied by the dispute, is the key to prosperity in the South Caucasus. Handing a critical role within that infrastructure to a malign actor to obstruct at willor at least threaten todelivers them undue leverage. For a regime known to move against rational economic incentives, this bodes ill. But if it is Azerbaijans only feasible option, Baku will take it. Then there are the wider ramifications. The South Caucasus sits along the so-called middle corridor for freight between the Asia-Pacific and Europe. Infrastructure on both sides of the continents is ready to be connected. The final Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan jigsaw piece, whether it runs through Armenia or Iran, would form the fastest link. Were it to run through Iran, it hands Tehran still yet more leverage and integration into the global economy. That is why America must impress upon Armenia to step upfor its own economic future and regional security. After being initially side-lined in the conflicts resolution, Washington has recently managed to broker the first diplomatic breakthrough since the cessation of hostilities: Azerbaijan released fifteen Armenian detainees and, in return, Yerevan handed over maps detailing mines it had laid in one of the seven districts Azerbaijan reclaimed during the conflict. In theory, Pashinyan shouldnt take too much convincing: the corridor is after all in Armenias interest. Despite losing the conflict, he has touted the links now possible as a transformational opportunity. Hopefully, his previous denial of the Nakhchivan corridor was to mitigate against electoral attacks from an opposition crying traitor. With his election victory secured, he now has a mandate to make perceived concessions for Armenias future good. Still, with the specter of Iranian influence possible through potential miscalculation, Washington would do well to remind him why the Nakhchivan corridor is in his interest. Colonel (Retired) Wes Martin has served in law enforcement positions around the world and holds an MBA in International Politics and Business. A remarkable oil rally has seen oil prices climb almost 34 percent so far this year. Bullish sentiment is now driving speculation of $100 oil in 2021 as collective confidence of a rebound in global economic activity gains momentum. However, there are plenty of bearish factors that remain in oil markets that analysts would do well not to overlook. As Yahoo Finance writes, Chinese refiners have already started to tap into their reserves, threatening to hurt demand from the worlds largest oil importer. Geopolitically, the possibility of sanctions on Irans oil industry being lifted could lead to a new flood of supply while tensions between China and the U.S. could reignite a trade war between the two. Finally, as oil prices rise we may see U.S. shale production inch up, adding to global supply. While there is plenty to be bullish about in oil markets, calls for $100 oil are premature, to say the least. It is interesting to note that there seems to be a trend in oil markets at the moment where slightly positive news will see a major reaction while bearish news will be all but ignored. In such an environment, a sudden shift in sentiment could drive a major change in oil prices. While it is unclear where such a shift in sentiment will come from, it is more than likely to come before oil prices hit $100. One key bearish factor to look at is the potential for a reduction in oil imports from China. Consider the fact that Chinese refiners took 589,000 bpd out of their refineries in May according to Clyde Russell. China amassed a huge amount of oil when prices hit a 20 year low and as prices continue to rise, China will be increasingly incentivized to tap its reserves rather than import expensive oil. While this is unlikely to change the underlying fundamentals of oil markets, the reduction in Chinese imports is certainly one of the factors that could finally drive a shift in oil market sentiment. An interesting factor to consider on a geopolitical front is the return of Iranian crude if U.S. sanctions on the countrys oil industry are lifted. Not only is there a potential for Iran to return to its pre-sanction production levels of 2.8 mbp, but it could also bring more oil to the market by using its inventories of 60 million barrels. Such a development would certainly show up in the numbers and could once again impact the mood of investors. Another geopolitical factor to keep an eye on is U.S.-China relations. The U.S. is trying to block the purchase of Magnachip by Chinese equity funds. An escalation, at any point, between the U.S. and China on the trade war front would spell trouble for oil markets and hurt the current bullishness in markets. It is these geopolitical changes that historically have had the biggest role in shifting the tone of media coverage and, by extension, the dominant sentiment in oil markets. An increase in oil price is always great news for U.S. shale producers as more production can be supported when prices are higher. Up until now, these producers have been adhering to a self-imposed discipline and not adding more rigs. To give you a sense of just how disciplined these producers have been, the last time prices were at current levels the total number of rigs operating was 1000, today there are only 470. While production and rig count arent directly associated (as advancement in technology can lead rigs to produce more oil) if prices continue to increase we will likely see more rigs and more production. Furthermore, as mentioned by Rystads head of analytics, there is plenty of spare capacity that can be used to pump up production if required. He also pointed out that oil demand is still 5 million barrels below normal levels. To add to that, the spread of the Delta Covid variant and new restrictions in Europe (Germany, Spain, and Portugal) could spell fresh trouble for the global economy. As of 29th June 29, 2021, the UK has reported 22,868 more cases, the highest since 30th January 2021. Finally, OPEC+ is expected to raise output slower than expected and was forced to delay its output decision due to a failure to agree over a sudden increase in production. This further highlights the fact that concerns regarding a return in demand remain (especially after the spread of Delta variant) and OPEC+ uncertainty has already put downward pressure on oil prices. Oil prices havent hit $100 since 2014, and the current oil market does not justify such a price. It would require a major geopolitical event such as a missile strike on a refinery to bolster the case for $100. Every time oil prices increase there is added incentive for China to slow down its consumption and for shale to ramp up its production. All of that is before considering the multiple bearish factors hanging over markets. Azerbaijan Defense Ministry comments on information spread by Armenia about incident on state border In response to the information spread by the Armenian side about the incident on the state border, the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry stated that units of the Azerbaijan Army didnt open fire. "There are no wounded among the military personnel," the ministry added. "If there are any losses or wounded in the Armenian armed forces, it could only happen as a result of an incident that occurred between them." OPEC+ abandoned its meeting without a deal, tipping the cartel into crisis and leaving the oil market facing tight supplies and rising prices. Several days of tense talks failed to resolve a bitter dispute between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, delegates said. The group didnt agree on a date for its next meeting, according to a statement from OPEC secretary general Mohammad Barkindo. The most immediate effect of the breakdown is that, unless an agreement can be salvaged, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies wont increase production for August. That will deprive the global economy of vital extra supplies as demand recovers rapidly from the coronavirus pandemic. However, the situation is fluid and the group could reactivate talks at any moment, Irish Examiner reported. Acting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will make a working visit to Moscow on July 7 to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pashinyan's press service said in a statement on Tuesday. "Pashinyan and Putin will discuss issues on the Armenian-Russian strategic agenda. The parties will also touch upon issues related to the implementation of the trilateral agreements reached on November 9, 2020, and January 11, 2021, as well as to the provision of humanitarian assistance to the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, affected by military activities, and efforts to reopen economic and transport links in the region," the statement reads. Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the situation on the Tajik-Afghan border with his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon, the Kremlin said on Monday. "[The two presidents] discussed in detail the complicated situation on the Tajik-Afghan border, which was triggered by an escalation of armed confrontation in Afghanistan, including in the border area," the statement said. In the phone call, Putin confirmed Moscows readiness to "provide Tajikistan with the necessary support - both on a bilateral basis and within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)." Additionally, the two presidents reaffirmed their intentions to strengthen the relations of a strategic partnership and alliance between Russia and Tajikistan. Putin and Rahmon agreed to maintain contacts at various levels. On Monday, the press center of the Border Troops of Tajikistans State Committee for National Security said that after fighting against supporters of the radical movement Taliban (banned in Russia), more than 1,000 Afghan troops retreated into Tajikistan. Over the past two weeks, several incidents have been reported involving Afghan soldiers being forced into Tajikistan. Earlier, CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas stated that the situation had been worsening in northern Afghanistan, which was an issue of serious concern for the organization. Zas said that it was crucial to help Tajikistan in ensuring security on its southern border. On July 1, the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly Council adopted a statement voicing concern over the escalation in Afghanistan and called on the countrys political forces to promote the peace process. Russias military base in Tajikistan is fully equipped to assist the Central Asian county in resolving the situation on its border with Afghanistan, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said on Tuesday. "Everything will depend on how the situation unfolds in northern Afghanistan. As far as we understand, the tensions are quite high because, according to some reports, the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) controls 70% of the border. As you know, we have the 201st Military Base in Tajikistan, which is fully equipped to provide assistance to the country if the need arises," TASS cited Rudenko as saying. "If the situation requires additional efforts, they will be undertaken," the Russian deputy foreign minister pledged. Russian Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko has arrived in Baku today, according to the Azerbaijani media reports. At the beginning of his visit, Murashko, together with acting Azerbaijani Minister of Health Teymur Musayev, visited the Alley of Honor to pay tribute to Heydar Aliyev and lay a wreath on the grave of the national leader. The Russian minister also laid flowers to the grave of the outstanding ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva. Then the head of the Ministry of Health visited the Martyrs' Alley. The agenda of Murashko's visit includes meetings with the country's officials. In addition, it is planned to sign a document on cooperation in the field of healthcare between Russia and Azerbaijan following the talks. The Russian Minister of Health visited Baku in April as part of a delegation led by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev exchanged views on regional issues in a phone call, focusing on the escalation in Afghanistan, the Kremlin said on Monday. "The heads of state exchanged views on regional issues, primarily in the context of the escalation in Afghanistan. While touching upon bilateral issues, [they] expressed appreciation of the development of Russian-Uzbek relations of strategic partnership," the statement says. The two presidents agreed to maintain contacts, the press service said. On Monday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow was concerned about the escalation in Afghanistans border regions in the wake of the US troop withdrawal. Peskov said that the Russian leadership was carefully following the situation in that country and stated that "destabilization is taking place there." When asked whether Russia had considered deploying an additional contingent to Tajikistan to help it defend its borders, the Kremlin spokesman pointed out that the Russian army and border guards would monitor the escalation in Afghanistans border regions and would make appropriate decisions. On Monday, the press center of the Border Troops of Tajikistans State Committee for National Security said that after fighting against supporters of the radical Taliban movement (banned in Russia), more than 1,000 Afghan troops had retreated into Tajikistan. Over the past two weeks, several incidents have been reported involving Afghan soldiers being forced into Tajikistan. Provocateurs, who will continue playing their games in the Black Sea, will get what is coming to them, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said in an interview with the journal International Affairs on Tuesday, commenting on the situation with the British warship. Those, who are engaged in these games, are provocateurs, the senior Russian diplomat stressed. "With provocateurs its essential to speak as straightforwardly as possible, spelling out in detail, why they would be better off leaving their provocations aside next time and staying away from that area because they will get clocked in the nose," the high-ranking Russian diplomat emphasized. "The risks of conflicts may further mount. The Black Sea is not a place, where such games are permissible," Ryabkov warned. The use of force against a state border intruder is political decision issue, the Russian deputy foreign minister noted. "What was spelled out at the Direct Line with the President [of Russia Vladimir Putin] signaled that the whole matter was absolutely serious," he stressed. "The crux of the problem is that Great Britain and, naturally, the United States seek to pander to Kiev even in situations that are brimming with conflict. The high conflict potential of this topic is obvious to everyone," the Russian deputy foreign minister said. Incident with UK warship in Black Sea Russias Defense Ministry reported on June 23 that the Black Sea Fleet jointly with the border guards of the Federal Security Service (FSB) halted a violation of the state border by the UK Navys guided missile destroyer - HMS Defender - off Crimeas Cape Fiolent in the Black Sea. The British warship ventured three kilometers into Russias territorial waters. A Russian coast guard ship fired warning shots, while a Su-24M fighter jet dropped bombs along the UK warships path to chase it out of Crimean waters. The Russian Defense Ministry slammed the UK destroyers operations as a gross violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and urged the British side to investigate the warship crews actions. A shootout took place on the Azerbaijani-Iranian border, as a result of which the border's violator was neutralized, according to the State Border Service of Azerbaijan. According to the services press center, at 11:45 (GMT +4) on July 5, Azerbaijani border guards discovered an attempt to illegally cross the state border from Iran by five unknown persons on the territory of the Goytapa border outpost near the Sarkhanly village, Jalilabad district, Azerbaijan. The perpetrators were armed and carried a night vision device, and one of them carried a bag, presumably with drugs. The violators disobeyed the order to stop and ignored warning shots into the air, put up armed resistance and attempted to return to Iranian territory. During their pursuit, weapons were used in accordance with the legislation of Azerbaijan. One of the violators - a wanted Azerbaijani citizen Mazahir Gurbanov, born in 1992, received a bullet wound. He was given first aid, but he died on the way to the Central Hospital of Jalilabad district. Other violators fled to Iranian territory, making use of the dark hours of the day. During the inspection of the territory, a bag was found containing 6,895 grams of various drugs and medicines. The Iranian side was immediately informed about the incident. Currently, employees of the State Border Service and the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan are carrying out the necessary operational and investigative measures. A test batch of Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine was manufactured by Morepen Laboratories in India, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on Tuesday. "The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russias sovereign wealth fund), and Morepen Laboratories, one of the leading manufacturers of pharmaceutical products in India, today announced the production of the test batch of the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in an exclusive facility in state of Himachal Pradesh (HP). The first batch will be shipped to the Gamaleya Center for the quality control. RDIF and Morepen Laboratories signed a cooperation agreement in June 2021 and are actively implementing the technology transfer," the statement said. "As the pandemic is yet far from over and new, more dangerous variants of coronavirus are being detected in various regions of the world, RDIF is increasing capacities for production of Sputnik V in India, one of the key hubs. Agreement with Morepen Laboratories provides for larger amount of Sputnik V to be available both for India and our partners globally to speed up the vaccination with one of the best vaccines in the world," CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev commented. "We are a delighted to partner with RDIF for the prestigious project of Sputnik V production in India. This would be our privilege to work jointly on expanding the production base in India. We take this partnership as starting point for long term relationship with RDIF and its partner companies as we look forward for many more areas of common interest. Morepens commitment towards this project is step forward towards entry into biosimilars and other biologicals," Chairman & Managing Director of Morepen Laboratories Limited Sushil Suri said. According to the press release, Sputnik V was granted an emergency use authorization in India on April 12, 2021. India is the leading production hub for Sputnik V. RDIF had reached agreements earlier with other leading pharmaceutical companies in India - Gland Pharma, Hetero Biopharma, Panacea Biotec, Stelis Biopharma and Virchow Biotech. In total, agreements with partners in India provide for production of more than 850 mln doses of Sputnik V per year. Digital transformation is taking place strongly in Vietnam. Tens of thousands of technology businesses have been established in a short time, promising to create new growth engines for the economy. The high-tech factory of Dien Quang Lamp Joint Stock Company in Ho Chi Minh City Hi-Tech Park is the place to mark the strong digital transformation of this senior company. Formed as a manufacturer of traditional electrical equipment, Dien Quang is transforming from an equipment manufacturer to a provider of total solutions in electricity, lighting and information technology. Visiting the exhibition area of technology solutions of Dien Quang, one will be impressed by models of smart homes, smart lighting systems.... Last December, Dien Quang Smart V2 was certified by the Ministry of Information and Communications as one of the top 10 excellent digital products. A Dien Quang representative told VietNamNet: "This is a Make-in-Vietnam product of Dien Quang. We plan to provide it to local customers firstly under the motto, 'Vietnamese people use Vietnamese products'. As a locally manufactured product, the design can be changed according to the needs of customers and investors. The software is also developed by Dien Quang, so it is possible to customize and change up to customers need." Digital transformation is taking place strongly in Vietnam. Performing digital transformation to create many Make-in-Vietnam products to serve customers is the path many Vietnamese businesses are pursuing. The State-owned Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) has also promoted the digital transformation process in recent years. Most transactions between EVN and its customers have been digitized and performed on digital platforms, such as QR code, customer care application Epoint, chatbot... Our customers, including pensioners, can stay home and click a computer mouse to get access to electrical services ranging from contract signing to power meter installation, power bill payment and troubleshooting," said EVN's Deputy General Director Vo Quang Lam. Initially, EVN set out the goal of basically completing digital transformation by 2025. At a recent meeting with leaders of the Ministry of Information and Communications, this group decided to shorten the time to 2022. Activate the new growth engine In fact, digital transformation in Vietnam is going on very strongly. It does not only take place at large corporations but even at restaurants and small shops. People have applied "digital tools" to increase sales, to reach more customers at a more reasonable cost. The habit of using cash is also gradually changing, replaced by various forms of electronic payment and online payment. According to a report by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Vietnam, like many other countries, the Covid-19 pandemic has strongly boosted Vietnam's digital economy in general and e-commerce in particular. Schools and offices across the country have turned to online solutions, and online orders grew tenfold during the period of social distancing. Organizations and businesses that rapidly deploy new platforms, applications, and services have shown a better response to the pandemic. They strive to maintain business continuity, while moving to remote work and learning, and even experimenting with new ways to meet customers' needs, said an AmCham representative at the annual Vietnam Business Forum 2020. Most transactions between EVN and its customers have been digitized and performed on digital platforms, such as QR code, customer care application Epoint, chatbot... This is also the driving force for the birth of many Vietnamese technology enterprises. The "fertile land" brought about by digital transformation will be a source of life and development for these young businesses. According to the Ministry of Information and Communications report at the Vietnam Digital Enterprise Development Forum 2020, after one year of implementing the Make-in-Vietnam strategy, more than 13,000 digital technology businesses were born, up 28%. Vietnam had a community of over 58,000 technology businesses. This is a record number when policy makers at first thought the highest number would be only 6,000 businesses a year. Accordingly, the target of 100,000 digital businesses by 2030 can be reached by 2025. These will be the new growth engines for the Vietnamese economy. A recent report of the National Center for Socio-Economic Information and Forecasting said that the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and the digital economy are forecast to develop faster after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, enabling Vietnam to speed up economic restructuring, changing the growth model based on science, technology and innovation. Taking advantage of the rapid development of the industrial revolution 4.0 can create a foundation for Vietnam to accelerate its transformation, from a model of growth based on resources, low-cost labor and capital intensive work to a growth model based on productivity, quality and efficiency. A study by the Vietnam Institute of Economics recommends changing thinking, turning information technology and digital transformation into an important push and foundation to support the recovery process, strengthen resilience capacity and improve growth quality towards efficiency, greenness and sustainability. Luong Bang Tech firms get involved in smart agriculture projects Technology utilization and market development are the keys to development of Vietnams agriculture. The rare Annamite striped rabbit has been found in Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park (Bidoup NP), located just 20km from Da Lat City. A camera trap photo of the rare Annamite striped rabbit. The species was found in Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park (Bidoup NP), located just 20km from Da Lat City. Photo courtesy of Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park, the Southern Institute of Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research The remarkable finding, which was made in September 2020 by Vietnamese and international scientists from the International Centre for Tropical Highlands Ecosystems Research of Bidoup NP, the Southern Institute of Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, and Global Wildlife Conservation, was recently reported by Mammalia, an international science journal. According to Dr Le Van Huong, director of Bidoup NP, the discovery of this new population in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong is important for the conservation of this highly-threatened species. For the next step, we will conduct extensive surveys with our partners to investigate the conservation status of the Annamite striped rabbit and which ecological factors are driving the occurrence of this species," Huong said. We are concerned that the decline of the population will lead to locality extinction of this only-known population of Annamite striped rabbits in the southern Annamites. We are also looking to implement conservation actions to protect this endemic species, as part of our efforts to protect the wider biodiversity that makes Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park so special, he said. Before this discovery, the species was only known to occur in the northern and central Annamites, and the new finding is almost 400km south of its previously known distribution, the report revealed. The species is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List as a result of intensive snaring across its range. The Annamite striped rabbit is one more addition to a long list of rare and threatened species that are found in Bidoup NP. The surveys also documented other endangered species, including large-antlered muntjac, Owstons civet, and sun bear making Bidoup Nui Ba National Park one of the most biodiverse protected areas in Vietnam for mammal and bird species. We were really surprised to see Annamite striped rabbit on our camera traps, said Dr Andreas Wilting, senior scientist of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research. Nobody thought that the species would turn up so far south from its presumed range. It shows how little is still known about the biodiversity of the Annamite forests. Lead researcher An Nguyen, a PhD student at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo, a German Academy Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarship holder, and Wildlife Research and Associate Conservation Scientist with Global Wildlife Conservation, noted the importance of communicating this finding within Vietnam. Many Vietnamese probably know the wildlife in Africa better than the wildlife in their home country. We need to change that so that people know how special the biodiversity in Vietnam is, and why it is so important to protect these species. The scientists plan to follow up on the finding by conducting additional surveys to assess the population status and how genetically unique it is from other populations. Tourists join a forest trek in the Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. Photo courtesy of Change Duy Le from the Southern Institute of Ecology said: We are working hard to get additional information on the new striped rabbit population. The upcoming genetic research and field surveys to assess the population status of the Annamite striped rabbit will provide important scientific-based information for planning and conducting conservation actions to protect this endemic species. According to the report, the Annamite striped rabbit is a little-known and endangered lagomorph endemic to the Annamites ecoregion of Vietnam and Laos. The species known distribution extends from the northern to central Annamites. The first records of the species from the southern Annamites and a significant southern range extension were made by a camera trap in the park The Annamite striped rabbit was discovered in the mid-1990s from market specimens in Laos and formally described in 2000. Since its discovery, biologists have begun to piece together basic aspects of the Annamite striped rabbits ecology and distribution, though knowledge gaps remain. All information indicates that the Annamite striped rabbit is restricted to wet evergreen forest with little or no prolonged dry season. Because of the rain shadow effect in the Annamites, most wet evergreen forest occurs on the eastern slopes of the mountain range and as a result, the majority of the animals are in Vietnam. The Annamite striped rabbit has been recorded as far north as Nghe An Province and adjacent Bolikhamxay Province in Laos. The southernmost known records come from Quang Nam Province and neighbouring parts of Sekong Province in Laos. Source: Vietnam News Endangered animals found in Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park A range of rare and endangered animal species in Vietnam and the world were discovered at the Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park in the central highlands province of Lam Dong through a camera-trap survey on the site from October 2019 to March 2020. NEW YORK (AP) New York City elections officials plan to release a potentially decisive update Tuesday on the Democratic mayoral primary, two weeks after polls closed and a week after a tallying flub marred the debut of ranked choice voting in the race for the nation's most prominent municipal job. At the moment, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams leads the pack of more than a dozen Democratic contenders. But former Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia and civil rights attorney Maya Wiley also appear to have a shot at victory in the complex system of ranking and reallocating, with about 125,000 absentee ballots still to be added to the process. The citys Board of Elections has said it would release those results sometime Tuesday. But it isn't immediately clear whether there may still be more absentee ballots to be tallied, as voters who made minor clerical errors still have some time to fix them and get their votes counted. Adams, Garcia and Wiley have all filed lawsuits seeking to review the ongoing ranked choice tally. CLOUD JEDI is no more, but military's enterprise cloud push goes on New contract, same vendors initially involved The Defense Departments decision to cancel the much-debated and controversial JEDI cloud infrastructure contract will take the military in a new direction to get that underlying capability. DOD said in a statement Tuesday that it is nixing the JEDI initiative in favor of a new contract vehicle called the Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability, which the Pentagon characterizes as multi-cloud/multi-vendor. But this second attempt by DOD to acquire enterprise commercial cloud computing technology will stick with the same two competitors involved initially. What is now JWCC will be divided between JEDIs twice-chosen winner in Microsoft and the other bidder in Amazon Web Services, the global e-commerce and technology conglomerates cloud computing arm. The Pentagon will initially seek proposals from only Microsoft and AWS as available market research indicates they are the only two cloud hosting providers capable of meeting the departments requirements, according to the announcement. Direct solicitations should go to the companies in mid-October with awards to follow in April 2022. Both contracts will have a three-year base period and up to two individual option years. DOD also said it will continue its market research to see if other cloud hosting vendors could fulfill the requirements and specifications. Both JWCC and JEDI before that have all been intended to give DOD a global IT foundation upon which the military could gain other related capabilities in artificial intelligence, data storage, analytics and command-and-control. Microsoft was initially awarded the JEDI contract in October 2019 and again nearly a year later after DOD undertook a partial corrective action in response to a lawsuit filed by AWS over the source selection process. An ongoing injunction from a federal judge has held up much of the work on JEDI by the department and Microsoft. The Court of Federal Claims judge hearing AWS' lawsuit ruled in April that the case could go forward. In a blog post published Tuesday, Microsofts president of U.S. regulated industries Toni Townes-Whitley expressed the companys support for DODs decision to go down a different path than the heavily-litigated JEDI effort. Even though we couldnt work directly with the DOD on JEDI while the protest was in the courts, the investments weve continued to make in support of the contract requirements ensure that Microsoft will be an even stronger competitor for future contracts, Townes-Whitley wrote. DOD has a critical unmet need to bring the power of cloud and AI to our men and women in uniform, modernizing technology infrastructure and platform services technology. Amazon Web Services likewise is in agreement with the decision to cancel JEDI and also sounds ready to move on given the company's argument that the award was subject to political influence from then-Trump administration officials. "Unfortunately, the (JEDI) contract award was not based on the merits of the proposals and instead was the result of outside influence that has no place in government procurement," an AWS spokesperson said in an emailed statement to WT. "Our commitment to supporting our nations military and ensuring that our warfighters and defense partners have access to the best technology at the best price is stronger than ever. We look forward to continuing to support the DODs modernization efforts and building solutions that help accomplish their critical missions. (NOTE: This story was subsequently updated with comment from Amazon Web Services) TOP 100 SAIC's deal for Unisys pays dividends for growth Halfacker, Koverse acquisitions set stage for more expansion Science Applications International Corp.s $1.2 billion acquisition of Unisys Federal in March 2020 was a major contributor to the former's success in the past year. SAIC saw revenues grow by 11 percent over the previous year, hitting $7.1 billion. Backlog reached $21.5 billion, a 40-percent increase year-over-year. The company earned almost $6 billion in prime contract wins and takes the No. 5 spot on this years Top 100 list, up from No. 11 last year. Three of the biggest wins came out of the acquisition. One is the Transportation Departments award of a $700 million Enterprise IT Shared Services contract to Unisys Corp. and Veritium Ingenuity. A second worth $330 million came from the Air Force 557th Weather Wing to manage and modernize hardware and software for its Technology Application Development and Sustainment system. The third is a $1.2 billion Army Corps of Engineers deal known as Revolutionary Information Technology Services. It provides integrated, enterprisewide solutions to deliver shared IT services. The Army and Air Force wins are the first to help propel SAIC into the Defense Department IT market, whereas the company has historically provided mainly engineering services, said Bob Genter, president of SAICs defense and civilian sector. This was the first time weve been really successful in starting to serve the DOD customer with the IT capabilities in addition to our engineering capabilities, Genter said. Weve really been bifurcated up into this, so it was a great catalyst for that. Other notable wins include a $973 million task order from U.S. Customs and Border Protection to continue to operate, maintain and enhance the agencys system for identifying travelers and cargo that present a security risk to the country, and a $2.9 billion contract to continue to support the Armys Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation and Missile Center, Systems Simulation, Software and Integration Directorate. SAIC still had two main holes in its portfolio since it spun off from Leidos in 2013, Genter said: intelligence and health care. Right out of the gate, we attempted to fill that (intelligence) gap with Scitor and Engility, and that gave us really great access through contract vehicles past performance into the national security community as well as the space community, and that really rounded out that piece that was missing at the spin, he said. To address the health gap, SAIC announced this month that it was acquiring for $250 million Halfaker and Associates, which provides health technology solutions to federal agencies. Halfaker gives SAIC a crucial entry point to working with the Veterans Affairs Department, one of the crown jewels in the health care portfolio, Genter said. The other two are the Health and Human Services Department and Defense Health Agency. Until weve built up all three of those, the opportunity is pretty good inside of the health business for us to be able to grow. Another growth area for the company is artificial intelligence. Michael Scruggs joined the company as vice president of artificial intelligence, and SAIC acquired AI-focused Koverse in April. AI is embedded in many things that we do, whether its the engineering side or its the IT side of the house, Genter said. Low-code development and analytics sit inside of almost all of the modernization contracts in some form or fashion. We need to make sure that were investing in the long-term and not just the operate and maintain. SAIC made other leadership changes, too. For instance, it named Prabu Natarajan as chief financial officer and Bridget Chatman as vice president of inclusion, diversity and corporate social responsibility. The company has additionally put David Ray in charge of all space business to include NASA, Space Force and National Reconnaissance Office work. Customer groups are also now reorganized with two presidents in Genter and Michael LaRouche, who oversees space and national security. In doing that, weve gone to an account management model, where the account is a singular point of focus. We have one leader for each one. But 2020 was not without its challenges, mainly ensuring continuing operations as the pandemic shut offices down. The biggest challenge that we had is Day One of our acquisition of Unisys happened to be Day One of our office shutdown, so it was a case study in how to do an acquisition and integration while youre in the middle of a pandemic, Genter said. Lessons learned from that may change the company for the better however, Genter added. The flexible work environment instituted temporarily may be here to stay. There is a constant competition for talent, and I think the more flexible we can be with recruiting and making sure people understand that theyve got options in their careers and can manage their work life, I think that will set us apart, Genter said. Gift endows debate teams WATERLOO The Waterloo Schools Foundation is announcing a $75,000 anonymous donation to establish the Debate and Critical Thinking Endowment. This fund may be used by any Waterloo Community high school to further interest in and excellence of the debate team. Waterloo mains flushed Thursday WATERLOO The Waterloo Water Works will flush water mains in the area from Washington Street south to Williston Avenue, and Kimball Avenue east to West 11th Street, on Thursday. Customers living in this area and within several blocks of the flushing area could experience some discoloration. The water will be bacterially safe; however, they urge customers not to plan their wash day Thursday. Summer sizzler set at The Falls CEDAR FALLS The annual Black Hawk Area Swim Team Summer Sizzler will take place at The Falls Aquatic Center. The lap pool area will close to the public at 4 p.m. Thursday and reopen at 1 p.m. Sunday. The zero-depth area and lazy river will remain open to the public during this time. UNC had announced in April that Hannah-Jones who won the Pulitzer Prize for her work on The New York Times Magazines 1619 Project focusing on Americas history of slavery would be joining the journalism schools faculty. It said she would take up the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism at UNC in July with a five-year contract. But Hannah-Jones attorneys announced in late June that she would not report for work without tenure. Earlier this year, Hannah-Jones tenure application was halted because she did not come from a traditional academic-type background, and trustee Charles Duckett, who vets lifetime appointments, wanted more time to consider her qualifications, university leaders said. When the vote was taken Wednesday, Duckett voted to approve her tenure application. The previous decision by trustees to halt Hannah-Jones tenure submission sparked a torrent of criticism. It also laid bare a depth of frustration over what critics decried as the schools failure to answer longstanding concerns about the treatment of Black faculty, staff and students. Those feelings came to the surface during the board of trustees meeting when students came face-to-face with board members and reiterated the problems they feel have been neglected. Some may recognize that concept as grace, said Gruver, and you can apply it to others as well as to yourself. Were all going to be a little rusty, Gruver said. Social confidence is a muscle. The more we practice it and work on it, the stronger its going to become. When youre ready, start slow Be honest about whats preventing you from getting back out there, and ease your way back in. Its what counselors call exposure therapy, and it works for lots of situational anxiety situations, counselors say. We can say, Im OK to going to dinner with friends, but Im not OK with an indoor music concert, Gruver said. Its being able to set your pace. Reach out for help If youre unable to get through those steps on your own, get help. Counselors say theyve seen many trying to navigate re-entry anxiety, and those seeking help from professionals have more tools at their disposal, including individual or group therapy sessions or medication. Plenty of online groups, including through the National Alliance on Mental Illness, can also help. No one should be pushed to do something theyre not ready to do yet, Pawlak said. They have to feel a sense of mastery over those fears. Its not about me convincing them, its about them experiencing that. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Stein is a self-described cowgirl and self-taught musician who grew up on the sweeping, rural Llanos grasslands of Colombia. East, a co-founder of the Cedar Valleys popular salsa band Orquesta Alto Maiz, is Panamanian and grew up in vibrant, cosmopolitan Panama City. As students, both received scholarships to Iowa universities and stayed. Stein was a solo artist when she first heard the salsa band. I was drawn to Ed, his rhythmic sense, his presence and his vocals. I wanted a partner whose vocals would complement my voice, Stein explained. She reached out to East to accompany her on a recording, and he agreed. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Each musicians upbringing and musical experience enriches the other. We have that shared cultural background, a shared sense of humor that is common to our backgrounds and that feeling you get when you meet and its like youve been friends forever. Our voices are compatible and blend well together, which is important, East said. But they still had to learn to speak each others musical language Easts Latin jazz vibe and Steins folk sound. In her younger days, Stein recalled, I subconsciously let my voice take a back seat. How could my voice compete with drums? But with age and over time, I grew out of that. Ed and I were colleagues from the start. JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy will allow to go through a $4 billion transfer of earnings from the states oil-wealth fund to the funds constitutionally protected principal that he had intended to veto, a spokesperson said. Corey Allen Young, a spokesperson for Dunleavy, told The Associated Press by email on Tuesday the transfer would not adversely affect the governor's proposal to restructure the oil-wealth fund and place a dividend formula in the constitution calling for a 50/50 split between what is drawn for dividends and government. Young did not immediately respond to questions about what options Dunleavy may have had if he had wanted to pursue the veto. Dunleavy last week said one of his more significant vetoes was the $4 billion transfer. But the version of the budget posted on the Legislatures website shows that item was not crossed out, as Dunleavy said he intended. The governor's office said it was an error that should be corrected. But members of the Alaska House's majority coalition on Saturday decided against accepting his correction and said legislative attorneys were expected to weigh in, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Still, on the barrier island beach towns along the Gulf Coast, it was largely business as usual with few shutters or plywood boards going up early Tuesday. Free sandbags were being handed out at several locations, and a limited number of storm shelters opened Tuesday morning in at least four counties around the Tampa Bay area, although no evacuations have been ordered. Nancy Brindley, 85, who lives in a seaside house built in 1923, said she has experienced 34 previous tropical cyclones and is not having shutters put on her windows. Her main concern is what will happen to sand on the adjacent beach and the dunes that protect her house and others. Shes staying through the storm. The main concern here is, if it doesnt speed up and decides to stall, there will be enormous erosion, she said. Friends Chris Wirtz, 47, and Brendan Peregrine, 44, were staying put at a beachfront inn with their families. Both are from Tampa, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) across the bay and have been through storms many times. Before we left, we knew it was coming, Wirtz said. Others were taking no chances. Annie Jones, 51, has lived along the Gulf Coast her entire life. She was buying ice and food at a local grocery store in advance of the storm. DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) In the dim light just after dawn, Bill Blubaugh parks his Des Moines Water Works pickup truck, grabs a dipper and a couple plastic bottles and walks down a boat ramp to the Raccoon River, where he scoops up samples from a waterway that cuts through some of the nations most intensely farmed land. Each day the utility analyzes whats in those samples and others from the nearby Des Moines River as it works to deliver drinking water to more than 500,000 people in Iowas capital city and its suburbs. Some mornings walking down, it smells like ammonia, he said. Its concerning. Im down here every morning and care about the water. Water Works for years has tried to force or cajole farmers upstream to reduce the runoff of fertilizer that leaves the rivers with sky-high nitrate levels but lawsuits and legislative lobbying have failed. Now, it's considering a drastic measure that, as a rule, large cities just don't do drilling wells to find clean water. Small communities and individuals use wells, but large U.S. metro areas have always relied primarily on rivers and lakes for the large volumes of water needed. Surface sources provide about 70% of fresh water in the U.S., as a reliance on wells for big populations would otherwise quickly deplete aquifers. COVID-19 vaccinations have led the way for many of us to return to a more normal way of living. Its been several weeks since the Centers for Disease Control shared relaxed guidance on mask wearing indoors for those who are fully vaccinated. MercyOne hospitals are now able to welcome back limited visitors to see their loved ones, with some relaxed restrictions. But, we still require you to wear a mask in our health care settings. Heres why: There is limited data on vaccine protection in people who are immunocompromised. This means there are many potentially vulnerable people in our hospitals, treatment centers and care locations. Wearing masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19 continues to be recommended by both the CDC and OSHA. COVID-19 still exists. There are 29 states in the U.S. with rising numbers of cases this week. As recently as last Tuesday, 43 Iowans were hospitalized with their first infection of the virus, and a fourth of them were under the age of 40. About this blog In the interests of doing something different to every other wine blogger, this blog delves into the world of wine data, instead of wine itself. The intention is to ferret out some of the interesting stuff, and to bring it out into the light, for everyone to see. In particular, I draw pictures of the data as William Playfair said (in 1805): "whatever can be expressed in numbers may be represented by lines". So, I'd rather show you a graph than a paragraph. Hopefully, this will be both interesting and informative. Philippe Gerber/Getty Images Lenore Foster, 74, used to have bird feeders in the front yard of her home in Kerhonkson, New York. Although Foster loved watching the birds, she also recalls the hassle of having to find metal storage containers to keep her birdseed safe from rodents. Then there were the squirrels that invaded her feeder, knocking seeds onto the ground and making a mess. A rabid raccoon once took over the feeder, and the birdseed eventually attracted a hungry bear. "We watched as a black bear pulled the pole right out of the ground and carried it, along with the feeder, into the woods, never to be seen again, says Foster. And that was the end of my bird feeders in the mountains. Foster is not alone. Many people with bird feeders have had unexpected adventures. Bird feeders are definitely a responsibility, says Jordan Rutter, director of public relations for the American Bird Conservancy. They have a lot of great things that come with them, like being able to have birds closer to you. But they also require regular upkeep, both for your own health and the birds. Bird feeders can be messy and unhygienic, and they may even put local birds in harm's way. Here are six reasons you may not want a bird feeder. 1. They are messy Birds are not the cleanest of eaters. They flick seeds and shells all over the ground especially with sunflower seeds or peanuts that come in shells, says Rutter. Birds don't have teeth, so they're not chewing. But as they are getting to the actual feed they want to eat, they can leave behind remnants of those seeds. Those leftover seeds can cause unwanted flowers and plants to sprout beneath your feeder. And birds poop frequently, which means droppings all over your bird feeders and the need for frequent cleaning. 2. They can involve lot of upkeep Acquires Exclusive Distribution Rights for Bronchitol(R) and Aridol(R) from Pharmaxis Melbourne, July 6, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - BTC Health Limited ( ASX:BTC ) is pleased to announce its investee company, BioImpact Pty Ltd, has acquired exclusive distribution rights for specialty respiratory brands Bronchitol(R) and Aridol(R) from Pharmaxis ( ASX:PXS ) in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and South Korea (Bronchitol(R) only).The exclusive distribution agreement is effective 1 July 2021, with an initial term of 10 years and automatic renewals for subsequent 3-year terms. Pharmaxis will continue to manufacture and supply Bronchitol(R) and Aridol(R) to BTC health from its TGA approved facility in Sydney. As financial consideration for the distribution rights, BioImpact Pty Ltd will make a once-off payment of $2m to Pharmaxis within 10 business days.Bronchito(R) and Aridol(R) are speciality pharmaceutical products used with an inhalation device and together generate circa $1.4m in annual sales to hospitals and respiratory clinics in Australia. BTC health will assume responsibility for the promotion and sale of Bronchitol(R) and Aridol(R) to all existing customers and respiratory clinics and in due course will consider the business case for expanding into further eligible markets outside Australia.Bronchitol(R) is used to treat cystic fibrosis and enables patients (6 years and over) suffering from the disease to help clear mucus from the lungs. It is an inhaled dry powder form of mannitol, which works by drawing water into the airways, making it easier to cough and improve lung function. It is funded by the Australian Federal Government and is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Bronchitol(R) has several advantages over other mucociliary clearance medications, being less time consuming and more convenient to use when compared to a nebulizer, increasing patient medical plan compliance and in turn improving quality of life.Aridol(R), is an innovative lung function test designed to help doctors diagnose and manage asthma by detecting active airway inflammation through measuring airway hyper-responsiveness. Clinicians rely on the Aridol(R) challenge test to diagnose patients with asthma, enabling an asthma management plant to be implemented.Dr. Richard Treagus, Executive Chairman commented "Bronchitol(R) and Aridol(R) are much needed speciality respiratory products and BTC health is pleased to ensure their continuing availability in the Australian market. These products represent an important move for BTC health into speciality pharmaceuticals, being a segment that fits strongly with our established capabilities and expertise. Importantly for our shareholders this transaction will be profit accretive immediately."Further information on Bronchitol(R) and Aridol(R) can be obtained via:andIn Australia 3,500 people suffer from cystic fibrosis and a further 1 in 2,500 babies are diagnosed with the disease each year. On average, patients spend $22,3362 per annum on healthcare costs, increasing to an average $55,2932 per annum for a category 4 patient. In Australia, 2.7m people are diagnosed with Asthma, equivalent to 11.2% of the population or 1 in every 9 Australians. Aridol(R) is funded by respiratory clinics and or fully funded by patients undertaking the airway challenge test. Aridol(R) is also used by clinicians as a means to confirm Asthma patients are compliant with their prescribed asthma management plan. The estimated cost of asthma in Australia in 2015 was $11,740 per person.About BTC Health Limited BTC Health (ASX:BTC) is a listed entity on the ASX and is a Pooled Development Fund, registered under the Pooled Development Funds Act 1992. It is a high-growth company, focused on making world-class innovative medical products available to patients in Australia and New Zealand. Sydney, July 6, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - DroneShield Ltd ( ASX:DRO ) ( OTCMKTS:DRSHF ) is pleased to share the Case Study video released by the NSW Defence Innovation Network (DIN), on DroneShield's DroneOptID technology, an AI-based optical/thermal detection system that detects and classifies UAS and their payloads in real-time. The software utilises recent developments in computer vision, image processing and deep learning, combined with the proprietary-developed AI under this collaboration, to improve C-UAS technology.Applications include military, law enforcement, airports, critical infrastructure and others.The team has recently won two categories at the 2021 NSW iAwards for this partnership, showcasing how defence industry-university partnerships can deliver research translation into real customer deployments, in short timeframes.The DroneOptID product has already been successfully trialled and deployed with end customers globally.To view the video, please visit:About DroneShield Ltd DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO) (OTCMKTS:DRSHF) is an Australian publicly listed company with its head office in Sydney and teams in the US and UK. We specialise in RF sensing, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Sensor Fusion, Electronic Warfare, Rapid Prototyping and MIL-SPEC manufacturing. Our capabilities are used to protect Military, Government, Law Enforcement, Critical Infrastructure, Commercial and VIPs throughout the world. Through our team of primarily Australian based engineers - we offer customers bespoke solutions and off-the-shelf products designed to suit a variety of terrestrial, maritime or airborne platforms. DroneShield is proudly exporting Australian capability to customers throughout the world and supporting Australia's defence, national security and other organisations protect people, critical infrastructure and vital assets. . .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal Sen. Martin Heinrich said during a town hall with progressives in Nob Hill on Monday that he wants to make major changes to the Senate filibuster rule but he acknowledged that those changes will someday allow the GOP to create laws he disagrees with. The New Mexico Democrat said that partisan gridlock has made it so Americans cant tell the difference between the two major political parties because legislation cant get passed, which is why hes willing to change Senate rules to make it easier to pass most bills. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ As much as I know that, at some point, (Republicans) are going to do things that I absolutely disagree with, on climate, on choice, on really important stuff, Heinrich said, it is just as important to begin to have the feedback with the American people to tell the difference between the two parties. Elections will have consequences. Heinrichs remarks came during his appearance at a meeting hosted by Indivisible Nob Hill, a group that advocates for progressive political values. Filibuster reform was brought up several times during the event. Democrats currently control the White House and the House of Representatives. The Senate is evenly split, with the vice president giving Democrats a narrow advantage. But Republicans can still block most legislation because of a rule requiring 60 senators to vote to end debate on most matters. Heinrich said there are several ways Democrats could attempt to change or reform the rule. One, for example, is to make changes so lawmakers will have to be physically present on the Senate floor and personally speak in order to block a vote. When we are in the majority, we are going to pass things like the child tax credit and make it permanent, and deal with climate change and respect women, and workers and educators, he said. Thats why I am willing to accept the risk. Pamela Rogers, a member of Indivisible Santa Fe who made the trip to Nob Hill to hear Heinrich, said she thought the senators filibuster comments were his most interesting of the night. New Mexicos senior senator also talked about climate change goals, infrastructure legislation and voting rights. Rogers said that climate change is placing the planet in danger and laws passed in some states in recent months could make it difficult for her party to keep its current control in Washington. But, in order for Democrats to address the matters she cares about the most, she said they have to be able to get legislation to the presidents desk. We have to get legislation through, she said. Now is the time, and we have to take that risk. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal As migration into the Southern border of the United States soared in 2018 and 2019 records show that nearly 1.5 million people were detained by U.S. Border Patrol during those two years the federal immigration system appeared overloaded and turned to local organizations to ease what it conveyed to be an increasingly untenable burden. Along the New Mexico-Texas border, local cities, counties, churches, nonprofits and volunteers pooled their labor and resources to help the people who had migrated across a country, sometimes several, to reach El Paso, a city considered by many migrants to be Americas doorway to asylum. Thousands filed their asylum petitions in this city, then were bused by the U.S. government into another critical region in the asylum journey: the state of New Mexico. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ It was during this 2018 and 2019 migration episode that an important chapter in New Mexicos role in handling the Borderland crisis was written. The corridor from El Paso to Las Cruces, to Deming, to Albuquerque established itself as a successful model for the humane treatment of migrating people in distress. Weary, hungry and often broke, nearly 30,000 people in that migration wave sought refuge in this state, thrusting onto New Mexicos leaders an unexpected, but clear, mission. We wanted to make sure that they were kept safe and treated with respect, said Ken Miyagishima, mayor of Las Cruces, who coordinated his citys sheltering during that chaotic migration wave. I was alerted, with one hours notice, that the Border Patrol would be dropping off asylum seekers who were coming in from Mexico, from the El Paso border, he recalled. So we scrambled and made sure we had a plan. U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions during that period surged along the entire Southern border 521,090 in 2018 and 977,509 in 2019, according to government records. But the strongest spike was in the El Paso and the New Mexico border region, which saw a 477% jump in apprehensions, the largest increase anywhere on the U.S.-Mexico border during that time, according to the Pew Research Center. The initial stay for asylum seekers was temporary, only long enough to shower, eat and rest for a night or two. Then, the long journey continued on another bus running elsewhere in the state, or to an airport sometimes in El Paso, sometimes Albuquerque to fly asylum seekers to their immigration sponsors in distant cities who had pledged to support them during the monthslong wait for an immigration hearing. Along the way, more networks of New Mexicans shielded migrants from as much hardship as they could. It was important for us, as a community, to make sure we met their needs. We knew a lot of them left everything they owned in the world, said Benny Jasso, mayor of Deming for the past seven years. New Mexico cities were working together. We were there to help them as much as we could, and we take pride in that, he said. The two New Mexico cities that sheltered the most migrants during this wave were Las Cruces, which Miyagashima said helped about 11,000 people; and Deming, which Jasso said assisted some 13,000 people. Albuquerque also served a key role in managing the migration surge sheltering and aiding about 5,000 people, according to local immigration activists. This city has a long history of acting as an official refugee resettlement city since the early 1970s after the Vietnam War, said Michelle Melendez, director of the Office of Equity and Inclusion for the City of Albuquerque. Keeping Albuquerque a refugee- and immigrant-friendly city has been a top priority for Mayor (Tim) Keller since day one, she said. George Miller, executive director for El Calvario Immigrant Advocacy Center in Las Cruces, agreed that Albuquerques pro-migrant stance was an asset to asylum seekers during the 2018 and 2019 surge. The big thing about going through Albuquerque is that there is a group of people there, and they are ready and willing to shelter, he said, adding that the popular migrant corridor starts and ends with the regions two largest cities that have the most developed capacity. El Paso and Albuquerque are the two big hubs because of infrastructure and airports, Miller said. If El Paso gets overcrowded, then they start to go north primarily because of access to more airline flights, he said. At 266 miles away, the Albuquerque International Sunport is the closest commercial airport to El Paso. In Texas, the Midland International Air & Space Port is 305 miles from El Paso and Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport is 342 miles away. In Arizona, Tucson International Airport is 317 miles from El Paso. Another reason for the critical role of the El Paso-New Mexico corridor in the migrant journey is the political demographics of the state. In the middle of two conservative states Texas and Arizona, both led by vocal anti-immigration governors New Mexico is led by a Democratic governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, who heads a state with a culture of acceptance for the plight of migrants, said an expert in U.S. Border issues. New Mexico is very comfortable with immigrants and with Spanish speakers, said Dr. Tony Payan, director of the Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy. It is a majority minority state, and Hispanics are a very much welcomed part of the landscape, he said. I know New Mexico and Albuquerque are very friendly environments for immigrants. The populations of Texas and Arizona are both less than half Hispanic or Native American right at 40% and 37% respectively while more than 60% of New Mexico is Hispanic or Native American. Lujan Grishams office did not respond to multiple requests seeking comment on what distinguished this states treatment of migrants from other states, specifically Texas. But, in June 2019, her office filed suit against the Trump administration for leaving vulnerable individuals and families without assistance and burdening local governments, as well as nonprofit organizations, according to a press release issued at that time from the Governors Office. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal Much has changed on the Southern border since the two-year surge brought more than a million people from poverty-stricken Central America and Mexico and into the United States in search of asylum. The Trump administration enacted Migrant Protection Protocols in January 2019, which forced asylum-seekers to await immigration hearings in Mexico. In March 2020, under a Centers for Disease Control health initiative to curtail the spread of COVID-19 into the United States, Trump closed all U.S. borders under a policy known as Title 42. The effect was a drastic drop in the number of people attempting to cross from Mexico into the United States. Early in the Biden administration, some restrictions were lifted. Biden also indicated a willingness to allow more entries along the Southern border. Eight months into the U.S. Border Patrols 2021 fiscal year has already seen 929,868 encounters with people trying to enter the United States at the Southern border, more than double the number of total encounters in 2020. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ But dealing with the new wave of immigrants no longer falls to the cities, nonprofits and churches that had been providing services to them. In late March ICE Acting Director Tae D. Johnson laid out a new plan for migrant support service in the area. He announced that ICE had signed a short-term contract with the nonprofit division of Endeavors to provide temporary shelter and processing services for families who have not been expelled. ICE documents show that the contract is active for 199 days, from March 16 to Sept. 20, for 1,239 beds at $352.64 per bed per day. This totals nearly $87 million. Endeavors was replacing the network of churches, nonprofits and volunteers in El Paso and New Mexico that assert they had developed a system to care for migrants for $17 per day. They said they were ready to provide help again, but were set aside. While Endeavors is trying to sell this as a humanitarian thing, it is not. It is for money for a lot of money, said Jessica Corley, coordinator for a collective of nonprofit agencies in the El Paso-New Mexico corridor that provided help to asylum seekers in the 2018-2019 migration surge. U.S. Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn, in a March 30 letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE, expressed concern after she did some number-crunching. As the current contract stands, the cost to taxpayers for housing 1,200 migrant families for six months is about $71,000 per person. For a family of four, that amounts to a shocking $284,000 enough to buy a small house, she said in the letter. She also noted that the Endeavors 2018 IRS filings show that nearly half of its income went to salaries. This raises questions if half of the $86.9 million in ICE contract proceeds will likewise be allocated toward employee and executive compensation instead of migrant services or housing. The awarding of the nearly $87 million contract to Endeavors also caught the attention of the Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Republicans Committee on Homeland Security. Both committees penned a joint letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in April to express concerns over the size of the contract, the no-bid awarding of the contract, and Endeavors hiring of Andrew Lorenzen-Strait a member of the Biden transition team onto its staff shortly before the contract was awarded. These factors: the size of the contracts awarded to Family Endeavors, the manner in which they were awarded, that firms lack of equivalent experience, the timing of Mr. Lorenzen-Straights hiring, and his connections to the Biden administration combine to raise serious concerns of potential impropriety, the April 21 letter states. The Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General has launched an investigation into the no-bid contract awarded to Endeavors Inc. Endeavors, founded in San Antonio in 1969, has provided essential services to marginalized populations for more than 50 years, said Ben Miranda, director of operational impact and outreach for Endeavors. Endeavors responded to a request for assistance by the Department of Homeland Security to provide critical care, sheltering, staff and humanitarian services for migrants, Miranda said. It is public record that the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General is investigating the process that awarded the contract to Endeavors, but it is less clear if there is an investigation into Endeavors itself. When contacted in early June about the details of its contract with Endeavors, Mary Houtmann, ICE Public Affairs, stated in an email: ICE is unable to comment due to an active investigation. Tanya Roman, director of Northwest Region/Spokesperson for the ICE Office of Public Affairs, was also asked if Endeavors was under investigation. She replied with an email that contained general information about the original contract, but did not address the question about the investigation. When pressed for further details on the active investigation, the phrasing used by Houtmann Roman said via email: We have nothing further at this time. Endeavors wouldnt say whether it was under investigation. We are in constant communication with the federal government. Thats all Im going to share with you, Miranda said. Corley said her primary concern with the involvement of Endeavors in migrant support services is that it is a model based on apprehension and containment of people who are simply seeking legal asylum. They are really doing next-level detention, she said. Those of us who know, we call them ICE 2.0. Miranda disputed the term detention as a way to describe Endeavors services. We are a nonprofit social service provider, he said. We have been serving vulnerable populations for 51 years under an array of programs. We came at this knowing that we were going to continue to serve in that capacity . in a way that is compassionate, and treating everybody with dignity and respect, regardless of what background or social economic standpoint. We are doing it because it is the right thing to do, he said. Endeavors is providing shelter in hotels for migrants in Texas and Arizona. The ICE.gov website lists Endeavors on the ICE Detainee Statistics page, and also lists two El Paso hotels Best Western Hotel and Comfort Suites under the Custody/AOR/Facility column, which are government terms for the handling of detainees. The Comfort Inn and Suites, on the corner of Interstate 10 and Airways Boulevard in El Paso, sits about a mile from the El Paso International Airport, and immediately next to a Starbucks Coffeehouse. It appears to be a normal hotel, and at one point featured a popular nightclub at its ground floor. The hotel today is surrounded by portable crowd-blockers, set up at each of the hotels entrances, which in a previous time were accessible by the public. Should you venture beyond that and approach the hotel lobby, you may be stopped by a security guard. This is private property and we are going to ask you to leave, was the statement by a security guard with an Endeavors badge. When questions were asked on why the entrances were blocked, and whether anyone could enter, or if anyone inside could leave, an on-site police officer arrived within minutes. You will be arrested if you dont leave this property, the officer said. That is not a surprise to Corley. Endeavors is a detention model. And we dont want that in New Mexico, she said. She was a part of a May 11 letter sent to a number of government agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security, and the New Mexico Department of Health. In the letter, the collection of New Mexico NGOs (nongovernment organizations) condemned the partnership of ICE and Endeavors as an effort at providing order by way of detention. We want to express our clear desire to keep these types of ICE contracts out of our state. Migrant sheltering, as an act of welcoming, can have no part in supporting the detaining, criminalizing and traumatizing of migrant families and individuals, stated the letter. Please do not promote or consider any contracts with ICE to further detain asylum seekers who are exercising their right to a legal asylum process. Instead, we simply ask that you allow us to do what we have been preparing to do. The greater concern, Corley said, is that the criminalization of migrants becomes a permanent source of income for the government, and a lucrative venture for businesses that provide products and services for a migrant-detainment industry. It is a concept known as the immigration industrial complex. Our biggest fear is that this is going to be the new model of immigration. Thats just not acceptable, on an ethical or moral level, to us, Corley said. That is our fear. We are trying as hard as we can to push back, having meeting after meeting after meeting, to talk strategy and advocacy points, and what we can do about it. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ALAMOGORDO The Alameda Park Zoo is throwing some thanks around as its residents Tiny and Winnie the black bears, and Rocky the mountain lion spend some time to the east at the Spring River Zoo in Roswell. Alameda Park Zoo recently recognized New Mexico Game and Fish and the Spring River Zoo for their help relocating and taking in the animals while their habitats in Alamogordo undergo repairs. The zoo staff would like to thank the New Mexico Game and Fish Department for assisting with a successful transport, and the Spring River Zoo for their hospitality and care of our animals until this project is complete, Alameda Park Zoo Manager Kate Unterweger said in a news release sent out by the city. We hope that visitors to the Spring River Zoo enjoy our bears and mountain lion while they are on exhibit, and look forward to bringing our friends back to the Alameda Park Zoo very soon, she added. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Tiny, Winnie and Rocky have been at Alameda Park Zoo for about a decade, according to the release. Tiny and Winnie, and other Alameda Park Zoo animals came to the zoo as they were not safe in the wild. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... LAS VEGAS The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is proposing rounding up more than 500 wild burros in the desert north of Lake Mead. The feral donkeys are stripping the land of vegetation and could die off if the population isnt managed along the Arizona-Nevada line, the agency said. It wants to gather most of them to offer up for adoption. If approved, the government also plans to temporarily sterilize other burros and round up the animals at other points over the next decade, the Las Vegas Sun reported. No date for the roundup has been set. It could be years away or as early as this fall if a historic drought in the U.S. West dries up enough plants and grass to force starvation conditions, agency documents indicate. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The proposal also includes removing a small herd of wild horses in the same area. The Bureau of Land Management estimates at least 554 burros and 36 horses live in the Lake Mead Complex, an expanse of rangeland covering about 291 square miles (753 square kilometers). Its one of the biggest herds in Nevada. The agency manages the complex along with the National Park Service. The area can support up to 98 burros and no horses, Bureau of Land Management officials said. The animals reproduce exponentially and have few predators, and their demands mean food and water sources arent sustainable, the agency said in a draft environmental assessment in April. Thats what we see across the state, is that water is our limiting factor, said Tabitha Romero, a wild horse and burro specialist at the Bureau of Land Managements Las Vegas office. The initial roundup would reduce the population to 22 burros in the Gold Butte area, where the animals congregate. The agency managed about 4,500 burros scattered over about two dozen herd areas in Nevada as of March 2020. Only about 800 can live sustainably in the state, officials said. Animals last were gathered at the Lake Mead Complex in 2007, when 149 burros were removed and the population was largely cleared out near Searchlight. Across the river, near Bullhead City, Arizona, the agency is removing up to 500 burros, its fifth roundup in northwestern Arizona since 2017, the Sun reported. If the Lake Mead roundup is approved, the bureau would use traps baited with food or water and helicopters to drive the animals into pens. Some female animals would be given a contraceptive shot before being set free. Animal advocates want protections for wild burros and mustangs to live on the land. Donkeys were a key part of Nevadas mining heritage, hauling supplies at camps, ferrying ore through mine shafts and breeding with horses to produce the mules that pulled wagons. They escaped their keepers or were released when no longer needed. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ASPEN, Colo. Two men from New York were found dead in a small plane that crashed near Aspen, authorities said Sunday. The bodies of Ruben Cohen and David Zara were found in a Beechcraft Bonanza in the Midway Pass area after a search, the Pitkin County Sheriffs Office said. The search was launched Sunday after a friend of one the men on board reported that their plane had taken off from Aspen the day before but never arrived in Des Moines, Iowa as planned. After the search area was identified near Midway Pass, about 9 miles (14 kilometers) east of Aspen, volunteers from Mountain Rescue Aspen looked for the plane on the ground with help from a helicopter from the Colorado Army National Guard High-Altitude ARNG Aviation Training Site in Gypsum, the sheriffs office said. The wreckage was spotted around 5:30 p.m. The helicopter was able to land at the crash site and the bodies were recovered, the sheriffs office said. The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the crash. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... BOULDER, Colo. A coroner has identified human remains found in the Colorado mountains as a hiker who went missing in February. Josh Hall, 27, of Arvada, set out with his dog Feb. 3 in the mountains west of Boulder. His family reported him missing when he didnt return that day. His dog, Happy, turned up on a road Feb. 11, the Boulder Daily Camera reported. A volunteer with the Front Range Rescue Dogs organization recently found Halls suspected remains near a small stream. The Boulder County Coroners Office identified the remains as Halls, sheriffs officials said Saturday. Halls family released a statement thanking rescuers and others for their efforts to find him. There was never a point in this search when we felt that Josh was forgotten, the statement said. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... WASHINGTON Nearly 20 years after invading Afghanistan to oust the Taliban and hunt down al-Qaida, the U.S. military has vacated its biggest airfield in the country, advancing a final withdrawal that the Pentagon says will be completed by the end of August. President Joe Biden had instructed the Pentagon to complete the military withdrawal by Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States, but the Pentagon now says it can finish the drawdown a little earlier. In fact, the drawdown is already largely completed and officials had said it could be wrapped up this weekend. But a number of related issues need to be worked out in coming weeks, including a new U.S. military command structure in Kabul and talks with Turkey on an arrangement for maintaining security at the Kabul airport, and so an official end to the pullout will not be announced soon. A safe, orderly drawdown enables us to maintain an ongoing diplomatic presence, support the Afghan people and the government, and prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a safe haven for terrorists that threatens our homeland, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said. The administration is meanwhile narrowing options for ensuring the safety of thousands of Afghans whose applications for special visas to come to the United States have yet to be approved. The administration has already said its willing to evacuate them to third countries pending their visa approvals but has yet to determine where. Officials said Friday that one possibility is to relocate them to neighboring countries in Central Asia where they could be protected from possible retaliation by the Taliban or other groups. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The White House and State Department have declined to comment on the numbers to be relocated or where they might go, but the foreign ministers of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were both in Washington this week and the subject of Afghan security was raised in meetings they held with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Kirby said that Austin on Friday approved a new command structure in Afghanistan to transition the U.S. military mission from warfighting to two new objectives protecting a continuing U.S. diplomatic presence in Kabul and maintaining liaison with the Afghan military. Austins plan calls for the top commander in Afghanistan, Army Gen. Scott Miller, to transfer his combat authorities to the Florida-based head of U.S. Central Command, Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, before relinquishing his command this month. Also, a two-star Navy admiral will head a U.S. Embassy-based military office, dubbed U.S. Forces Afghanistan-Forward, to oversee the new mission of providing security for the embassy and its diplomats. A satellite military office based in Qatar and headed by a U.S. one-star general will be established to administer U.S. financial support for the Afghan military and police, plus maintenance support provided for Afghan aircraft from outside Afghanistan. Kirby said Miller, who already is the longest-serving commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan in the 20 years of warfare, will remain in command for a couple of weeks longer but was not more specific. He said Miller will be preparing for and completing the turnover of his duties to McKenzie and also will be traveling inside and beyond Afghanistan. Miller met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Friday and, according to a Dari-language tweet by the presidential palace, the two discussed continued U.S. assistance and cooperation with Afghanistan, particularly in supporting the defense and security forces. Bagram Airfield has been the epicenter of the war to oust the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America. At its peak in and around 2012, Bagram Airfield saw more than 100,000 U.S. troops pass through the massive compound barely an hours drive north of Kabul. Meanwhile, Afghanistans district administrator for Bagram, Darwaish Raufi, said the American departure was done overnight without any coordination with local officials, and as a result early Friday, dozens of local looters stormed through the unprotected gates before Afghan forces regained control. They were stopped and some have been arrested and the rest have been cleared from the base, Raufi told The Associated Press, adding that the looters ransacked several buildings before being arrested and the Afghan forces took control. However, U.S. military spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett said the handover was an extensive process that spanned several weeks and began soon after Bidens mid-April announcement that America was withdrawing the last of its forces. All handovers of Resolute Support bases and facilities, to include Bagram Airfield, have been closely coordinated, both with senior leaders from the government and with our Afghan partners in the security forces, including leadership of the locally based units respective to each base, said Col. Leggett. The Taliban welcomed the American withdrawal from Bagram Airfield. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that Fridays departure was a positive step, urging for the withdrawal of foreign forces from all parts of the country. As of this week, most other NATO soldiers have already quietly exited Afghanistan. Announcements from several countries analyzed by the AP show that a majority of European troops has left with little ceremony a stark contrast to the dramatic and public show of force and unity when NATO allies lined up to back the U.S. invasion in 2001. The U.S. has refused to say when the last American soldier would leave Afghanistan, citing security concerns, but also future security and protection for Kabul International Airport is still being negotiated. Turkish and U.S. soldiers are currently protecting the airport, still under Resolute Support Mission, which is the military mission being wound down. Until a new agreement for the airport is struck by Turkey and the Afghan government, and possibly the United States, it appears the Resolute Support mission would to have to continue to be in charge of the facility. ___ Gannon reported from Kabul. Associated Press writers Lolita Baldor and Matthew Lee in Washington, Farid Tanha, in Bagram, Afghanistan, and Rahim Faiez in Kabul, contributed to this report. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... The quest to learn why a Florida condo building collapsed has already moved to the legal system, even before rescuers finish searching for victims and possible survivors. Authorities have opened criminal and civil investigations into the collapse of the oceanfront Champlain Towers South, which killed at least 36 people and left more than 100 missing. At least six lawsuits have been filed by Champlain Towers families. The whole world wants to know what happened here, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told a news conference Tuesday. Everyone, she said, wants to know what could have been prevented and how we make sure it never happens again. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle has pledged to bring the matter to a grand jury, which will gather evidence and hear testimony, and could recommend criminal charges or needed reforms. One lawyer involved in the litigation said the collapse raises widespread concerns about infrastructure issues and the trust put in those responsible for them. We deserve to be able to walk into buildings without worrying that theyre going to come crumbling around us and to know that our loved ones can go to bed at night without worrying that theyre going to plummet 12 stories to the ground below in their sleep, said Jeffrey Goodman, whose Philadelphia-based firm filed suit on behalf of the children of missing resident Harold Rosenberg. The lawsuits filed to date accuse the Champlain Towers South Condominium Association, and in some cases a local architect and engineer, of negligence for failing to address serious structural problems noted as far back as 2018. A Surfside town building inspector had also been part of the discussions, and Goodmans firm has given notice of plans to add the town as a defendant. The role of building owners and architects and engineers and inspectors and safety professionals is to make sure that buildings are safe for their occupants to be in, Goodman said. At a hearing Friday, a judge appointed a receiver to represent the condominium associations interests given the trauma experienced by board members, one of whom remains missing. The board has about $48 million in insurance coverage, while the oceanfront land is valued at $30 million to $50 million, the judge was told. The judge said he hoped the litigation could be resolved quickly, perhaps within a year. Until then, he authorized the receiver, attorney Michael Goldberg, to provide $10,000 each to residents for temporary housing and $2,000 to cover funeral expenses. Attorney Robert Mongeluzzi, who also represents the Rosenberg family and is seeking access to the site, said cases such as these are not just about the money. They want to make this a quest to find out what happened, Mongeluzzi said. We believe that evidence is still there. Neither condominium association board members nor their attorneys responded to emails seeking comment. One prior case with possible legal parallels involves the 2013 collapse in Philadelphia of an unbraced brick wall of a building that was being demolished. It toppled onto an adjacent Salvation Army store, killing six people and injuring 13. One woman was found alive 13 hours later, but lost both legs and endured more than 30 surgeries before her death this year. In the trials that followed, jurors reviewed emails that detailed a preexisting dispute over the demolition, and found the Salvation Army, the buildings owner and his architect largely responsible. The parties then agreed to pay $227 million in damages. On the criminal side, the architect received immunity in exchange for cooperating with prosecutors, and the wealthy building owner was never charged. However, a food cart operator-turned-contractor was sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter, though he was acquitted of third-degree murder. A forklift driver who was taking prescription drugs for an injury also went to prison after taking a plea deal. It was a tragedy, no question about it. It could have been avoided, lawyer William Hobson, who represents imprisoned contractor Griffin Campbell, said Tuesday. Still, he believes the people most culpable walked free while the two guys at the bottom of the food chain were prosecuted based on race (and) social inequality. Campbell continues to appeal the conviction, with support from some victims families. The deaths prompted officials in Philadelphia to inspect demolition sites across the city and increase their oversight, which was widely perceived as lax. In Florida, a grand jury is still reviewing the 2018 collapse of a pedestrian bridge at Florida International University that killed six people. And both manslaughter and third-degree felony murder charges were filed following the 1996 accidental crash of ValuJet 592 in the Everglades that killed 110 people. Denis Bender, a tort law professor at Chapman University in Orange County, California, who studies widescale disasters, sees a growing tendency in such cases not just to seek damages but to pursue criminal charges, often for negligence. He said that could be because the public now sees them unfold in real time, as happened with the harrowing images beamed from Surfside around the world in the last week. I think its increasing because of the media and social media not necessarily because theres a drumbeat out there, but everybodys horrified by what they can see. And theres this cry for justice, Binder said. On something spectacular like this, in todays world, theres great pressure to find fault, he said. And theres enough evidence already (in Surfside) that people have made bad decisions. ___ Dale reported from Philadelphia and Anderson from St. Petersburg, Florida. Associated Press writer Terry Spencer in Surfside, Florida, contributed to this report. ___ Follow Maryclaire Dale on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Maryclairedale .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... DENVER The Denver Zoo will begin vaccinating some of its animals for COVID-19 as early as next week. Zoologists say they have been working with the veterinary vaccine company Zoetis to receive doses for the animals, and primates and carnivores will be first on the list. The veterinary vaccine, which is formulated primarily for mammals, is being developed separate from the ones for human use. Transmission is rare between humans and other species, but there have been several documented cases of COVID-19 in large cats, monkeys and certain rodent populations. Mink farmers in Denmark were forced to euthanize millions of the animals because of a coronavirus outbreak among the population there. We know some of those animals like gorillas and tigers, mink, otters can all be infected. But for a lot of these others, we dont know what the susceptibility is, Dr. Scott Larsen, the zoos vice president of animal health, told KMGH-TV. For animals, we want to be able to protect them similar to (how) were trying to protect people. Veterinary scientists do not think common house pets like cats or dogs are in significant danger of catching COVID-19. There are 85 million dogs in the United States and 90 million cats, said Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald, a veterinarian at VCA Alameda East Veterinary in Denver. If we were going to see problems I think we would be seeing it. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal A Santa Fe man shot by police Monday has been released from the hospital and booked into jail. Dalton Cunningham, 26, was charged with unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, aggravated assault on a police officer, possession of a firearm by a felon and resisting and evading a police officer in connection with the shootout with Albuquerque police officers on Monday morning. Prosecutors have filed a motion to detain him until his trial. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Police said that Cunningham at around 7:30 a.m. was inside a bait car that had been parked at 7220 Central SE as part of a police operation. The vehicle was equipped with audio and video recording devices and GPS, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. According to authorities: A police sergeant was watching a video of the inside of the vehicle as Cunningham drove through the Northeast Heights, according to a police news release. The sergeant could see that Cunningham had a gun and relayed the information to officers. Cunningham started driving the vehicle recklessly west on Osuna between Louisiana and San Pedro, and the city-owned vehicle was remotely disabled. A police vehicle moved behind Cunningham, and he fired multiple shots. One of those shots went through the middle of the police vehicles windshield, which narrowly missed the officers, Gilbert Gallegos, a police spokesman, said in a news release. The officers in that vehicle returned fire, shooting through their windshield and striking Cunningham in the chin, he said. Police released a picture from the video recorded inside the vehicle, which shows a masked man holding a gun and pointing it toward the back window of the vehicle. After receiving a superficial wound to his chin, Cunningham ran from officers to a nearby apartment complex, where he was arrested, police said. Gallegos said Cunningham is a convicted felon who had several warrants for his arrest at the time of the shooting. Court records dont indicate if Cunningham has an attorney. A convicted felon stealing a car and shooting at police is exactly the type of person that the court needs to hold in custody until trial, Assistant District Attorney John Litchford wrote in a motion to detain Cunningham. The defendants disrespect for the law and his disregard for human life show how dangerous he is. WENN/Avalon/Instar Celebrity Having been among one of the first people to speak out against the disgraced movie mogul, the former 'Charmed' actress believes she would have had a better career. Jul 6, 2021 AceShowbiz - Rose McGowan insists she would have had a "better career" if Harvey Weinstein didn't "blacklist" her. The actress was one of the first people to speak out against the disgraced movie mogul - who has been charged with multiple sex crimes and is currently in jail - and she believes she would have had more acting opportunities if she was "blacklisted" by Weinstein. "I did one acting class after I started my first movie, after they discovered me," she told Britain's The Observer newspaper. "And I hated it. For me it was always fiscal; it was a matter of survival." "I just happen to be naturally good at it. Had I not been blacklisted by Weinstein I might have gone on to have a better career and probably spread my wings more in the acting department. But I had to take the crumbs that I could get. So I did as well as I could, despite the Hollywood blacklisting, which they've only doubled down on since the exposing and taking down of their cult leader." Former "Charmed" star Rose also explained she decided to shave her head before she spoke out about Weinstein as she thought people would hear her better if she "didn't look like a traditional woman any more". "The side effect immediately was that people could hear the words coming out of my mouth, because I didn't look like a traditional woman any more," she said. "All of a sudden, people were paying attention. But it was also like, 'I'm serious. And I'm going to war. And I need to scare people. So let's go.' " Instagram Celebrity In the note accompanying the loving picture from the festivities, the former 'TODAY' co-anchor wishes a happy wedding to her daughter Ellie Monahan and her son-in-law Mark Dobrosky. Jul 6, 2021 AceShowbiz - Katie Couric is celebrating her daughter's Ellie Monahan wedding. Commemorating her eldest daughter's special day, the former "TODAY" co-anchor posted a sweet firework photo on her social media page. "Baby you're a firework. Happy wedding Ellie and Mark," the 64-year-old wrote on Instagram on Monday, July 5. Along with it, she shared a photo of her 29-year-old daughter Ellie and her husband Mark Dobrosky watching a fireworks display. The award-winning journalist further informed her followers that she would share more photos after she recovered from the night's festivities. She wrote in the caption, "Of course more pics to come when I recover!" One day earlier, Katie paid a heartfelt tribute to her daughter which included pictures of Ellie as a young girl with her late father Jay Monahan, who died of colon cancer at the age of 42 in 1998. She wrote, "It seems like yesterday when Ellie was crawling up my body like a little gymnast and doing a back flip off my shoulders. When she wouldn't take off her Belle dress -- ever." "When she got her wisdom teeth pulled and was so loopy she asked the dentist to lunch. When she would spin the volleyball before a serve. When she headed off to college where she met a wonderful guy named Mark. When she moved to LA for graduate schooland became a successful TV writer. And on and on," Katie recalled. "It went by in a flash and today Ellie is getting married to her beloved Jersey boy," Katie continued. Near the end of the lengthy message, she voiced her joy by writing, "My heart is full of unbridled happiness for them both and for all of us who are coming to celebrate their love and life itself. Jay would be so proud. Here's to love, here's to joy, here's to the future." Katie announced Ellie's engagement in February 2019. At the time, she revealed that her daughter was proposed to using the same diamond ring her late husband gave her. "OMG ... Ellie and Mark are engaged! OMG ... And she's wearing the ring her Dad gave to me," she wrote on Instagram, along with a photo of the newly engaged couple. 20th Century Fox Movie The 'Logan' actor rises people's eyebrows with his recent post on Instagram that many sees as him teasing at him reprising the mutant in upcoming X-Men movie in the MCU. Jul 6, 2021 AceShowbiz - Fans may be seeing Hugh Jackman reprising his role as Wolverine once again. Following the actor's retirement from playing the character after 20 years, it was speculated that Marvel may need to find a new actor to replace Hugh in a planned X-Men movie. However, they seemingly don't need to as the actor appears to hint at his return. "The Greatest Showman" star appeared to tease that he might reprise his role as the mutant. He reuploaded a piece of fan art from Bosslogic that featured Wolverine extending his claws. He further fueled the rumors by posting a picture of himself and Kevin Feige. The actor also paid tribute to "Superman" and "Lethal Weapon" filmmaker Richard Donner. "Today we lost one of the most talented courageous, cheeky, funny, loyal directors to have ever made movies. Richard Donner. Deb & I lost a great friend," Hugh wrote in his message. "Lauren, we send all our love to you and the whole family and ... the 100's of dogs he rescued! Your movies, stories, your laugh will always be in our hearts." Back in 2017, Hugh said that he would continue playing Wolverine if the X-Men were to be introduced in the MCU. At the time, such thing was still unlikely since he rights to the X-Men were still owned by Fox. Now that the mutants joining the MCU is a reality, it's understandable for fans to wish him to reprise the character. Hugh last played Wolverine in "Logan", which premiered back in 2017. The Australian star shared that he made the decision to retire from playing the character after meeting comedian Jerry Seinfeld. When he asked Jerry why he ended his smash-hit sitcom Seinfeld after nine seasons, Jerry allegedly told him, "I've always believed, you should never spend everything creatively because its almost herculean to start up again. You should always have something in the tank.' Leave the party before it gets too late kind of theory." The answer inspired him to retire as Wolverine. Instagram Celebrity Meanwhile, the drama further escalates as it also involves Erica's friend and Bobby Lytes as it is said that Erica's friends beat up Kaylin and Bobby, though Bobby denied. Jul 6, 2021 AceShowbiz - The drama between Erica Mena and estranged husband Safaree Samuels only growns uglier. Erica, who filed for divorce from Safaree earlier this year, accused him of having an affair with Joe Budden's ex-girlfriend Kaylin Garcia. "@Kaylin_Garcia real talk I bean in the shoes of dealing with a man who lived a double life and I had no clue he was married. But you! Know Safaree is married. Who don't know that. Not to mention he real friends with Joe Budden your ex," the "Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" star wrote. "Safaree just had a baby who he hasn't seen in 4 days that's in the NICU. That's also no secret." She went on to say, "I'm blasting both of you since he told you to lay low tonight - clearly who both know I found out y'all been f***ing all weekend. My son not even a week old yet and he dicking you down. I hope this is something you proud of shorty. This man lost his whole family officially. I wish you both the best." In another post, Erica asked, "We have a son who was just born and still isn't home yet. Did he tell you that when he was telling you to lay low tonight?" In response to the accusation, Kaylin wrote, "For years I have been to myself. No blogs. No drama. I am a women who is about accountability and morals. The fact that I have been called out for absolutely nothing, to me is insane. Me and Safaree are friends and nothing more. Thanks! Everyone stay blessed. And let's continue to spread love and light!" Meanwhile, the drama further escalated as it also involved Erica's friend and Bobby Lytes. It was said that Erica's friends beat up Kaylin and Bobby, though Bobby denied. "There's a difference between getting in a fight and being attacked by an irate individual. That's where the discrepancy comes in to play. Yes I can press charges for your assault, however your claim of us 'fighting' is false. I do NOT fight females. Get it together! #Facts." WENN Celebrity The former member of The Smiths slams 'Con-vid' society as a new form of slavery in a new interview, adding that 'the government act like Chinese emperors.' Jul 7, 2021 AceShowbiz - Morrissey has slammed the world of "Con-vid" and compared it to slavery in a hard-hitting new interview. The former Smiths frontman spoke to his nephew Sam Esty Rayner for an interview on his official website, titled Turning the Inside Out. In the chat, where he discussed cancel culture and his new album "Bonfire of Teenagers", Morrissey revealed his thoughts on the way the U.K. responded to the coronavirus pandemic as he said, "The bigger problem is that nobody can any longer agree with anyone else, and this is the main outcome of Con-vid." "It has brought the worst out in people, and we weren't ever in this together. We are deprived of seeing and hearing other people, and above all, you want to be with others who see and hear what you see and hear, because this is basic oxygen for the human soul. Take it away and people are dead." When Rayner suggested that a Covid-19 world's society was "the precise description of slavery," Morrissey replied, "Precisely." "And more people are now forced into poverty which is another form of slavery, as is tax and Council Tax and all the other ways in which we are pinned down and tracked," he continued. "Our present freedom is restricted to visiting supermarkets and buying sofas. The government act like Chinese emperors... We will allow you to live as we do if you behave yourself." Rayner also asked how Morrissey feels about the so-called "cancel culture," to which the 62-year-old responded, "You can't cancel someone who has always been cancelled. When did you last see me on television, or hear me on the radio? I unintentionally invented the condition of being cancelled!" WASHINGTON, July 6, 2021 The American Chemical Society (ACS) has selected Peter B. Dervan, Ph.D., the California Institute of Technologys (Caltechs) Bren Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus, as the recipient of the 2022 Priestley Medal, the Societys highest honor. ACS awards the Priestley Medal annually to a single individual for distinguished services to chemistry. Dervan is being honored specifically for his pioneering contributions in rational design of molecules that bind sequence-specifically to DNA, work that has been foundational at the chemistry-biology interface. Dervan earned his bachelors degree from Boston College in 1967 and his Ph.D. from Yale University in 1972. He joined Caltech as an assistant professor in 1973, and was named associate professor in 1979 and professor in 1982. He served as the chair of the division of chemistry and chemical engineering from 1994 to 1999 and as vice president for development and institute relations from 2011 to 2012. Dervans research has focused on the intersection between biology and chemistry, a field known as chemical biology. He has developed a number of synthetic molecules that bind to specific DNA sequences and can regulate gene expression the process in which a gene is used by a cell. In addition to the Priestley Medal, Dervan is a recipient of the National Medal of Science and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors; and a foreign member of the French Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in Germany. He has also received awards that include the Wilbur Cross Medal, the Ronald Breslow Award for Achievement in Biomimetic Chemistry, the Linus Pauling Medal and the Tetrahedron Prize. Dervan has served as a member of the Yale Corporation, the universitys governing board, and as the chair of the scientific advisory board at the Welch Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides funding to chemistry researchers. OROVILLE, Calif. - Officials responded to a report of an injured man at the Bidwell Marina Campground in Oroville on Saturday where they found the man dead, according to the Butte County Sheriffs Office. 20-year-old Tyler Dickson, of San Pablo, was found inside a tent and was pronounced dead when medical personnel arrived. California State Parks law enforcement requested the Butte County Sheriffs Office to respond and take over the investigation. Deputies gathered information that indicated Dickson was murdered, according to the Butte County Sheriff's Office. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact deputies. LAKEHEAD, Calif. - While hundreds of firefighters battle the Salt Fire, dozens of evacuees are waiting. The last couple of days have been emotional as evacuees wait to return home. We just want to go home, evacuee Vicki Dzwonek said. Smoke from the Salt Fire is smothering the city of Shasta Lake. Out here it's not so great because of the smoke, Dzwonek said. The smoke has made evacuations difficult. Kenneth Ruane also fled the Salt Fire. He said its been tough watching crews battle the fire, not knowing if his home is still standing. I watched maybe 30 trucksheavy equipment trucks and countless pickup trucks full of crews of California's champions and others going up to battle this fire, Ruane said. But this is scary. I still feel the effect of watching the fire come down, Ruane said. At the shelter site at Central Valley High School, evacuees are trying to keep the faith. I'm in the limbo of it that all these people have been in it, that we've watched over the last few years, Ruane said. I just have to wait and it's really difficult. Ruane is trying to take his mind off the fire. I have my laptop and that's what I'm trying to focus on, Ruane said. Not trying to think about what's going on. Ruane has been at the shelter since Saturday and said that this is the first time he's had to leave his home. Canara Bank launched an awareness campaign about cybersecurity on 3rd July 2021. The self-driven video is an initiative by Canara Bank to spread awareness about the various kinds of online frauds. The video throws light on online fraud. The video is dedicated to the nation by Canara Bank. The video is performed exclusively by the employees of Canara Bank. IMAGEXX Awards 2021 to attend - REGISTER NOW The video will be further released in all major Indian languages in the coming days. It is crucial to protect the account details and not share OTP, CVV, or PIN with anyone. The bank never asks for this information from the customers. Hence, the safety of customers in the growing digital world is very important. The video has been uploaded on the official social media handles of Canara Bank for creating awareness. GAMEXX Awards 2021 Early Bird Discount Extended Last Date - Wednesday, June 30, 2021 - ENTER NOW Automobile giant SKODA AUTO India, in collaboration with PHD Media, unveiled its brand new Made-in-India SUV KUSHAQ recently. What distinguished this launch for SKODA was its promotion through the French innovation. Just like French windows open on the outside, maximizing the view when both panes are opened together, the model was revealed in a similar fashion through the print medium. Monaz Todywalla, CEO of PHD Media India said, This was one of the biggest and most stylish launches for SKODA. In addition to its enticing application, the French window innovation delivers the levels of engagement that todays consumers desire. It elevates the sense of curiosity and is right on trend for the market. Offering a canvas like display, this selective innovation leverages the print-medium optimally. This uniquely impactful way of promoting the brand with unequal flaps innovation created millions of impressions across the country and built awareness around the launch. It was promoted through a leading daily in 8 metros and all of its regional editions to maximize outreach and visibility. Tarun Jha, Head of Marketing at SKODA AUTO India said, on this yet another simply clever endeavor, that, "This beautiful French Window innovation was made possible through seamless collaboration between PHD Media and the SKODA team. It was well crafted, executed, and delivered creatively to leverage features of the SUV." Digital publishers rely to a great extent on search traffic to attract new audiences and grow. According to MGIDs 2020 data across publishers in the US[1], on an average digital organic traffic accounts for 16% of all website visitors and the revenue earned by publishers. Organic visitors are more intent on finding relevant information, which drives their search, and stay on websites for a while which is why publishers always want this source of traffic to account for a higher percentage. IMAGEXX Awards 2021 to attend - REGISTER NOW The latest update announced by Google puts the focus on page experience of a website and this will also affect the websites ranking on Google. In November 2020, Google made an announcement that Core Web Vitals would start affecting search results. The update will be completely rolled out by August 2021. What are Core Web Vitals? As mentioned earlier, Core Web Vitals are the set of metrics developed by Google to capture important aspects of page experience users get on a website. At present, this includes three features loading, interactivity, and visual stability. It is interesting to note that Google collects this data over a period of time from real users rather than one-off experiment estimates or lab estimates. GAMEXX Awards 2021 Early Bird Discount Extended Last Date - Wednesday, June 30, 2021 - ENTER NOW Loading or largest content paint (LCP) refers to the time taken for the largest component on a web page to load completely. Ideally a website should look at keeping the LCP below 2.5 seconds. Interactivity or first input display (FIP) measures how soon a user can interact with the website. This metric takes into consideration the time needed for the browser to start processing event handlers in response to user-initiated events such as clicks, taps or other custom controls. To have a positive impact on rankings websites should look at having a FIP of 100 milliseconds or less. Visual stability or cumulative layout shift tracks if the page layout of a web page changes of its volition or if website elements move around unexpectantly as the page loads. The goal for the CLS metric is to have a 0.1 cumulative layout shift. Also, this feature is measured in terms of percentages rather than pixels to take into account different screen sizes. Click here to download the MGIDs Optimization Guide for Core Web Vitals. How can publishers mitigate the impact? For publishers, it is imperative that they test their website, analyze the scores, and make improvements so that their search rankings are not impacted. One of the simplest ways to test the website is by looking at the Page Experience Report that Google has added in the Search Console. After testing of the website, the next step is to take stock of the ads. Website elements such as heavy ad formats, lead magnet forms or newsletter sign-ups can impact Core Web Vitals. To counter this, publishers should consider working with their AdTech partners to optimize the ads and widgets as per the new developments. On the website front, publishers can make some optimization and changes to improve their Core Web Vitals score. To improve LCP, publishers should resize large images and files to the right pixel dimensions before uploading them to the CMS platform or consider serving images in Webp format. AdTech platforms such as MGID have implemented progressive compression algorithms like Brotli, which is also being used by Google Display Ads, and implemented the lazy load feature. CLS is one of the trickiest elements to maintain which means a good score in this would have a huge impact on the ranking of a website. Consistent testing in a lab environment can help the publishers gain insight on which layouts work and have the best CLS score and then take them live for users. Some other steps can also be taken such as disabling auto-play videos and heavy image in mobile website and taking steps to check the hosting performance and slow server response time. MGID has always been very proactive in preparing for such changes that can have a long-term impact. In cognizance of the Google algorithm update, MGID has already launched a number of improvements in its widgets such as progressive compression algorithms to ensure better performance for FID and LCP, Lazy Load feature and Progressive Image formats among others for their partnered publishers. In times of such volatility MGID has continued to maintain its trust among publishers and in fact has signed some new major publishers onboard that include BSE India, BusinessWorld, IBTimes, Saamna, and MumbaiLive among others. Final Thoughts User experience has always been considered important for websites because it affects the time spent by the user and whether they return to the website or not. By introducing Core Web Vitals, Google has made page experience quantifiable for publishers. For MGID the priority has always been to ensure that users have a good experience when interacting with their ads. That is why the team constantly monitors latest suggestions and technologies that are on the rise and implements the best possible solutions. For every aggressor, there is always a defender. Are you ready to fight evil alongside the worlds mightiest defenders? This July, the biggest defenders assemble on &flix to take you on a joyride. Its time for a kickass weekend of facing your greatest villains and experiencing exciting adventures with Flix Defenders starting 5th July 2021, weeknights at 9PM. Save the world and support Hollywoods Biggest Defenders in their quest against their arch nemesis. IMAGEXX Awards 2021 to attend - REGISTER NOW Movies to get your adrenaline pumping high in your veins and a joyride of a lifetime. From notorious evil to life saving heroes, Hollywoods Biggest Defenders come together in Avengers: Infinity War starring Academy Award winner Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans. Coming with these are some blockbuster titles like the Will Smith starrer Hancock, Thor, White House Down and the popular cult classic Bad Boys. In another great start to the week, raise your fists in excitement as Flix Defenders brings to you 2018s biggest Hollywood blockbuster of the year Venom starring Tom hardy which is one anti-hero you dont want to miss out on. GAMEXX Awards 2021 Early Bird Discount Extended Last Date - Wednesday, June 30, 2021 - ENTER NOW Its time to relax with &flixs most acclaimed movies where Hollywoods Biggest Defenders come together save the world and make you feel heavenly. All this and more with chaotic smashing hits like Black Panther, The Amazing Spiderman, Thor: Ragnarok and many others. Dread it, run from it, Destiny arrives all the same and now its here with &flixs Flix Defenders airing weeknights at 9PM According to reports, Twitter has failed to comply with India's new IT Rules, which could lead to losing its immunity conferred under the Information Technology(IT) Act. The Delhi High Court on Tuesday will be hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking action against Twitter for not complying with the new Information Technology Rules. IMAGEXX Awards 2021 to attend - REGISTER NOW The plea, filed by Amit acharya, has raised complaint that Twitter has not appointed a resident grievance officer. In an affidavit on Monday, Acharya said that he had come across some allegedly defamatory tweets, but when he sought to file a complaint, he could not find contact details of a grievance officer located in India on Twitters website or app. Under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, appointing a resident grievance officer is one of the several norms which social media platforms, including Twitter, have to follow. GAMEXX Awards 2021 Early Bird Discount Extended Last Date - Wednesday, June 30, 2021 - ENTER NOW Federal Department of Finance Bern, 06.07.2021 - From 3 to 6 July 2021, Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer visited Egypt and Qatar, accompanied by a delegation of high-ranking representatives of the Swiss financial centre. The aim of the trip was to hold talks with authorities and institutions to strengthen bilateral relations in the financial sector. In Cairo, Finance Minister Ueli Maurer met with his counterpart, Finance Minister Mohamed Ahmed Maait, and Central Bank Governor Tarek Hassan Amer. The topics discussed included the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the framework conditions for investments, the deepening of bilateral relations and cooperation on various matters in the financial sector. Egypt is Switzerland's most important export market on the African continent and is also a priority country concerning economic development cooperation. In Qatar, Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer and his delegation were received by the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. In addition, Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer met with Finance Minister Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari and Central Bank Governor Sheikh Abdulla Bin Saoud Al Thani. The talks focused on relations in the financial sector and the framework conditions for investments. The ministers also exchanged views on the great potential of digital technologies in the area of sustainable financial services. Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer was accompanied by representatives of the Swiss banking and insurance sectors. Approximately 70 Swiss companies employ around 10,000 people in Egypt. In Qatar, around 30 Swiss companies have a permanent presence with a total of over 1,000 employees. Address for enquiries Communications Federal Department of Finance FDF Tel. +41 58 462 60 33, info@gs-efd.admin.ch Publisher Federal Department of Finance https://www.efd.admin.ch/efd/en/home.html Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Bern, 06.07.2021 - Following the first leg of his visit to the Baltic States in Latvia, today Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, travelled to Estonia where he met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Eva-Maria Liimets and Parliamentary Speaker Juri Ratas. Their talks focused on digitalisation, European policy and Switzerland's candidacy for a seat on the UN Security Council in the period 202324. Mr Cassis also visited the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn. Mr Cassis' visit to Estonia marks two anniversaries: a hundred years since Switzerland recognised Estonia's independence and 30 years since the two countries resumed diplomatic relations following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Mr Cassis and Ms Liimets paid tribute to the excellent bilateral relations between Switzerland and Estonia and affirmed their intention to further develop and deepen relations between their two countries. Mr Cassis and Ms Liimets also discussed the latest developments in European policy, in particular the Federal Council's decision not to conclude the institutional agreement with the EU. Mr Cassis stressed Switzerland's determination to continue to nurture and strengthen its close, multifaceted partnership with the EU and its member states. He also discussed with Ms Liimets Estonia's experience as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 202021 and expressed his appreciation for Switzerland's good cooperation and open dialogue with Estonia. He also briefed Ms Liimets on Switzerland's candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the period 202324. "Switzerland aims to build on its recognised and well-established multilateral profile and contribute in areas where it has valuable expertise", said Cassis. Digital foreign policy Two members of the National Council, Corina Gredig and Lilian Studer, are accompanying Mr Cassis on his trip to the Baltic States. Mr Cassis' visit to Tallinn was primarily focused on the implementation of Switzerland's Digital Foreign Policy Strategy 202124, which is a priority of the Federal Council's foreign policy strategy. This was also the case in the talks with the President of the Parliament, Juri Ratas, and the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Estonian Parliament, Marko Mihkelson. Mr Cassis explained the Federal Council's intention to position International Geneva as a leading centre for global digitalisation and technology debates. "Thanks to its experience in the field of digitalisation, Estonia has a great deal to contribute to these debates," said Cassis. Mr Cassis also visited the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. Cybersecurity is one of four fields of action of Switzerland's digital foreign policy. "Digital technologies offer new opportunities for diplomacy, poverty reduction and the promotion of sustainable development", added Cassis. Mr Cassis also visited the e-Estonia Briefing Centre, where he was briefed on Estonia's experience in e-governance another important field of action of the digital foreign policy strategy and e-health. Double anniversary with Estonia This is the first visit by a Swiss foreign minister to Estonia in seven years. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Switzerland's recognition of Estonia as an independent state. It is also the 30th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Estonia. Mr Cassis' visit on the occasion of the double anniversary signals Switzerland's appreciation and recognition of its excellent relations with Estonia. Mr Cassis will conclude his trip to the Baltic States with a visit to Vilnius, where he will participate in the Ukraine Reform Conference and hold bilateral talks with Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis and other foreign ministers. Address for enquiries FDFA Communication Federal Palace West Wing CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53 Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55 E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch Twitter: @SwissMFA Publisher Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html There are many sayings my father had when it came to farming not all fit for publication in a family newspaper. But one I remember well was OPINION As we headed into the holiday weekend many families were firing up the grill and celebrating with burgers and steaks cooked to sizzli SPRINGFIELD, Ill. When two energetic Illinois Stewardship Alliance staff members wanted to whet the appetites of their farmer and eater members about farm policy, they cooked up Whats Cooking at the Capitol a blog combining lively discussion about small farm and food policy and local food and recipes. Whether the issues concern cottage food laws, nutrient loss, soil health or climate change, they find local foods and producers to illustrate the topic. The majority of our eater members might not want to nerd out on policy issues as much as we do, said Liz Rupel, a policy organizer for the Alliance. We want to make the information fun and digestible. She and Molly Gleason, the Alliances communication director, found a way of combining bite-size information with recipes. They feature local products in their Whats Cooking at the Capitol blog posts. This week, taking on a July 4 theme, they sourced local ingredients for the Alliance Burger: Red, White and Beef. They bought their local beef from Shaun and Kim Tyson, first-generation farmers specializing in grass-fed, grain-finished beef. The Tysons started Fifty Four Farms in 2015 in Chestnut, in Logan County, Illinois. Gleason is dressing up the burger with Strawberry BBQ Sauce featuring strawberry jam from Natural Artistry in Sherman in Sangamon County. This business benefited from the change in cottage laws which allow them more marketing opportunities for their products, Gleason said. The butter lettuce is from Fox Path Farm of Mt. Pulaski. The melty white cheddar cheese for the burger comes from Ropp Jersey Cheese in Normal, Illinois. And, the homemade buns feature flour from Janies Mill in Ashkum, Illinois. A new tool is helping producers, crop consultants, and others find out what the real moisture level in the soil is. Crop Condition and Soil Moisture Analytics (Crop-CASMA) uses high-resolution data captured from a pair of satellites NASAs Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, which is an optical sensor on board another satellite. The new Crop-CASMA application will provide very useful information to help farmers make informed decisions, said Zhengwei Yang, researcher at USDAs National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Farmers can check out moisture levels ahead of making decisions, such as irrigation scheduling. The soil moisture data and vegetation condition data will help farmers determine if the soil condition is dry enough for equipment to operate in the field, to track the risk of the drought, determine irrigation needs, conduct water resource management and support market decisions, Yang said. Yang explained the soil moisture is collected two to three days ahead of when the map comes out. While it is updated daily, there is a delay between when the data was collected and when the map appears on the website. The data served on Crop-CASMA is not real-time, but farmers can tell when the soil moisture data was measured from the time stamp on the map, Yang said. Frayne Olson, NDSU crop economist and marketing specialist, said the CASMA tools satellite imagery has been cross-validated with actual soil tests. Desert Vista will begin its search for a new baseball coach after the school decided to part https://www.aish.com/jw/s/Rabbi-Stabbed-in-Boston.html Rabbi Shlomo Noginski was stabbed outside a Jewish summer camp filled with children. On Thursday, July 2, Rabbi Shlomo Noginski, a father of 12, fought off an armed anti-Semitic attacker who was approaching the Jewish summer camp in Boston where Rabbi Noginsky worked. Stabbed eight times, Rabbi Noginski says it's a miracle that he survived. This shocking attack has received relatively little attention. Its hard to imagine a life-threatening attack on another faith leader in front of a busy summer camp being so little noted. We have close to one hundred campers and around thirty-plus counselors, administrative and kitchen staff, explained Mrs. Sara Rodkin, the co-director of Shaloh House, a neighborhood Jewish organization affiliated with the Chabad-Lubavitch community, in a recent conversation with Aish.com. Shaloh House provides Jewish services in Bostons Brighton neighborhood and runs a school and a popular summer camp. At the time of the attack, the camp was filled with children as young as three years old. Last Thursday, the campers had just finished lunch. Rabbi Shlomo Noginski, a Russian-born Israeli who spent much of his life in Israel, stepped outside to take a phone call. As he sat on a staircase outside of the building, a 24-year-old local resident named Khaled Awad approached Rabbi Noginski. Awad has a long history of anti-Jewish behavior. Awad attacked his former Jewish roommate at the University of Southern Florida, where he studied chemical engineering. Another former roommate said Awad was antisemitic and showed a propensity for violence. I wanted nothing to do with the guy... I was a little scared of him. I realized he was a very dark person. Boston Rabbi Shlomo Noginski being treated by Boston police shortly after being stabbed outside a Synagogue Awad approached Rabbi Noginski and brandished a gun. He demanded that Rabbi Noginski take him to his car. The rabbi led Awad to his car which was parked in Shaloh Houses parking lot nearby. Awad ordered Rabbi Noginski to get in the car and close the door. Realizing that this was no ordinary robbery and that he was in grave danger, Rabbi Noginski fought back, defending himself against the younger man. Rabbi Noginski ran to the park across the street from the school and screamed. Awad dropped his gun and ran after the rabbi with a knife and stabbed him eight times. He didnt come for a robbery, he came to kill, Rabbi Noginski later explained. "Unequivocally, it was an antisemitic incident. Rabbi Noginski noted that Awad seemed to be trying to aim for his heart, stabbing him repeatedly in the upper torso area. Terrified Children Inside the Building My son Dov Ber was inside the building, recalled Dr. Daniel Aldrich, in an Aish.com interview. Dov Ber, 11, was playing chess after eating lunch. When Rabbi Noginski was attacked, the entire building went into lockdown. Counsellors rushed all the kids into the gym, he describes. The children thought Rabbi Noginski had been killed, Dr. Aldrich explains. Within minutes of the assault, Dr. Aldrich got a text message that an attack was unfolding and ran to the school. A professor of Political Science, Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University in Boston, and the Director of their Security and Resilience Studies Program, urban terror attacks are something that Dr. Aldrich researches and teaches about. Now it was happening in his own neighborhood, and his own precious child was a target. When he reached Shaloh House, he saw that the area was already filled with police officers and even some reporters. I tried to get inside, he recalls. The police told me no children were hurt. Relief flooded through him that the children, at least, were safe. Thursday's attack wasnt the first time Rabbi Noginski was attacked because he was Jewish. When he was ten years old in Russia, some local boys beat him up very badly. After that, Rabbi Noginskis mother insisted he take classes in self defense. Eventually, Rabbi Noginski became a black belt in Judo. Investigation: A Hate Crime In the aftermath of Rabbi Noginskis attack, Suffolk Countys District Attorney Rachel Rollins launched a civil rights investigation into the assault. DA Rollins attended a large vigil the day after the stabbing, where she addressed the sizable crowd. Its important that we recognize with respect to the Jewish community that not only globally, but locally, they are being terrorized and hate crime is on the rise, she explained. Acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey also attended the vigil and acknowledged the local Jewish communitys fears. This is Fourth of July weekend, the weekend that we celebrate independence in America, the weekend that we celebrate freedom, she noted. We all deserve the opportunity to live freely. And certainly that is true of our Jewish brothers and sisters. Rabbi Chananel Weiner, Director of Aish Campus Boston, lives in the area and notes there have been some antisemitic incidents. There have been some events: yelling, people being accosted. Rabbi Weiner noted that the morning of our conversation a person stood outside Rabbi Weiners house yelling slurs against Jews and Black people. Rabbi Weiner called the police. Yet the viciousness of the attack on Rabbi Noginski shocked him. You dont expect a rabbi to be on the steps of his school and be attacked with a gun and a knife. He notes that many people in the area believe the attack has many hallmarks of a hate crime. A Righteous Person A year and a half ago, the Noginskis and their twelve children moved to Boston so that Rabbi Noginski could teach at Shaloh House. Almost every day he was teaching Torah, Mrs. Rodkin explains. Hes a very special person whos always ready to help. Even though hes a black belt in Judo, Rabbi Noginski insists that his martial arts training wasnt what saved him. He credits his trust in God. By Shabbat, July 3, just two days after the attack, Rabbi Noginski was already back home, though hes still taking antibiotics and pain medication and has stitches. He managed to walk to synagogue on Saturday morning, with the help of his older children, where he addressed the congregation. Every person in this world has a mission, and it was my mission in this moment to be there and to protect children, he explained. After the attack on his life, Rabbi Noginski had advice for his 12 children, who range in age from one to 20. Instead of being afraid to look obviously Jewish, they should to continue our obvious Jewish pride. He told them to keep wearing their kippahs and other signs of being Jewish. We should be very proud that we are Jewish and not be scaredThe best way to push away darkness is by increasing the light through engaging in Jewish actions. Rabbi Chananel Weiner notes that the most effective Jewish answer to those who would harm us is to double down on our Judaism, reminding ourselves to be the best possible, proudest Jews we can possibly be. May Rabbi Noginski, Shlomo ben Zlata Miriam, have a complete healing. The storming of the US Capitol by pro-Trump protesters to disrupt the electoral college vote count to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory has sparked interest and coverage by media outlets across the world. Fewer countries were more interested in the events that took place than Iran. During a speech today, President Hassan Rouhani talked about the chaos in Washington, DC. You saw what happened in the United States; what we saw is how false and fragile Western democracy is and how it does not have a strong foundation, Rouhani said. He added that, despite being able to make progress in other areas in their country, a populist was able to strike such a blow to his own country and our region. Rouhani continued, You see what happens when an unhealthy person comes and acquires power and what problems he creates for his country, and I hope this is a lesson for the next people to occupy the White House. He added, Those who in two weeks will have power in the White House must return America, which is a great nation, to its rightful place. According to Rouhani, the United States should return to reason and lawfulness when it comes to international issues, adding that those who are semi-literate or are pursuing the interests of their family should be removed from administrative positions at the heads of institutions in the country. When President Donald Trump took office, he vowed to exit the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan Action, which was signed under President Barack Obama. In 2018, Trump reapplied economic sanctions on Iran, severely limiting their ability to sell their oil and conduct financial transactions with countries in Europe and Asia. Trump argued that he wanted a better deal while Iran maintained their position that the JCPOA, which was signed between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany, was an international agreement and was not renegotiable. The economic pressure took a large toll on Iran, and tensions between the two countries reached a peak when Trump ordered the assassination of Quds Force commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani. Iran retaliated with launching missiles at a US base in Iraq. While the United States continued to add more sanctions on Iran, Tehran continued to take steps away from the nuclear deal. Most recently, Iran announced that it has begun enriching uranium to 20% at its Fordow fuel enrichment plant. Under the JCPOA, Irans enrichment level remained below 5% and no enrichment at Fordow would take place for another decade. Irans announcement of 20% was in line with the countrys parliament bill called Strategic Action to Remove Sanctions. Iran has clarified on numerous occasions that all the steps away from the nuclear deal are reversible, and if Biden reenters the JCPOA, Iran will reverse their nuclear steps. Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesperson for Irans Atomic Energy Organization, said today that Iran is even capable of enriching at 90% if it desires to do so. NEW ORLEANS (AP) Efforts to mitigate COVID-19 at large New Orleans events including mask mandates or requirements attendees be vaccinated or have a negative test will likely continue into the fall because of low state vaccination rates and the spread of dangerous variants, the city's h Daily the Marxists/Leftists/Communists among us infiltrate every aspect of our society. Consequently, "the individual shrinks in proportion as the state grows" yet the Left continues to work towards an alleged utopia even though "this 'ideal society' would be the graveyard of human greatness." Biden and Harris speak as if "confused ideas and muddy ponds appear deep" when, in fact, they are empty rhetoric. As Nicolas Gomez Davila pointed out "stupidity is the mother of revolutionary atrocities; savageness is only the godmother" and "the greatest modern error is not to proclaim that God died, but to believe that the devil has died." The true sadness is that "violence is not necessary to destroy a civilization. Each civilization dies from indifference toward the unique values which created it." Hence, literature, history, statues, children's books, humor, film, art, and music are now under attack by those whose only aim is the total evisceration of America and her exceptional values. Consequently, in the lunacy of wokeness, how long will it be before Winslow Homer's images of blacks during the Civil War and Reconstruction years come under attack? After all, Winslow Homer was a white man who dared to paint black figures during this tumultuous time period. According to the exhibition text titled Winslow Homer's Images of Blacks: The Civil War and Reconstruction Years by Peter H. Wood and Karen C.C. Dalton, "[W]hen Winslow Homer displayed 'The Bright Side in New York City' in April 1865 -- only days after Lee's surrender and Lincoln's death -- black persons were still not allowed to enter the galleries of the National Academy of Design." Clearly this was racism in full bloom and it would be a "full century before art depicting black people would appear on the walls of museums." Yet, Winslow Homer's paintings of black America during this period "stood apart from the 'average artist's minstrel-show conception' of black people." Although Homer called them his "darkey pictures" -- clearly offensive to modern ears, by "placing black children in the role of pupil and/or initiate, the artist was making allusions to the remedial training (both personal and political growth)" that was incumbent upon this new generation of emancipated black people. Homer's black imagery introduced the changing attitude of America towards its black citizens. In essence, art served as the nonverbal patina of how a society evolves. But fast forward to woke America -- who will be the first Marxist-trained individual to claim that a white man has no right to paint black figures? Who among the communist agitators will claim that the paintings of Homer, a reclusive New Englander, need be removed from art museums because a young white man born in 1836 could not possibly have any sensitivity to the issue of black servitude and discrimination in this country? After all, the level of melanin one is born with is now the only gauge by which one is deemed a racist. As a matter of fact, Critical Race Art History is currently taking center stage. Camara Dia Holloway states that "Critical Race Art History (CRAH) draws on the insights of social, feminist, and queer histories of art [as well as] critical race theory, postcolonial theory, and African diaspora studies. that gained traction in the 1980s and 1990s building on the scholarship of Derrick Bell and others." It should be noted that "the late Derrick Albert Bell, Jr. is considered... the godfather, of 'critical race theory,' an academic discipline which maintains that society is divided along racial lines into (white) oppressors and (black) victims, similar to the way Marxism frames the oppressor/victim dichotomy along class lines. Critical race theory contends that America is permanently racist to its core [.]" But art is not the only discipline under attack from those who see everything through the lens of race. In the December 2020 First Things article titled "Colorblind and Tone-Deaf," author Bruno Chaouat writes how in November 2019, Hunter College professor Philip Ewell, "alleged the existence of elitism, color blindness, Eurocentrism, racism, and xenophobia in the field of music theory in North America. Ewell's main target was Heinrich Schenker, an Austrian Jewish music theorist of the early 20th century who founded a school of classical music theory. Ewell objected to the 'white racial frame' that dominates Schenkerian music theory." According to Ewell "if racism is a structure, then the 'white racial frame' -- classical music in its European incarnation -- must be destroyed." Instead, Ewell suggests that the "study of rap in music theory will result in promoting social justice by fostering awareness of racism." As is so often the case with leftist thinking, the fact that rap lyrics are often violently anti-Semitic and sexist is ignored. But since Jews are now construed as part of the power structure -- as white -- this means nothing to the Critical Race Theory proponents and those who crow about their anti-racist credentials. In "Promoting Equity: Developing an Antiracist music theory classroom" Dave Molk and Michelle Ohnona write that 'Teaching Inequality: Problems with Traditional Music Theory Pedagogy' described how the near exclusive and yet unnecessary reliance on Western art music, institutionalized as white and as male, upholds white supremacy within the music theory classroom. In 'Promoting Equity,' we present strategies on how to begin disrupting [emphasis mine] this normalization of whiteness, starting with making it visible. We should think of this disruption as a process rather than a product -- antiracist describes actions, not states of being. And with perfect activist virtue signaling, Dave Molk continues: As a white man, speaking of whiteness in the effort to de-center it runs the seemingly paradoxical risk of re-centering whiteness. Even in the midst of calling out unearned privilege, I reap its benefits -- the presumed authority associated with this aspect of my identity ensures that my voice sounds louder and carries further than the majority of those who do not share it. And yet, the problem of not speaking up is a form of complicity in the face of ongoing oppression. Calling attention to an injustice forces a decision from those who practice willful ignorance: a decision between confrontation and conscious evasion. As whiteness becomes noticeable, it becomes noteworthy, and we can recognize its ubiquity as unnatural and intentional. How would they explain their perspective to the many black composers whose compositional foundation was in the world of classical music, e.g., Jose Silvestre White, Florence B. White? Chaouat writes that it should be remembered that "the barbarity of the [Nazi] SS system was characterized by the destruction of culture and by a language that had lost its syntax, a language of chaos and noise and bestial immediacy. Restoring civilization meant, among other things, retrieving language as a mediated form of communication." In reality, Both identity and politics have played major roles in musical expression throughout history, but 'identity politics' in the music theory field today is not about revealing how they are communicated in the music. Instead, it has become a belief that there is a fixed amount of intellectual space in the music theory world, and that fixed space has too many white males in it. It is a belief that the only way to achieve equity in music theory is to silence not just 'problematic' voices but to diminish entire 'problematic' modes of thinking. This is a false and immoral belief. There should not be any limit to the ideas we can explore, nor should there be any arbiters suppressing them. With calls like these, however, leftists once again reveal they do want limits on ideas, and they do want suppression of the 'problematic' ones. That is because they enjoy being the suppressors. When juxtaposed against the wanton ravaging of artistic creations, i.e., statues, and the increasing meaningless of language, it becomes crystal clear that those who destroy the cultural icons care not a whit for the sensitivities and nuances of historical evolution and artistic creativity. They should be called out in every venue and exposed for their disingenuousness and their malevolence. Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com Image: Winslow Homer To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Although this journal is called the American Thinker it can be useful to hear the observations of a non-American thinker on what appear to be bewildering and growing problems in America. Public safety is perhaps the pre-eminent responsibility of government. If a government cannot protect its citizens against criminal members of its society, or even against the unlawful behavior of government itself, that nation no longer deserves to call itself a functioning democracy. Has the United States reached that point? The Constitution, which is the primary document of the United States government, begins, We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare.... These provisions are the basic tenets of the need to maintain civil order and public safety in a nation in harmony with itself. It means providing law and order, protection, and safety for each lawful individual citizen. The Founders wrote the Constitution that way because it was known that there will be people, or even tyrants, who do not respect their fellow citizens and who are willing to take the law into their own hands. This is especially true if the government fails to provide mechanisms to police against crime and punish it when it occurs. The outcome of defunding or dismantling law enforcement must, inevitably, lead to a sharp increase in lawlessness and violence. In those parts of America that have aggressively defunded or dismantled their law enforcement, areas that are almost exclusively Democrat-governed states and cities, the social fabric has indeed broken down. Public safety is too important to be used as a political tool; or as a political excuse to change society with one political party imposing biased policies over its citizens; or as a weapon for the ruling political party to enforce oppressive policies over a population. This is true even if that breakdown in safety is delivered under the guise of benefiting some or all of the population. If the governments general misrule, deliberate acts, or incompetence, puts citizens at risk and puts beyond their reach the freedoms and liberty necessary for them to thrive, the inevitable outcome will be that some segment of society becomes lawless. Democrats try to deflect by pointing to root causes. Currently, they say that police and guns are the root causes of violence. Yet those states with active police forces and readily available access to legal guns are not the states in which street violence is rampant. Democrat mayors have allowed the mob to occupy sections of their cities in what the media call autonomous zones. We have seen mayors order their police to stand down and vacate areas leaving lawful citizens abandoned, held hostage at the mercy of lawless gangs. Chicago mayor, Lori Lightfoot, is perhaps the most incompetent mayor in the country, although she gets vigorous competition from New Yorks De Blasio, Los Angeless Garcetti, Seattles Durkan, or Portlands Wheeler. Rather than examining her own conduct, Lightfoot has blamed everything and everyone for her utter failure to counter the horrendous rise in murders in her city. Following a brutal weekend of murders and shootings in June 2021, Lightfoot called for the court system to act. This is the same system she used COVID to justify closing. That closure meant dangerous criminals were not brought to court to face charges and, as the prisons were deemed COVID traps, were not even kept locked up pending trial. Lightfoot also demonized law enforcement, even calling police racist. Of course, the problem extends beyond mayors who are incompetent ideologues. Democrats in Chicago and other Democrat-run cities also make the vacuous argument that social workers and psychologists should replace the police. This ignores the obvious point that violent crimes happen in an instant. Who do you call as criminals are breaking down your door to rob or rape you, or as a violent crime or terror attack is occurring? In my country, it is certainly not a social worker or a shrink. The real root cause of violent crime in America is that local and national governments are unable to manage their communities correctly. The root cause is talentless people and deliberate policies. In America, in Democrat states and cities, progressive prosecutors actively protect and encourage violent criminals when they refuse to prosecute offenders, forcing a catch and release policy. People arrested for brutal violence and destruction against both private and federal property are being freed from jail without bail, and often proceed to commit the same or worse crimes. These liberal prosecutors act more like defenders of criminals than defenders of public safety. In such an environment, lawful citizens find no protection from the law. These are examples of an outlaw public policy that fails the basic tenet of proving public safety for lawful citizens. It is an abject, or deliberate, breakdown of society and the architects seem to be doing it deliberately. Its deliberate when TV pundits say, Show me where it says that protests are supposed to be polite and peaceful, as they Chris Cuomo did (and others echoed) as BLM and Antifa tore cities apart in 2020 only to reverse themselves on January 6 when protesters entered Congress, the Peoples Building, to protest. The media instantly called them armed insurrectionists. You know there is a double game at play when the only fatality was an unarmed female shot in the neck whom an official assailant, whose identity the authorities are protecting and who faces no charges for murder. Imagine if the authorities had done this with the officer responsible for the death of George Floyd. The blatant hypocrisy points to something very troubling. And, going back to events on January 6 and after, since when is it just in a constitutional, free society to perform dawn raids on hundreds of political opponents and keep them locked in solitary confinement without trial for six months and counting? The law books should be reopened and the criminal code reread. It tells that you cannot injure or kill someone without the case being brought to a public court for impartial justice. It tells the authorities that they cannot grab people from their homes and keep them in jail for prolonged periods without justifying their arrest. Public accountability is an integral part of public safety and security. The true test of a free nation is this: Can a nation survive that encourages lawlessness? Can a constitutional democratic republic survive if the forces of law act malevolently against political opponents but not against those who murder political opponents? It shouldnt only be Ashli Babbitts family or the hundreds of people incarcerated for six months without trial or charge who ask these questions. Instead, every American should ask them. Barry Shaw is the Senior Associate at the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a dangerous ideology that eats away at Americas foundations. However, the attention its received recently provides an enormous opportunity for those Americans who have long been sounding the alarm about this formerly insidious, but now outright pernicious, movement. I am one of those Americans. Im also the father of children in a school district infected by CRT. The district in question is Brevard Public Schools (BPS), in Brevard County, Florida. Brevard is a seemingly unlikely place to find CRT. Known as Floridas Space Coast, Brevard is the home of NASA and Patrick Space Force Base. Its a primarily red county that heavily favored Trump in the 2020 election. Many in Brevard consider themselves patriots, dedicated to the American ideals of individual liberty and equality for all. Yet CRT was still Trojan-horsed into BPS, in the form of BPSs new Diversity and Equity (DE) program, created over the summer and fall of 2020, in the name of closing racial disparities in students educational outcomes. Theres much debate about CRTs proper definition. I feel the most apt definition focuses on CRT as a movement of activists using racism to achieve power an idea I came to from CRT proponents own words. More on this shortly. One of Brevards state representatives, Randy Fine, held a press conference on June 25, 2021, to bring attention to CRT in BPS. At Fines side was the parental rights organization Moms For Liberty (M4L), as well as former BPS employee Anna Ryan. M4L reached out to Fine after collecting emails, documents, and receipts related to CRTs existence in BPS, all obtained via public records requests. M4L presented its findings at the press conference, including leaked screenshots from CRT-fueled BPS employee training sessions. (All these documents can be found here). Some of the findings focused on the racist rantings of Mathew Kincaid, who founded Overcoming Racism, the organization that BPS hired to conduct CRT-based training for staff (see here, under Training). A simple, mere minutes-long internet search would have revealed a multitude of Kincaids racist social media posts, like the following: White America has a deep and thick appetite for black death and violence upon black people. White America dines on structural and physical violence in our schools, the deaths of black babies and mothers in our healthcare system, the imprisonment of black bodies in our carceral state, the erasure of black voices in our political systems until they are full. You would think after centuries of consuming the richness of our blood, they would have developed the ability to stomach black dissent So unless that system is completely stripped to its core and built anew, we will be permanently marked for destruction, physically, mentally, emotionally, and structurally. Kincaids training for BPS directly cited CRT, as well as prominent CRT leaders such as Ibram X. Kendi. For his part, Kendi publicly advocates racial discrimination. Receipts show BPS paid Kincaids organization $13,500 for just his first training program. Fine noted the destructive absurdity of spending thousands of dollars on racist training -- and $200,000 on the DE program itself -- while BPS was facing a multi-million budget gap, and as student performances in core curriculum subjects were plummeting. At the press conference, Fine and M4L presented emails in which BPSs head of secondary education called a beachside high school privileged, and therefore, far more racist than other schools. Fine also played audio of the DE program director repeating the central claims of CRT, that systemic racism and unconscious bias are pervasive and all-defining. The DE director even admitted she holds biases towards others. It would behoove her employer, BPS, and the parents of students in BPS, to know toward whom the BPS DE director is biased. Importantly, the DE director has stated that the DE program is designed to expand its ongoing commitment to antiracism. Like all Social Justice parlance, antiracism means the opposite: racism. Former BPS community education coordinator Anna Ryan also delivered powerful testimony. Ryan resigned from BPS in April 2021, after being reprimanded for requesting an exemption from CRT-based employee training that she described as programming and brainwashing sessions. Ryan noted that, after pointing out to her direct supervisor the trainings linkages to CRT and Marxism, she was told BPS had to obfuscate the linkages to create sufficient buy-in from BPS employees. Ryan described her experience as demoralizing. She noted that the way BPS treated her amounted to a violation of my civil rights and an assault on the very principles this country was founded on. This brings us to the goal of CRT. We shall know CRT by its fruit: division and destruction. The most immediate evidence is the very fact that youre reading this article, prompted by the very fact that Brevard County is divided and facing destruction. CRT-fueled groups like Black Lives Matter (BLM) are not shy about their goals, one of which is to disrupt the Western-proscribed nuclear family meaning, families like mine. But we shall also know the goal of CRT by how its leading proponents identify it. Richard Delgado and Jean Stefanic, two of CRTs most prominent architects, say it best. In their 2001 book Critical Race Theory: An Introduction, Delgado and Stefanic describe CRT as a movement of necessarily political activists bent on using the means of race and racism in the education system, for the ends of power, to change and transform the United States of America, recognized as the greatest manifestation of the Western liberal order, founded on individual liberty, equality before the law, free speech, and private property. Take it from Delgado and Stefanic themselves. Let every word sink in, good and hard. Many school districts are denying that CRT exists in their schools. Following Fines press conference, BPS did so, making the strawman argument that CRT is not in the curriculum, something Fine and M4L never asserted. Rather, Fine and M4L proved that BPS was using CRT in teacher and administration training to craft the greater culture of BPS. Delgado and Stefanic would most likely agree that defining and dictating the culture is sufficient for CRTs ends. On this point, Fine delivered an appropriate analogy: Hitler didnt create the Hitler Youth directly. He brainwashed the parents. He brainwashed the adults first, and they created the Hitler Youth. The way that you indoctrinate our children is by indoctrinating those who teach our children. Fine is correct. Beyond the fact that, whether you know it or not, you are under vicious, withering assault if you represent and uphold the ideal of the Western-proscribed nuclear family, the greatest lesson to pull from all of this is, that we can never be too vocal or radical about peacefully advocating for the liberal order that CRT is hell-bent on destroying. Meaning, theres never too much passionate advocacy for Americas founding ideals, including individual liberty, equality before the law, free speech, and private property. These are the only tried-and-true mechanisms that can, at the very least, provide the greatest opportunity for all people to pursue peace, prosperity, happiness, and true community. Moreover, all the facts are there to wage this battle. While CRT practitioners will deny direct accusations, their writings provide irrefutable proof of their destructive, Marxists goals. Its not too late. If you havent already, start now. (Full disclosure: I have volunteered to conduct research for M4L in the past, though I played no role in the press conference.) IMAGE: Randy Fine and Moms for Liberty press conference. Screen grab. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. After the election of Donald Trump, a friend of the family mentioned that she and her daughters were attending the Women's March on Washington held on the first full day of the Trump administration. I wondered if they were recreating a Woodstock-we-were-there moment and what might be their takeaway. The Women's March, foreshadowing so much of today's crass and chaotic protesting, was basically Woodstock's Country Joe and the Fish cheer let me hear you say, F---! without the historic performances of Jimi Hendrix and The Who. Woodstock idealism in the end was just grand romance, a chance to ignore rules, take your clothes off, and get high while listening to great music. Years later, a gallery owner with whom I did business moaned that he had thought the '60s actually represented a breakthrough, a cusp beyond which the zeitgeist of peace, love, and understanding would launch Utopia. That kind of naivete shocked me because he talked about art intelligently, yet he seemed completely confused that his '60s idealism hadn't panned out. Later on, that same naivete jumped out of an L.A. Times article on the Women's March. An attendee offered this pronouncement. "I'm not going to sit back and in 20 years have my grandchildren say, why didn't I do something?" said Anna Vastano, 57. The retired social worker expects "a revival of the '60s" to unfold these next four years and she and her daughter, an aspiring lawyer, plan to be part of it. My gallery-owner friend and Ms. Vastano made the mistake most idealists make by conflating idealism with thoughtful methods and noble ends. In actuality, idealism almost always gives way to cynicism because idealism rarely delivers. Thoughtful and noble like Obama's Hope and Change are really people's nostalgic projections that give cover to activists who take advantage of the average American's basic decency in wanting to right wrongs. The real harm in idealism is the power to transform the sacred into the profane. As a result of the idealistic plagues of the last year and a half, people are cowed and thus loathe to stand up for the sacred because to do so is to call into question the left's new idealism. In this diabolical postmodern alchemy, the New Idealism has profaned the divine nature of biological sex in promoting sex "reassignment" for children too young to understand what's taking place. profaned Martin Luther King's legacy as BET network billionaire founder Robert Johnson called for thirteen trillion in reparations with some going to himself, LeBron James, and Oprah Winfrey. Profaned American Olympic greatness by legitimizing hammer-thrower Gwen Berry, who turned her back on the flag and the National Anthem at the medal podium and now childishly claims, regarding the timing of the anthem, "I feel like it was a set-up, and they did it on purpose." Can we say "backtracking"? In the face of this sordid bandwagon idealism, America needs a National Day of Shuddering to think about what comes next. Spruce Fontaine is an artist and retired college art instructor. Image: Marco Verch Professional Photographer. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. As Kamala Harris sinks into the sludge of her own incompetence, Breitbart News has noticed an interesting coincidence rolling around in the press. The establishment media additionally wrote Friday, "2024 is the elephant in the room. While Biden aides overwhelmingly believe he'll be the Democratic nominee, they also know he'd be 81 when seeking re-election." But "many Democrats, including some current senior administration officials, are concerned she [Harris] could not defeat whomever the Republican Party puts up even if it were Donald Trump." Enter stage right Transportation Secretary Buttigieg, who, as previous mayor of South Bend, was unable to fix the city's potholes; a pizza company in 2019 had to repair them for Mayor Pete. But while the establishment media largely ignored that story, they published a profile piece June 8 about Buttigieg that plotted his path to the presidency that would involve him replacing incumbent President Joe Biden. That's in addition to the glowing press coverage Jill "Mrs. Wilson" Biden has received from establishment organs such as Vogue, calling her a "goddess." Jill serves as Biden's caretaker and guardian in the latter's dotage. There's been considerable speculation that she's the one behind the media hits on Kamala up until now. But the Buttigieg angle is a good one, too. To start, Breitbart found an item dating from March from a senior Yahoo! News correspondent discussing Buttigieg being busy "boosting his own brand" as a Biden successor and mapping a path to the presidency from it. An early outline of the [proposed Biden infrastructure] plan, published on Monday by the New York Times, has the Biden administration spending $3 trillion on everything from rural Internet to green housing. Few other details are available, in particular how Biden will find the requisite congressional support, and funding, for the plan. But the fight over infrastructure is coming, and Buttigieg will be in the middle of the scrum. First and foremost, he'll be the administration's salesman, making the case to Republican governors and mayors that supporting the infrastructure plan will be in their best interests. He has also pledged to turn the Transportation Department into an unlikely crucible of progressive policy, vowing when he first came to Washington that the agency would "rise to the climate challenge." He has also promised to apply an "equity lens" to infrastructure projects. "Black and brown neighborhoods have been disproportionately divided by highway projects or left isolated by the lack of adequate transit and transportation resources," Buttigieg tweeted in December. "In the Biden-Harris administration, we will make righting these wrongs an imperative." National infrastructure, racial equity and climate change are an ambitious portfolio for the young secretary. They also sound like the sturdy pillars of a Democratic presidential campaign, something Buttigieg won't talk about but that is not lost on his former staffers. It speaks of his many mainstream media appearances, but curiously, his refusal to speak to Yahoo!, whose reporter may just have his number. Yet it's also possible that he spoke to him off the record. Quite importantly, he's compared favorably to blundering Kamala in that Yahoo! piece: In media appearances, Buttigieg comes off as studied but not scripted. He is the ultimate prepared student, confident as he heads into the exam room. And that makes the Biden administration confident that it can send him forth from Washington without much anxiety. Given the moment's tense political environment, such anxiety is not unwarranted. When Vice President Kamala Harris made an innocent slip of the tongue last month in an interview with a West Virginia station, referring to "abandoned land mines" instead of "abandoned mine lands," a politically unhelpful feud with Sen. Joe Manchin followed. With Joe Biden increasingly senile, it's pretty obvious there's a lot of jockeying for his office among the sentient, with backbiting and back-stabbing and all the other Machiavellian- or Jacobean-style power struggles of secretive environments among elites. As Joe goes downhill, there will be a lot more. The Buttigieg sabotage, though, is more interesting than it looks. First, note that the man Buttigieg calls his husband and Kamala's husband have reportedly become the best of buddies. They've "bonded." They text emojis to each other. According to Insider, which has a timeline of it: Doug Emhoff and Chasten Buttigieg bonded on the campaign trail as spouses [sic] of presidential candidates. They texted each other during primary debates, consoled each other when Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg withdrew from the race, and continue to support each other's roles in President Biden's administration. CNN reporter DJ Judd called them "2020's most unexpected friendship." They palled around together three weeks ago at the G-7. It's just so...touching. What's more, Frank Bruni at the New York Times in 2019 wrote that the pair were made for each other, a "dream" ticket, as he put it, given then-candidate Joe's senility. The big question going into Thursday night's debate was whether Joe Biden would stumble. That turned out to be the wrong one. The right question was whether he had ample vigor in his stride. And the answer came in watching Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg two of the event's standout performers run articulate and impassioned circles around him. So if all this is true, it might just now have degenerated into stabs in the back if what Breitbart reports is correct. Team Buttigieg, which is highly ambitious, is now seeking to sideline Kamala. Look how gross it's gotten now in terms of leaks, according to Breitbart: "It's a whisper campaign designed to sabotage her," Biden's senior adviser Cedric Richmond said, admitting Friday to the Hill the infighting is real. Axios reported Friday Harris's aides are panicked that she is "fucking up" and perhaps "shouldn't be the heir apparent" for 2024's presidential race because she "could not defeat whomever the Republican Party puts up." On Wednesday, a White House staffer told Politico Harris's aides "are thrown under the bus from the very top, there are short fuses and it's an abusive environment." "It's not a healthy environment and people often feel mistreated. It's not a place where people feel supported but a place where people feel treated like s," one aide said. Other White House aides told Axios Harris's office is a "s---show" with "poorly-managed ... people who don't have long-term relationships with her," an overall "operation sometimes visibly out of sync with Biden's." That must be some friendship gone sour if Emhoff and Buttigieg's companion are publicly friends, but Buttigieg is secretly leaking bad things about Kamala to the press in what's called by another Yahoo! reporter "a gusher of leaks." There is the possibility that the pair are working together to discredit Kamala and boost Buttigieg, but as of now, that's improbable. More likely, Buttigieg's companion, named Chasten, is on the team seeking to knock out Kamala, using what he's learned from his friendship with Emhoff as captured weapons. And heck, maybe Jill is working in tandem. Get a load of this picture from a June 2021 story that ran in Insider about the trio: "She leapt out of her chair and gave me a hug and said hello and welcomed me into the arena, and it was very nice," he said. "And [Kamala Harris' husband] Doug [Emhoff] was seated next to her and he stood up and shook my hand and said it was nice to meet me, and I just remember thinking, 'Wow, that is not how I thought this was going to go at all.'" If so, it demonstrates what a lovely bunch these Democrats are in their power games now that everyone knows that Joe is senile. And with Kamala being a congenital phony as well as the entitled heir apparent, she's a bigger target than most. Harris is not without resources herself, though, and has been suspected of leaking disgusting things to the press about her rivals. In June 2020, I wrote this about her stealthy campaign for the vice presidency: She's been showing up at every press opportunity to smile and look occupied with legislation popular uncontroversial measures, such as making Juneteenth a holiday. She's also been out there denouncing cops and blaming Trump. In addition, she's had what looks like some heavy-duty plastic surgery in a bid to look better on camera. Nothing to see here, move along, la di da... But behind the phony smiles and demurs, she's campaigning like crazy to undercut her potential black-woman rivals, planting negative stories about them in the press about them to keep Biden from picking them. Call it a campaign to one. The Washington Free Beacon has the full long-knives-out story: Curiously enough, negative stories about Harris's potential rivals for the VP slot have been popping up of late in mainstream media outlets. Imagine that. She's been known to go clothes-shopping with the gushing press, so there's no shortage of Beltway reporters who will serve as conduits for her. As of now, she just seems to lack imagination about how to do it. Or perhaps they've not given her anything good she can leak as they all play kissy-kiss in public. One thing is for sure as Joe continues to go downhill, the power struggles will intensify. While the Trump era was pure Shakespeare, the Jacobean era was its second-rate replacement. Someone ought to update a good Jacobean drama with these Biden-era characters replacing the scripted ones and put on that show. In the meantime, one thing is for sure: we can expect to see these clowns take one another down in various ways through the medium of the press. It would be nice to see if they can start including scandals with law enforcement involvement about one another's corrupt misdoings, but don't hold your breath. The more senile Joe gets, the more the press attacks on various players will continue, as well as the glowing, gushy profiles. It's all part of the Washington power game, and Buttigieg is probably better than most at playing it. Is he the one trying to take Kamala down? Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Act I was selling America on Joe Biden as the sane one, steadfast, statesmanlike, serene, smart. Act II was installing Kamala Harris as the insurance policy, in the event that sleepy Joe would reveal his real profile, dementia Joe, and be the first zombie president. Of course, the Democrat playwrights never got around to scripting an Act III, and instead, they now face the unfolding reality theater, where Joe is disabled but has no replacement. The Dems, stuck on Kamala's race and impressed by her shallow posturing, never accounted for her thorough unsuitability for the V.P. job, let alone ascending to the presidency. During the primaries, Harris enjoyed top-tier billing for only a few months until the actual voting started, then was raked into a brush pile, beset by arrogance, incoherent messaging, incompetence, and an unappealing acidic personality. Photo credit: Mark Warner, CC BY 2.0 license. Kamala Harris as vice president has followed the identical pattern to her campaign. She is largely invisible, but when she does make an appearance, her dreadful campaign and previous political defects are on full display. Unintelligible messaging, zero communication skills, bereft of originality or problem-solving leadership, while her V.P. office organization staff are fighting a brutal civil war, where discord and enmity capture the news headlines on a daily basis. Only aphid-stressed roses and recriminations remain. In five months, Kamala Harris is contending for the worst vice president in history, with few rivals. She will soon be the marquee headliner at The Quayle Vice Presidential Learning Center in Huntington, Indiana, a flea-market emporium of mediocrity, proving that John Nance Garner's quip that "The job of vice president isn't worth a bucket of piss" is both undeniable and enduring. Most VPs were plucked from obscurity and retired to oblivion. Kamala Harris won't break that axiomatic life cycle. The speed by which she has ascended Mt. Nothing is toppling the irrelevancy of Thomas Marshall, Woodrow Wilson's V.P. According to the Miller Center, not even Marshall's own president, Woodrow Wilson, could tolerate his presence. Time magazine says Marshall and Wilson's relationship was "one of functioning animosity." After his first session, Marshall stopped attending Cabinet meetings and sought to find an office where he could smoke and put his feet up on a desk. When Wilson departed for Europe at the end of World War I to meet with the leaders of the Allied powers, he left Marshall in charge of the nation, to which Marshall said he would not be responsible for anything that happened while Wilson was in Europe. Nor was Thomas Marshall himself impressed by the vice presidency. During his inaugural speech, he promised to "acknowledge the insignificant influence of the office" and accept his second-class role "in a good-natured way." As President Woodrow Wilson's number two, he frequently complained about his "nameless, unremembered" duties and once told a bodyguard that his job was pointless because no one ever shoots a vice president. So what are the Democrats to do now? Joe Biden's flaccid and dysfunctional performance is only slightly better than Harris's wretchedness, relying exclusively on revenge, reversing everything Donald Trump accomplished. Joe's legislative roadmap leads nowhere but to the inhospitable wilderness, where Joe is disoriented and Kamala pretends she is not alone in the forest. Kamala is not now and never shall be the answer. The Dems are in a pickle barrel filled with undrinkable vinegary brine; they cannot pump or climb out of the barrel. And inside the barrel, the Dems are tied up in a knot that neither bolt-cutters nor acetylene torches can unravel. In a former life, I was running a not quite break-even industrial business that we inherited. No amount of re-engineering, new product announcements, or cost-cutting could stanch the flow of red ink. My boss, the corporate president, finally remarked, "Geoff, it is obvious you don't know how to get where we need to be, and if we get there, we won't want to be there." That was the classic head-scratcher, yet an apt, albeit tortured, description of a migraine-inducing dilemma that could never be resolved. The Dems are now tied up in a Gordian knot, stuffed into a pickle barrel. How delicious. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Those pesky guns that Lori Lightfoot blames for Chicago's extraordinary murder statistics had a busy holiday weekend in the Windy City. The Chicago Tribune laments: Nearly 90 people have been shot in Chicago since the beginning of the long Independence Day weekend, including two police officers; a 6-year-old girl and her mother; and a group of six people early Monday in the Washington Park neighborhood. In all, at least 89 people have been struck by gunfire since Friday afternoon, 15 of whom died of their injuries, according to police. Nationally, the shooting toll for the weekend was also high. CNN reports: At least 150 people were killed by gun violence in more than 400 shootings across the country during the Fourth of July weekend as major cities nationwide confront a surge in violent crime, according to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive. There are a couple of simple calculations that reveal how much worse things are in Chicago than elsewhere, even though Mayor Lightfoot blames the availability of guns from Indiana for her city's shootings. Chicago's gun control laws are among the most restrictive in the nation. Chicago's population of less than 2.7 million is less than one percent (0.82%) of the nation's population of 328 million. While the final statistics are not in for the nation, Chicago's 90 shootings are 22.5% of the nation's total. However, when you consider the marksmanship the percentage of shootings that are fatal it is clear that Chicago's shooters are way below the national average. With 400 shootings and 150 fatalities nationally, Americans as a group killed 37.5% of their targets. Chicago's shooters killed only 16.9% of their targets, less than half of the national average. My guess is that the discrepancy is based on the large number of drive-by and other multiple-victim shootings in Chicago. It's harder to be accurate when spraying bullets into people standing around on street corners or gathered for parties than for the murderer who targets an individual. If Chicago's shooters ever improve their marksmanship to the national average, the city's death toll will be far worse. For more statistics (and sarcasm) on Chicago's shootings, the go-to site is Heyjackass.com, which includes this helpful map of the city's shootings, showing how concentrated they are in a couple of gang-infested neighborhoods. Source. If this strikes you as unfair, don't worry. There is every sign that trouble is spreading throughout the city, as cwbchicago.com reports: Prosecutors yesterday charged three adults with illegally carrying guns in the Loop during a "large group" incident on Sunday night and early Monday that CPD Supt. David Brown said resulted in at least 60 arrests. A fourth adult was charged with having a gun near Buckingham Fountain, too. But one of the aldermen who represents the downtown area suggested that police found even more guns being carried by juveniles and their court appearances are not open to the public. "A disturbingly high number of those arrests involved a teenager with a gun," Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) told CBS2 on Monday. "We had guns in backpacks. Guns in pockets. A large number of firearms present." "We are really lucky no one was murdered in the Loop," Hopkins said in the report. Mayor Lightfoot's insistence that the availability of guns is the problem is only going to make the problems worse. Hat tip: Peter von Buol. I had a difficult time on Sunday finding reasons to celebrate Independence Day. What did we celebrate? Did we celebrate our independence from England? It's true that England no longer governs this land, but Independence Day was once about something more than that to me. Independence Day was about freedom in general. Not from any particular monarch or government, but from tyranny and oppression. It was about living in a country that valued its citizens' rights and freedom over anything else. If you haven't been paying attention, there's not much of that happening in the United States today. What is freedom? The dictionary says it's the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. There are some folks who were thrown in jail because they attended a rally on January 6 who will tell you we don't have that particular definition of freedom here anymore. That definition must have come from an old dictionary. Our government must use "woke" dictionaries now. Our good government has granted itself so much power that it can imprison any natural citizen of the United States indefinitely without due process and without explanation in the name of national security against domestic terrorism. Would any one of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence approve of a government with that kind of power? I don't require a DeLorean with a flux capacitor to confirm with them, in person, my certainty that none of them would approve of a government with that kind of power. If none of them would approve of the power that our government has accumulated, then what exactly did we celebrate on the 4th of July? The Declaration of Independence was written to oppose and reject a government much like our own current federal government! Let's not forget that. From what I know of Thomas Jefferson, the man who authored the Declaration of Independence, I would wager my life to say that not only would he disapprove of our current government, but he would also insist on dissolving it using any means necessary. He was extremely clear about that much. I am not advocating war, but I do insist that we stop deluding ourselves in pretending we still have the freedom that was once given to us by those 56 men who mutually pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. In case it went unnoticed, we don't even have the freedom to choose our own president anymore. I didn't feel as though I celebrated the birth of our nation yesterday. I felt as though I attended its funeral. Image: Tattered American flag by Gerd Altmann. Pixabay license. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. As states pursue rule of law at the border amid a record surge of illegal migrants and Biden administration inaction, open border activists are getting busy. According to The Last Refuge/Conservative Treehouse: Several states responded to the call from Texas Governor Greg Abbott asking for allied states to send law enforcement and national guard to secure the southern border after the Biden administration actively, intentionally and purposefully works to keep it open. With the potential for cooperation from states, what I call extreme federalism, to secure the border regardless of the Federal inaction, an assembly of various activist groups are petitioning the White House to confront the states with direct military action. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a far-left communist advance group, is asking Joe Biden to fight the state effort with all measures possible, including armed confrontation. Here's the hysteria: We told the president in no uncertain terms, this is an insurrection by recalcitrant and rebellious states that must be stopped, says Domingo Garcia, national president of LULAC. He said Mr. Abbott, who hosted former President Donald Trump for a border visit last week, was fomenting dangerous racial hatred targeting Latinos. So they don't want protection of the U.S. border from migrant surges, they want the feds to turn their guns on states that seek to do the job the feds won't do. Which is pretty twisted logic. It's almost as if the cartels have donned activist skin suits and advocated their invader agenda. LULAC's Wikipedia page notes that the group, like the Cesar Chavez United Farmworkers, originally opposed illegal immigration. Now they've switched, and seem to be doing the cartels' bidding. Something funny happened to them. What's more, the rage of these open-border activists -- who are very well funded, by the way -- likely comes with political muscle, an 'or else' to Joe, if he doesn't comply with their demands. If Joe somehow manages to resist them, there will be hell to pay for him. Which is extremely weird stuff, given that these people claim to represent Latinos ... and Latinos are moving in high numbers to the Republicans, courtesy of President Trump. That puts Joe in a dilemma: Satisfy LULAC and avoid protests from their cavalcade of leftist whiners who may exact consequences if he doesn't, or satisfy the rule of law, and avoid more defections from Latino voters who are otherwise moving toward Trump? Polls show significant disapproval of his border performance, that counts, too. What does a Potemkin president do? It's hard to say, but one thing is certain: Joe has little organic support, and a history of taking the easiest way out, so expect him to yield to this bunch. That signals use of force against states who only want the feds to enforce rule of law may emerge as a flashpoint. Civil war, anyone? We know for sure that LULAC and pals seem to have that on their minds and are egging weakling Joe on to use force on them, with 'racism' their battle cry. Joe Biden's a lot of things, but a Lincoln is one thing he's not. Image: Logo / Seal, via Wikipedia // public domain To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. For the record, I am not a psychiatrist or expert. I just see a president of the U.S. who has to check his 3x5 cards before answering a question about Russia. Here is the story: President Biden appeared to check his notes after being confronted by the press on whether Russia was behind a recent ransomware attack while he was shopping inside a store in Traverse City, Michigan, on Saturday. "With the most recent hack by the Russians, would you say that this means " a reporter is heard asking about the attack that targeted Miami-based IT software management company Kaseya, before Biden interrupts her to say that they "don't know" yet if it was the Russians. "I'll be in better shape to talk about it hold on for one second," Biden said, before taking a piece of paper out of his jacket and putting on a pair of glasses. He said he had just been "briefed" on the hack, but still appeared confused by the inquiry. Let's be fair. We don't expect our presidents to be experts. We do expect them to be on top of their job, especially on issues with Russia. After all, he was not getting a question about Colombia beating Uruguay over the weekend. In reality, what we are seeing is what happens when the media lets a candidate hide in the basement and does not hold a single press conference. Yes, candidate Biden did some video interviews but it was always controlled. Did he ever appear with Chris Wallace on Sunday? Love or hate Wallace, he would have asked some tough questions, such as ones about his border policies. None of this happened. We allowed a man who keeps showing his age to avoid the kind of scrutiny that President Trump got. This is on the media. They were obsessed with Trump and forgot that the other guy had a chance of winning and deserved some attention. P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) Image: Gage Skidmore, via Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0 To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Have any questions? Please give us a call at 907-561-7737 Indian Coronavirus Daily Tally Lowest In 111 Days:- The daily tally of reported coronavirus cases reached all-time and reported the lowest in the past 111 days. A total number of 34,703 new cases are reported in India in the last 24 hours as per the reports from the Union Health Ministry. The recovery rate in the country climbed to 97.17 percent and there are 4,64,357 active cases of coronavirus in the country. The total tally of cases reported in India till date are said to be 3,06,19,932. The total number of recoveries from coronavirus in India climbed to 2,97,52,294. With 553 new deaths reported, the total death tally in the country now stands at 4,03,281. The total number of Indians who took up the dose of vaccination for coronavirus reached 35,75,53,612. The experts of SBI said that the third wave of coronavirus may hit the country in August and it will reach the peaks in September. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed that various countries of the globe are quite interested in CoWin and the platform will be made available for all the requested countries for free. The Supreme Court refused Puri Rath Yatra in Odisha. Chief Justice of India, NV Ramana said that he is a devotee of Lord Jagannath and he is waiting to visit Puri for the past one and a half years. The daily tally of coronavirus cases in the lowest in India since March 17th and the day reported 28,903 new cases. India is now vaccinating 40 lakh people per day and they are confident that all the adults will get vaccinated completely by the end of this year. As per the reports from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). the total number of samples tested for coronavirus on July 5th are said to be 16,47,424 and the samples tested in India in total are 42,14,24,881. (Image source from: ANINews.in) Maharashtra Speaker Suspends 12 BJP MLAs for a year:- The Assembly Speaker of Maharashtra suspended 12 MLAs from BJP for one year after they created enough ruckus in the state. The Presiding officer Bhaskar Jadhav was manhandled by the BJP MLAs during the Assembly session after which the Speaker took the call. A resolution was passed by the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly urged the Centre to provide the censur for 2011 data. The data will be used to enable the State Backward Commission to prepare the count of the OBC population in Maharashtra. The resolution was passed by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. This will be used to restore the political reservations for the local bodies in Maharashtra. NCP leader and state minister Chhagan Bhujbal moved the resolution and it was passed by the voice vote. BJP MLAs created a ruckus after the incident and the Speaker suspended the 12 MLAs who are responsible for the incident. The BJP MLAs climbed up to the Speaker's podium. Some of the MLAs manhandled Bhaskar Jadhav and the house was adjourned after the incident. Shiv Sena and NCP leaders alleged that the BJP leaders misbehaved with the Presiding Officer. Devendra Fadnavis, the opposition leader said that the BJP MLAs never misbehaved with anyone. Devendra Fadnavis announced the the rest of the BJP leaders will boycott the Assembly sessions in the state. (Video Source: NTV Telugu) Google is looking to make changes to the connection created with a smartphone in the Phone Hub feature on the Chromebook platform to make the battery more efficient. Thats based on recent reports detailing a change spotted in the Chromium Gerrit. What does this Phone Hub change do to make things more efficient? The big change that appears to be in the cards revolves around how Phone Hub works, to begin with. But not necessarily in the method used. As noted in the commit in the Chromium Gerrit, it allows the nearby connections client to request specific keep alive and timeout. Nearby Share will keep the default values. So that feature will still work as always, now that its been added to Chrome OS officially. The change, summarily dubbed [PhoneHub] Set keep alive and timeout longer for battery life, does exactly what is implied. Namely, it lengthens the time between Phone Hub pings between the Chromebook and smartphone to make things more battery efficient. Specifically, it lengthens the ping from 5 seconds to 15 seconds. And it stops that polling at 60 seconds if theres been no response. Advertisement That will make the phone connection more efficient on the battery side because it will stop the phone from having to maintain that connection as often. By lowering the timing to a third as often, it could, theoretically, by as much as three times, in fact. Although, it remains to be seen exactly how impactful a change this will be. This is a Chromebook change but its coming to Android Now, the change in question, oddly enough, doesnt appear to require a Chromebook update. Instead, its thought to be arriving on the Android side of the equation. That doesnt necessarily mean its coming soon. But it will be arriving, if reports are accurate, via a Google Play Services update. So, given how often that updates, it could arrive sooner than later. Samsungs huge Unpacked event will take place on August 11. It would be a miracle if it doesnt happen on that day, to be quite honest. Ice Universe, one of the best-known tipsters around, tweeted out that its happening. Prior to that, the August 11 date appeared in one of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 leaked renders, while a Korean outlet reported the same date yesterday. All that its left is for Samsung to confirm the news. Reliable tipster says Samsungs Unpacked event will take place on August 11 That confirmation will likely come soon, even though were still about a month away from that date. During that event, Samsung will announce quite a few products. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is expected to arrive alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 3, Watch 4, Watch 4 Classic, and Buds 2. Advertisement For those of you who are wondering, the Galaxy S21 FE almost certainly will not launch on August 11. According to multiple reports, that smartphones launch has been postponed to October. The reason for it is chip shortage. Still, even without the Galaxy S21 FE, we have a lot to look forward to. A Galaxy Note-branded smartphone may not be coming this year, but Samsung will fill in the gap with quite a few compelling devices. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is coming alongside four other products The Galaxy Z Fold 3 will become the companys first smartphone with an under-display camera. It will also become the first foldable smartphone with S Pen support. The phone may even ship with an S Pen. Advertisement The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is coming with a larger cover display than its predecessor, and a more compelling design. The Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic do look quite nice, while improved audio is expected out of the Buds 2 earphones. Theres something for everyone coming on August 11. Samsungs official confirmation of this press event is expected in the coming weeks. The company will livestream the event, by the way, it always does. Purchase an online subscription to our website for $7.99 a month with automatic renewal. Each online subscription gives you full access to all of our newspaper websites and mobile applications. To cancel you may contact Customer Service @ 256-235-9253 or email JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM For a limited time, for NEW SUBSCRIBERS ONLY a NEW ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION is just $59.99 for the first year. Existing customers do not qualify for the specials! After the first year, well automatically renew your subscription to continue your access at the regular price of $69.99 per year. Please note *Your Subscription will Automatically Renew unless you contact Customer Service To Cancel* (ANSA) - ROME, JUL 6 - The remains of a 12-year-old boy wearing a warrior's bronze belt have been found at Pontecagnano, an outpost of the pre-Roman central Italian Etruscan civilisation in southern Campania, lead archeologist Gina Tomay told ANSA Tuesday. "It's a find of great significance," said Tomay of the boy, who lived in the IV century BC and was discovered with two cermaic cups at his feet, one for food in the afterlife and the other for the wine that would ensure him a place at the banqueting ceremony called symposium. Tomay said the boy was the 10,000th find at Pontecagnano, over 60 years of success and good practices "due to study, research and systematic excavations". The Etruscan colony there reached its peak between the VIII and VII century BC, she said, in an area "particularly well favoured by nature and also close to the sea". Objects from all parts of the Mediterranean have been found at Pontecagnano, from Greece to Egypt, from the Far East to Sicily and Sardinia. A few kilometres of farmland and the RIver Sele separate the settlement from the storied Greek city of Paestum to the west, while not too far to the south lies Pompeii, whose origins, according to recent studies led by archeologist Massimo Osanna, also lie with the Etruscans in the VII century BC. Osanna, the former Pompeii chief who is today the director general of Italy's public museums, said the Etruscan boy and 10,000th find at Pontecagnano "is also an interesting and precious case study". The finds may draw more visitors to the site, which is heralded in archeological literature but neglected by major tourism routes, unlike nearby Paestum. (ANSA). About 50 migrants died at sea Monday trying to reach European coasts, in yet another tragedy in the Mediterranean as attempted crossings increase with the warmer summer weather. A total of 250 people were intercepted off the coasts of Libya, nearly 250 were rescued off the coast of Morocco, and nearly 600 are now aboard the Ocean Viking following various rescue operations. Meanwhile, a small boat with 24 Tunisians aboard was intercepted and stopped in waters off the coast of Lampedusa, after nine arrivals on Monday with a total of 207 people and 12 arrivals on Sunday with a total of 342 migrants. Including the arrivals in recent days, the number of migrants who have arrived in Italy in 2021 has already surpassed 21,000, three times the number in the first six months of last year. "There have always been landings on Lampedusa during this time of year, but certainly there's concern, and that's what we're working on," said Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese. But a European Commission spokesperson said that since the start of the pandemic, migrant relocations "have been more difficult and in recent months we have seen a decrease in participation by Member States and in offers" to accommodate migrants. According to sources, the EU isn't working on coordination to redistribute the 572 people currently aboard the Ocean Viking, the ship of the NGO SOS Mediterranee, after the sixth rescue operation in five days. ROME - The hunt is on for Leonardo da Vinci's DNA, after 14 living relatives descended from his pro-genitor, father and half-brother were found, experts on the Renaissance genius say in an article published in the Human Evolution journal. Leonardo's family tree from 1331 to today, comprising 21 generations from father to son, has been reconstructed from historical documents after decades of study, said Alessandro Vezzosi, founder of the Museo Ideale Leonardo da Vinci, and Agnese Sabato, president of the Leonardo Da Vinci Heritage Association. No fewer than 14 living descendants in the male line have been identified, 13 of them hitherto unknown, said the study. The findings will help reconstruct the genetic profile of the great artist, scientist, thinker and supreme exemplar of the Renaissance man. Vezzosi told ANSA that "we had already identified in 2016 35 of Leonardo's living relatives, but they were mostly indirect, the fruit of parallel relations also in the female line, as in the best-known case of the director Franco Zeffirelli: so they were not people who could give us useful information on Leonardo's DNA and in particular on the Y chromosome, which is transmitted to male descendants and remains almost unchanged for 25 generations". The breakthrough may now come from the new direct descendants in the male line, stemming from his father Ser Piero and his half-brother Domenico, who are now alive, said Vezzosi. "They are aged between one and 85, they don't live right in Vinci but in neighbouring municipalities as far as Versilia (on the Tuscan coast) and they have ordinary jobs like a clerk, a surveyor, an artisan," Vezzosi said. Their DNA will be analysed in the coming months to contribute to the research of an international task force, The Leonardo Da Vinci DNA Project, led by Jesse Ausubelof Rockefeller University in New York and supported by the Richard Lounsbery Foundation. The project also involves the J. Craig Venter Institute at La Jolla in California, and several other universities and high-profile research centres, including the Department of Biology of the University of Florence, directed by David Caramelli. The article said questions potentially probed once Leonardo's DNA is confirmed include reasons behind his genius, information on his parents' geographical origins, his physical prowess, premature aging, left-handedness, diet, health and any hereditary diseases, and his extraordinary vision, synaesthesia and other sensory perceptions. Comparison of biological data could also potentially help verify the authenticity of artwork and materials handled by Leonardo, thereby pioneering links between biology and art with broad implications for the world's art market in terms of artistic attribution and materials. The extensive study documents with new certainty the continuous male line, from father to son, of the Da Vinci family (later Vinci), from progenitor Michele (born 1331) to grandson Leonardo (6th generation, born 1452) through to today21 generations in all, including five family branchesand identifies 14 living descendants. The work fills gaps and corrects errors in previous genealogical research into Leonardo's family, while offering new discoveries and family tree updates. Leonardo himself had at least 22 half-brothers but no children; a new unpublished document shows that Paolo di Leonardo da Vinci da Firenze was a case of homonymy. The five family branches are traced from Leonardo's father, ser Piero (5th generation), and half-brother Domenico (6th). Since the 15th generation, data have been collected on over 225 individuals. TUNIS - The United Nations system in Tunisia released a statement condemning the violence against Tunisian MP Abir Moussi, leader of the PDL party, by colleagues in Parliament during a plenary session on June 30. The UN said with concern that "this incident is not an isolated case, but follows other recent cases of violence and misogyny against women MPs and more in general women who work in political environments in Tunisia". The UN said any act of violence against women politicians - both physical as well as verbal - not only constitutes a violation of human rights, but also represents a serious threat to democracy and women's participation in political and public life. Abir Moussi, president of the Free Destourian Party (PDL), a secular party inspired by Bourguibism, was assaulted on June 30 during a plenary session of Parliament by two MPs opposed to the obstructionist practices of her PDL party, which has previously been reprimanded by the UN for having tried to "hinder the functioning" of Parliament. (ANSAmed) - MADRID, 06 LUG - The Spanish government approved in a cabinet meeting a bill that would reform the criminal code regarding crimes against sexual freedom, with the introduction for the first time ever of an "expressed consent" in sexual relations, in which any sexual relation that lacks this consent will have to be considered "sexual violence" while the concept of "abuse" would be eliminated. According to Spanish media, the expression of consent will be considered only in cases in which it is manifested "through acts that, according to the circumstances, make the person's will clearly visible". Based on this criteria, the range of situations will be broadened in which the justice system will have to interpret crimes such as rape, for example abolishing the need to prove the use of violence or intimidation against the victim. "We have to transform the sexual culture, putting women's consent as the focus," said government spokesperson Maria Jesus Montero in a press conference. "The aspect that we want to transmit from the government is that if you don't want to, you don't have to participate in any sexual act," Montero said. Another concept introduced in the bill is that sexual violence committed against women must be considered as cases of gender violence. In addition, the crimes of stalking and intimidation in public spaces are also defined. (ANSAmed). Tunisia: UN condemns assault on woman MP in Parliament Abir Moussi attacked by 2 colleagues during plenary session (ANSA) - TUNIS, 06 LUG - The United Nations system in Tunisia released a statement condemning the violence against Tunisian MP Abir Moussi, leader of the PDL party, by colleagues in Parliament during a plenary session on June 30. The UN said with concern that "this incident is not an isolated case, but follows other recent cases of violence and misogyny against women MPs and more in general women who work in political environments in Tunisia". The UN said any act of violence against women politicians - both physical as well as verbal - not only constitutes a violation of human rights, but also represents a serious threat to democracy and women's participation in political and public life. Abir Moussi, president of the Free Destourian Party (PDL), a secular party inspired by Bourguibism, was assaulted on June 30 during a plenary session of Parliament by two MPs opposed to the obstructionist practices of her PDL party, which has previously been reprimanded by the UN for having tried to "hinder the functioning" of Parliament. (ANSA). Four British women have set a new record for the fastest crossing from San Francisco to Hawaii by an all-female rowing crew. The Ocean Sheroes completed the 2,800-mile crossing in 35 days, 14 hours and 32 minutes becoming in the process the first all-British foursome to complete the Great Pacific Race. (@hawaiisportsphotography) The team comprises Bella Collins from Falmouth, Purusha Gordon from Luckington in Wiltshire, Mary Sutherland from Portsmouth, and Lily Lower of Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex. Ms Sutherland said: These ladies didnt disappoint. We spent a lot of time learning each others motivations, personal goals and personalities are important living in such close quarters and intense conditions. Throw in a general get it done attitude and you have a recipe for great things. (@hawaiisportsphotography) Only 22 teams have ever completed the Great Pacific race, which began in 2014. The crew beat the previous record by an all-female crew, which stood at 50 days, eight hours and 14 minutes, by two full weeks. Mother-of-two Ms Gordon said: Whilst the certificate will hang on the wall, its the experience, stories and learnings that will continue to shape me for the better. I hope, I can inspire other mums and women out there to be brave, say yes and believe they can too. The big news in the car industry this week is that Bugatti has been bought by Rimac Group. There have been rumours of a takeover for a while, but the companies have now partnered up in a deal worth millions of euros. Here, we explain the deal and everything you need to know about the little-known Croatian firm. What is Rimac? Youd be forgiven for never having heard of Rimac. Aside from the awkward moment when Richard Hammond crashed one of its cars down a hill during filming for The Grand Tour, the Croatian company has kept a relatively low profile. (Rimac) However, if youre really into cars, youll know it as one of the fastest growing component companies in the industry, becoming hugely respected for its electric vehicle technology. It has its own ultra-limited-edition electric supercars, but also provides vehicle components for major car manufacturers around the world. The company was founded in 2009 by Mate Rimac, who had been working on converting his old BMW to an electric powertrain and was inspired to design his own components that were better than what was on sale at the time. Its a small company, then? Not anymore. Despite only being in its 12th year of existence, Rimac has grown rapidly. What started in Rimacs garage and had just eight employees 10 years ago, now has 850 employees. It has its headquarters in Sveta Nedelja near Zagreb, Croatia, which it moved into in 2013. When it outgrew that, it also established offices in Split and Osijek, with a joint venture in China and a new production facility in Veliko Trgovisce. Rimac says its dream location is currently in the works. What companies does Rimac work with? While its likely there will be many major car manufacturers that quietly work with Rimac on their mainstream vehicles, there are a few notable projects that have come to light over the years. The company makes the kinetic energy recovery system for Aston Martins Valkyrie hypercar, which is the technology that captures energy usually lost through braking and uses it to replenish the battery. It has also produced batteries for Koenigsegg and the Seat Cupra e-Racer concept. (Rimac) In 2018, Porsche gave Rimac a public vote of confidence when it acquired a 10 per cent stake in the firm to form a development partnership. What about Rimacs own cars? Theyre purely electric and the first was revealed very early in the companys timeline. The Concept One went on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2011 with production models reaching customers in 2016. This was followed by a lighter track-focused version called Concept S. The Concept Two (known as C_Two) was revealed at the 2018 Geneva motor show. The production version of that car is now being built and has been renamed Nevera. It makes 1,887bhp and 2,360Nm of torque with a sub-two-second 0-60mph time. Rimacs new campus will be state of the art according to the company. (Rimac) Does Rimac solely own Bugatti now? No, its a majority owner with 55 per cent of the company falling under the new Rimac Group umbrella, with Porsche owning the other 45 per cent. Rimac Group ownership is made up of Mate Rimac (37 per cent), Porsche (24 per cent), and Hyundai (12 per cent), with other investors making up the final 27 per cent. The chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee has apologised offence caused by a tweet about loyalist bonfires. Senior Conservative MP Simon Hoare has since deleted the post on Twitter that said: Who knew William of Orange arrived in Ireland with hundreds of wooden pallets hence the traditional pallet burning fiesta began. The tweet was criticised by members of the loyalist community and was deleted soon afterwards, before Mr Hoare issued an apology. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. He said on Twitter: Earlier I posted a Tweet which was never intended to cause the offence it has to some in NI. I want to say fully &unequivocally that I am sorry. I intended only to be humorous/tongue in cheek & I got it wrong. I hope my apology will be accepted. It is sincere & heartfelt. Among those to respond to the apology were Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie, who wrote Thats fair Simon followed by three hand-clapping emojis. Former Labour MP Kate Hoey, who recently appeared at a loyalist rally in Newtownards, rejected the apology. She tweeted: Sincere and heartfelt ?? Well we will see if he can refrain from his regular snide remarks and obvious anti Unionist and loyalist views and his pandering to nationalists and the Irish Government. Kate Hoey (Niall Carson/PA) Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson, who led the condemnation of Mr Hoares original tweet, said resigning from the committee would be the appropriate course of action. But others criticised Mr Hoare for issuing the apology. Days ahead of the July 11 bonfires which precede the traditional day of parades on July 12, to mark the anniversary of King William of Oranges victory at the Battle of the Boyne, a number of political posters, including Sinn Fein, SDLP and Alliance material, have been seen on some pyres. Irish tricolours and EU flags have also been seen on some bonfires. In another tweet, Mr Hoare clarified this was the target of his criticism. He said: My point is the dangerously high pallet structures and risks they create to public health. Theres also no need to cover them with posters/images of political opponents. Thats plain divisive. Alliance Party leader Naomi Long is among the politicians whose posters are on bonfires. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. She tweeted: I get trolled a lot, falsely accused of hating loyalists and unionists. Nothing could be further from the truth. Id love to know what those people make of loyalists burning my image in an act of intimidation and blatant hatred. Burning peoples images isnt culture, folks. Mr Beattie tweeted his opposition to the burning of election posters and flags on bonfires, describing it as not an expression of unionist culture, adding: Its an expression of hate. Britains first black policewoman, Sislin Fay Allen, has died at the age of 83, the Metropolitan Police said. Ms Allen, who joined the Met Police in 1968 aged 29, making her the first black female police officer in the force and the UK, died at her family home in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, on Monday. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick described her as a pioneer of her time and an inspiration for many while black former Met superintendent Leroy Logan paid tribute to her as a remarkable woman. Sislin Fay Allen was a nurse before joining the police (PA) Ms Allen was working as a nurse at Croydons Queens Hospital when she decided to make a career change after seeing a recruitment advert for male and female officers. After completing her training, her first posting was at Fell Road police station in Croydon, near to where she lived with her family. After spending a year at Croydon, she was posted to the Missing Persons Bureau at Scotland Yard and was later transferred to Norbury police station. Ms Allen resigned from the force in 1972 and returned to Jamaica with her husband and two children. It was not the end of her policing career as she joined the Jamaica Constabulary. Sislin Fay Allen at the Metropolitan Police Training Centre in Regency Street (Barratts/PA) She later came back to the UK for a brief period and lived in south London before returning to Jamaica for good, where she lived in Ocho Rios. Dame Cressida said: Sislin was a pioneer of her time and an inspiration for many when she became the first black female police officer in the Met and the UK. She paved the way for so many women that have followed in her footsteps and joined the Met after her. Sislins legacy lives on and today we will remember her life and her unique contribution to policing. Mr Logan, a former chairman and founding member of the Black Police Association, tweeted: I know how tough it was for me to join the Met Police in the early 80s, but it pales into insignificance in comparison to the remarkable Seslin Fay Allen as the 1st UK black female officer in 1968. She sadly died today in Jamaica, knowing shed inspired many others to serve. Look at her go! Kevin Harts daughter Heaven is learning to drive. Read article My little girl is growing up, the comedian, 42, captioned a Sunday, July 4, Instagram selfie with his 16-year-old. Love her face !! Can she please write some books I can share with my baby girl, Real Housewives of Atlantas Porsha Williams commented on the social media upload, while rapper Nelly wrote, All downhill from here champ. Read article The car ride came four months after Hart gifted Heaven an $85,000 Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV for her 16th birthday after throwing the teen a surprise party. Not only were her family and friends at her home to celebrate in March, but the black luxury vehicle was in the driveway covered in big red bows. Kevin Hart Teaches Daughter Heaven To Drive The actor welcomed Heaven with then-wife Torrei Hart in 2005, and the former couple also share son Hendrix, 13. The About Last Night star moved on with Eniko Parrish, and the pair tied the knot in 2016 in California. They are now the parents of son Kenzo, 3, and daughter Kaori, 9 months. Hart and Parrish, 36, stayed together after the Emmy nominees 2017 cheating scandal, which the Laugh Out Loud Network creator has spoken to his children about. You have to talk to your kids about it because its going to come out, the Pennsylvania native explained to Romper last month. And some of them are cool about it and some of them are not, depending on the situation. You have to understand the different personalities and manage them correctly. Kevin Hart Teaches Daughter Heaven To Drive Eniko Parrish Heaven Hart, Hendrix Hart, Kenzo Kash Hart One month prior, Hart said during a School of Greatness podcast episode that his wife held him accountable following the scandal. Read article She came to an amazing conclusion of, I like the fact that we have a family, that we have a household, and I like the fact that we now got a job to do to get better. Thats what you owe me, the I Cant Make This Up author said in May. You owe me the get-better. The Real Husbands of Hollywood alum called listening to his children the most important part of parenting with the Maryland native at the time, explaining, Its not about trying to be right. Its not about advice. Its about listening, understanding and then doing your best to give information so that your kids can make the best choices for them. Not for you, but for them. By Tom Hals July 6 (Reuters) - The collapse of a condominium tower near Miami will set off years of litigation as victims and their families look to find fault among the building's management as well as engineers, architects and others, according to legal experts. Disaster struck in Surfside, Florida, on June 24 as a major repair project was beginning, although the cause of one of the worst residential construction failures in the United States is likely to have many contributing factors stretching back years. "Whether it be architects, engineers or contractors that had any involvement in this building, well be looking at everybody to hold each party responsible for their negligence," said Daniel Wagner, a real estate lawyer in south Florida, who declined to say if he was representing anyone involved in the collapse. But it will be a process complicated by finger-pointing and a trend in recent years in Florida law that has made it increasingly difficult to hold parties accountable for construction defects, lawyers said. Liability in complex disasters often gets parceled out among defendants, with a certain percentage being apportioned to each, legal experts said. "It's my professional opinion that everyone is going to blame everybody else," Wagner said. The death toll on Monday climbed to 28, and 117 were unaccounted for. Less than 24 hours after the collapse, the first of at least three lawsuits was filed against Champlain Towers South Condominium Association Inc, run by a volunteer board comprised of owners, for failing to ensure the building's safety. Bob McKee, a lawyer who brought a case on behalf of Steven Rosenthal, a resident who survived the collapse, said until another cause can be identified, the presumption is failed maintenance was to blame. The condo association president warned residents in an April letter that the situation had "gotten significantly worse" since "major structural damage" was identified in a 2018 inspection. The president urged them to support a $15 million assessment for repairs while acknowledging the work "could have been done or planned for in years gone by." McKee said plaintiffs will identify other potentially liable parties through the discovery process. One lawsuit by the family of missing resident Harold Rosenberg also named as defendants Morabito Consultants and SD Architects for failing to warn residents of the danger of collapse. The lawsuit blamed the Morabito engineering firm, which conducted the 2018 inspection, for allegedly failing to warn the condo association of the need to evacuate the building. The firm was retained again in 2020 and did not warn residents the damage it uncovered two years earlier had not been repaired, the lawsuit said. Morabito said in a statement that it provided its 2018 report and recommendations to the condo association. Rene Rocha, a Morgan & Morgan attorney working on the Rosenberg case, said informing the board may not have been enough. "They could have walked away from the job if they told the board it would be unsafe to proceed this way," said Rocha. "Obviously, it didnt happen that way." The Rosenberg lawsuit also said it planned to sue Surfside for allegedly failed to hire an independent expert to inspect the building after receiving the 2018 Morabito report. The condo association declined to comment on the lawsuit, SD Architects could not be reached, and the town did not respond. Legal experts said the defendants will likely argue there was no evidence that the building was not an immediate risk of collapse. A Florida judge appointed attorney Michael Goldberg of the Akerman law firm on Friday as a receiver for the condo association, which disclosed on Thursday it had $30 million in property insurance and $18 million for liability. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman said the insurance "will obviously be inadequate to compensate everyone fully." DIFFICULTY HOLDING PARTIES ACCOUNTABLE Residents and their families may have to contend with Florida laws and court rulings that have made it more difficult to hold parties accountable for defects in professional design, construction or code compliance, according to Barry Ansbacher, a Florida attorney who specializes in condo and construction law. For example, a 2006 law shortened to 10 years from 15 years the window for plaintiffs to sue for certain defects in design and construction and the potential personal liability for architects and engineers has also been narrowed, Ansbacher said. Court rulings have also limited liability, including a 1985 decision that sovereign immunity protects local government building inspectors. "Often, by the time something is discovered that was not done properly, the clock has run out and there is no liability," Ansbacher said. There is also the possibility of criminal charges. Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said she would have a grand jury examine the collapse, although she did not say whether she would consider charges. Florida grand juries can also make recommendations on matters of public policy. One Florida prosecutor said the most likely charge if someone's actions led to the collapse would be the crime of manslaughter by culpable negligence. "To have a crime here you need more than what is presently being reported," said Dave Aronberg, the state attorney for Palm Beach County. "You have to have someone who knew that destruction was imminent and did nothing about it." (Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; additional reporting by Alexandra Ulmer; editing by Noeleen Walder and Jonathan Oatis) BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) The U.S. left Afghanistan's Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years by shutting off the electricity and slipping away in the night without notifying the base's new Afghan commander, who discovered the Americans' departure more than two hours after they left, Afghan military officials said. Afghanistans army showed off the sprawling air base Monday, providing a rare first glimpse of what had been the epicenter of Americas war to unseat the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks on America. The U.S. announced Friday it had completely vacated its biggest airfield in the country in advance of a final withdrawal the Pentagon says will be completed by the end of August. We (heard) some rumor that the Americans had left Bagram ... and finally by seven o'clock in the morning, we understood that it was confirmed that they had already left Bagram," Gen. Mir Asadullah Kohistani, Bagram's new commander said. Gen Mir Asadullah Kohistani, the new commander of Bagram Airfield speaks during an interview with the Associated Press, after the American military departed, in Parwan province north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, July 5, 2021. The U.S. left Afghanistan's Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years, winding up its "forever war," in the night, without notifying the new Afghan commander until more than two hours after they slipped away. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul) U.S. military spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett did not address the specific complaints of many Afghan soldiers who inherited the abandoned airfield, instead referring to a statement last week. The statement said the handover of the many bases had been in the process soon after President Joe Bidens mid-April announcement that America was withdrawing the last of its forces. Leggett said in the statement that they had coordinated their departures with Afghanistans leaders. An Afghan soldier plays a guitar that was left behind after the American military departed Bagram air base, in Parwan province north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, July 5, 2021. The U.S. left Afghanistan's Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years, winding up its "forever war," in the night, without notifying the new Afghan commander until more than two hours after they slipped away. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul) Before the Afghan army could take control of the airfield about an hours drive from the Afghan capital Kabul, it was invaded by a small army of looters, who ransacked barrack after barrack and rummaged through giant storage tents before being evicted, according to Afghan military officials. At first we thought maybe they were Taliban, said Abdul Raouf, a soldier of 10 years. He said the the U.S. called from the Kabul airport and said we are here at the airport in Kabul. A member of the Afghan security forces stands guard after the American military left Bagram air base, in Parwan province north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, July 5, 2021. The U.S. left Afghanistan's Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years, winding up its "forever war," in the night, without notifying the new Afghan commander until more than two hours after they slipped away. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul) Kohistani insisted the Afghan National Security and Defense Force could hold on to the heavily fortified base despite a string of Taliban wins on the battlefield. The airfield also includes a prison with about 5,000 prisoners, many of them allegedly Taliban. The Taliban's latest surge comes as the last U.S. and NATO forces pull out of the country. As of last week, most NATO soldiers had already quietly left. The last U.S. soldiers are likely to remain until an agreement to protect the Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport, which is expected to be done by Turkey, is completed. Meanwhile, in northern Afghanistan, district after district has fallen to the Taliban. In just the last two days hundreds of Afghan soldiers fled across the border into Tajikistan rather than fight the insurgents. In battle it is sometimes one step forward and some steps back, said Kohistani. Kohistani said the Afghan military is changing its strategy to focus on the strategic districts. He insisted they would retake them in the coming days without saying how that would be accomplished. On display on Monday was a massive facility, the size of a small city, that had been exclusively used by the U.S. and NATO. The sheer size is extraordinary, with roadways weaving through barracks and past hangar-like buildings. There are two runways and over 100 parking spots for fighter jets known as revetments because of the blast walls that protect each aircraft. One of the two runways is 12,000 feet (3,660 meters) long and was built in 2006. There's a passenger lounge, a 50-bed hospital and giant hangar-size tents filled with supplies such as furniture. An Afghan army soldier walks past Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, MRAP, that were left after the American military left Bagram air base, in Parwan province north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, July 5, 2021. The U.S. left Afghanistan's Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years, winding up its "forever war," in the night, without notifying the new Afghan commander until more than two hours after they slipped away. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul) Kohistani said the U.S. left behind 3.5 million items, all itemized by the departing U.S. military. They include tens of thousands of bottles of water, energy drinks and military ready-made meals, known as MRE's. When you say 3.5 million items, it is every small items, like every phone, every door knob, every window in every barracks, every door in every barracks, he said. The big ticket items left behind include thousands of civilian vehicles, many of them without keys to start them, and hundreds of armored vehicles. Kohistani said the U.S. also left behind small weapons and the ammunition for them, but the departing troops took heavy weapons with them. Ammunition for weapons not being left behind for the Afghan military was blown up before they left. Afghan soldiers who wandered Monday throughout the base that had once seen as many as 100,000 U.S. troops were deeply critical of how the U.S. left Bagram, leaving in the night without telling the Afghan soldiers tasked with patrolling the perimeter. "In one night, they lost all the goodwill of 20 years by leaving the way they did, in the night, without telling the Afghan soldiers who were outside patrolling the area, said Afghan soldier Naematullah, who asked that only his one name be used. Within 20 minutes of the U.S.'s silent departure on Friday, the electricity was shut down and the base was plunged into darkness, said Raouf, the soldier of 10 years who has also served in Taliban strongholds of Helmand and Kandahar provinces. The sudden darkness was like a signal to the looters, he said. They entered from the north, smashing through the first barrier, ransacking buildings, loading anything that was not nailed down into trucks. On Monday, three days after the U.S. departure, Afghan soldiers were still collecting piles of garbage that included empty water bottles, cans and empty energy drinks left behind by the looters. Kohistani, meanwhile, said the nearly 20 years of U.S. and NATO involvement in Afghanistan was appreciated but now it was time for Afghans to step up. We have to solve our problem. We have to secure our country and once again build our country with our own hands, he said. Subway on Tuesday announced "really bold changes" to its existing menu in a bid to recapture consumer appetites, as ongoing allegations about the authenticity of its tuna buffet its brand. On Tuesday, the fast food chain announced "Eat Fresh Refresh," its largest menu update in its 50-plus year history, that will be available in all U.S. locations on July 13th. The revamp includes more than 20 menu updates, with 11 new and improved ingredients, six new and returning sandwiches, and four signature sandwiches including two more bread options, Artisan Italian and Hearty Multigrain. The company embarked on creating the new bread options back in January 2019 and had them ready to go for summer 2020, but "couldn't launch it in the middle of the pandemic," according to Trevor Haynes, Subway's President of North America. In order to best prepare this new lineup, more than 10,000 restaurants will close on July 12th at 6:00 PM Eastern to give the local staff time to prepare. 'Nothing to hide' SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 22: A tuna sandwich from Subway is displayed on June 22, 2021 in San Anselmo, California. A recent lab analysis of tuna used in Subway sandwiches commissioned by the New York Times did not reveal any tuna DNA in samples taken from Subway tuna sandwiches. The lab was unable to pinpoint a species in the tuna samples from three Los Angeles area Subway sandwich shops. (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) One menu item that won't change, however, is its embattled tuna, which is currently the subject of a California lawsuit that Subway has blasted as "baseless." Meanwhile, a New York Times analysis in June added fuel to the fire after a lab report commissioned by the paper found no amplifiable tuna DNA" present in a sample. Subway, however, doubled down on its position, with Haynes insisting the customer favorite "is nothing but 100% wild-caught tuna." At the restaurants, mayonnaise is added when prepared. Haynes said the Subway team agreed "our tuna doesn't need to be touched, our guests love our tuna, it's a product that we are proud to serve in restaurants." As part of Eat Fresh Refresh, the team will include messaging about proud it is of its tuna product, and emphasize that there is "nothing to hide." Haynes says this revamp is "really focused" on ensuring that the menu is "contemporary" with options to mix and match for every guests' unique palette. The brand wants to ensure that it continues to evolve with changing tastes, and provide a continuously "better experience for the guests" with both new favorites and old classics. New menu items include deli-thin sliced ham and turkey, BelGioioso mozzarella, hickory smoked-bacon, smashed avocado with sea salt, and MVP Parmesan Vinaigrette. Sandwiches that will be added include the Turkey Cali Fresh, Steak Cali Fresh and an All-American Club. As of now this refresh is only occurring in U.S. locations but may set a trend for the brand globally. A Subway spokesperson told Yahoo Finance, "we are currently focused on the U.S. rollout, but as we collect feedback from new and loyal Subway fans alike, we will be staying close with leadership teams around the globe to share our learnings as they consider their own menu refreshes." Cali Steak Footlong (smashed avocado) (Courtesy: Subway) Subway partners with DoorDash, revamps app Alongside the revamped menu, Subway is revamping its app to offer indoor pickup, curbside pickup or home delivery through third party delivery platform DoorDash (DASH). The sprawling chain has a Subway restaurant within five miles of 92 percent of the U.S. population. "This is what the consumer is looking for, our guests are looking for hyper accessibility to brands," Haynes told Yahoo Finance. This ongoing effort to help franchisees tend to their customers' wants is "aggressively rolling out" across the U.S., adding "thousands" of restaurants every couple of days. During COVID he says franchisees were creating their own curbside pickup options with personalized banner signs outside their restaurants. By the end of year, there should be approximately 7,000 restaurants participating in this new digital ordering experience. Subway aims to help to attract workers amid labor shortages In May, the brand launched a digital campaign in an effort to attract 40,000 employees in 30 days across the United States. Haynes says its "really helped" to drive traffic to its career portal for potential applicants, but will be an ongoing effort. "The pressures are coming off a little bit in some parts of the country, we seem to be finding more staff available." He says Subway franchisee owners are able to get new employees up to speed "pretty quickly," but are most concerned with how they get new talent there in the first place. In an effort to speed the transition for franchisee owners, Subway has been working "tirelessly" with supply partners and vendors ahead of the launch. Brooke DiPalma is a producer and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @BrookeDiPalma or email her at bdipalma@yahoofinance.com. Check out her latest: Stay in the area. Move away. Volunteer around the community. Find a cause to dedicate your time to. Travel the world. Take a breath and relax. Yell at the kids to "stay off my lawn!" Other. Vote View Results Owosso, MI (48867) Today Mostly sunny. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mainly cloudy. Low 71F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. BRIAN WOLFE is the sheriff of the Malheur County Sheriff's Department. Citizens can submit questions for the column to editor@argusobserver.com with safety in the subject line or by calling them in to (541) 823-4818. The opinions and views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the Argus Observer. Dean Ridings is the CEO of Americas Newspapers. The views and opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the Argus Observer. India was classified as a virus variant area at the end of April, followed by Nepal and the UK in May People who have had either both vaccination doses, or who can demonstrate they have recovered from COVID, will not need to isolate on their return or arrival. (Representational Photo: AFP) New Delhi: Germany is lifting a ban on most travellers from five countries hit by 'Delta' variant of COVID-19, including India and the UK from Wednesday, said German envoy Walter J Lindner. "From tomorrow, Germany is removing the entry ban and easing travel rules for five countries where Delta variant is widespread, including India," tweeted German ambassador to India, Walter J Lindner on Tuesday. German public health agency the Robert Koch Institute on Monday said India, Nepal, Russia, Portugal and the UK, currently listed as so-called virus variant countries, would be reclassified from Wednesday as "high-incidence areas". The change means simpler requirements for people visiting those countries. People who have had either both vaccination doses, or who can demonstrate they have recovered from COVID, will not need to isolate on their return or arrival. India was classified as a virus variant area at the end of April, followed by Nepal and the UK in May. The EU country Portugal, as well as Russia, were added to the list on June 29. Germany banned entry for travellers from India due to an upsurge in the number of coronavirus cases. Mr Sarma said that people will feel the changes in policing soon and he is going to make the transfer of inspectors mandatory in two years Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma here on Monday said that taking criminals head on should be the pattern of policing in the state. Asserting that firing at criminals should be the police's style, the chief minister who was addressing a conference of police inspectors and officers-in-charge (OCs) of police stations, said, We cannot aim at their chest but law permits to shoot them in the leg. Referring to reports in the media about at least six alleged criminals receiving gunshot wounds since May 10 while they were reportedly trying to flee from police custody in Assam, Mr Sarma said that Assam police should not be afraid of any campaign or of being accused of being trigger happy. Instead, they must focus on justice being done, and when it comes to criminals like rape accused and drug peddlers, they should not be spared. Among those wounded in police firing in the last two months include two cattle smugglers, a policeman allegedly involved in a case of abduction, a 62-year-old man accused of raping and murdering a minor girl, a dacoit and a drug peddler. A seventh alleged criminal, wanted in the rape and murder of two sisters in western Assams Kokrajhar district, was also shot in the leg when he tried to resist arrest and flee. Most of those wounded had some conflict with police either in custody or soon after or before their arrest, which some security analysts described a pattern. It is significant that during the same period 11 others, including nine alleged extremists of Karbi Anglong, have also been killed in encounters with the armed forces across the state. A notorious criminal of Sibsagar and a former officer of Railway Protection Force involved in a kidnapping incident were also killed by police in an encounter. Mr Sarma, who reiterated that people will feel the changes in policing soon, said that he is going to make the transfer of inspectors mandatory in two years. Officer-in-charge and inspectors of police will have to go on new posting after two-years of tenure. There will be no political interference in transfer and posting of police officers. The Director General of Police will decide it on the basis of efficiency of the officer for which a criteria will also be fixed, he said. He also asked the officers-in-charge (OCs) of police stations across the state to go to the nearest hospitals for health check-ups every 15 days. He announced that the Assam government would provide one four-wheeler to each of the OCs and if there is any problem in travelling by vehicle, one bike would be given so that the police station can function smoothly. Chief minister also assured that an amount of Rs 2.5 lakh would also be released to each of the police stations besides providing funds for building police quarters in police stations where land is available. He said that the police stations where there is no generator facility would be given generators. The chief minister appealed to police officials to stop taking bribes and asked the OCs to provide police verification reports within a short period. He asked the OCs to focus more focus on rape, murder, arms and drugs cases and ensure filing of charge-sheets at the earliest. Newspaper column writers are not experts in any particular subject or field Column writing is referred to as punditry in America. Their definition of pundit is an expert in a particular subject or field who is frequently called upon to give their opinions to the public. However, this is not how punditry usually expresses itself. Newspaper column writers are not experts in any particular subject or field. Almost all of them are drawn from the pool of journalists and used to be reporters or editors earlier. If they are experts at anything (and this is highly disputable), it would be in the narrow reporting space that they worked in. But how much expertise in medicine and surgery does a reporter on the healthcare beat really have? None. Editors, and I have been one of four newspapers, are not experts at anything. Column writers are post facto commentators. They write about what has already happened. We have no idea what is to happen. How many Indian columnists predicted the recession, the pandemics second wave, the Chinese intrusion in Ladakh, the farm laws, the highest unemployment in history, the publics response to the CAA, demonetisation and three years of declining GDP growth, the failure of GST or the dismembering of Kashmir? None. Forget that, how many even predicted the landslide election result in West Bengal? We are not even experts in the political field and shouldnt be taken seriously. To be fair to us, its not our fault. The near future is hard to predict as it involves human agency. The government chooses to do something or not do something, and this has effects. None of us can tell how it will end, including often even the government. But the longer term is easier to predict because it is not based on human agency but on technology and science. Some things are bound to happen because technology and its rate of improvement is predictable. Computers will get faster, petroleum will finish, manufacturing will need fewer people, robots will get better. All of these are already happening and will continue to happen. To foresee the future is only to be able to examine the rate of progress. The climate will change because science tells us that it is changing. Inequality will increase because companies are getting larger. Foreign influence will increase in the politics and economies of countries like India as they are technologically dependent. Warfare will become less violent but more decisive as military power is linked to technological power. The question is what all of this will ultimately mean for us. For centuries, this sort of thing did not matter because progress was slow compared to today. For a period in the 19th century, when electricity and mechanised and locomotion were discovered and invented, the change was dramatic. The first man flew in December 1903, on a plane that could go a few metres. Within 66 years, one lifetime, Americans put men on the moon. That is change of a pace not seen before, but change has accelerated since then, because of increasing power in computing. Todays supercomputers have far more capacity at computation than the human brain. Its only a particular software or algorithm that requires to be developed to make them like us, which means for a computer to have general intelligence. Already at narrow intelligence, a computer is much better than us, from flying airplanes to playing chess to scanning X-rays. But a computer cannot read a book like we can and doesnt know the difference between a dog and a sitar. It has no ability to think and people are now working (most notable at Google-owned companies) on training computers to be like us. What happens when such general intelligence is developed, as is being predicted will happen in the next few years? That machine will be able to improve itself rapidly, through instant evolution. AI being smarter than us will be able to make itself better and more intelligent to the point that we would think of it as God. Again, many books have been written on this and in some of the most intelligent circles in America, including people like Bill Gates and Elon Musk, these things are being discussed seriously. They are doing so because artificial intelligence of that sort is perhaps only 20 years away and may prove to be a threat to mankind. But while the worlds most powerful people are talking about this, and to some extent some governments (both America and China have artificial intelligence programmes in their military), these are not subjects India thinks about. If the West transitions rapidly by 2030 to renewable energy and electric cars, what will that mean for crude oil production? An American company is planning to colonise Mars within the next 10 years. The rockets to do this are already being made and tested. What will that mean for the future of the earth and its nation-state system? In a world where the difference between natural and synthetic is fast vanishing, how long will competitive sport be popular? 3D printing will soon change manufacturing and make a lot of trade obsolete. What is the future of nations which, like India, are still poor and have not transitioned to becoming developed? Where will our crores of people get employed? Life for all of us will be very different in 10 years from how it is today. In 20 years, life might be unrecognisable from how it is now. But wallowing in the narrowness of Indian politics and society, none of us can see it, much less predict it. It was also a personal affront for President Xi Jinping as the post-2008 Chinese assertiveness has his imprint on it President Xi Jinping of China, after assuming office in 2012, declared twin goals for his country a moderately developed China by the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on July 1 this year and a fully developed, rich and powerful nation by 2049 the centenary of the Peoples Republic of China. By most accounts he has been able to achieve the first. However, China, by its stated ambitions and aggressive behaviour, has also concomitantly set off concerns of its neighbours and the developed nations. Thus, the meetings of the Group of Seven and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation the week before the Chinese kicked off the CPCs centenary celebrations, sounded the alarm. The Chinese behaviour, said Nato, presented systemic challenges. US President Joe Biden, to the immense relief of Americas European allies after his predecessor Donald Trumps dithering, committed the United States fully to the alliance, calling the mutual defence mandate a sacred obligation. This was a win for Mr Biden as the European allies have earlier been chary of naming and shaming China due to their dependence on Chinese markets. For instance, in 2020, Germanys trade with China was $256 billion, as that of the US topped $559 billion. The two summits also brought the focus back on Chinas gross abuse of human rights in Xinjiang and the forced assimilation of Hong Kong. Of course, China called all such debates and resolutions slander. Chinese irritation was understandable as the criticism came on the very eve of their centennial celebrations. It was also a personal affront for President Xi Jinping as the post-2008 Chinese assertiveness has his imprint on it. Slowly he has tightened the leash of the CPC and increased his centralised control over almost all levers of power. The personality cult and re-education evangelism is a reminder more of Mao Zedong than any of his successors, including the creator of Chinas economic miracle Deng Xiaoping. It was therefore not surprising that President Xis address on July 1 provided the response to the critique. Dressed in a grey Mao button-up assemblage, though his usual attire is a business suit, he spoke at Beijings Tiananmen Square from the very platform and stage used by Mao. He delivered a stern message, warning that China would not tolerate any attempt by foreign powers at bullying, oppressing or subjugating them. He spun Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), seen by most of the developed world and India as a debt trap and a means of creating permanent dependence on China, as an instrument for China to share the fruits of its development with developing and underdeveloped nations. A strong nation needs a strong military and China is fulfilling that need, he said. President Xi was addressing not just the 95 million-odd members of the CPC, or indeed other citizens of China, but the entire neighbourhood and the world beyond. It was a clarion call that China had now fully arrived and willing and able to match its wits with the United States. Just in case countries like India did not get the message, a running commentary was provided in English publications like Global Times. Coincidentally, the centenary fell soon after India marked one year of the bloody Galwan clash between the armies of India and China. For decades China has considered India as an inferior power, incapable of mounting a challenge to it. However, the rising profile of the Quad, US President Joe Biden persisting with his predecessors sceptical line on China and the BJPs consolidation of domestic political power has combined to irk China. India therefore began to get elevated in Beijings perception as a strategic rival, if not yet a threat. This explains the sudden Chinese incursions in Ladakh and reluctance to vacate forward military ingress at a number of points. China has always used the unsettled border as a pressure point to condition Indias strategic conduct. It is also noteworthy that when the 19th Central Committee Politburo of the CPC met on June 25, the focus was on party affairs, foreign policy and security and military matters. Under previous Presidents, post-Mao, much greater attention was paid to economic issues. It is worth examining whether the jingoism and strong language, evoking the powerful imagery that foreign bullies will face broken heads and bloodshed, is a sign of confidence or deep worry? Although the Chinese economy has recovered faster and better than the economies of the developed world during the Covid-19 pandemic, its exports have performed better than domestic consumption growth. There is also the Chinese worry over demographics as their population growth continues to fall below sustainable levels. There may also be murmurs within the party about President Xis confrontational foreign policy as China now faces the potential danger of antagonists restraining it through cooperation and coordinated response. The Quad, with its implicit membership criteria being based on democratic credentials, presents an imminent threat. The fact that G-7 invited Australia, India, South Korea and South Africa as dialogue partners for the summit in the UK again underscored an attempt to align the interests of democracies across all continents. The direct or implicit message is that China is the new danger that needs to be contained by all means, including hard and soft power. The Global Times, the perennial tool for disinformation and propaganda, warned India that because it cannot afford a long and high-intensity confrontation it should not try siding with the US in any power games in Indo-Pacific. Reports have been discounted that India had moved more troops to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in response to Chinas troop deployment surge. President Xis jingoism may be more for domestic consolidation than international browbeating as the neighbourhood has known Chinese high-handedness for many years. Thus, the rhetoric does not add to the reality of Chinese unilateralism in real and invented disputes. Indias concerns would be heightened by the new drone-based terrorism from Pakistan and the rapidly succeeding Taliban in Afghanistan. China appears less worried about the Afghan imbroglio than Russia, having the Pakistani assurances in hand. Iran has a new and more conservative President, leaving a question mark over Iranian interests in Afghanistan. Irans priority would be to get the US sanctions lifted and its nuclear programme restored. India can only hope that China will moderate its wolf warrior diplomacy and move towards a genuinely stabilising role in South Asia. However, events appear to be moving in the reverse direction after the American exit from Afghanistan. If PM Modi wants to survive politically and leave a well- regarded legacy, the surest way would be to make his government more effective Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to announce the expansion of his Cabinet soon. This has become necessary with an eye towards the state Assembly elections scheduled in early 2022 and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Union Cabinet can have up to 81 members,but currently there are only 53 (with 28 vacancies). On July 7, 2004, the 91st amendment to the Constitution took effect. This limits the size of the councils of ministers at the Centre and in the states, which now cannot exceed 15 per cent of the numbers in the Lok Sabha or state legislatures respectively. The logic underlying this amendment was quite obvious. Cost was not the issue, for in relation to the overall cost of government, expenditure on ministers is miniscule. The real problem is that with unlimited ministerships on offer the destabilisation of governments was made easier. Unfortunately,there seems to be little realisation that too many cooks spoil the broth. Even the National Committee to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC), which recommended that the number of ministers be fixed at the maximum of 10 per cent of the total strength of the popular House of the Legislature, did not seem to have thought this matter through. But even this recommendation was tweaked a bit to fix the ceiling at 15 per cent, as we seem to have too many overly keen to be of greater service to the public by becoming ministers. Whatever be the reasons for the ceiling, good governance considerations or management principles seem to have little to do with it. We have 548 MPs in the Lok Sabha, which means that we can have up to 81 ministers in New Delhi. With 787 MPs in all,that means almost one in nine MPs can be a minister. The states have in all 4,020 MLAs; opening up the possibility for about 600 ministerial berths for 4487 MLAs and MLCs. Uttar Pradesh has the biggest Legislative Assembly, with 403 MLAs or 60 ministers,while Sikkim at the other end of the spectrum has to make do with just 32 MLAs or five ministers. Quite clearly, the persons who applied their minds to this amendment have not seen government as a responsibility that has to be sensibly shared and not as a basket of fruits to be distributed.No organisation that is meant to function can be designed on such a basis. Analogies are seldom entirely appropriate, but you will see what one has in mind when you consider the absurdity of limiting the number of functional responsibilities in a company to a function of the number of workers or shareholders. Management structures and hierarchies are constructed on assignment of responsibilities according to the technical and managerial specialisation of tasks. Thus, a large corporation may have heads for the Production, Marketing, Finance, HRD, Legal and Secretarial and Research functions, while in a small company just one or two persons may perform all these functions. The important thing is that management structures apportion tasks and responsibilities. Obviously, the management of government is a far more complex task, with an infinitely larger set of tasks than the biggest corporation, however professionally managed it may be. But to divide the management of the State into 39 functional responsibilities, as is the case now, is to exaggerate that magnitude and complexity. It is as if in an automobile company making and selling cars, the person responsible for making gearboxes is at the same level as the persons looking after the paint shop or procuring accessories. As if this was not bad enough, all these would then beat the same level as the head of Production or Marketing or Finance. Yet, this is how the Cabinet is organised. There is a minister for Rural Development and a minister for Panchayati Raj, as there are ministers for Irrigation and Fertilisers, sitting on the same table as the Minister for Agriculture.We know that all agriculture is rural and everything in the rural world revolves around agriculture and so the case for separating the two goes straight away. Besides, Agriculture is about Water,Fertiliser, Food Distribution, Food Processing, Agro and Rural Industries. Thus, instead of having one person responsible for improving the lot of our farmers and rural folk, we have nine departments headed by nine ministers who are equal in rank. They often work at cross-purposes. In Jawaharlal Nehrus first Cabinet, there was only one minister for Food and Agriculture. The only agriculture related function not with this minister was Irrigation. Gulzarilal Nanda held the portfolio of Planning, Irrigation and Power. But in those days, additional power was intended primarily from hydel projects, and itthus possibly made sense to have irrigation outside the Food and Agriculture ministry. Likewise, Transport and Railways was one ministry, while it has now been broken up into five areas now. Some of them quite ridiculously small. Take the Ministry for Civil Aviation. Apart from the near defunct Air India, a diminished Airports Authority of India and the DGCA, there is little to it. The first two are companies with full-time managers supposedly running them. Since the ministry has little policy to make it busies itself micromanaging the companies. And what is the need for a Ministry of Information and Broadcasting when that means little more than Akashvani and Doordarshan? By now it should be quite apparent that the 91st Amendment is not good enough as it just does not address the issue of making government effective. We now need a 92nd Amendment that will marginally change Article 74(1) of the Constitution to read: There will be a Council of Ministers consisting of the Ministers for Home Affairs, Defence, Finance, External Affairs, Agriculture, etc -- clearly specifying tasks and responsibilities. With Article 75(1) which makes it incumbent for the President to appoint ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister, remaining as it is, we may want to look at Article 75(5) afresh and consider the merit of eliminating the stipulation of getting elected to either House of Parliament or the legislatures. We could encourage the Prime Ministers and chief ministers to induct professionals and experienced persons rather than be limited to professional politicians. If Prime Minister Modi wants to survive politically and leave a well- regarded legacy, the surest way would be to make his government more effective. For that, he needs to focus on competence on the field and better bench strength. For over a decade, the band Let Them Roar, consisting of Ashton Taufer, Mateo Sandate, Sophia Clark and Olivia Pevec, has entertained and inspired crowds, carrying the folk tradition of protest music into a new century. The group will take a final bow at the 50th Carbondale Mountain Fair on July 23. Athens native changes views on justice system and accepts help for substance abuse In most of these writings, satellites going offline and then the ensuing mayhem on Earth is all that happens. But what if these pieces of human-made hardware did not stay in orbit, but head back down to Earth for whatever reason?It is a hypothetical situation considered by the guys over at What If for their most recent doomsday scenario: 20,000 satellites taken out by an unspecified disaster, raining down on the planet.The number is an estimate, of course. The Union of Concerned Scientists ( UCS yes, there is such a thing) says there are close to 3,400 satellites in an active state and another 3,000 or so simply space junk . But the reality is no one knows how many really are up there, given all the secrecy that surrounds military space operations.No matter what the real number is, its big, and it will get even bigger now that SpaceX is doing business in orbit. That would be around 20,000 of them after Starlink is fully operational, and such a large number of objects falling down to Earth would be a hell of a lot worse than the 100 tons of dust and sand-sized particles that hit the atmosphere of our planet each day. And there are several reasons for that.First would be the fact that satellites are a lot larger than the dust and sand that make up those 100 tons. That would make them a bit harder to be destroyed by our atmosphere, and a lot of them (impossible to say how many) would get through pretty much intact.Then, a good chunk would fall into oceans, given how our planet is one massive body of water, while others would hit land, possibly even inhabited areas.While they do this, the world as we know it would end, as most of the things we get for granted would stop working: no more internet, no more TV, and, most dangerously, no more GPS not for cars, bikes, planes, anything.And thats not even the most dangerous part. That would be the nuclear-powered satellites still up there, about 30 of them, all but one of Russian make, according to Business Insider . If these make it through the atmosphere (and even if they dont), its pretty much game over, given all the radiation they can give out.How much radiation? Well, consider this. Back in 1978, the malfunctioning Soviet Kosmos 954 satellite scattered debris over northern Canada, on an area of 124,000 square km (48,000 square miles) in size. It took the Canadians fours months to sweep the area, and they found twelve large pieces of satellite, ten of which radioactive. One of these pieces had large enough levels to kill a person if that person had been in contact with it for a few hours.Starting off at the premise that many of the satellites falling down would be radioactive, What If says at the end of it all that Earth would look like it had been hit by thousands of nukes. Thats probably not the case, but if such a thing were to occur, it would probably not be good for anyone.Luckily, the chances of all the satellites falling down are slim to none. And even if they did, their different altitudes would mean they would fall down very slowly, giving us enough time down here to prepare and blow them out of orbit. Apparently, yes. The last time we Earthlings became aware of this was in 2015 when a comet called Lovejoy was found to be releasing ethyl alcohol, the same kind youd find in Earth-made alcoholic beverages. Lovejoy also spat out sugar, making it one party-ready comet.In the case of Wirtanen, we are not given any info on what type of alcohol was found, or how large the quantity, but NASA calls the levels abnormally high, citing research using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea in Hawaii.The substance was released by the comet, just like all other substances are released. As it comes closer to the Sun, it heats up, and some of its component parts sublimate and are released as outgassing.Alongside alcohol, the research team that looked at Wirtanen also found the thing to be releasing acetylene, ammonia, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, and water. Not quite the party-ready comet, this one, but a valuable tool for scientists, as the alcohol and other substances they found could give information on how carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen molecules were distributed in the early solar system where Wirtanen formed.46P/Wirtanen is a piece of space rock with an orbital period of almost five and a half years. Humans targeted it with the Rosetta mission, but that ended up going for 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko, where it didnt find much.We bet ESA, who ran Rosetta, now wishes it would have gone for this other comet instead, which in 2018 passed 7.1 million miles (11.4 million km) from Earth or about 30 times the distance to the Moon.You can find the full results of the study into this comet at this link NavyX, which consists of Navys experimentation personnel, has been involved for months in a series of tests using the T-80 and T-150 Minerva drones, to see if it could be a reliable solution for helping sailors who fall overboard.Up until now, the drone tests have been conducted at the Royal Navy s Diving School at Horsea Island, Portsmouth, and more recently, on a civilian boat, as reported by the Royal Navy The drones are used for locating the overboard victim and for delivering life-saving equipment. The remotely-piloted system hovers over the location until the rescue team arrives at the location, to indicate the right spot. The Royal Navy successfully tested the drones at Horsea Island where the aircraft managed to locate the dummy in the water and drop a package with a life raft. It then lingered above the dummy waiting for the rescuers.These man overboard drills proved that drones can quickly find sailors when they fall, reducing the rescue time and providing the necessary equipment to save them from drowning. The remotely-piloted systems could be equipped with thermal imaging cameras to make their job easier.Drones have also been tested by the Royal Marines for delivering necessary supplies and ammunition to Commandos in training.Minerva drones are manufactured by London-based company Malloy Aeronautics. The company builds the UAVs to military standards as a lot of its customers are military clients.The T-80 model can be controlled using a laptop that sends the drone to a specific point selected on the map. The T-80 drone has a maximum payload capacity of up to 66 pounds (30 kg) and a range of up to 30 miles (50 km).The T-150 drone has a 140 lbs (68 kg) payload and a range of up to 43 miles (70 km). The Prince tests out @riversimples Rasa car, which is lightweight and super efficient. The Rasa is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and is the first of a range of vehicles that Riversimple plans to offer customers. pic.twitter.com/1Ae95FdXQh The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) July 6, 2021 The Daily Mail covered the visit and stressed that Prince Charles looked sharp in a grey suit with a purple tie for his visit. It also mentioned he was wearing a mask to combat the spread of the coronavirus.When it decided to mention what the company proposes to do, it only said the Rasa is powered by hydrogen and that it has a range of 300 miles. Luckily, the princes Twitter account offered more information about the company and its propositions. It even shared a video of Prince Charles drive with Hugo Spowers, founder and managing director of Riversimple.One of the tweets about the company said that Riversimple is currently building Rasas for trials in Monmouthshire and Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire. Riversimple has a hydrogen refueller in Abergavenny.Prince Charles talked to the engineers about the vehicle. We hope he could learn about the companys ideas about the circular economy not only related to final customers but also to the supply chain.According to the people that witnessed the Prince of Waless visit, he was grinning after driving the Rasa. Having his support will undoubtedly help the company at least tell more people about what it proposes for cleaner personal transportation if the media helps, mind you. Its called simply the European Robotic Arm or ERA, and its exactly that, a robot arm meant to assist astronauts during spacewalks. After two decades of fine-tuning, the arm is ready to launch into space, and it will do so by the end of this month from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan, on a Russian Proton rocket, alongside the Nauka module that will be added to the ISS.ERA, nicknamed by its makers a smart spacewalker, is 11 meters (36 feet) long when fully extended, has seven joints, and is designed to handle multi-tonne payloads with a large range of motion for assembly tasks, although weight is a relative term when it comes to space.Whats interesting about this robot arm, made from carbon fiber and aluminum, is that it can anchor itself to the Station and move back and forward by itself, hand-over-hand between fixed base-points. That means it will essentially walk on the outside of the station, going to where it is needed for whatever task, including installation and deployment of new station elements. Its reach is estimated at 9.7 meters (32 feet), and it will move at a speed of 10 cm per second (4 inches per second).The autonomous robots can either run on their own, based on programming or be operated in real-time by the crew from both inside and outside the Space Station , with an accuracy of 5 mm.Full details on the ERA can be found in the PDF attached below. So, in essence, the support for voice commands plays a key role in the overall experience with Android Auto, though as many users learned the hard way, theres still plenty of room for improvements when it comes to reliability and stability.One recent problem discovered by users on Android Auto concerns how they set up navigation on Android Auto, as turning to a voice command for configuring a certain address in Google Maps leads to an error one can hardly avoid.More specifically, users claim that whenever they use the navigate to command on Android Auto , Google Assistant does nothing or says that its not sure how to help with this.Whats even more awkward is that Google has already released fixes for this particular behavior. The company explained in May this year that updating the Google app and Android Auto to the latest versions should fix the whole thing.But more recent reports indicate the problem either isnt gone or has returned in one of the latest Android Auto or Google app updates. Users confirm they're no longer capable of setting up a destination in Google Maps or a different navigation app using a voice command starting mid-June.Of course, no workaround is known to exist, though one thing thats worth trying is actually to downgrade both Android Auto and Google apps to a version released before mid-June to see if this makes any difference. If it does, then a recent update is indeed the culprit, though Google is once again the one that should bring the experience back to normal. Built by 14Trees, a LafargeHolcim and CDC Group joint venture, the school was inaugurated in Malawi's Salima district. Printed in less than a day (compared to several days with conventional building methods), the school was born out of the need to address Africa's huge housing shortage.This is the region's 13th school out of a total of 50 that need to be constructed in the Yambe zone. Along with housing needs, Malawi is in desperate need of new schools, with UNICEF estimating that the country's 36,000 classroom gap will take 70 years to fill. 14Trees believes that with the help of 3D printing , this gap might be closed in as little as ten years.With the world's first school standing as proof, 3D printing can play a significant role in building classrooms for children across the country in a sustainable and fast-paced fashion. The approach, which uses LafargeHolcim ink, will save the time, cost, and materials needed to construct houses and schools, while also lowering their environmental impact by more than half when compared to traditional methods.Because it stands out from the rest of Africa's buildings, this new school will also attract more children, and it will help the education system. On June 21st, it was officially transferred to the Kalonga village community in the Yambe zone of the Salima district, where students began attending classes.In addition to the 3D-printed school, 14Trees also created its first 3D prototype house in Lilongwe, Malawi, in a record time of only 12 hours, compared to nearly four days required for regular construction methods. Currently, the company is seeking to implement the technology across a broader region, with projects in Kenya and Zimbabwe already in the works. EV kWh The information came from Xcar and was translated to English by CarNewsChina . Even speaking about really high sales volumes, selling 560,000 units of the Miniwould represent a profit of just $7.8 million. You are more than welcome to wonder what is in there for Wuling.Luckily, both outlets quickly clarified why the Mini EV pays off for Wuling: carbon credits. Each Mini EV represents two carbon credits for Wuling. A carbon credit in China is worth RMB3,000 ($464), making the quadricycle make more money to Wuling in these credits than it does in terms of pure trade.Making the same math we did with profits, 560,000 Mini EV units would represent $259,8 million in credits for the Chinese manufacturer. Thats more or less the same amount of money Tesla makes in each quarter with these rules in the US.Apart from these financial results, theres another advantage the small car brings to Wuling: brand recognition, locally and abroad. The Chinese carmaker became world-famous after the Mini EV beat the Model 3 in sales in its home market more than once. Price has nothing to do with how popular it is: there are cheaper EVs available, and they do not sell as much as the Wuling.While we wait on a study to explain why Chinese customers fell in love with it, European buyers will soon be able to drive an improved version of it thanks to the FreZe Nikrob. Costing 9,999 in Latvia, it will have the largest battery pack (13.8) and a range of 200 km, as well as some structural reinforcements to comply with European safety demands. The Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF) said the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, also known as Masdar, has won an international tender for the construction of the 200-megawatt facility. The plant will be located near Talin, a small town 67 kilometers northwest of Yerevan, and cover 500 hectares of land, the ANIF said in a statement. It will be 85 percent owned by Masdar, added the state agency tasked with attracting foreign investment in Armenia. The statement quoted the head of the ANIF, David Papazian, as saying that the project will mark the largest single foreign investment in green energy in the region. From chairman down, we have worked very hard to finalize this deal, he said. This is a vital stage in Armenias clean energy journey: low-cost solar energy will help power new industries, generate jobs and set the country on the path to a prosperous and truly sustainable future, Masdars chief executive, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, said for his part. The Armenian government called the tender after the ANIF and Masdar signed a joint development agreement in Abu Dhabi in November 2019. The ANIF said in December 2020 that the Emirati firm will compete with Russias Gazprom and Chinas Hydro Power for the right to build the plant by end of the 2023. Masdar claims to have already invested at least $8.5 billion in renewable energy projects in the United Arab Emirates and abroad. The company expressed readiness in 2019 to build two large solar plants in Armenia with a combined capacity of 400 megawatts. They would nearly match the design capacity of the Metsamor nuclear plant generating more than one-third of the South Caucasus countrys electricity. The ANIF said on Tuesday that further discussions are underway on the construction of the second plant proposed by Masdar. Both the current and former Armenian governments have pledged to significantly increase the presently modest share of renewables in domestic electricity production. The first Armenian solar power plant with a capacity of just 0.5 megawatts went on stream in September 2017. Six other small facilities were connected to the national power grid by November 2018. Armenian private firms began building several more solar plants in the following months. A much larger, 55-megawatt facility is due to be built by a Spanish renewable energy firm. The $50 million project is mostly financed from a World Bank grant allocated to Armenia in 2015. A military spokesman, Samvel Asatrian, told the Armenpress news agency that the skirmish was provoked by the Azerbaijani side. According to our information, the Azerbaijani side has two wounded soldiers, said Asatrian. There was no immediate reaction to the claim from Baku. According to Asatrian, the incident occurred a near a border village in Armenias eastern Gegharkunik province. Azerbaijani troops reportedly advanced a few kilometers into Armenian territory at that and several other sections of the border about two months ago, triggering a continuing military standoff with Armenian forces. Both sides have since periodically reported gunfights and even fistfights between their soldiers stationed there. One Armenian soldier was killed and six others captured by Azerbaijani troops in Gegharkunik in late May. Lieutenant-General Artak Davtian, the chief of the Armenian armys General Staff, said on June 22 that Russia will likely deploy border guards in Gegharkunik. Russian officials have not commented on that so far. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians office announced, meanwhile, that he will visit Moscow on Wednesday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It said the two leaders will discuss issues on the Russian-Armenian strategic agenda and the implementation of Russian-brokered agreements to stop the war in Nagorno-Karabakh and reopen Armenian-Azerbaijani transport links. The incident happened on June 3 when Anush Dashtents, a correspondent for the Hraparak daily, approached the 28-year-old deputy, Hayk Sargsian, and other persons standing outside a Yerevan office of Armenias ruling Civil Contract party. Dashtents said Sargsian got angry when she switched on the phones camera and began asking him questions about Russian-mediated talks on the ongoing Armenian-Azerbaijani border dispute. Sargsian fled the scene in a car after wresting the phone from her and failing to delete the video, Dashtents said, adding that she got the phone back about an hour later. The lawmaker essentially confirmed this account but defended his actions, accusing Dashtents of violating his privacy. Obstruction of journalistic work is a criminal offense in Armenia. Law-enforcement authorities launched an inquiry into the incident strongly condemned by the countrys human rights ombudsman and press freedom groups. The Special Investigative Service (SIS) decided late last week not to bring criminal charges against Sargsian. It claimed that he did not consciously prevent the reporter from doing her job. About a dozen Armenian media organizations expressed outrage at the SISs decision. They demanded that the Office of the Prosecutor-General overturn it and order criminal proceedings against Sargsian. We maintain that the incident constituted an obstruction of legitimate professional activities, they said in a joint statement. But even if the investigators did not characterize [Sargsians actions] in that way, illegally taking away a journalists property, breaching the secrecy of their personal data and coercing them not to disseminate information are sufficient grounds for holding Hayk Sargsian accountable. The statement said the SISs stance runs counter to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians recent pledges to establish a dictatorship of the law. It also demanded that Pashinians party publicly evaluate this and other scandals caused by Sargsian. Senior Civil Contract figures have still not commented on the June 3 incident. Sargsian, who is affiliated with the ruling party and whose twin brother Nairi is an aide to the prime minister, is no stranger to controversy. Earlier this year he wrested the microphone from another reporter who tried to interview him in the parliament building in Yerevan. America hit a milestone Friday: 300 million people in the country have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. And as the number of vaccinations continues to rise, so do the signs the nation is getting back to business. A grim Independence Day weekend in Chicago was marred by violence, with at least 95 people shot New Jersey mans racist rant dared neighbor to come see me. On Monday, dozens did 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. IRMO [mdash] Ellis Buckland 82 of Irmo, SC passed away July 8, 2021. Originally from Bluefield, VA, he was the son of L. W. and Lucille Buckland. He is survived by his wife Susan Perdue Buckland and two children, Teresa Christine Muller and David Forrest Buckland. Also survived by siblings L A lawsuit filed by a Houston comic book store is bringing color into the otherwise mundane court system. Third Planet Sci-Fi Superstore, a 46-year-old comics shop that has been located on the Southwest Freeway near Kirby Drive since 1988, filed a lawsuit against Crowne Plaza River Oaks and its parent companies. The suit includes explosive allegations of negligence, mischief and a 24-page comic telling the tale of a Houston institution battered by everything from dishware to full-sized fire extinguishers. HIDE YOUR ORCHIDS: 'Plantjackers' are terrorizing the Houston Heights For years, Third Planet has been victim to unknown persons launching heavy items from the hotels balconies onto their propertyceramic mugs, cinder blocks, luggage racks and even lit cigarettes which sparked fires in a pair of pickup trucks on separate occasions. The onslaught has left a building that withstood all of Houstons major storms with a damaged roof vulnerable to everyday rain, according to lawyer Cris Feldman. Its a costly series of pranks. Even after the roof was replaced in 2008, the owners have patched it up each time someone decided to test gravity. But the worst of it came during one night in March 2019. Someone threw 16 fire extinguishers onto the shop below, according to lawyer Cris Feldman, which punctured the roof, letting rainwater seep in and damaging merchandise. 3 1 of 3 Andrew Richardson Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 3 of 3 It was one of the final straws for the store owners before filing suit. There was a history of people throwing things onto the Third Planet roof that these defendants had long, long known about and never did anything to stop, and then it reached this level, Feldman said. Not only does it hurt the building, but it hurts an institution. And a Houston institution suing a multinational conglomerate needed something besides a black and white court document to illustrate this David and Goliath-esque standoff. The defendants in the case just didn't get it and were not paying attention to the significance of Third Planet, Feldman said. They wanted the judge to [strike out] everything about the character and nature of Third Planet, and how important Third Planet was to Houston. And so we literally decided to illustrate it. Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer To show the significance of their battle, Feldman reached out to Bad Cog Studios to quite literally draw a picture of the ordeal Third Planet had gone through residing underneath the Crowne Plaza River Oaks. According to Feldman, it just might be the first time a full comic has ever been submitted alongside a lawsuit. At least, hes never seen anything like it before now. Artist Michael Charles of Bad Cog Studios has been visiting Third Planet for decades and knows owner T.J. Johnson well. Charles knows people who come from all over Texas to visit Third Planet, and even had his own comics stocked in the shop. Its a place that means a lot to him and other Texans. Naturally, Charles and the other artistsMaurice Terry Jr., Michael Brooks and Benjamin Carbonerohad never taken on the task of turning a lawsuit into a comic book. I was really intrigued by it because, first of all, I got a lawyer calling me to do a creative project, Charles said. So when he approached, I brought it to the boys and they're like, yeah, we can do that. Weve never done anything like that, but yeah, well do it, we wont back down from a challenge.' HOUSTON SCAMS: Katy jewelry store owner arrested in Miami, facing federal fraud charges With the source material ready to go, it didnt take long for Charles and the team to put together the 24-page, full-color comic submitted with the lawsuit to aid in clarifying the facts in this case. It kind of just brings together everything that makes Houston cool, in my opinion, Feldman said. And to see Houstonians coming together to help an institution is a really neat experience. It really is. In their legal response to the lawsuit, the hotels lawyers said the property and its San Diego-based owners arent liable for the actions of its guests. They instead say its a matter of criminal mischief rather than the hotels neglect. The store owners want the hotel to pay for a new roof and for the merchandise ruined in the rainfall, as well as other costs associated with the work like moving and storing items while the work is being done. They also want a judgment that forces the hotel to stop patrons from throwing things off the balconies. The artists are hoping the project pays off in a few ways: More awareness on what has been happening to Third Planet, perhaps bring in outliers from the Houston comics communitythose either afraid or ashamed to admit that they like that kind of stuff they always looked at as geeky or nerdy, or something that weird people do, Charles explains. Most importantly, they hope that it sends a message to corporations who operate next to Houstons local businesses. Big corporations [need to] know they just can't go step on a little guy, Charles said. Not everybody is just a pushover. HOUSTON EATS: Black-owned restaurants are cooking up a plan to combat rise in meat prices Feldman says that theyve already gotten a widely positive response from the law community over their comic book approach. He and the artists are considering distributing the comic more widely than its inclusion in court documents. We obviously didn't write a lawsuit to create a published comic, Feldman said. But, hey man, you just ride the wave. Laredo's Arturo Campos will play a part in NASA's next mission to the Moon, after NASA announced that he is the winner of its 'Moonikin' naming contest. Campos family honored him posthumously by asking his hometown to help him in NASAs Name the Artemis Moonikin Challenge. And Tuesday, on the same day as their mothers birthday, the Campos family heard the good news their father will be represented in the upcoming mission. With the victory, the manikin launching on Artemis I will now be named after Campos, meaning Laredo will be represented in NASA's uncrewed mission around the Moon later this year. After collecting over 300K total votes over the course of the campaign, Commander Moonikin Campos will embark on the #Artemis I mission around the Moon with his phantom crewmates, Zohar and Helga, said the NASA Artemis program in a statement. The contest placed Campos against seven other entires in a bracket contest that honored NASA figures, program, or astronomical objects. According to NASA, more the 300,000 votes were received throughout the competition. Arturo Campos is best known for his work as an engineer with NASA. He was key figure in the emergency landing of the Apollo 13 spacecraft and is credited for creating and helping execute the plan that led the crew safely back home. Now, Campos will play an instrumental part in NASA's next moon mission, with the mannequin bearing his name used to determine the effects of the space trip on a human body. The data gathered will then be used for a future moon mission, which will include human astronauts. "It is a fitting tribute that the data gained from Artemis I will help us prepare to fly astronauts including the first woman and first person of color to the Moon, where we will get ready for Mars." Brian Odom, one of NASAs acting chief historians, said. The other entries included: Ace Stands for Artemis Crew Explorer, a practical name as the Moonikin will be a member of the first official crew of Artemis I. Delos In 2017, NASAs Terra satellite captured an image of islands scattered across the Aegean Sea. One group sat in the central region of the Aegean, encircling the island of Delos. Duhart Named after Dr. Irene Duhart Long, the first African American woman to serve in the Senior Executive Service at Kennedy Space Center. She was the first woman and person of color to serve as chief medical officer as her career spanned 31 years. Montgomery Named after Julius Montgomery, the first African American hired at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station working as a technical professional. Rigel One of the 10 brightest stars in the Earths sky, forming part of the Orion constellation. Rigel is a nod to the Orion spacecraft, which the Moonikin will be riding aboard. Shackleton Refers to the Shackleton Crater on the moon, named after Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton. NASA research finds that ice may make up the interior of the crater at nearly 22% of the surface material. Wargo Named after Michael Wargo, who represented NASA as the first Chief Exploration Scientist for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. He was a leading contributor of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), which launched together on to the Moon and confirmed water existed there in 2009. In the final round, Campos bested Delos as voting was held on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and NASAs website. On Facebook, Campos received 506 votes compared to Delos 216. On Twitter, Campos received 53.1% of the 9,041 votes submitted compared to Delos 46.9%. Previously, Campos defeated Rigel in the second round and Shackleton in the first. Campos was the lone name for an individual in the competition that won in the tournament after the other three were all eliminated in the opening round. Delos had defeated Ace and Duhart in the previous two rounds to reach the finals. FALMOUTH, Maine (AP) A New Hampshire woman in a pickup truck led police on a high-speed chase that ended in a head-on collision that sent five people to the hospital, police said. The truck was stolen in Barrington, New Hampshire, and state police gave pursuit late Monday morning on the Maine Turnpike in Scarborough. NAPERVILLE, Ill. (AP) A man who said he sprayed trees in a suburban Chicago park to protect them after an anxious dog chewed off the bark has been ticketed by authorities. Asher Thomas is accused of altering flora in a Naperville dog park. The ticket from the Will County Forest Preserve carries a $225 fine, the Aurora Beacon-News reported. Just as you cant go around doing things to other peoples property, even if intentions are good, you cant allow your dogs to do damage or spray a foreign substance on trees, said Forest Preserve Deputy Police Chief Dave Barrios. Thomas said he regularly takes his dog, Dixie, to Whalon Lake Dog Park and learned that another owner's German shepherd had gnawed away the bark on more than a dozen trees. He said he used a can of tree pruning sealer to cover the wounds. The whole purpose was to prevent trees from being lost," said Thomas, who works for the U.S. Coast Guard. "What if I saved the trees? What if the other nine I did not spray died and the ones I treated lived? He said a tree is worth more than gold in his native state, Colorado. Thomas said he'll ask a judge to dismiss the ticket for "good Samaritan reasons. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images Toyota leads donations to Republican members of Congress who voted against the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election results in January, according to a new report from Axios. The automotive company has given a total of 37 separate times for a total of $55,000 donated since January 6, 2021, the day of insurrection on the U.S Capitol. The company donated nearly twice as much (and to nearly five times more members of Congress) than the No. 2 top giver, Cubic Corp., a defense contractor based in San Diego. Read a headline containing the phrase "labor shortage," and you may picture a scene like this: a bustling economy with open jobs, full of restaurants, bars, and busy shops, but not enough people to staff them. Texas-based American Airlines is the most recent subject of those headlines. Hundreds of flights, including some at San Antonio International Airport, have been canceled due to both bad weather and "labor shortages." But read beyond the beginning of articles like this on the airline and hundreds of other companies and you'll find a different story. With the pandemic easing and masks pilling up in landfills, this summer has been branded as the "The Summer of Quitting," by the Atlantic. Salaried professionals in Texas and all over the U.S. are handing in job resignations while hourly employees are sometimes simply walking off jobs, often with to-the-point messages that have gone viral, in what could be described as organizing in the digital age. RELATED: Hollywood celebs are moving to Texas. But there's more to the story. The problem remains that major companies aren't lacking qualified candidates or an available labor force, but living wages. Are there workers available? Yes. Do they want to work for an outdated wage? No. American Airlines responded to a lack of staff amid the summer travel surge by finally raising its wage to $15 an hour. OK that's a start. But workers have been fighting for a decade for a $15 minimum wage, which hasn't been increased since 2009 when it hit (and stayed at) $7.25 per hour, according to the Department of Labor. Meanwhile, the cost of living has continued to climb. In San Antonio, our robust tourism industry is suffering as a result. A recent report from the Express-News highlights the difficulty local hospitality groups are having filling positions. During a June 23 job fair, only about 200 prospective employees showed up for on-the-spot interviews at area resorts and hotels with" hundreds of jobs" to fill. One company tried to entice new hires with pay of $5.50 an hour plus tips, while housekeepers "could" earn $15 an hour. Texas A&M researcher and professor Anthony Klotz described what's happening now, and what Texas is seeing, as the possibly the biggest employment shift since the industrial revolution. Rather continue to accept the reality of too much work for too little, a concept that has been disgustingly normalized since the advent of the Great Recession, workers are rising up, whether that means leaving jobs that they've been miserable in during the pandemic, or refusing to accept wages that couldn't even offset needed resources, like childcare, if they returned to the workforce. RELATED: Opinion: America, the idea, is lost Unemployed Texans recently lost federal unemployment aid after our governor opted out of the benefit. While Abbott may think he's motivating people back to work, the fact remains that Texans and Americans are weary, as our daily outlook continues to look grim despite the positive moves on Wall Street. Just as Klotz cited the industrial revolution as a catalyst for workers rising up, it appears a new social media-fueled industrial revolution may be here and it doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. Bedford, PA (15522) Today Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 85F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low near 65F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. The U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime could not have stated it more clearly in a report released last month: Production of synthetic drugs is surging in Southeast Asia. Every day somewhere in the region, it seems, authorities are making major seizures of methamphetamines. On June 19 alone, Thai police intercepted 1.2 tons of heroin and methamphetamines destined for Malaysia; two weeks later, they seized 300 kilograms of crystal meth and 140 kilos of heroin. The long-term economic ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and an intractable crisis caused by the coup detat in Myanmar on Feb. 1 will exacerbate the threat from the regional production and trade in illicit narcotics. And that will pose an enormous challenge to governance, anti-corruption, and rule of law in even the strongest states in Southeast Asia, let alone the more poorly governed ones. According to the recent report by the U.N.s counter-narcotics office (UNODC), seizures of methamphetamines across Southeast Asia went from under 10,000 kilograms in 2011 to over 140,000 kilograms in 2020 a 14-fold increase. Theres no sign of this letting up. In the first two months of 2021, Thai officials seized 14 million pills. Meanwhile, the street price of meth has fallen to its lowest level in a decade. That means only one thing: while more is being seized, even more is getting through. Golden Triangle Myanmars border region with Thailand has been the epicenter of regional meth production since 2014, after Chinese officials cracked down on domestic meth production. Since then, there have been fundamental changes. Among these, major criminal groups are setting up shop in Shan and Kachin States. The labs are also getting larger, churning out millions of pills per production run. In addition, more precursors are being sourced locally. In 2014, UNODC notes, there were only three major varieties of synthetic drugs being produced in the region, but in 2019, there were 28. Even the arrest of major syndicate heads like Tse Chi Lop, the head of Sam Gor, in the Netherlands in January 2021, had no discernible impact; others have quickly filled the vacuum. Pandemics impact The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled the sales of illicit drugs, for several reasons. First, it has helped to develop new markets. With border closures and gummed-up global supply chains resulting in a sharp decrease in shipping and flights, syndicates have had to reduce exports to more lucrative markets in Australia, Japan, and the West. In their stead, they have developed new markets in Southeast Asia. From May to December 2020, after COVID lockdowns were imposed, 18,651 kilos of crystal meth and 25.5 million meth tablets were seized in Thailand, Myanmar, and Malaysia alone, according to the U.N. Second, few governments are looking adept at this time because the pandemic has taken a toll on governance in many countries. If nothing else, the governments are consumed with vaccine rollouts, which have been very slow, so that they can restart their economies. Remember that every economy in the region, except for Vietnam, contracted in 2020. Economic forecasts for 2021 by the Asian Development Bank and other international financial institutions were over confident. They failed to take into account the slow rollout of vaccines and the rapid spread of the highly contagious Delta strain of the coronavirus. Most governments can usually cope with one or two crises at a time; a third overwhelms them. And theyll have to do this with a smaller tax base due to the economic contractions. Third, for the sake of economic growth, governments will turn a blind eye to the trade in the licit chemical precursors moving across their borders, even though these should be closely scrutinized. Fourth, we need to consider the long-term economic impacts of the pandemic. In a region known for some of the highest rates of economic disparity, prolonged lockdowns have led to the collapse of the middle class. Millions of people will fall into poverty. The pandemic has increased the marginalization of groups like migrant workers and ethnic minorities. Impact of Myanmar coup The border regions that are contested between the ethnic armed organizations and the Burmese military (the Tatmadaw) is where the vast majority of the regions methamphetamines are produced. As such, the February 2021 coup will have profound implications for the regional supply of illicit narcotics. While many of Myanmars Ethnic Armed Insurgencies (EAOs) have joined the National Unity Government in exile, and have stepped up attacks on the Tatmadaw, some have not, hoping that the junta, facing multiple fronts, will be more willing to cut autonomy deals. More important, they expect that the internationally sanctioned and cash-strapped junta will allow them to churn out illegal narcotics; getting their share in the process. Even EAOs opposed to the junta and supportive of the NUG are also likely to allow the trade to grow within their borders so that they can tax it, in order to support their war efforts. With an influx of civilians from the cities, organizing the Peoples Defense Forces requires money. Either way, a surge in production is expected and not only in the manufacturing of synthetic drugs. The UNODC is concerned that the coup could result in a reversal of progress in combating opium and heroin production. The agency estimated that in 2020, only 405 metric tons of opium were produced in Myanmar, half the production in 2013. Recent seizures have included large amounts of heroin. So while production may be down from historic levels, it is not irreversible, especially with the collapse of the Myanmar economy. Governance under threat So what does this mean for regional governance and security? First of all, the amount of money is breathtaking. UNODC estimates that criminal gangs in the region raked in more than $100 billion in profits in 2020, up from $71 billion in 2019, between drug trafficking, smuggling, money laundering, and other crime. To put that into perspective, thats more than the GDP of Myanmar and Laos combined, and one third the gross domestic product of Vietnams booming economy. That volume of money can have deleterious effects; a corrupting influence on state institutions, law enforcement, customs, and the courts. One only has to look at Honduras or Guatemala to understand the long-term impact of narco-money on state institutions. And in poorly governed or contested regions, the ability to root out drug syndicates, who thrive on weak governance, is a decades-long effort. The longer syndicates operate in a region, the harder it will be to dislodge them. Finally, governments under pressure to respond look to easy but performative solutions, which both fail to stem the problem and undermine the rule of law. The use of security forces as extrajudicial hit squads in Thailand under Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra or in the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte are cases in point. In neither case did drug trafficking decrease; just the opposite. Instead, it quickly undermined the rule of law, due process, and trust in the government and security forces. Once political leaders unleash their security forces and turn them into vigilantes, its hard to put that genie back in the bottle; and its all too easy for them to begin to use those hit squads against political rivals, all in the name of their war on drugs. Zachary Abuza is a professor at the National War College in Washington and an adjunct at Georgetown University. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Defense, the National War College, Georgetown University or BenarNews. The Mohakhali slum in Dhaka is one of more than 6,000 slum areas in Bangladeshs capital city, June 7, 2021. NGOs in Bangladesh for the first time have undertaken measures to attract the half a million people displaced every year by climate change to smaller cities instead of the capital Dhaka. With assistance from abroad, BRAC, Bangladeshs largest NGO, set up the Climate Bridge Fund to help improve slum conditions in five smaller cities and towns so that displaced people dont have to move to the overcrowded capital, said Md. Golam Rabbani, head of the funds secretariat. With the financial assistance of the German Development Bank, we in November 2019 launched the Climate Bridge Fund to improve the conditions of the slums in Khulna and Rajshahi cities so that the climate victims of nearby regions do not end up in slums in Dhaka, Rabbani told BenarNews. This year, the project was expanded to three more cities Barishal, Satkhira and Sirajganj he said. With this fund, we have been working to improve the infrastructures at the slums so that people can get better water, sanitation and hygiene services. We will also train them to create livelihood opportunities in these cities, Rabbani said. The International Center for Climate Change and Development, a Dhaka-based NGO, has been providing research and technical services to BRAC and other local organizations associated with the project. In South Asia, Bangladesh is the country most vulnerable to climate change, said Mizan R. Khan, the centers deputy director. Every year, half a million people displaced by the consequences of climate change and other disasters take refuge in different slums in Dhaka, he told BenarNews. By 2050, the number of people displaced by climate change may stand at 13.2 million as sea level rises would inundate 18 percent of coastal land in Bangladesh. The refugees would surely end up in the slums. A 2014 report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change identified Bangladesh as being at risk from climate change because of its exposure to sea-level rise, extreme weather events and concentrated poverty. Bangladeshs population at risk of sea level rise is predicted to grow to 27 million by 2050, the report also said. Dhaka cannot absorb migrants Meanwhile, the number of slum dwellers is rising in the country. In 2014, Dhaka had 6,489 slums, Chittagong had 3,305 and Khulna had 1,684. More than 2.22 million people in the country lived in the slums in 2014 compared with nearly 1.4 million in the 1997 census. These numbers have increased since 2014, Khan said. Until 2019, some 4 million people gradually ended up in the slums in Dhaka and elsewhere, he said. Dhaka can no longer absorb any more migrants. Mirza Shawkat Ali, chief of the climate-change office at the Department of Environment, said the government had yet to plan for the relocation of people displaced by climate change and natural disasters. Climate change would displace a huge number of people in Bangladesh and we have to give them shelter, Ali told BenarNews. So the BRAC initiative of absorbing the climate refugees in other cities is commendable one, we will certainly consider working with the NGOs in this regard. Climate migrants prefer to live near the regions they grew up in, Khan said. The desire of the [climate] refugees is to live in cities closer to their place of birth so livelihood opportunities and better services and education would encourage the climate victims of greater Khulna region to live in Khulna or Satkhira, he said. Similarly, if we can provide livelihood opportunities and better services at slums in Rajshahi, the people affected by drought will not head to Dhaka. They will live in Rajshahi. Aktarul Sana, 35, moved to Khulna city from her nearby coastal village home in Dakshin Bedkashi following Cyclone Sidr in November 2007. Our village is not livable anymore. Saline water intruded there and we had no work, so we have moved to Khulna city, she told BenarNews. Here my husband works as a mason, we can live well now. Improved services at slums would help poor people. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (right) reacts as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov talks during their meeting in Jakarta, July 6, 2021. Russia strongly supports diplomatic efforts by the ASEAN regional bloc to end the post-coup crisis in Myanmar, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during talks in Jakarta with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi on Tuesday. Moscows top diplomat also took a veiled shot at the Washington-led Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) on the Indo-Pacific, saying the four-member group was attempting to undermine the centrality or lead role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the region. We reiterated our strong support for the ASEAN five principles, Lavrov said in a joint press statement after talks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. He was referring to a five-point consensus that Southeast Asian leaders hammered out during a special summit on Myanmar in late April. In our contacts with Myanmar leaders, military leaders, we promote the position of ASEAN which should be, in our view, considered as a basis for resolving this crisis and bring the situation back to normalcy, Lavrov said. In a coup on Feb. 1, the Burmese military toppled the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Since then, nearly 900 people have been killed by the military and police during daily anti-junta protests in the country, according to human rights groups. The ASEAN consensus, reached during the summit in Jakarta on April 24, called for the appointment of a special envoy from the regional bloc to Myanmar, as well as an immediate end to the violence, among other points. Retno, for her part, reiterated the importance of acting on the consensus. This requires the commitment of Myanmar military to cooperate with other ASEAN member countries to follow up on the five-point consensus, she said. More than two months since the summit, though, violence by Myanmars security forces continues and there is no sign of an ASEAN envoy, with critics saying the regional bloc squandered any momentum it had achieved in dealing with the crisis. Positions of Russia and ASEAN coincide An ASEAN envoys appointment was expected, Lavrov told an Indonesian daily in an interview Tuesday, according to a transcript published online by the Russian foreign ministry. An envoy from the bloc, coupled with Russias and ASEANs coinciding positions on how to approach the crisis in Myanmar especially on the issue of imposing sanctions would give additional impetus to joint efforts on Myanmar, he said. The positions of Russia and ASEAN also coincide when it comes to the rejection of unilateral sanctions, the rhetoric of threats and any attempts to interfere in Myanmars internal affairs, Lavrov told Indonesian newspaper Rakyat Merdeka. Sanctions are destructive and can only increasingly polarize society and aggravate internal differences, he said. We have a negative attitude to the continued attempts made by some states to use multilateral venues, including the U.N., to incite confrontation during the discussions of the developments in Myanmar. Last month, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on Myanmars military to restore democratic rule, and urging member states to prevent the flow of arms to the country. But ASEAN member-states Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand abstained from the vote, a sign that the regional bloc remained divided on the issue. Russia and China also abstained, with the former saying the resolution would not contribute to resolving the crisis in Myanmar. Like Russia, China has also said it opposes sanctions on Myanmar and supports the ASEAN approach. For international relations expert Dinna Prapto Raharja, Russian or Chinese support for ASEAN was unlikely to change things in Myanmar. Russia is a significant arms supplier to Myanmar. Russia has become one of Chinas competitors in terms of providing weapons to the military junta in Myanmar, Dinna told BenarNews. In my opinion, the current situation is still deadlocked as far as leadership change in Myanmar is concerned, and as a result, uncertainty about the protection of civil society in Myanmar will persist. Another analyst said ASEAN was only concerned about regional stability. As long as theres stability, and it has the support of external partners that under these circumstances ASEAN remains united, it is enough, Gilang Kembara, an international relations researcher at the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, told BenarNews. The issue of who will lead Myanmar or who will be the special envoy takes a back seat. Dividing lines In emphasizing ASEANs centrality, Lavrov seemed to take aim at Washington. He said there were attempts to create dividing lines that undercut ASEANs lead role in the region an apparent reference to the U.S.-led Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) on the Indo-Pacific, an alliance which Beijing has branded as anti-China. The Quad consists of the U.S., India, Japan and Australia. We pointed out that there was no alternative to the integration principles of ASEAN, Lavrov said. We also said that we saw attempts to create overlapping mechanisms and draw dividing lines. These activities involve non-regional players that dont uphold the principles that ASEAN established in the past decades. Two weeks ago, Lavrov had said that the Quad countries were not even hiding their goals vis-a-vis ASEAN. The Quads Indo-Pacific strategy was designed to blatantly belittle the constructive and unifying role of ASEAN in the region in order to reformat it for the purpose of containing China and isolating Russia, Lavrov said at the Moscow Conference on International Security on June 24. However, the U.S., the European Union and the Group of Seven Nations (G7) have consistently and repeatedly stressed the centrality of ASEAN in the region, including in the crisis in Myanmar. Lavrov arrived in Indonesia on Monday as part of a Southeast Asian tour, which also took him to Brunei. After Jakarta, he was scheduled to visit Laos. Troops recovered black boxes from a Philippine Air Force transport plane that crashed and burst into flames on Jolo Island over the weekend, killing dozens of servicemen on board and three civilians on the ground, the military chief said Tuesday. One soldier died on Monday night, bringing the death toll from Sundays crash of the C-130 to 50 troops, including the planes crew, officials said. In addition, 46 soldiers and four civilians were injured when the plane overshot the runway and crashed while trying to land. The planes cockpit-voice recorder and flight-data recorder often referred to as black boxes were found at 11 a.m. Monday, said Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, who heads the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Right now it is being studied by aircraft investigators who are listening to the last conversations of the pilot and crew, Sobejana said, referring to the voice recorder. The flight-data recorder will be handed over to experts in the United States to retrieve information, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said. The latest casualty from the crash died after sustaining chemical burns to the face, Sobejana told a Manila radio station. The soldier may have also inhaled smoke that aggravated his condition, he said. Some of those who perished were burned beyond recognition, he said. On Tuesday, Sobejana told BenarNews that he had heard different accounts about the crash. I spoke with the passengers the survivors at the military hospital in Zamboanga and was told that the plane bounced three times, he said. After the third bounce it zigzagged and managed to pull back up, but did not gain altitude. The wing hit a tree and exploded, banked to the right and crashed. Others, meanwhile, said only one landing gear was seen going down, but maybe this is just from their line of sight. Sobejana paid tribute to unknown Jolo civilians who were among those who pulled survivors from the burning plane, the deadliest crash in Philippine air force history. The military chief said investigators remained at the crash site. The plane was carrying eight crew members and 88 soldiers who were on their way to join the fight against Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim militant group that operates on Jolo, an island in far-southern Sulu province. We are waiting for the results, they are looking at everything, he said. They are also interviewing witnesses, and a one-kilometer radius around the area where debris is being collected has been cordoned. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana visits survivors at a military hospital in Zamboanga, July 6, 2021. [Philippine Department of National Defense handout] Lorenzana, the defense secretary, traveled with President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday to nearby Zamboanga, where some of the bodies of the dead were taken and survivors were hospitalized. Burn specialists were flown there to help treat the survivors, officials said, adding that some remained in critical condition. I have no words to capture how I feel about the recent tragedies that befell the AFP, Lorenzana said, using an acronym for Armed Forces of the Philippines. No compensation can repay our soldiers supreme sacrifices. We owe them a debt of gratitude that is perpetual we can only try by emulating their courage and passion in what we do. The crash was the latest in a series involving military and police aircraft. In June, six soldiers were killed when a newly acquired Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a night training exercise. The crashed airplane was one of five C-130s in the Philippine Air Force fleet. Two others were being serviced out of the country while the remaining two have been grounded, pending an investigation. Sobejana said Duterte had ordered the air force to ensure that all its aircraft should be in good shape all the time. We cannot afford to have similar incidents in the future, that should be the last, Sobejana said. Rappler executive editor Maria Ressa (center) talks to reporters after the Manila Regional Trial Court found her guilty of cyber libel, June 15, 2020. Reporters Without Borders has included the leaders of the Philippines, Thailand and Bangladesh on its updated list of predators of press freedom, with Manila and Dhaka pushing back on Tuesday by dismissing the Paris-based advocacy groups criticism as baseless. The names of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are part of a gallery of leaders from across the globe who, in the eyes of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), have trampled on press freedom in some way or another. The 2021 edition of the predators of press freedom gallery has 37 heads of state and government, nearly half (17) of whom are on it for the first time, five years after the previous list published in 2016, RSF said in a statement. All are heads of state or government who impose a massive repression, through the establishment of censorship apparatus, arbitrary imprisonment of journalists, incitement to violence against them, when they do not have journalists' blood on their hands to have directly or indirectly pushed to their assassination. For the first time, the list included two women Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh and Carrie Lam, the chief executive of Hong Kong. Seven of the 37 leaders on the latest list have retained their places since RSF first published the list in 2001. The Philippines Duterte has an arsenal that he uses to wage total war against the countrys journalists, RSF said. The arsenal includes spurious charges of defamation, tax evasion or violation of capital legislation; rescinding broadcast licenses; getting accomplices to buy up media outlets and bring their journalists into line; and using an army of trolls to subject journalists to online harassment, RSF said. Dutertes spokesman shot back, saying the accusation was absolutely bereft of merit. Spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte did not file a single libel case against anyone, and no journalist has been sent to jail by the president. However, Maria Ressa, the editor of popular online news site Rappler, which has been highly critical of Duterte, was convicted last year of cyber libel. Duterte allies in Congress also voted to shut down ABS-CBN Corp., a network that has questioned the presidents bloody drug war. Roque defended the congressional decision on ABS-CBN and the ruling on Rappler, saying Duterte had nothing to do with them. RSF really have no basis that the president is a media predator, Roque said. Thailands Lese-Majeste In Thailand, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-chas arsenal includes a tailor-made weapon for cracking down on independent media, RSF said. That weapon, RSF said, is Lese-Majeste, the countrys draconian law that guards against royal defamation and which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years per count. After seizing power, Prayuth extended the laws applicability to national security, which is tried by military court, RSF said, referring to the 2014 coup detat led by Prayuth, the army chief at the time. The law no longer concerns just criticism of Thailands absolute monarchy but also comments about the armed forces, the government ... or even the kings dog. This has led to self-censorship reigning in Thailand, because recalcitrant journalists know they could be fired if they fail to toe the government line, RSF said. Beginning in November 2020, at least 97 people have been charged with Lese-Majeste after Prayuth vowed to exercise all pertaining laws against youth-led anti-government demonstrations. Since July 2020, protesters have been demanding that Prayuth resign, the military-backed constitution be rewritten and the monarchy be reformed. On Tuesday, a spokesman for the Thai government declined to comment on Prayuths RSF listing. Bangladesh: Totally false In Bangladesh, Prime Minister Hasinas tool of choice in going after the press is the Digital Security Act (DSA), which has led to the prosecution of more than 70 journalists and bloggers since it was passed in 2018, RSF said. Packed with deliberately vague wording, it is the ultimate weapon for getting journalists to censor themselves, the watchdog group said. Online content liable to disturb public order is punishable by seven years in prison while negative propaganda against (...) the Father of the Nation Sheikh Hasinas own father is punishable by 14 years in prison. The government has used the act to target its critics, RSF said. It noted the case of businessman and writer Mushtaq Ahmed who was arrested under the Digital Security Act and died in February following 10 months in jail for anti-government remarks. Ahmed had been refused bail six times following his arrest the last time two days before his death. He was arrested after he published an article on Facebook criticizing a shortage of personal- protective equipment for health care workers amid the coronavirus pandemic. Mustafa Jabbar, minister of Post and Telecommunication, rejected RSFs listing of Hasina as a leader preying on the press. He denied that her government was abusing the Digital Security Act. It is totally false. I do not recall any incident of misuse of the Digital Security Act. Rather, the government is facing trouble for misuse of the online platforms by anti-state and radical groups, he told BenarNews. On the contrary, anti-state, anarchist, communal and extremist people are using online platforms to carry out heinous propaganda, Jabbar said. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Partly cloudy skies early with heavy thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 81F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near an inch.. Tonight Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Investigations editor Larry Parnass, investigations editor, joined The Eagle in 2016 from the Daily Hampshire Gazette, where he was editor in chief. His freelance work has appeared in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Hartford Courant and CommonWealth Magazine. Reporter Greta Jochem, a Report for America Corps member, joined the Eagle in 2021. Previously, she was a reporter at the Daily Hampshire Gazette. She is also a member of the investigations team. You can find her on Twitter @greta_h_jochem. You are the owner of this article. Clarence Fanto can be reached at cfanto@yahoo.com, on Twitter @BE_cfanto or at 413-637-2551. Naturi Naughton is coming to Phylicia Rashads defense over her recent celebration of Bill Cosbys release from prison. Taking to her Instagram Story on Monday (July 5), the 3LW singer wrote, "Why are Black People so quick to #Cancel each other!" Naughton went on to say that she sides with the current Howard professor and former Cosby Show actress, and closed with the hashtag, #TheCosbyShowChangedLives." Former Minneapolis police officers Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane have been cleared to face third-degree aiding and abetting murder charges for their involvement in the death of George Floyd. According to the Associated Press, a Minnesota appeals court issued a ruling on June 30 reversing an order from Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill denying prosecutors motion to add the charge against Kueng, Lane and Thao. RELATED: Derek Chauvin Verdict: Guilty On All Counts In Death of George Floyd Previously, Thao, Kueng and Lane were charged with aiding and abetting convicted ex-cop Chauvin in committing second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter of George Floyd. In October, Cahill dismissed the third-degree murder charge. This ruling from the Minnesota appeals court will now go back to Cahill. Derek Chauvin, who for more than nine minutes held his knee to George Floyds neck, was convicted on all counts of murder and manslaughter. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison. BET has been covering every angle of the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks and other social justice cases and the subsequent aftermath and protests. For our continuing coverage, click here ---------------- Editor's note: An earlier version of this story erroneously reported that Lane, Thao and Keung were charged with third-degree murder. In actuality, they were cleared to face third-degree aiding and abetting murder charges. U.S. sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson has failed a drug test and will now miss participating in the 100-meter dash at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. President Joe Biden sounded off on the story, which has become international news. Biden told reporters in Michigan on July 3, "Rules are the rules. Everybody knows what the rules are going in. Whether they should remain that way, whether that should remain the rule, is a different issue. Rules are rules. He also added, "And I was really proud of the way she responded." See below: Call ahead to confirm events. Due to COVID-19, many events have been canceled but hosting organizations might not have updated their entries. Email Blast Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Daily News Headlines & Events Email Blast Would you like to receive a digest of each day's headlines & events from The Daily News by email? Signup today! The Amplifier Headlines & Events Email Blast Would you like to receive a weekly digest of headlines & events from The Amplifier by email? Signup today! Daily News Hosted Events The Daily News is a proud host of community enrichment events. Join our Daily News Events mailing list to learn about the next event we are planning. Sign up now. Manage your lists Spearfish, SD (57783) Today A shower or two possible this morning with partly cloudy skies for the afternoon. High 69F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 56F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Spearfish, SD (57783) Today Thunderstorms this morning, then partly cloudy during the afternoon hours. High near 70F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 56F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Who Were the Sons of Jacob in the Bible? In Genesis 28:1-5, we learn the beginning of Jacobs history apart from his parents as they send him to Padam-aram to his maternal uncle, Laban to settle and find a wife. On his way, the Lord speaks to Jacob in a dream. In it, He tells Jacob He is the Lord and the God of Abraham his father and the God of Isaac. The land upon which he lay is what God will give to him and his offspring, which will be like the dust of the earth. He also tells Jacob in him and his offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed. Thats a mighty promise. Jacob worshiped the Lord when he awoke, and he promised he would give back a 10th of all God gave him. After Jacob arrived at his Uncle Labans, he fell in love with Rachel when he met her at the shepherds well (Genesis 29:9-14). Jacob offered to serve Laban seven years in exchange for Rachels hand in marriage. Laban, craftier than Jacob, promised him Rachel, but because tradition dictated the younger was not given before the eldest daughter, he tricked Jacob and sent Leah to him on his wedding night. When confronted about his trickery, Laban agreed to give Rachel to Jacob after the first week of his marriage to Leah. This was based on the condition Jacob would work another seven years for Rachel also. So began a game of wills between the two sisters to win Jacobs love. The sons of Jacob in order of birth (and to whom) are as follows: Leah gives birth to (1) Reuben, (2) Simeon, (3) Levi, and (4) Judah. Then Rachel gives Bilhah, her servant girl to Jacob, so that she may give birth on my behalf (Genesis 30:3). Bilhah bore (5) Dan and (6) Naphtali. When Leah realized she ceased bearing Jacobs sons (for the moment), she gave her servant, Zilpah to Jacob and she bore him (7) Gad and (8) Asher. After this, Leah again conceived (twice) and gave birth to (9) Issachar and (10) Zebulun. Rachel finally received the blessing of conception (God has taken away my reproachGenesis 30:23) and gave birth to (11) Joseph and (12) Benjamin, whom she bore as she died. What Were the Blessings Given to Each of the Sons of Jacob? When Jacob (Israel) was about to die, he called his 12 sons to his side to tell them what would happen in days to come (Genesis 49:1). We will look at the whole of what he said to them as recorded in the Bible (Genesis 49: 3-27). To Reuben (whose name means, See, a son), Jacob said, Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the first fruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your fathers bed; then you defiled ithe went up to my couch! (The account of Reuben laying with his fathers concubine, Bilhah, is in Genesis 35:2.2. As a result, his blessing went to Josephs two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.) To Simeon (Simeon sounds like the Hebrew word, heard) and Levi (Levi sounds like the Hebrew word, attached), Jacob said, Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. (The account of how Simeon and Levi led the charge of the brothers to kill the men of Shechem after the rulers son defiled their sister, Dinah, may be found in Genesis 33:18-34:31). Judah (Judahs name sounds like the Hebrew word, praise) received this blessing: Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your fathers sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lions cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he couched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the rulers staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Binding his foal to the vine and his donkeys colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. (Jesus is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The lineage leading to Jesus goes through Judah. Jacob spoke prophecy in blessing Judah). To Zebulun (Zebulun sounds like the Hebrew word honor): Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon (In Joshua 19:11, a brook from Zebuluns territory extends to the sea, fulfilling this blessing). To Issachar (Issachar sounds like the Hebrew word, wages or hire): Issachar is a strong donkey, crouching between these sheepfolds. He saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant at forced labor (Issachars tribe was hard-working, tough, vigorous, and unfaltering, living up to this blessing). Jacob spoke to Dan (Dan sounds like the Hebrew word, judged) Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horses heels so that his rider falls backward. I wait for your salvation, O LORD (Dans tribe indeed judged, but were not known for their moral standing nor religious righteousness). Gad (Gad sounds like the Hebrew for good fortune) received this blessing: Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels. The Gadites were known as mighty men of valor. Ashers (Asher sounds like the Hebrew raiders and raid) blessing was: Ashers food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies. (Ashers family prospered in Egypt). To Naphtali (Naphtali sounds like the Hebrew wrestling), Jacob decreed, Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns (Naphtalis military skill was marked by deer-like speed and dexterity). Joseph (Joseph means May he add and sounds like the Hebrew taken away) received the lengthiest blessing from his father (Joseph was his favorite). Joseph is a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall. The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely, yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the beasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers (No other son received such direct references to our sovereign God, Whom Joseph revered in all his ways. There is history of cruelty by his brothers and captors and prophecy in this blessing). Lastly, to Benjamin (Benjamin means son of the right hand), Jacob had these words: Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil. (Benjamins small tribe was war-like, and they made a shameless defense of their evil in Gibeah (Judg. 19; 20). Israels first king (Saul, 1 Samuel 9:1-2) was of the tribe of Benjamin, as was the apostle Paul (Philippians 3:5). Why Is the Number 12 Important in the Bible? 12 princes (Genesis 17:20), 12 sons of Jacob (Genesis 35:22), 12 tribes of Israel (Genesis 49:28), 12 springs of water at Elim (Exodus 15:27), 12 pillars erected by Moses, according to the 12 tribes of Israel (Exodus 24:4), 12 jewels in the high priests breastplate (Exodus 28:21), 12 bulls (Numbers 7:84, 12 silver plates (Numbers 7:87), 12 apostles (Matthew 10:2), 12 gates (Revelation 21:21). What is up with all these 12s? The above list is only a portion of the 161 times the number 12 is mentioned in 144 verses in the ESV Bible. The notable 12s list starts with the 12 sons of Jacob who became the 12 tribes of Israel and ends with 12 kinds of fruit on the tree of life (Revelation 22:2). Only the numbers three (388 times in 343 verses in the ESV), seven (373 times in 312 verses in the ESV), and one (as seen in John 10:30: 345 times in 288 verses in the ESV) are recorded more. With such a preponderance, does the number 12 have any significance beyond its numerical value? Looking at what the Bible says, we can conclude 12 is simply the number God chose. But because He chose it, we can refer to itin all likelihoodas a covenantal number. Its an association that harkens back to Gods covenant with His chosen people. Its not the number itself, its a reference to Gods covenantal peoplethe nation of Israel. Isaiah 2:5-6, Jeremiah 2:4, Amos 9:8, Obadiah 1:17-18, and Luke 1:33 (among other passages) all speak of the house of Jacob, which is a direct reference to the 12 sons of Jacob (the 12 tribes). Because the 12 sons of Jacob became the 12 tribesGods covenantal peoplethe 12 stones on the high priests breastplate of course represent Gods promise to them (Genesis 28:12-15). It starts with the 12 tribes and ends with the 12 gates with 12 pearls representing the tribes and the 12 kinds of fruit. The important thing is its easy to remember, when we read the number 12 in the notable passages, that its of God and not of man. Nowhere in Scripture is 12 called a perfect number, although some try to associate the numbers with numerology (the belief in a divine or supernatural relationship between a number and coordinating events), yet this is seen nowhere in the Bible. The closest we get is Revelation 13:8, which says the number of man is 666. This is clear and no mystical or strange correlation need be applied. One must apply solid hermeneutical methods (hermeneutics is principles of proper biblical interpretation) when looking at Scripture. What Can We Learn from Jacob's Sons? The story of Jacob (Israel) takes up a huge chunk of Genesis (Genesis 25:26-50:21). Many lessons can be gleaned from the sons of Jacob, including: Actions equal consequencesReuben defiled his fathers bed and forfeited his rights as the eldest son. Simeons and Levis tribes were scattered because of their willful massacre of the men of Shechem. A look at each sons history shows the consequences. Dont play favorites with childrenJacob learned this through his sons scorn of Joseph. They sold him into slavery out of spite and jealousy (Genesis 37:25). God always works His willJoseph, though scorned and abandoned to slavery by his brothers was used mightily by God in the redemption of the nation of Israel (Genesis 39-50). Judah and Tamar are in the lineage of Jesus, despite Judahs sinful action toward her (Genesis 38). The lessons are numerous. A thorough study of the sons of Jacob reveals life lessons for all who take heed. Photo credit: GettyImages/digitalskillet Lisa Loraine Baker is a rock & roll girl who loves Jesus. She and her husband, Stephen, inhabit their home as the Newlyweds of Minerva with crazy cat, Lewis. Lisa is co-author of the non-fiction narrative, Someplace to be Somebody (End Game Press, spring 2022). She has also written for Lighthouse Bible Studies, and CBN.com, BIG RAPIDS Artworks is currently featuring the works of five internationally known artists. The pieces come from the special collection of Charmaine Lucas and each is for sale. The collection includes artists Paul Collins, Leonardo Nierman, John Nieto, Vic Runnels, and J.D. Challenger. Rozanne Cullen, a volunteer gallery coordinator for Artworks, said that featuring the collection was a new opportunity for the organization, which aims to vitalize the community through the arts and humanities. This is an unusual opportunity for Artworks. Charmaine Lucas approached us about selling her collection of Native American Art," Cullen said. "These pieces are all by well-known artists and have certificates of authenticity. We try to provide our community with opportunities to be exposed to art that they might not normally see. Except for Paul Collins, who is a well-known Michigan artist, most of these artists are from the west and southwest of the country and are well known in that sphere. Paul Collins was an internationally known artist whose career spanned five decades. Born in Muskegon, he exhibited in some of the most prestigious museums and galleries and is credited with over 100 exhibitions. Artworks has his portrait Suzzie Uzzie and Showdown at Wounded Knee on exhibit and for sale. Cullen said the art differentiates greatly in style, and that the gallery has 3-D pieces that are for sale like drums, a breast plate, a medicine pouch and more. The range in styles of this show is also varied, ranging from realism to expressionism to abstract, Cullen said. Another featured artist, Leonardo Nierman, is a Mexican Artist born in 1932. Leonardo Nierman's paintings vibrantly come to life as they capture the intensity and spontaneity of the dynamic forces that rule both nature and the cosmos. His full career includes numerous distinctions, awards, and exhibitions. Artworks has three pieces from the series Poems of Fire by Mr. Nierman on exhibit and for sale. The gallerys third artist in the series, John Nieto, was born in Denver, CO in 1936. He grew up in New Mexico and went on to study fine art at Southern Methodist University in Dallas during the late 1950s. After finishing school, he traveled to Paris where he first saw the Fauvist paintings of Henri Matisse and Andre Derain. Artworks has five pieces by Mr. Nieto on exhibit and for sale: Song of the Eagles Wing Buffalo at Sunset Unnamed Wolf Wolf and Unnamed Eagle. Fourth in the lineup, Vic Runnels was born on Dec. 15, 1935 at Batesland on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Runnels attended public school in Gordon Nebraska for most of his school years, graduating from Pine Ridge High School. Inspired by the work of artists Oscar Howe and Andrew Standing Soldier, Vic Runnels began to study art in the early 1960s. Cullen said the organization is excited to offer an exhibit that celebrates Native American art, and they believe it is important to support media that support and exemplify Native American culture. Native American culture is an important part of Michigan life, Cullen said. The more we know and come to respect other cultures, the wiser we become. Art is a means of cultural expression so by viewing the art of a culture we learn about the culture, the values, and the current issues that impact the culture. The exhibits last featured artist, J.D. Challenger, was born in Oklahoma. He paints the story of a people rich in heritage and traditions. Artworks has his works Song of the Eagles Wing" and Lost Spirit Horse on exhibit. Cullen said Artworks is committed to providing the community with art that breaks norms. We support our art exhibits with programming that seeks to expand the conversation about the art being shown, Cullen said. Its not just about the art in isolation, but art within a tradition and breaking with tradition and within a community. Art speaks to individuals in different ways and we encourage our community to be exposed to new artists and be enriched by that experience. Artworks is also currently working on new installations for the fall, which is to feature more media that focuses on Native American arts and culture. We actually are in the midst of planning a major exhibit for October and November 2022 which will feature Michigan Native American artists who take traditional arts like beading, pottery, and weaving but add a contemporary twist, Cullen said. We are excited about offering this opportunity to the community. Cullen said that the best way to support the Native American arts and media community is simply to purchase art. Artworks is located at 106 N. Michigan Ave in Big Rapids. BIG RAPIDS If youve ever hosted an exchange student, or been one yourself, you know that programs that encourage exchange student participation can change lives. Currently, the STS Foundation, one of the largest student exchange programs is seeking families to place students with for the upcoming school year. The STS Foundation is a Department of State designated sponsor responsible for all aspects of the high school exchange program. The organization offers American families the opportunity to become citizen diplomats by welcoming an international high school student into their home. The organizations mission is to facilitate educational opportunities where all participants can break down cultural barriers, and gain respect and understanding of each others way of life. Tammy Lynn Hughes, senior regional director for the STS Foundation, said the organization has had to face issues with the COVID-19 pandemic making families hesitant to welcome foreign students into their home but have had success with many family placements. Generally American families are very open to student exchange and opening their homes to this amazing experience Hughes said. Due to the COVID issues, and changes in the last year, families have been a little more skeptical, but we still have those who love hosting helping us. We are currently still in need of volunteer families for this school year. The STS organization works with roughly 150 families in Michigan, and places 500-600 students nationally. For families hosting, the STS Foundation holds sponsored Host Family orientations that provide families with all the logistical and practical information involved when hosting a foreign exchange student. The organization is committed to facilitating a high quality program for all participants, with the sole purpose of providing students with a safe and nurturing environment where they can learn and grow, host families with the opportunity to be citizen diplomats while learning about another culture, and schools with the opportunity to enrich their educational environment. Hughes said the program ensures the comfort of students and families and can make a difference in both sets of lives. The program supervisors provide close supervision with local coordinators, never being more than 60 miles away, and meet with families monthly and in many cases more frequently. Student exchange is an experience like none other, and I speak from my own personal experience as I was too was an exchange student many years ago, Hughes said. It helps your family have a better understanding of other cultures and people, but it also makes you more aware of the quality time you spend with your own family. I see families adding their student as a family member for life and having experiences that they could never gain in any other way. Exchange brings not only culture and diversity to our schools, but also these young people are generally over achievers who apply to the program and bring their talent and academic brilliance to the school environment, she added. Normally they are interested in everything offered to them and enjoy being a part of their school environment. In a November 2020 study, The Association of International Educators reported a decline of almost 2% in the number of overall international students which is the first time that figure has dipped since the 2005-2006 academic year. The report also showed a decline in new international student enrollment for the fourth straight year, as well as a reduction in the number of jobs created/supported, on average, by international students. Colleges and universities have also seen a decrease in exchange program enrollment, with community colleges seeing an 8.3% decline since 2019. According to EducationData.org, In 2018, the total contribution to the US economy by international students was estimated to be over $45 billion. Hughes said that the loss of enrollment is unfortunate, but that she is inspired by many of the students who shes worked with, and many students and families still express interest in the programs offerings. I definitely am passionate about what I do but after nearly 30 years of work in programming, I must tell you I see promise and change in these young people, Hughes said. Ive had a student who went home and started an animal shelter as in his country there arent any. A young Muslim girl who went home married and started a womens shelter. These are two great examples of things they learned here. I have had students on program who are now in politics and making changes in their own countries, she added. The possibilities are endless. The one thing I do see is how much young people love our country and culture and the lifestyle we have here. We are a loving and giving country, and that is hard to compare with. Thats why these wonderful families open their hearts and homes to these children. Our program encourages all families, all types of families to try this program. We are changing the world one student at a time, and they too can make a difference. BIG RAPIDS Randy Cagle, a higher education leader with strong professional and personal leadership achievements, will begin as dean of Ferris State Universitys College of Arts, Sciences and Education on July 19. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Bobby Fleischman expressed pleasure in announcing the Cagle appointment. Most recently, Cagle was dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Honors Program director at Minnesota State University, Moorhead. Randys experience and success working collaboratively with faculty and community partners to advance cross-college, interdisciplinary initiatives along with his knowledge and experience engaging post-traditional and graduate learners and international partners will help advantage the entire university community, Fleischman said. At Minnesota State Moorhead, Cagles accomplishments include: Developing recruiting and curricular pathways for transfer students. Creating new interdisciplinary courses for online delivery. Spearheading efforts to create the Center for Geospatial Studies. Integration of the universitys American Bar Association-approved paralegal program into the newly organized Department of Economic, Law and Politics. Support for college programs including American Multicultural Studies, Economics, English Literature, English Writing, Integrated English in Publishing, Master of Fine Arts and Creative Writing, History, Spanish, East Asian Studies, Philosophy, Humanities, Science, International Studies, Sociology, Criminal Justice, Gerontology, and Womens and Gender Studies. Formulating MSUMs student and faculty exchange program with the University of Agder in Norway, and leading the colleges educational program through successful Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) reaccreditation. Partnering with faculty, Cagle helped create an 18-credit, online program for high school teachers to assure concurrent enrollment instructors met or exceeded the highly qualified credentialing standards set by the Higher Learning Commission. Cagle understands the transformative possibilities post-secondary education provides, as he is a first-generation college student. My mother was a school bus driver, and my father was a painter, Cagle said. Most people expected I would continue in the family business someday, as a bus driver or a general laborer. It was because of my parents encouragement and the investment of outstanding educators that I considered college and the professional opportunities this level of education unlocked for me. Cagle holds a bachelors degree in Philosophy and English from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, a masters degree in Philosophy from the University of South Carolina, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Memphis. Whether it is the industry or academia, life sciences workers are gradually accepting the fact that lab data digitisation improves processes, simplifies workflows and makes research and development (R&D) more efficient. With increasing advances in machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), digitisation in the research environment is set to become an integral part of every laboratory worldwide. But in emerging markets such as India, there are a large number of factors responsible for its slow adoption such as lack of skilled workforce, high maintenance and service costs, limited expertise, data security etc. The initiative will cover nearly 2 million slum dwellers covering 96 slums of Mumbai and Pune Piramal Swasthya, the healthcare philanthropic arm of Piramal Foundation and MUFG Bank have launched SAMARTH (Mobile Health Services initiative in Maharashtra). The initiative aims to enable better public health care delivery through mobile medical units (MMUs) to nearly two million residents of 96 urban slums of Mumbai and Pune. The key objective of this initiative is to address key healthcare requirements such as Mother and Child Health (MCH) and Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) management to ensure continuous access to critical health services. Children, as well as adults, would be the key beneficiaries of the programme where services like technology-enabled specialist consultations, laboratory examinations and medicines will be provided free of cost through MMUs. In addition to this, SAMARTH will provide support in COVID-19 pandemic management through awareness generation, tracking, active surveillance and follow up at quarantine facilities. MMUs in project SAMARTH are equipped with a telemedicine facility. The MMUs will use Piramal Swasthyas integrated health records platform, AMRIT - Accessible Medical Records via Integrated Technologies. MMUs will also be supported with the population-based screening of NCD patients which includes diabetes and hypertension. Aditya Natraj, CEO, Piramal Foundation said, We are happy to collaborate with MUFG in their endeavour to serve the communities that live in tough conditions in the slums of Mumbai and Pune. The pandemic has disrupted healthcare services and they are highly affected. I believe that mobile health services will be an asset during these tough times. Through SAMARTH we hope to walk one step closer to the vision of Universal Health Coverage for all. Atsushi Deguchi, Regional Executive for India & Sri Lanka, MUFG Bank, said COVID has left a deep impact on the lives of countless people across the globe. MUFG is doing its best to provide relief and comfort to communities affected during the pandemic. We are happy to collaborate with Piramal Swasthya in their efforts to build healthier communities by providing preventive healthcare facilities. Aeroflot Kenya Airways KLM Alitalia China Airlines Air France Delta Airlines plans to resume its flights to South Africa this August, but its come across an unexpected stumbling block. The US Department of Transportation has revealed that the airline is blocked from flying into Cape Town by South African authorities, resulting in a tit-for-tat response from the United States.The rejection comes amid government concerns that more flights into the Mother City from the USA would negatively impact South Africas other international airports, which are already struggling in light of the pandemic.The City of Cape Town has announced its intention to enter into serious discussions with the government to reverse this decision, claiming flights to Cape Town would help the economic recovery of the beleaguered tourism industry.According to James Vos, Cape Town's Mayoral Member for Economic Opportunities, Tourism and Asset Management, Inconveniencing travellers in this way could severely hamper tourism in South Africa."The Democratic Alliance in South Africa welcomes this initiative and urges the government to reverse this decision. The DA adds that: If South Africas people and its economy is to survive the Covid-19 pandemic, we need access to as many opportunities to reinvigorate the economy as possible. Tourism provides ample opportunity for entrepreneurs to create small businesses that will in turn create jobs for more people. Government should not stand in the way of the livelihoods of its people.In return, the US government has announced a slew of restrictions on South Africas (currently non-operational) flights to their country.Due to the South African Department of Transports insistence that Deltas request flies in the face of its co-terminalisation arrangements, the USA has opted to rescind SAAs previous co-terminalisation rights.This blocks the airlines access to New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Miami, and Washington DC.Despite requests to SADOT requesting clarification and resolution of the issue, the US Transportation Departments received no feedback as yet. Part of the reason could be that SAA only intends to resume international flights during 2023, thanks to its long process of recovery after decades of financial troubles.Passengers can still take advantage of direct Delta flights from Atlanta to Johannesburg or look for the cheapest flights to Cape Town with Deltas European partners. These include:Passengers can also fly with United Airlines direct to Johannesburg and Cape Town.Flights to Johannesburg With Delta AirlinesDelta has replaced its fleet of 777-200LRs with A350-900s. These aeroplanes arent capable of making the trip back to the USA from Johannesburg at full payload, necessitating a stopover in Cape Town to refuel.Now, after the long-awaited arrival of the long-range A350-900, Delta doesnt really need the Cape Town route anymore and has abandoned its plans to offer this service. Passengers can still interline on one of the airlines partners if they want to proceed to Cape Town.The Atlanta to Johannesburg is one of nearly 20 weekly flights to Africa offered by Delta Airlines. The others include flights to Accra and Dakar from New York-JFK as well as flights from Atlanta to Lagos. Delta will commence inaugural flights from San Francisco to Bangalore in August, too.In light of SAAs current situation, its unlikely that the government will change its stance on Delta flights to Cape Town until the national carriers back in the air. The University of KwaZulu-Natal's Centre for Creative Arts (CCA), will host the Durban International Festival (DIFF) from 22 July to 1 August 2021. This year, for its 42nd edition, the festival presents a programme of close to 140 feature films, documentaries and short films alongside the industry programme: Isiphethu. A scene from Downstream to Kinshasa The DIFF Awards Short films in the spotlight at Durban International Film Festival The Durban International Film Festival is looking to spotlight short films this year... Documentaries in the 2021 Competition: Areum Married, directed by Areum Parkkang, As I Want, directed by Samaher Alqadi, Downstream to Kinshasa, directed by Dieudo Hamadi, Hard Livings, directed by Solomon Staggie, I Am Here, directed by Jordy Sank, I, Mary, directed by Aliki Saragas Georgiou, Mein Vietnam, directed by Thi Hien Mai, Murder in Paris, directed by Enver Samuel, Postcard, directed by Asmae El Moudir, The Colonels Stray Dogs, directed by Ashurs father, Khalid Shamis, The Last Shelter, directed by Ousmane Samassekoou, The Sit-In, Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show, directed by Yoruba Richen, Zinder, directed by Aicha Macky. Features in the 2021 Competition: A Little Bird Reminds Me, directed by Shi Xin, Granada Nights, directed by Abid Khan, Lost, directed by Driss Roukhe, My Son, directed by Equan Choe, Nandi, directed by Khalid EL-Jelailati, Pusha Pressa Phanda, directed by Dick dvLz Reubin, Rickshaw Girl, directed by Amitabh Reza Chowdhury, Sons of the Sea, directed by John Gutierez, Valentina, directed by Cassio Pereira dos Santos, The Eagles Nest, directed by Olivier Assoua. Programme and details On 22 July, DIFF 2021 will open with a virtual screening of the action-thriller, The Eagles Nest, by Cameroon-born British director Olivier Assoua. From 23 July, all other films will be available to watch for free online. The documentary Threshold by the Brasilian Coraci Ruiz is the closing film and will be screening on 1 August just after the annual DIFF Award Ceremony. The DIFF jury is composed of an international team of industry specialists; including South African producer Cait Pansegrouw, filmmaker Sam Soko from Kenya and Dutch producer Raymond Van Der Kaaij.Head of programming, Chipo Zhou, has announced the films in competition. The films are diverse but have a common thread.The DIFF deliberately cultivates indigenous talent development and grants access to audiences and aspirant filmmakers particularly women, children, LGBT communities in highly conservative regions of the world. Ultimately, all the narratives in competition speak to this vision and are an illustration of the challenges of overcoming adversity and adapting to an altered world one where, sadly, not everyone has fared so well. These are the kinds of stories that DIFF sought out this year, stories of hope, stories that show the light at the end of the tunnel, even if for now, it seems like just a flicker,'' said Zhou.The full programme consists of a selection of 52 short films curated for DIFF 2021.Tickets for the virtual screenings are only available from South Africa and free of charge. Tickets are accessible through a booking system which will open on 21 July.The 42nd edition of the festival is organised by the University of KwaZulu-Natals Centre for Creative Arts, in partnership and with the support of the KZN Film Commission, the National Film and Video Foundation, Department of Arts & Culture, the Film and Publications Board and other valued funders and partners.To see the full programme, go here Art Director - TTL Remuneration: R28000 - R35000 per month basic salary Location: Johannesburg Education level: Diploma Job level: Mid Type: Permanent Reference: #YG#ArtDirector#JHB Company: Cardilogix Portfolio - Behance/WeTransfer/PDF To conceptualise and, using your imaginary design skills, produce award-winning creative work within the scope of the brand and creative brief supplied. Present to the client Work closely with the creative director and, as directed, by the creative brief The responsibility vests in the attitude, behaviour, determination and accountability to pursue all avenues in order to ensure that the end product/design craft is of a high standard By taking ownership and making use of all available resources, the end product/design craft should project keen attention to detail Exceptional drawing skills (as in slick rendering and scamps) - a necessity for art directors and nice to have for designers Exceptionally fast conceptual skills Capable of driving copy and guiding the response mechanisms Thorough understanding of promotional activities and experiential marketing disciplines A portfolio that demonstrates these skills beyond a shadow of doubt and the results of the activities to prove it Finely honed graphic design skills and latest techniques Capability to take on campaigns with multi-element tasks which require a concept and a thought-through process, as well as briefing the copywriters with specific objectives and tasks at hand Fully Mac literate in all relevant programs Must have a diploma or similar in art direction from a design college or similar Minimum three to five years' experience as an art director - essential Team player Hard-working, conscientious Creative thinker cross boundaries to conceptualise Work under pressure Goal-orientated achiever Pro-active thinker Key responsibilities (broad description) A funky TTL agency is seeking to hire a talented art director to join their team. The search is on to find the perfect candidate who combines conceptual and creative excellence with experience in design. Please note this role is based in JHB.When submitting your CV, ensure the following accompany your application:This is a key role within the agency. You will be an art director across a number of extremely high profile accounts and will constantly champion excellent creative standards throughout the company. You will be working closely with a team of client service personnel and the creative director.You must be willing to work on a host of different accounts such as posters, print, billboards, advertising, promotions, brands, etc. (Full TTL function). Send samples in either pdf or jpeg format of your very best work, not exceeding four megs to our offices.Please only apply if you have the relevant experience as per our job ad. Our client does not have the capacity to train anyone you need to hit the ground running.Your application will be passed to our team of recruitment consultants and should your skills and experience match the recruitment needs of our client, we will be in touch within a 96 hour turn-around time. Should you not hear from us, please treat your application for this job as unsuccessful. Posted on 06 Jul 09:01 Brand Manager Remuneration: negotiable basic salary Benefits: No leave policy Location: Johannesburg Education level: Diploma Job level: Mid/Senior Own transport required: Yes Travel requirement: Occasional Type: 1 Year Reference: #Brand Manager Bizcom Company: Instill Education Job description You have demonstrated commitment to anti-racism, equity, and inclusion You have three to five years of experience (although this is not set in stone), and are hungry to grow with a young organisation You have strong project management skills paired with the ability to synthesise information from a variety of sources You have worked in branding and marketing industries and have experience implementing strategies internally and managing an agency Youve been part of a high performing team and have experience in working on complex projects and campaigns, and across various audiences You have exceptional writing and editing skills You have experience of monitoring and evaluating analytics in order to reach target audiences You have the ambition to grow with the business and move into leadership positions You are an exceptional critical thinker with strong interpersonal communication skills You have the ability to work in an ever-changing environment as part of a multicultural team and are a solution based thinker You have a demonstrated passion for educational development, closing educational equity gaps, and are strongly aligned with our vision, mission and values Manage all Instill Education brand assets by ensuring standardisation and consistency internally and externally, ensuring our style guide and collateral are maintained Work with an appointed digital agency in building and growing brand visibility, unifying our brand across all channels, increasing social media presence across multiple platforms, updating and increasing traffic to our website, updating and distributing newsletters Project manage and implement digital and other marketing requirements through signed off plans and strategy by preparing briefs, collecting content and/or drafts, preparing resources, coordinating timelines and internal approval processes Implement and manage processes internally to build and maintain our database of contacts on Hubspot and uphold all POPI requirements in relation to all personal information collected Liaise with team to identify relevant content that can be used for social media, newsletter updates or potential blogs on the website In preparation for pending accreditation and campus launch, work with CEO on strategy to build and convert pipeline of students and platform users monthly. Regular updating of website, digital platforms, briefing agency and monitoring analytics to ensure targeted target audiences and conversion to meet targets Assist with managing budget related to marketing spend, resources and requirements Were a small start-up. Your hands will get very dirty Creative solutions, sharing ideas, and being able to work and share your challenges and achievements openly is important to working with our team Content is king! You have exceptional writing and editing skills and able to develop content or provide briefs to agency for various platforms and audiences Take ownership of our social media platforms. Project manage and implement social media uploads and requirements. Work with digital agency on specific campaigns and monitor analytics and deliverables Manage and maintain the website ensuring that all links are working; database of applications is maintained and followed-up on; enquiries are managed; content like news, perspectives, and recruitment updates are uploaded regularly, and newsletters are updated on a regular basis Work with CEO and Business Development Manager on developing collateral (pamphlets, brochures, emailers, etc) for promotional purposes, and specific collateral for partners/funders/investors required for partner presentations, information Support the development and maintenance of a strong, inviting and engaging work culture at Instill Education Requirements Strong project management Exceptional writing and editing skills Strong understanding of digital media analytics Research skills and ability to use data to define how to target and attract audience engagement Marketing (traditional and digital marketing) and communications experience Excellent interpersonal skills and ability Ability to communicate, provide feedback and receive feedback Familiar with Microsoft teams and Google Suite Solution focussed (strong problem-solving skills) Company Description Instill Educations mission is to transform teaching, learning and leadership in every classroom on the African continent. We are launching a higher education institution in South Africa (with plans to launch soon after in Ghana, Kenya and eventually Nigeria) that will bring global best practice to teacher and school leadership development. We will become the beacon of excellence for teacher and school leadership development in Africa, driven by an innovative marketing engine and world-class education programming. We seek a Brand Manager to join our growing team and build this engine, initially in South Africa, Ghana and Kenya but eventually across the continent.You are ambitious, hungry to learn and have a deep passion for education. You want to work in a fast-paced business environment and grow with a young organisation that seeks to change the face of education across the African continent. You are excited by the challenge of immersing yourself in new contexts and tackling complex problems. You are not afraid of failure and are driven to improve through robust, data-driven decision making and feedback. When evaluating your candidacy, we will look for the following:As Brand Manager, you will be working with the CEO and Business Development Manager. Your key responsibilities as brand custodian will include project managing and implementation of all requirements related to building brand awareness and digital engagement strategies to reach and grow our current database of potential students, teachers, and school leaders. Specifically, you will:We measure the impact of everything we do. We believe that education equity is a central pillar of achieving social justice. We pursue excellence in everything that we do. We have the courage to make bold decisions and learn from our mistakes. We build community by being accountable for our actions, fostering collaborative environments, and acting with integrity and humility. We believe that diversity is central to our success.Go to https://instilleducation.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=34' to upload your most recent CV (no more than two pages please!) and answer the questions related to the specific role. Questions are compulsory and should be answered as fully as possible. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and we will hire only when we find the right candidate.Our approach is to offer those in the education space a learning solution to meet them where they are on their journey in education. Whether you currently work in a school and are looking for professional development points, or have just chosen a career in education, our bite-sized and blended learning approach ensures that you get the most out of your Instill investment.MAKING A TANGIBLE IMPACTWe aim to see student outcomes transformed by offering teachers a lifelong network of support, professional development and practical skills for an ever-changing and ever-challenging classroom environment.Our goalOur goal is to transform every classroom in Africa, and our approach is to apply tried-and-tested learning methodologies to our bite-sized modules through a blended learning model so that teachers can immediately implement learnings each day in their environment. Posted on 06 Jul 09:28 Peter Daszak, president of EcoHealth Alliance The first $666,442 installment of EcoHealth's $3.7 million NIH grant was paid in June 2014, with similar annual payments through May 2019 under the "Understanding The Risk Of Bat Coronavirus Emergence" project, as we noted in April. As we noted in April, the WIV "had openly participated in gain-of-function research in partnership with U.S. universities and institutions" for years under the leadership of Dr. Shi 'Batwoman' Zhengli, according to the Washington Post's Josh Rogin. Now, Daszak is refusing to comply with a months-old document request from House Republicans related to his work at the Wuhan lab, according to Just The News. As government investigators and journalists dig to uncover the full scope of Daszak's links to the WIV, Daszak is continuing to spurn a congressional request for that information. In April, Republicans on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent Daszak a letter directing him to submit, among many other documents, "all letters, emails, and other communications between [EcoHealth] and [the WIV] related to terms of agreements, bat coronaviruses, genome or genetic sequencing, SARS-CoV-2, and/or laboratory safety practices" pursuant to key NIH research funding through EcoHealth to the Wuhan lab as a grant sub-recipient. Yet Daszak himself has not cooperated with the request. An aide with the Energy and Commerce Committee confirmed to Just the News this week that the committee has "received no response still from EcoHealth Alliance and Peter Daszak to the April 16th letter from Leaders Rodgers, Guthrie, and Griffith." -JTN "We have asked Daszak to provide information we know he has that sheds light on the origins of this pandemic," said GOP Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who has also publicly noted Daszak's refusal to play ball. "Dr. Daszak, you received American funds you used to conduct research on bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology," Rodgers continued during a House subcommittee meeting last week. "You owe it to the American people to be transparent." Meanwhile, Congressional Democrats aren't actually interested in getting to the bottom of things - as they themselves hold subpoena power in both chambers. The ultimate authority, as JTN notes, rests with that party - specifically Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone - who notably boosted funding to Fauci's NIH in 2015 to the tune of $2 billion per year through 2020. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) Why a subpoena hasn't been issued in more than two months is unclear, but we could venture a guess... For a tool that claims to have been developed with a focus on privacy,1 imagine Massachusetts residents surprise when the app suddenly appeared on their Android phones out of nowhere. In a review on the Google Play Store, one shocked parent said:2 This installed silently on my daughters phone without consent or notification. She cannot have installed it herself since we use Family Link and we have to approve all app installs. I have no idea how they pulled this off, but it had to involve either Google, or Samsung, or both. Normal apps cant just install themselves. Im not sure whats going on here, but this doesnt count as voluntary. We need information, and we need it now, folks." The official MassNotify site, operated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, makes no mention that the app will automatically show up on residents phones without consent, stating only that MassNotify is a new tool that works through smartphones, with a focus on privacy, to alert users who may have been exposed to COVID-19.3 Reportedly, the feature must be enabled by the user for it to function, but its extremely disconcerting that the tool has been automatically added to peoples phones, whether they intend to use it or not. Residents Alarmed Over Spyware, Government Overreach Android phone users were understandably alarmed when MassNotify appeared on their devices. The tool doesnt have an app icon, one person reported on Google Play, you have to go through settings and view all apps. This is a huge privacy and security overstep by [Gov. Charlie Baker] & Google.4 Other people also described it as spyware, while a user on Hacker News wrote, Its pure madness that Play Services comes with this sort of backdoor. This is clearly what I would consider a deliberate vulnerability.5 In China, COVID-19 tracking apps have been used as surveillance tools in collaboration with its social credit system, raising red flags that this force-installed app could be tracking residents movements and contacts without their knowledge and consent. Reviews on the Google Play Store poured in from alarmed citizens worried about privacy violations, with comments such as:6 Automatically installed without consent. It has no icon, no way to open this and see what it even does, which is a huge red flag I think its spyware, phishing as the DPH (Department of Public Health). Force-installed with no authorization or approval. App is hidden on the device to prevent uninstallation. Government overreach and corporate complicity should never be tolerated. Unethical breach of privacy and a forceful misappropriation of personal property The degree to which my data is collected or distributed through it has not been disclosed neither in active nor inactive form I can only conclude and caution others that it is disclosing your whereabouts and social contacts without permission. MassNotify Built Into Device Settings, Difficult to Remove When pressed for comment, Google released a statement to the media, but did not address the glaring issue of how or why the system was force-installed without users consent. Instead, they only stated:7 We have been working with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to allow users to activate the Exposure Notifications System directly from their Android phone settings. This functionality is built into the device settings and is automatically distributed by the Google Play Store, so users dont have to download a separate app. COVID-19 Exposure Notifications are enabled only if a user proactively turns it on. Users decide whether to enable this functionality and whether to share information through the system to help warn others of possible exposure. The MassNotify app was released June 15, 2021, marking the 29th state to launch an app using Google and Apples Bluetooth-based Exposure Notifications Express program. The software framework was first released in April 2020,8 with the goal of allowing users who test positive for COVID-19 to report their results, which then sends out an alert to anyone whose phone crossed paths with the positive case and may have been exposed. The Exposure Notifications Express program acts as a blueprint from which states can implement their own tracking systems without having to develop their own individual apps. While other states have required users to download an app to use the system, MassNotify was integrated directly into the operating system of Android phones.9 The contact-tracing feature does not work unless a user manually activates it, but you also cant get rid of the software, the Boston Globe reported. (Meanwhile, Apple added the feature to iPhones months ago, with iOS 13.).10 Massachusetts Urges Residents to Enable MassNotify The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is urging residents to enable MassNotify on their cellphones, with Dr. Catherine Brown, state epidemiologist, stating that theyre hoping at least 15% of the states population, or more than 1 million people, will opt-in and noting that it could be most useful for those frequenting large workplaces or university campuses.11 Once you opt-in, anonymous codes are shared with other MassNotify users via your phones Bluetooth. If within 14 days, you come in close contact within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes12 with someone who tests positive, youll be notified. If you test positive, youre expected to easily and anonymously notify others to stop the spread of COVID-19.13 The system is working in connection with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which will send a text message with a verification link to those who test positive for COVID-19. The link allows users to share their test result and notify other MassNotify users of their exposure. For those who havent opted in to the tool, the link also serves as a tool to help you enable MassNotify on your phone for future use.14 Unprecedented, Broad Privacy Risks Uncovered Its ironic that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health states that MassNotify is not a contract tracing app,15 yet its based on technology developed by Apple and Google that was previously known as the Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing Project16 and is now referred to as the Exposure Notifications API (application programming interface). In a May 2020 Forbes article by Simon Chandler, he points out that while contact tracing apps may be cryptographically secure, they still threaten our privacy in broader and more insidious ways:17 On the one hand, cybersecurity researchers have already argued18 that suitably determined and malevolent bad actors could correlate infected people with other personal info using the API. On the other, the Google-Apple API and any app based on it carry two much more general and dangerous privacy risks. First the apps only work if you keep your cellphone with you at all times, with Bluetooth enabled. Straight away, this is a massive privacy loss, Chandler notes. As shown by numerous studies and investigations, smartphones and many of the apps on them track your locations, aside from recording and sharing whatever data you enter into them.19 The other risk is that its one more way of normalizing something thats entirely abnormal the constant use of technology to dictate your freedoms and behavior. [W]hile were used to ads attempting to prod our consumer behavior, contact-tracing apps will normalize the concept of apps themselves directing and managing at scale how millions of people live and behave, Chandler pointed out.20 Remember, if you receive a notification that youve been in close contact with someone who tested positive, youll be expected to quarantine. Many will undoubtedly be doing so unnecessarily, as they wont end up sick, which means theyve just given up 14 days of freedom for no reason. And what happens if you finish quarantining only to go out in public and be notified of an exposure again? Another 14 days in isolation? Further, this seemingly innocent invasion has nefarious consequences. As Chandler put it:21 Users will get used to the idea of an app telling them when to stay at home and when to go out. Basically, theyll become more habituated to delegating judgement over how they should behave to apps and digital technology. Googles Manipulation Techniques Are Well Known Google has been called a dictator with unprecedented power because it relies on techniques of manipulation that have never existed before in human history, according to Robert Epstein, a Harvard trained psychologist who is now a senior research psychologist for the American Institute of Behavioral Research and Technology, where for the last decade he has helped expose Googles manipulative and deceptive practices. Theyre not only a surveillance agency think about products like Google Wallet, Google Docs, Google Drive and YouTube but also a censoring agency with the ability to restrict or block access to websites across the internet, thus deciding what you can and cannot see. Google has also infiltrated education with its Google classrooms, usage of which has skyrocketed during the pandemic, but many arent aware that even their children are being tracked. The attorney general of New Mexico filed a suit against Google for its educational tools in its classroom suite, helping to break through the fog, Harvard professor Shoshana Zuboff said:22 [The suit is] identifying the huge amounts of data that theyre taking about kids, how they track them across the internet are they integrate it with all the other Google streams of information and have it as a foundation for tracking those children all the way through their adulthood. Google also backs Profusa,23 which has developed an injectable biosensor that allows a persons physiology to be examined at a distance via smartphone connectivity. On a larger scale, Google, Amazon, Twitter and other major tech companies are also tied to the military-industrial-intelligence-media complex, to quote Edward Curtin from Off-Guardian.24 All provide invaluable surveillance and censorship functions, and without them the totalitarian control system we now find ourselves caught in wouldnt be possible. Mass Protests Can End Privacy Invasions As weve seen in the case of vaccine passports, peaceful protests work to protect personal privacy and freedom. The Pentagon also pulled the plug on Lifelog a database project aimed at tracking the minutiae of peoples entire existence for national security surveillance purposes25 February 4, 2004, in response to backlash over privacy concerns.26 (Although that same day, Facebook was launched.27) If youre a Massachusetts resident and are unhappy that surveillance software was added to your cellphone without your consent, nows the time to speak out. The end goal here isnt about tracking COVID-19 cases in your hometown. Vaccine passports or any other type of tracking and tracking device or certification system are part of a much larger plan to implement a global social credit system based on 24/7 electronic surveillance to ensure compliance. This will expand to include not just COVID-19 infection and vaccination status but also other medical data, basic identification records, financial data and just about anything else that can be digitized and tracked. It could mean the beginning of the end for freedom as we know it, unless everyone, everywhere recognizes the danger and takes action. Peaceful protest and civil disobedience simply not complying with tracking apps, mask mandates, social distancing, lockdowns, vaccination or anything else can be a key part of the solution. Two days ago the Saudis supported side decided to replace a police chief in the southern town of Lawdar in Abyan province in south Yemen with one of their man , an allegedly a former(?) al-Qaida member. The STC wanted a keep the old police chief. The Saudi supported forces attacked the town and caused several casualties . Soon after the start of the intervention in Yemen the interests of the Saudis and United Emirates split. While Saudis forces occupy western and some southern parts of Yemen in the name of former President Hadi and his Islah party, the UAE took the side of the Southern Yemen Transition Council (STC) which wants to split from a united Yemen. But by now the interests of the Saudis and the UAE have diverged on several issues. Over the last days the between them conflict exposed itself on three important fronts. In 2015 the Saudi cown prince Mohammad bin Salman was best friend with the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed. Together they decided to attack the Houthi government in Yemen which had ousted the former regime under the former President Hadi. The war on Yemen has been waged since. Yesterday one or more missiles hit a military brigade headquarter of the Saudi supported forces in the city of Marbat, some 50 miles east of Lawdar. There were reports that planes and drones had been seen in the area and that the attack had come from UAE airplanes. At least five militia soldiers were killed in the attack. The UAE responded by sending reinforcements to the STC which threatened to escalate the issue. However the 'official' reports blamed the attack on Houthi forces: (Reuters) - Yemens Houthi movement on Sunday carried out a rare missile strike on a southern region that has seen renewed infighting between forces allied to a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, three government sources said. The attack on a military base in Abyan, which two of the sources said killed at least two soldiers and injured over 20, comes as the recognised government and a separatist group both mass fighters in the area while Riyadh moves to ease tensions. The Southern Transitional Council (STC) has been vying with the Saudi-backed government for control of the south. The Houthis, who ousted the government from the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, in late 2014, largely hold the north. There was no immediate comment from the Houthis, who are trying to seize the governments last northern stronghold in gas-rich Marib while also keeping up cross-border attacks on Saudi cities. The claim of a Houthi attack makes little sense. There havent been any significant Houthi operations in the south for several months. The missile attack was definitely part of the infighting between the proxy forces of the 'coalition partners Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Neither side though seems interested in making that publicly known. There are more important issues between them that demand full attention. On Friday the oil ministers of the OPEC oil producer cartel and Russia negotiated about new limits to oil production. Everyone but the UAE accepted plans to raise the current production limits but to also keep them at that level for a longer time: The United Arab Emirates on Sunday pushed back against a plan by the OPEC oil cartel and allied producing countries to extend the global pact to cut oil production beyond April 2022, a rare statement revealing the countrys frustration with the group. The Emirati Ministry of Energy called the proposal to extend the agreement for the entirety of 2022 without raising its production quota unfair to the UAE, according to state-run WAM news agency. One of the groups largest oil producers, the UAE is seeking to increase its output setting up a contest with ally and OPEC heavyweight Saudi Arabia, which has led a push to keep a tight lid on production. The combined OPEC Plus grouping of members led by Saudi Arabia and non-members, chief among them Russia, failed to reach an agreement Friday on oil output. Negotiations over the dispute are set to resume Monday. The additional negotiations planned for today have been canceled. The UAE argues that it has increased its maximal production capacity and thus deserves a higher share of the total output. Since the new OPEC+ limits were introduced in the spring of 2020 everyone had held back on increasing their produiction capacity. The UAE jumped out of that line, invested in more capacity and now demands a greater share. The other OPEC+ member reasonably reject such trickery: Saudi Arabias energy minister pushed back on Sunday against opposition by fellow Gulf producer the United Arab Emirates to a proposed OPEC+ deal and called for "compromise and rationality" to secure agreement when the group reconvenes on Monday. It was a rare public spat between allies whose national interests have increasingly diverged, spilling over into OPEC+ policy setting at a time consumers want more crude to aid a global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. ... [The UAE] said baseline production references - the level from which any cuts are calculated - should be reviewed for any extension. ... OPEC+ sources said the UAE contended its baseline was originally set too low, but was ready to tolerate if the deal ended in April 2022. The UAE has ambitious production plans and has invested billions of dollars to boost capacity. Today Saudi Arabia escalated the conflict into a new field: Saudi Arabia has amended its rules on imports from other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to exclude goods made in free zones or using Israeli input from preferential tariff concessions in a challenge to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the regions trade and business hub. Despite being close allies, Saudi Arabia and the neighbouring UAE are competing to attract investors and businesses. Their national interests have also increasingly diverged, such as in their relations with Israel and Turkey. ... Saudi Arabia will henceforth exclude from the GCC tariff agreement goods made by companies with a workforce made up of less than 25 percent of local people and industrial products with less than 40 percent of added value after their transformation process. The ministerial decree published on the Saudi official gazette Umm al-Qura said all goods made in free zones in the region will not be considered locally made. Free zones, a major driver of the UAEs economy, are areas in which foreign companies can operate under light regulation, and where foreign investors are allowed to take 100 percent ownership in companies. Decisions in Saudi Arabia as well as in the UAE are made by the respective man at the top. The deadly infighting in Yemen, the OPEC+ scuffle and the new import rules in Saudi Arabia can therefore not been seen as separate issues. MbS of Saudi Arabia and MbZ of the UAE are now fighting each other in several domains. Neither man is willing to give grounds. We can therefore expect further escalations which, given the aggressiveness of both man, could even lead to an armed conflict. But the Saudi side, despite being the larger country, is unlikely to win a fight. The Biden administration has already been cool towards Saudi Arabia and the Israel lobby will push the U.S. to take the side of the UAE. Militarily the Saudis have lost in Yemen against barefooted Houthi fighters while the UAE has over the years built a quite disciplined and well trained force led by 'western' mercenary commanders. The Saudis also lack the air defenses they would need in the case of a conflict. Two weeks ago the U.S. pulled back its air umbrella from Saudi Arabia where it had covered Saudi oil assets against Houthi missile attacks: The Pentagon is pulling approximately eight Patriot antimissile batteries from countries including Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, according to officials. Another antimissile system known as a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or Thaad system, is being withdrawn from Saudi Arabia, and jet fighter squadrons assigned to the region are being reduced, those officials said. ... The latest reductions, which havent been previously reported, began earlier this month, following a June 2 call in which Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin informed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of the changes, officials said. Most of the military hardware being removed is coming from Saudi Arabia, officials said. Without a decent air cover a Saudi military conflict with its neighbor UAE is not feasible. Let down by the U.S. Mohammad bin Salman needs new allies on the global and regional stage. A large Saudi purchase of Russian air defense systems of all shapes and types could help it to fill the holes the U.S. pull back has opened up. It would also give Moscow a sound reason to care for Saudi Arabias further fate. The idea is not new. It was last discussed in March when the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Muhammad bin Salman in Riyadh. The rising conflict with the UAE may well give it new impetus. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said he was informed by some members of the U.S. military that they would quit if the armed forces mandated a COVID-19 vaccine, coming after a report claimed that Army headquarters told commanders to prepare for mandatory vaccinations in September. Ive been contacted by members of our voluntary military who say they will quit if the COVID vaccine is mandated. I introduced HR 3860 to prohibit any mandatory requirement that a member of the Armed Forces receive a vaccination against COVID-19. It now has 24 sponsors, Massie wrote on Twitter. Ive been contacted by members of our voluntary military who say they will quit if the COVID vaccine is mandated. I introduced HR 3860 to prohibit any mandatory requirement that a member of the Armed Forces receive a vaccination against COVID-19. It now has 24 sponsors. https://t.co/lbqYESmBYy Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) July 3, 2021 It isnt clear how the service members could quit or how many would try to do so. Once a member reports to their first duty station, they are obligated to stay within the service of the armed forces. If a service member leaves without approval, they can be declared AWOL, or absent without leave. The Republican lawmaker was referring to a report published by the Army Times over the weekend that detailed an executive order sent by the Department of the Army Headquarters that commands should be prepared to administer COVID-19 vaccines starting as early as Sept. 1. The date is contingent on when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issues its full approval of the vaccines. Commanders will continue COVID-19 vaccination operations and prepare for a directive to mandate COVID-19 vaccination for service members [on or around] 01 September 2021, pending full FDA licensure. Commands will be prepared to provide a backbrief on servicemember vaccination status and way ahead for completion once the vaccine is mandated, the directive reads. As reported by GreatGameIndia earlier, according to a Pentagon report almost 75% of US troops refused taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Addressing the allegation of a cover-up, the spokesperson for the agency, John Kirby informed the news outlets about the reason for the lack of exact data. According to a survey more than half of Americans do not want COVID-19 vaccine. The study has also looked into the concerns among people reluctant to receive the jabs, with 68 per cent of people saying they are worried about the long term effects of the vaccines. Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has added a warning to patient and provider fact sheets for the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines to indicate risk of heart inflammation. Norway at the sametime has announced that you are at a greater risk of dying from AstraZeneca vaccine branded as Covishield in India than from COVID-19. While waiting for the final decision on the controversial vaccine, Norway has meanwhile decided to offload its stock of AstraZeneca to fellow Nordic countries that actually want to use them despite the associated risks. In India, the Indian Air Force has been served a show cause notice by the Gujarat High Court for forcing to dismiss an officer after he refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine stating that he was using ayurvedic medicines suggested by the AYUSH ministry to increase his immunity against COVID-19. The officer who challenged his termination in the Gujarat High Court has succeeded in getting a stay from the court. We need your support to carry on our independent and investigative research based journalism on the Deep State threats facing humanity. Your contribution however small helps us keep afloat. Kindly consider supporting GreatGameIndia. Help Our Community Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. None of the responses will be shared or used for any other purpose except to better serve our community. The survey is at: www.pulsepoll.com $1,000 is being awarded. Everyone completing the survey will be able to enter a contest to Win as our way of saying, "Thank You" for your time. Thank You! Take The Survey Even though he is mere days away from being fully immunized against COVID-19, Callum Morrison wont be able to register for an immunization card under the provinces current guidelines. Advertisement Advertise With Us Even though he is mere days away from being fully immunized against COVID-19, Callum Morrison wont be able to register for an immunization card under the provinces current guidelines. The PhD student, who is researching agriculture at the University of Manitoba, told the Sun on Monday that he and other international students still arent eligible to receive these passes due to the fact theyre unable to register for Manitoba Health cards. SUBMITTED University of Manitoba PhD student Callum Morrison tries out his new infiltrometer in Carman last year. This summer, Morrison is trying to spread the word about how international students like him are currently barred from obtaining the province's new COVID-19 immunization cards since they can't register for Manitoba health cards in the first place. While international students can try to use their official vaccination record in lieu of an immunization card, Morrison is concerned this method will only cause confusion with health-care officials and prevent him from enjoying the benefits that have been promised to other fully vaccinated Manitobans. "I guarantee you this will be a problem because I already have problems accessing health care without a Manitoba Health card," Morrison said. "Even though vaccinations are supposed to be for everyone, no matter what your immigration status is in the province, for both of my shots there was a good delay trying to go through the whole process." While Morrison admits he isnt too worried about being barred from eating at a restaurant because of his card-less status, his biggest source of unease comes from the possibility of being denied visitation rights at a hospital if his partner falls ill. "I want to have the same right of visiting my family as anyone else," he said. What makes this situation particularly frustrating to Morrison is that international students used to have access to Manitoba Health cards when he first relocated to Canada from his native Scotland in 2017. However, by mid-2018, the Progressive Conservative government repealed a clause in the Manitoba Health Services Insurances Act, which gave college and university students from abroad access to universal health care. After beginning his studies at the U of M in 2019, Morrison characterizes accessing health-care services with his private insurance as an uphill battle, with the immunization card situation just the latest example of this struggle. "Its just frustrating that there are these weird, arbitrary rules about who gets health care," he said. Premier Brian Pallister first introduced these immunization cards on June 8, announcing they would entitle fully vaccinated Manitobans to certain privileges, such as skipping the quarantine process upon returning from domestic travel outside the province. Even though Morrison knew at the time he wouldnt be able to register for these vaccine passes, he went ahead and sought out his second dose later that month to protect his partner and members of his home community of Altona from any potential spread of the virus. The sense of community extends to the Westman region as well, since the PhD student would regularly visit this part of the province to further his research into cover crops. Morrison is concerned that other international students will be less likely to seek out their second dose now that there has been no movement on opening up access to immunization cards, which puts the entire province at risk. To make matters worse, Morrison said that international students arent the only groups of people who cant register for these vaccination cards, with certain foreign workers and military members also not being eligible to receive Manitoba Health cards. "Its not helping the situation when we need vaccines in arms as soon as possible, and everyone wants to feel just as valued for giving their contribution," he said. Morrison told the Sun that he has reached out to representatives of various political parties in order to correct this discrepancy, but hasnt received a satisfactory response from any of them thus far. However, the PhD student recently conducted a productive discussion with a member of the Brandon University Students Union, which shares similar concerns regarding how this standard will impact the local international student population for the upcoming fall semester. During Mondays COVID media conference, chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin told the Sun the province is working to address this issue, although he remained vague on details. "I dont have any specifics to share or an exact date on when we can announce anything, but there will be something upcoming," Roussin said. "Theres work being done right now." Even with no firm policy change on the horizon, Morrison encourages his fellow international students to get fully vaccinated as soon as possible in the hopes that the province will loosen up these immunization card restrictions eventually. "I believe if the cards are going to be part of our lives, they need to be given to everyone on an equal basis, which means giving everyone an equal opportunity to obtain one," he said. Anyone looking to get more information about these immunization cards can do so by visiting the provinces official website, manitoba.ca/covid19/vaccine/immunization-record.html. kdarbyson@brandonsun.com Twitter:@KyleDarbyson A union representing retail workers in Brandon and other cities in the province is sounding the alarm over proposed changes to the rules that allow Manitobans to not work on Sundays if they provide their employer with two weeks notice. Advertisement Advertise With Us A union representing retail workers in Brandon and other cities in the province is sounding the alarm over proposed changes to the rules that allow Manitobans to not work on Sundays if they provide their employer with two weeks notice. United Food and Commercial Workers Local 832, which represents employees at Brandons Safeway and Sobeys West grocery stores, stated in a media release sent out Monday that the province is considering modifying the existing regulations to allow three exceptions to that Sunday rule. The first would allow employers to ask employees to sign a document when hired stating they agree to work on Sundays. The second would allow for Sunday work to be covered by collective agreements between employers and unions. Finally, the third exception would allow a retailer with four or fewer employees, including the owner, to have their employees work on Sundays. The text of these proposed amendments can be found on the online Manitoba Regulatory Consultation Portal. According to the page explaining the amendments, the changes are intended to address the needs of retailers who can operate under longer hours after the provincial government repealed Sunday and holiday shopping restrictions in December. According to UFCW Local 832 president Jeff Traeger, the first exception is the one the union is concerned with out of fear that it could lead to discrimination against workers who do not agree to work on Sundays. "When we first were talking to government about this months ago, the minister said that the grandfathering for the right to refuse Sunday work just for those who currently had it didnt go far enough," he said. "We, on the labour side of the table, were arguing that retail workers needed to have the ability to spend time with their family, especially since theres a good chance their spouse works Monday to Friday and their children go to school Monday to Friday." Traeger said when this was pointed out to Finance Minister Scott Fielding, it was viewed as a good argument and that Fielding would protect the right to refuse Sunday work. "Now they come out with this change to the regulation, which effectively means that going forward, employers will ask people who theyre hiring if they want to work Sundays and if they say yes, (theyll) sign this and itll go in their file and you no longer have the right to refuse Sunday work. If they say no, they simply wont get hired." In an email to the Sun, Fielding stated the current list of exclusions is "outdated and cumbersome." "The new proposed exclusions are modernized and simplified, and would not allow an employee to refuse work on Sundays if they 1) agreed in writing to work Sundays when they were hired 2) are covered under a collective agreement that states they must not refuse work on Sundays, or 3) work for a small retailer where the number of employees that sell goods and services does not exceed four persons at a time. "While most Canadian jurisdictions do not have the right to refuse work on a Sunday at all, we want to balance retailers needs to maintain adequate staffing levels with employees wishes to have Sundays off to enjoy time with family and friends." Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew told the Sun he believes the proposed changes would "make a loophole thats bigger than the law." "Im concerned a lot of workers dont really know about the rights they have under this law," he said. "Because were looking forward to an economic recovery and some of these people want to work, effectively that right will be taken away from people because theyll sign whatever to rejoin the workforce." cslark@brandonsun.com Twitter: @ColinSlark A woman was sent to jail for five months on Monday after she pleaded guilty to stealing from Real Canadian Superstore and carrying bear spray. Advertisement Advertise With Us A woman was sent to jail for five months on Monday after she pleaded guilty to stealing from Real Canadian Superstore and carrying bear spray. Melissa Thompson pleaded guilty in Brandon provincial court to theft under $5,000 and weapons charges on three separate dates in 2021. The first theft was on Jan. 31, 2021, at approximately 9:30 p.m., Crown attorney Brett Rach said. Thompson was caught on surveillance footage hiding headphones in her jacket before leaving without paying for them, he said. The headphones were worth approximately $150. The loss prevention officer at the store tried to stop Thompson, but was unable to, Rach said. Then, on April 13, the loss prevention officer again reported a theft involving Thompson. This time, she was found hiding clothes in her own clothes. Police stopped Thompson on 10th Street and arrested her, and Rach said she had a grey hoodie in her jacket. Once at the police station, Rach said officers found packages of jewelry in the back seat of the police cruiser. They also found other clothing and cosmetics when searching Thompson. She also had a can of bear mace in her jacket. At the time, Rach said she was under a court order banning her from owning weapons. On May 6 at approximately 5:15 p.m., police were investigating another complaint of theft when officers came into contact with Thompson. At the time, Rach said she had an open can of bear spray in her jacket and an unopened can in her backpack. Rach suggested a sentence of five months in jail for all charges, but said he was unsure what kind of sentence would get her to stop offending. Defence lawyer Jennifer Janssens said Thompson has a history of similar types of crimes, but she has been making efforts toward a more stable life, including applying to live in a sober living facility. "Im hopeful shell take advantage of that opportunity and we wont see her back for this kind of behaviour going forward," Janssens said. Thompson struggles with homelessness and addiction, which led to the events that brought her into court, she said. Janssens asked for the sentence to take into account the 21 days of jail time Thompson has already served waiting for sentencing. Judge Shauna Hewitt-Michta said Thompsons charges arent the most serious, but the length of her criminal record is of growing concern. "Your days of being served with 30-day sentences for each of these shoplifting charges, if its not at an end now, its very quickly going to be at an end," Hewitt-Michta said to Thompson. "Its a terrible waste of your life going in and out of jail like this." The Crowns recommended sentence was at the "very, very low end," but Hewitt-Michta said she would go along with it. She sentenced Thompson to a total of five months in jail, minus time already served, and a restitution order to Superstore for $150. dmay@brandonsun.com Twitter: @DrewMay_ The body of a Canadian has been found at the site of a collapsed condo in southern Florida. Rescue workers handle a tarp containing recovered remains at the site of the collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building, Monday, July 5, 2021, in Surfside, Fla. The remaining structure was demolished Sunday, which partially collapsed June 24. Many people remain unaccounted for. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Lynne Sladky The body of a Canadian has been found at the site of a collapsed condo in southern Florida. Global Affairs Canada said on Tuesday that the Canadian is among 36 dead in the collapse that occurred on June 24. The government agency said three other Canadians are among the more than 100 people who remain unaccounted for. "Canada sends its deepest condolences to the family and friends who lost a loved one in the building collapse in Surfside, Florida," said Grantly Franklin, a spokesman for Global Affairs Canada. Franklin noted that three different Canadian families have been affected by the tragedy. He said that Canadian consular officials in Miami are providing direct support to the family of the deceased and to the families of those who are still missing. "We will also continue to liaise with local authorities in case they have any updates to provide on these Canadians and the situation more broadly," said Franklin. A ramped-up rescue effort at the collapsed condo building faced new threats from the weather as Tropical Storm Elsa began lashing Florida. Local officials said search crews can work through rain, but lightning from unrelated thunderstorms has forced them to pause at times including a two-hour stoppage on Tuesday morning. Officials said a garage area in the rubble has filled with water because of the steady rain. "Active search and rescue continued throughout the night, and these teams continue through extremely adverse and challenging conditions," Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters. "Through the rain and through the wind they have continued searching." While more than 100 people remain unaccounted for, only 70 of those are confirmed to have been inside the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside when it collapsed in the early morning hours of June 24, she said. No one has been rescued alive since the first hours after the collapse. The unstable remaining portion of the condo building was demolished Sunday amid fears that the structure could fall. Officials said the demolition gave rescuers access to previously inaccessible places, including bedrooms where people were believed to be sleeping at the time of the collapse. While officials are still calling their efforts a search and rescue operation, Cava said families of those still missing are preparing for news of "tragic loss.'' with files from The Associated Press. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2021. OTTAWA - Mary Simon, an Inuk leader and former diplomat, described her appointment as Canada's next governor general the first Indigenous person to serve in the role as a step forward on the long path to reconciliation. Advertisement Advertise With Us OTTAWA - Mary Simon, an Inuk leader and former diplomat, described her appointment as Canada's next governor general the first Indigenous person to serve in the role as a step forward on the long path to reconciliation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced Simon as the next person to serve in the viceregal role during a news conference Tuesday at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., in which the theme of healing long-standing divides figured prominently. It is only by building bridges, bringing between people in the North and South, just like in the East and West, that we can truly move forward, Trudeau said during his opening remarks. Mary Simon has done that throughout her life. I know she will help continue paving that path ahead. And we will all be stronger for it. Today, after 154 years, our country takes a historic step. I cannot think of a better person to meet the moment. Queen Elizabeth has approved the appointment, he added. Simons appointment fills a vacancy left by Julie Payettes sudden resignation in January after an external review found the former astronaut had presided over a toxic work environment at the governor generals residence, Rideau Hall. It also comes at a critical moment for Canadas relationship with Indigenous Peoples after the discovery of what are believed to be unmarked graves near former residential school sites, and amid widespread speculation Trudeau is preparing to call an election this summer or fall. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mary Simon arrive for an announcement at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Simon, an Inuk leader and former Canadian diplomat, has been named as Canada's next governor general the first Indigenous person to serve in the role. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick Simon, who was born in Kangiqsualujjuaq, in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec, is a well-known advocate for Inuit culture and rights and is the former president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, a national advocacy organization for Inuit. She also served as Canada's ambassador to Denmark and the Canadian ambassador for circumpolar affairs. Reflecting her Inuk background, Simon made her first public remarks as governor general-designate in Inuktitut before switching to English, thanking Trudeau for the "historic opportunity to be Canada's first Indigenous governor general. I can confidently say that my appointment is a historic and is inspirational moment for Canada and an important step forward on the long path towards reconciliation, she said while reflecting on having grown up with an Inuk mother and a father from Southern Canada. This is a moment that I hope all Canadians feel part of because my appointment reflects our collective progress towards building a more inclusive, just an equitable society. She also sought to confront one potential controversy: the fact she is not fluent in French. Based on my experience growing up in Quebec, I was denied the chance to learn French during my time in the federal government day schools, she said. I am deeply committed to continuing my French-language studies and plan to conduct the business of the governor general in both of Canada's official languages as well as Inuktitut, one of many Indigenous languages spoken across the country. A sign along the wall surrounding Rideau Hall is shown Thursday January 21, 2021 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Simons appointment caps a nearly six-month search for a new governor general after Payette resigned in January following a scathing independent report on the work environment at Rideau Hall during her tenure. Even before her resignation, the Liberals were accused of not properly vetting Payette, who was dogged by suggestions she wasnt the right fit for the largely symbolic but nonetheless high-profile job that involves representing the Queen in Canada. Following Payettes resignation, the Liberal government re-established an advisory panel to help select her successor. The approach was like the one used by the previous Conservative government, which the Liberals dropped when they picked the former astronaut. Trudeau revealed Tuesday that the panel co-chaired by Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Janice Charette, the clerk of the Privy Council, considered close to 100 different names before compiling a shortlist of candidates. The list included Canadians with the ability to both serve and lead the country with an approach that is anchored in humility and thoughtfulness in everything they do, he said. Mary Simon embodied all those qualities of leadership and service. For her part, Simon pledged to not only work on healing the many divides between people and regions across Canada, but also to setting and maintaining the highest standard of work ethics in all aspects of my duty. One of those duties could soon include dissolving Parliament to trigger an election upon the prime ministers request, which many believe could happen before the summer is out. Both Trudeau and Simon said they have not discussed the issue. Mary Simon speaks during an announcement at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Simon, an Inuk leader and former Canadian diplomat, has been named as the country's next governor general the first Indigenous person to serve in the role. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick Today is the first day of my appointment, Simon said. And I have not talked to the prime minister about the election. Conservative Leader Erin OToole and NDP counterpart Jagmeet Singh were among those who welcomed Simons appointment. This is an important day for both our country as a whole and particularly Indigenous Peoples," O'Toole said in a statement. "The role of governor general is important in unifying our country and bringing Canadians together. I wish her well in this role. Payette offered her own congratulations, writing on Twitter that she had met Simon and I am at her disposal as she transitions to this vital role. Inuit groups also rushed to praise Simons appointment, with Pita Aatami, president of the Makivik Corporation, which represents Inuit in Quebec's northern Nunavik region, describing it as the start of a new chapter in Canadas relationship with Inuit, First Nations, and Metis." Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet wrote on Twitter that the choice of governor general belongs to the prime minister and the "Queen of England," and that the role is not representative, elected or legitimate. "I hope that this appointment will facilitate an admission by the Crown and Canada of the abuse suffered by Indigenous people," he added in French. And while welcoming Simons appointment, the Native Womens Association of Canada added she is being asked to serve the senior role in what is still a colonial system of governance." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2021. LYTTON, B.C. - British Columbia Premier John Horgan and two of his cabinet ministers were flown over the devastated community of Lytton Tuesday where he said there was "literally nothing left" after a wildfire tore through it last Wednesday. A helicopter pilot prepares to drop water on a wildfire burning in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 2, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck LYTTON, B.C. - British Columbia Premier John Horgan and two of his cabinet ministers were flown over the devastated community of Lytton Tuesday where he said there was "literally nothing left" after a wildfire tore through it last Wednesday. Horgan told a news conference after the flyover that "it was quite moving," seeing the damage done to the village firsthand. "There was hope on the west side of the river ... but the townsite is virtually gone," he said. Horgan said that Lytton's rebuild can be a case study for North America on building a community for the future. The heat warnings remain up for several communities and Horgan cautioned that the province is prepared for more destructive fires this season. "It's the first week in July. We have a long summer ahead of us and we're not under any illusion that the crisis has passed," he said. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth told the same news conference that the government won't declare a state of emergency over the wildfires burning across the province until they are advised to by the BC Wildfire Service. The province declared a state of emergency in 2017 and 2018 when record-breaking fires covered the province. "(BC Wildfire Service's) expertise is what decides when it is time to put in place a provincial state of emergency, and they provide that advice, regardless of which party or government is in power," he said. "When they tell me that it's now time to move to that provincial state of emergency, that is when we do it." Kamloops Fire Centre manager Kaitlin Baskerville said Tuesday that the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, where Lytton is located, is seeing three to five fires start per day. The fire starts are now typically one to three hectares in size, a decline from the 30-hectare starts seen during the so-called "heat dome," she said. Smoke is also lifting across the region, creating better visibility for firefighters. Out-of-province firefighters are expected to arrive in the Lytton area Wednesday following COVID-19 screening to help knock down the blaze that has stabilized over the last 24 to 36 hours. Flames that destroyed most of the Fraser Canyon village last week have charred 77 square kilometres of bush, while the wildfire service said the blaze near Sparks Lake, north of Kamloops, has burned 392 square kilometres. More than 200 wildfires are burning in B.C. A dangerous heat wave continues to bring sweltering temperatures and little nighttime cooling to several areas, including the Fraser Canyon and Thompson regions. Evacuation orders covering hundreds of properties remain in place for both areas. The Thompson-Nicola Regional District said in a statement Tuesday a tour of the devastated village by evacuated residents has been scheduled for Friday. "While the area is still not safe for unescorted entry, work has been done to clear a way to permit taking residents through the area by bus," the statement said. The district is also planning to either feed or rescue the animals that remain within the evacuated areas of Lytton. Those who had to leave their animals behind were asked to contact the district with information on location and care. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2021. Warning: This story contains disturbing content The identity of a Melbourne man who raped, bashed and brutalised women over two decades can now be revealed after a court order concealing his name was lifted. Andrew Brian Males, 42 a one-time fugitive released from prison because of a paperwork bungle was recently found guilty in the County Court of Victoria of repeated and sustained attacks on four victims across Melbournes northern and western suburbs over a 20-year period. He choked some of the women unconscious before raping and beating them with weapons including a hammer. Court documents released to The Age reveal one victim aged 16 to 17 at the time was held inside a bungalow at the rear of Males mothers Altona North home for weeks on end and raped. During one of several escape attempts by the teenager, Males beat her and dragged her back inside by her hair. He then used a belt to tie her ankles together and duct-taped her mouth shut to stop her from screaming. Indigenous groups have urged the federal government to embrace a stronger plan to legislate a voice for First Australians in national decisions, amid growing fears of a conservative backlash that blocks the change before the next election. Community leaders want the reform to enshrine the Indigenous Voice in the constitution despite Prime Minister Scott Morrisons objections to the idea, airing widespread support for a stronger model in private consultations. Labor warns the Coalition is running out of time to legislate a Voice before the election. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The stark differences set up a political clash as Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt promises legislation before the election while Labor believes he has run out of time and should tell communities he cannot meet the deadline. The governments consultation summary, obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, shows strong support for the Voice to be enshrined in the constitution even though this was not in the terms of reference for the inquiry. Singapore: For days, as Indonesias hospitals have buckled, oxygen has run low and COVID-19 infections and deaths have soared to record levels, the Indonesian Presidents point man on the crisis engulfing Australias near neighbour has insisted there is no need to panic. Everything is under control, said senior minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Joko Widodos most trusted lieutenant on Monday, the day after 33 patients died in a hospital in Yogyakarta while its oxygen supply was depleted. Grave diggers conduct a burial at a public cemetery for suspected COVID-19 victims in Semarang, Central Java. Credit:Getty Images The message has been maintained as space in intensive care units has been exhausted, emergency tents have been erected and as hundreds have died at home. As the outbreak accelerates in the worlds fourth most populous country, however, there is an acceptance now that help from outside may be needed. Moscow: Russian emergency services have located the area where a missing AN-26 aircraft crashed into the sea, RIA news agency reported on Tuesday. The Russian plane with 28 people on board went missing while preparing to land in the countrys far east. Several ships were on the way to the crash site, RIA cited emergency services as saying. The plane had been en route to the village of Palana, near the Okhotsk Sea coast. The plane, en route from regional capital Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to the village of Palana in the northern part of the Kamchatka peninsula, lost contact with air traffic control during the flight, the countrys Emergencies Ministry said earlier. Washington: US President Joe Bidens top adviser on Asia says Chinas aggressive stance towards Australia appears to be unyielding and that he does not foresee a thaw in tensions between the two nations anytime soon. Kurt Campbell, the White Houses Indo-Pacific co-ordinator, said the Biden administration was aware it had to dramatically step up its game in the Asia-Pacific in order to counter Chinas attempts to become the dominant diplomatic and economic power in the region. Joe Bidens Indo-Pacific co-ordinator Kurt Campbell says China has indicated it will only become more assertive in coming years. Credit:Andrew Taylor Campbell also flagged that Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping would soon hold their first face-to-face meeting since Biden entered the White House. In a discussion with the Asia Society think tank, Campbell said he would have expected Beijing to soften its assertive style of diplomacy following Bidens inauguration but that the rising superpower was instead doubling down. Washington DC: Donald Trump feared that Ghislaine Maxwell could embroil him in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, the author Michael Wolff has claimed in a new book on the presidency due out at the end of July. The former US president sought to play down his long association with the disgraced financier, who was found dead in his prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The arrest of Maxwell, who faces charges stemming from her relationship with Epstein, worried Trump, Wolff has written in his latest book detailing the final days of the administration and the aftermath. In a 2002 profile of Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump, pictured here with Melania, Epstein and Ghislaine maxwell in 2000, said: No doubt about it - Jeffrey enjoys his social life. Credit:Getty Images Has she said anything about me? Is she going to talk? Will she roll on anybody? Trump is alleged to have said. BUCKS COUNTY >> Thunderstorms made their mark from Florida to New York at the start of the week, dropping heavy rain in some places. CEO has finally admitted that developing a safe and reliable self-driving car is indeed a difficult task. In an earnings call in January, Musk had told investors that he was "highly confident the car will be able to drive itself with reliability in excess of human this year". In a latest tweet, Musk said: "Generalized self-driving is a hard problem, as it requires solving a large part of real-world AI. Didn't expect it to be so hard, but the difficulty is obvious in retrospect." "Nothing has more degrees of freedom than reality," Musk added. Despite tall claims made by Musk over Twitter about the full self-driving technology, electric car-maker recently admitted that such claims do not match up with the engineering reality. "Elon's tweet does not match engineering reality per CJ. is at Level 2 currently," Tesla's director of Autopilot software CJ Moore told the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Level 2 technology refers to a semi-automated driving system, which requires supervision by a human driver. Tesla vehicles come with a driver assistance system called 'Autopilot' that enhances safety and convenience behind the wheel. When used properly, Autopilot reduces your overall workload as a driver. For an additional $10,000, people can buy "full self-driving" or FSD, that Musk promises will deliver full autonomous driving capabilities. Full Self-Driving capabilities include navigate on Autopilot, Auto Lane Change, Summon (moves your car in and out of a tight space using the mobile app or key), However, Tesla vehicles are still not driving on their own and "are far from reaching that level of autonomy". Tesla, however, is unlikely to achieve Level 5 (L5) autonomy, in which its cars can drive themselves anywhere without any human supervision by the end of 2021. (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.) Rapido, Indias largest bike taxi platform, has filed for the bike taxi service application with the State Transport Authority in Karnataka. It also plans to hire 100 captains in Bengaluru by the end of 2022. With the impact of the pandemic on families, ease of lockdown restrictions and increasing demand for bike taxi rides, the company aims to adopt a bullish growth strategy for Bengaluru and be committed towards creating more reliable jobs in the city. As a company, we strongly believe in and are committed to the ethos of inclusive growth. Our captains have witnessed financial independence by riding with Rapido and we would like to extend this income opportunity to the in Bengaluru, said Pavan Guntupalli, co-Founder, Rapido. The city is one of our top cities in terms of usage and with the ongoing updates in the legal framework for our operations, we want to on-board more women captains to give the local sheroes a chance to become economically independent through a safer, choice based and support led experience. The company said the biggest advantage of joining Rapido is its flexible work timing and the recently announced #HelpForHelmetHeroes programme. The company has made provisions to reduce the burden of financial, physical, and mental worries so that the captains livelihood is not majorly impacted by the pandemic.The company also plans to provide rental electric 2W for potential Captains that can help them earn an income as per their convenience. With the recent order by the Karnataka High Court, ambiguity regarding bike taxi legality is now set to resolve. Rapido said interested candidates can confidently join the firm as captains to earn income utilising their bikes as taxis, without any fear of implications and objections. Rapido said the Karnataka High Court in a recent case filed by a leading transport aggregator has observed that under the law, a motorcycle taxi can be used for hire on which a passenger could be carried on pillion. The firm said the Court further observed that a motorcycle taxi has been categorized as a transport vehicle by the Central Government under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Therefore, in light of the provisions under law, the Court allowed various aggregators to make their respective applications to the relevant State Road Transport Authority for renting of motorcycle or taxi service for hire. Rapido has also filed its application with the State Transport Authority for motorcycle or taxi service and is looking forward to a positive response. Rapido said it is also working very closely with various state governments and is open to working with the Karnataka Government to frame guidelines for regulating the same. Digital adoption solutions provider Whatfix on Tuesday said it has implemented its maiden employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) buyback of USD 4.3 million (Rs 32 crore). However, over 80 per cent of the eligible 175 employees have chosen not to liquidate their vested shares, the company said in a statement. Whatfix gave employees the option to liquidate up to 35 per cent of their vested ESOPs, it added. The shares have been bought back by the company, it noted. "This is the first buyback by the company...over 80 per cent of the eligible 175 employees have chosen not to liquidate their vested shares, thereby, reinforcing their trust in the future of the company. Both current and former employees will be able to avail the value of shares at the series D, non-discounted valuation of the company," it said. Last month, Whatfix had raised USD 90 million (about Rs 656 crore) in funding from SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Eight Roads Ventures, Sequoia Capital India, Dragoneer Investment Group, F-Prime Capital and Cisco Investments. With this, Whatfix has raised USD 139.8 million to date. Today, Whatfix is a leading Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) and this success is a result of the amazing work done by our employees. Even as the world experienced unprecedented challenges, our employees managed to turn this period into one of the strongest times for us," Whatfix CEO and co-founder Khadim Batti said. It is important that employees grow along with the company, he added. "Through this ESOP buyback, we are thanking and rewarding our employees for their continued faith in our success, Batti said. The company has experienced hyper-growth over the last two years, with revenue and headcount tripling and opening three new offices in the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia. Whatfix currently has 500 employees across six global offices. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Even as India is reporting a steady decline in daily fresh case additions, data shows that almost 80 per cent of the new Covid-19 cases in the country are now coming from 90 districts alone. This indicates the need to intensify action in these areas, the health ministry noted. Whats more, there are 73 districts which are still reporting over 10 per cent case positivity rate, and a substantial number of these districts are concentrated in the North Eastern states. Data shows 43 out of these 73 districts or around 59 per cent of these districts are concentrated in the North Eastern states. Reports suggest that concerned over the rise in Covid19 cases, the Ministry of Home Affairs has called a special meeting this week to review the Covid preparedness and vaccine rollout in the seven NorthEastern states. Lav Agarwal, joint secretary, Ministry of Health said that there was need for localized action in the affected districts. Almost 80 per cent of the fresh cases are being reported from 90 districts alone. Most of these districts are in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka, Manipur, Goa, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura among others. The infection is spreading in a localized mannerIntensive localized infection-containing activity is required in these areas, he said. In terms of case positivity rate, 73 districts report more than 10 per cent case positivity rate now. Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Manipur, Kerala, Meghalaya, Tripura, Sikkim are some of the states where these districts are concentrated. Agarwal said that the second wave is still not over in some parts of the country. He claimed that there has been a steady reduction in daily cases - from a peak of 414,188 cases during the second wave of infections; in the last 24-hours India has reported only 34,703 fresh cases of Covid19. From 531 districts with over 100 cases daily in week ending May 4 it is now limited to 91 districts with over 100 daily cases as of week ending July 4. However, infection is still spreading in pockets, the official noted. On Tuesday, the health ministry also showed concerns around people travelling to hill stations, or even local markets in herds. Showing pictures flashed in the media captured in hill stations like Manali and Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, Mussoorie in Uttarakhand, crowded markets in Delhi and Mumbai, Agarwal said, People have a perception that once the restrictions are relaxed, the virus is over. The virus is very much within us and a casual approach towards Covid-19 appropriate behavior will only give a chance for the infection to come back with vigour. He called this recent surge in travelling revenge travel by citizens who were confined to their homes during the lockdown. The Health Ministry even quoted an survey by LocalCircles done in April across 319 districts and covering 33,000 respondents that showed 24 per cent of the people surveyed had no compliance at all for wearing masks, 63 per cent did not comply with social distancing norms, and 25 per cent did not comply with Covid19 appropriate behavior while travelling. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Prime Minister is likely to effect the first reshuffle in his Council of Ministers on Wednesday since he assumed the charge for a second term, in what is tipped to be a "major shake-up" of the government as he looks to make it more representative with an eye on political and governance challenges. BJP leaders Sarbananda Sonowal, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Narayan Rane, all of whom are being seen as probables for induction as ministers in the Modi government, arrived in the capital on Tuesday. In another pointer to the imminent Cabinet reshuffle, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot was appointed as Karnataka governor, causing yet another ministerial vacancy. JD(U) leader R C P Singh and LJP's Pashupati Kumar Paras, both of whom are expected to represent the BJP's allies in the government, also reached here from Bihar. All of them remained tight-lipped to queries about their possibility of joining the government. Rane told reporters that he had not received any call about his joining the government. Leaders of the faction headed by Paras said he had received a call from Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday but claimed that it was related to the birth anniversary of party founder Ram Vilas Paswan. Multiple sources said the reshuffle is likely to take place on Wednesday evening. There has been no official word on the The exercise comes against the backdrop of a massive review, which has stretched for weeks, undertaken by the BJP top brass of the works of Union ministers and the organisation against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic. A BJP leader said the reshuffle is expected to be a "big shake-up" with Modi addressing political challenges, including the assembly polls in five states early next year, and governance issues. The prime minister is also scheduled to chair a Cabinet meeting, hours before the expected reshuffle. His review of the works of his ministers, early next year in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab and the COVID-19 pandemic that has been a factor in the internal evaluation of the party's governance and organisational works are likely to weigh heavy in the expected reshuffle. Representation of BJP MPs from West Bengal and the Northeast may go up. Another BJP ally All India Jharkhand Students Union may also get a berth, sources said as the BJP looks to boost its partners' representation in the ministry after its old allies like Shiv Sena and Shiromani Akali Dal severed their ties with it. Ramadas Athavale, a junior minister, is the only BJP ally in the government as of now. The current strength of the Council of Ministers is 53, including Modi, and its maximum number can be 81. Against the massive review exercise within the central government and the party machinery, the prime minister may go for new faces with an eye on grooming younger leaders while also factoring in caste and regional balances. There is also a buzz about Modi inducting some professionals and those with domain expertise besides bringing in more women. The reshuffles undertaken by Modi so far, all in his first term, have also seen some ministers being dropped or removed from key portfolios on account of their performance. The prime minister has also sprung surprises in the past by inducting those with apolitical background, like S Jaishankar and Hardeep Singh Puri, as ministers. A party source said it is likely to be a "big shakeup" and members of the party organisation may be brought in the government. Names of Bhupender Yadav, Anil Baluni, Sudhanshu Trivedi are doing the rounds while BJP MPs Sushil Modi, Ashwini Vaishnav and G V L Narasimha Rao are also being mentioned as probables. BJP general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh met party president J P Nadda in the evening. Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje also met Santhosh. With Gehlot set to quit as an MP after becoming governor, his departure will also leave the key post of the leader of the House in Rajya Sabha vacant. It will leave one more position vacant in the BJP's Parliamentary Board, the party's apex body, where he is the only Dalit leader. Incidentally, top RSS brass, including its chief Mohan Bhagwat and joint general secretaries Krishna Gopal and Manmohan Vaidya, was also in the city for the last few days. The BJP has often factored in the feedback from the RSS in its key decisions. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Tuesday reported a net reduction of 17,714 in active cases to take its count to 464,357. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 3.99 per cent (one in 25). The country is third among the most affected countries by active cases. On Monday, it added 34,703 cases to take its total caseload to 30,619,932 from 30,585,229 an increase of 0.1%. And, with 553 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 403,281, or 1.32 per cent of total confirmed infections. With 4,582,246 more Covid-19 vaccine doses being administered on Monday, Indias total count of vaccine shots so far reached 357,553,612. The count of recovered cases across India, meanwhile, reached 29,752,294 or 97.17 per cent of total caseload with 51,864 new cured cases being reported on Tuesday. Now the third-most-affected country by active cases and deaths, second by total cases, and first by recoveries, India has added 303,035 cases in the past 7 days. India now accounts for 3.99% of all active cases globally (one in every 25 active cases), and 10.08% of all deaths (one in every 10 deaths). India has so far administered 357,553,612 vaccine doses. That is 1167.71 per cent of its total caseload, and 25.65 per cent of its population. Among Indian states, the top 5 in terms of number of vaccine shots administered are Maharashtra (39100133), Uttar Pradesh (38348428), Gujarat (31072272), Rajasthan (30584608), and West Bengal (27085326). Among states with more than 10 million population, the top 5 in number of vaccine shots per one million population are Delhi (507604), Kerala (491344), Gujarat (486474), Uttarakhand (467183), and J&K (406462). Backwards from here, the last 1 million cases for India have come in 21 days. The count of active cases across India on Tuesday saw a net reduction of 17,714, compared with 3,279 on Monday. States and UTs hat have seen the biggest daily net increase in active cases are Tripura (186), Arunachal (157), Mizoram (149), Assam (88), and Lakshadweep (4). With 51,864 new daily recoveries, Indias recovery rate stands at 97.17%, while fatality rate remained unchanged at 1.32%. The Indian states and UTs with the worst case fatality rates at present are Punjab (2.70%), Uttarakhand (2.15%), and Maharashtra (2.02%). The rate in as many as 17 is higher than the national average. Indias new daily closed cases stand at 52,417 553 deaths and 51,864 recoveries. The share of deaths in total closed cases stands at 1.05%. Indias 5-day moving average of daily rate of addition to total cases stands at 0.1%. Indias doubling time for total cases stands at 611.2 days, and for deaths at 505.1 days. Overall, five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Kerala (8037), Maharashtra (6740), Tamil Nadu (3715), Karnataka (2848), and Odisha (2803). Among states with more than 100,000 cases, the five with worst recovery rates at present are Maharashtra (96.02%) and Kerala (96.15%). India on Tuesday conducted 1,647,424 to take the total count of tests conducted so far in the country to 421,424,881. The test positivity rate recorded was 2.1%. Five states with the highest test positivity rate (TPR) percentage of tested people turning out to be positive for Covid-19 infection (by cumulative data for tests and cases are Goa (17.78%), Dadra & Nagar Haveli-Daman & Diu (14.6%), Maharashtra (14.29%), Kerala (12.62%), and Sikkim (12.36%). Five states with the highest TPR by daily numbers for tests and cases added are, Mizoram (65.53%), Sikkim (25.61%), Meghalaya (15.95%), Manipur (13.48%), and Kerala (10.03%). Among states and UTs with more than 10 million population, five that have carried out the highest number of tests (per million population) are Delhi (1167256), J&K (753706), Kerala (662091), Karnataka (518557), and Uttarakhand (502299). The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (6104917), Kerala (2981721), Karnataka (2856491), Tamil Nadu (2500002), and Andhra Pradesh (1905023). Maharashtra, the most affected state overall, has reported 6740 new cases to take its tally to 6104917. Kerala, the second-most-affected state by total tally, has added 8037 cases to take its tally to 2981721. Karnataka, the third-most-affected state, has reported 2848 cases to take its tally to 2856491. Tamil Nadu has added 3715 cases to take its tally to 2500002. Andhra Pradesh has seen its tally going up by 2100 to 1905023. Uttar Pradesh has added 118 cases to take its tally to 1706739. Delhi has added 54 cases to take its tally to 1434608. The UN body on human rights on Tuesday said it was deeply saddened and disturbed by the death of 84-year-old rights activist Stan Swamy during his pre-trial detention. It said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and the United Nations' independent experts have repeatedly raised the cases of Swamy, a Jesuit priest, and 15 other human rights defenders with the Indian government over the last three years and urged for their release from detention. Swamy, who was arrested last year under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, died at a Mumbai hospital on Monday. "We are deeply saddened and disturbed by the death of 84-year-old Father Stan Swamy, a human rights defender and Jesuit priest, in Mumbai yesterday, following his arrest in October 2020 under India's Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," Liz Throssell, the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said. "Father Stan had been held in pre-trial detention without bail since his arrest, charged with terrorism-related offences in relation to demonstrations that date back to 2018," she said in a statement. Throssell said Swamy was a long-standing activist, particularly on the rights of indigenous people and other marginalised groups. "High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet and the UN's independent experts have repeatedly raised the cases of Father Stan and 15 other human rights defenders associated with the same events with the government of India over the past three years and urged their release from pre-trial detention," she said. "The High Commissioner has also raised concerns over the use of the UAPA in relation to human rights defenders, a law Father Stan was challenging before Indian courts days before he died," she added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The delimitation commission headed by Justice (Retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai is beginning 4-day long visit to on Tuesday to meet representatives of political parties, government offices etc. in order to complete the delimitation process of Assembly seats/ seats so that elections are held in the Union territory. All the three members of the commission including Justice (Retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra Sharma and State Election Commissioner (SEC) K.K.Sharma, will reach Srinagar today. The commission will meet political leaders in Jammu on July 8. It will have detailed interaction with deputy commissioners of Kashmir division at Pahalgam and Srinagar on July 7 and those of Jammu division at Kishtwar and Jammu on July 8 and 9. Since the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) was not able to take a joint stand on meeting the commission or otherwise, it was decided that since the invitation from the commission was to individual parties, each constituent of PAGD would take its own decision. The Conference (NC) has decided to meet the commission and its leaders Abdul Rahim Rather and Devender Rana will head the delegation of the party which will call on the commission in Srinagar and Jammu respectively. The NC delegation in Srinagar will be led by Abdul Rahim Rather, senior party leader and it will comprise Mian Altaf, Mohammad Shafi Uri, Sakina Itoo and Nasir Aslam Wani. NC delegation in Jammu will be headed by provincial president, Devender Rana and will include Surjit Singh Slathia, Ajay Sadhotra, Sajjad Kitchloo and Javed Rana. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headed by Mehbooba Mufti has so far not announced its decision on whether it will meet the commission or not. The Congress delegation meeting the commission comprises G.A. Mir, Peerzada Sayeed, Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Bashir Ahmad Magray, Surinder Channi and Vinod Koul. The BJP delegation includes Sofi Yusuf, G.M. Mir, Surinder Ambardar and Altaf Thakur. Other political parties including Nationalist Panther Party (NPP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), People's Conference (PC) and Jammu Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) have already announced that they will be meeting the commission. --IANS sq/rs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Germany is lifting a ban on most travellers from five countries hit by 'Delta' variant of COVID-19, including India and the UK from Wednesday, said German envoy Walter J Lindner. "From tomorrow, Germany is removing the entry ban and easing travel rules for five countries where Delta variant is widespread, including India," tweeted German ambassador to India, Walter J Lindner on Tuesday. German public health agency the Robert Koch Institute on Monday said India, Nepal, Russia, Portugal and the UK, currently listed as so-called virus variant countries, would be reclassified from Wednesday as "high-incidence areas". The change will means simpler requirements for people visiting those countries. People who have had either both vaccination doses, or who can demonstrate they have recovered from COVID, will not need to isolate on their return or arrival. India was classified as a virus variant area at the end of April, followed by Nepal and the UK in May. The EU country Portugal, as well as Russia, were added to the list on June 29. Germany banned entry for travellers from India due to an upsurge in the number of cases. (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.) Britain has reported another 27,334 cases in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 4,930,534, according to official figures released on Monday. The country also recorded another nine coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 128,231. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test, the Xinhua news agency reported. More than 45.3 million people in Britain have received the first jab of Covid-19 vaccine and over 33.7 million people have received two doses, the official figures showed. The British government is set to reveal the details of the final step of England's roadmap out of Covid-19 restrictions later on Monday. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously announced a four-week delay to the final step of England's roadmap out of Covid-19 restrictions until July 19, amid a surge in cases of the Delta variant first identified in India. However, Welsh health official has said that further lockdown in Wales will not be ruled out as the number of local Covid-19 cases is rising, a media report said on Monday. There may be a new variant that escapes our vaccines, so "I can't make those kind of predictions", said Welsh Health Minister Eluned Morgan. Sky News also quoted Morgan as saying that Wales will not be rushed into making a decision about scrapping its restrictions despite England's plan to do so on July 19. The British government is only responsible for coronavirus restrictions in England. The devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for their own policies in relation to public health matters. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the US as well as the European Union have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. --IANS int/rs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior leader on Tuesday attacked the Centre over the glitches in the new portal, alleging that even after spending Rs 4,200 crore on it, the government had "failed" to make it user-friendly and created a "mess" instead. Tharoor, who is the president of the Congress' unit comprising professionals, All India Professionals' Congress, said chartered accountants in the unit have informed him that the change of Portal has been disastrous, with glitches including longer than usual logging time. Almost all features of the new portal are non-operational, so ITR ( return) filing, 15 CA/CB forms, data preparation for appeals has ground to a halt, the former Union minister said. "Not clear why the government chose to change the income tax portal in June. Would have been wiser just before the end of the Financial Year or the start of the next one, so that taxpayers eligible for income-tax refund could have received help in these difficult times," Tharoor opined. Hitting out at the government, he asked what was the need for a new income tax portal when the old portal was running smoothly for years and why was the portal switched at peak time, when income tax payers usually file their returns and claim refunds. Why was no testing of the new portal done before its launch, Tharoor asked. "The rationale for a new portal is to provide a more user-friendly, modern and seamless experience to users. However, even after spending Rs. 4,200 cr on its renovation, the Govt has failed to attain the objective & created a mess instead," he said in a series of tweets. This is a replay of the chaos with the GST portal, Tharoor added. Noting that India has very few taxpayers per capita and a "culture of tax evasion and black money", the leader said this must be the first time in history that Indian taxpayers who want to pay their taxes are not able to pay because the income tax portal is not working. "Penalties should be imposed and heads roll," Tharoor said. His remarks come a day after the Income Tax Department extended the deadline till July 15 for manual filing of forms related to foreign remittances. As the new I-T portal faced technical issues after its launch on June 7 and users complained of glitches, the department had allowed manual filings of Form 15CA/15CB (required for foreign remittances) with banks till June 30. The new portal was launched on June 7, which the tax department as well as the government said was aimed at making compliance more taxpayer-friendly. As the website continued to face glitches from the first day of its launch, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had asked Infosys -- the vendor who developed the site -- to fix the issues on priority. In a meeting with Infosys top officials on June 15, Sitharaman had asked Infosys to address all issues without further loss of time, improve their services, and redress grievances on priority as it was impacting taxpayers adversely. Infosys officials on their part had said that they were working to fix the technical issues and that they have augmented the resources for execution of the project on the hardware as well as the application side and that some of the issues have already been identified and fixed. For the other remaining technical issues, Infosys had assured the government that their teams were working on them and gave the expected timelines within which the issues would be resolved. Infosys was in 2019 awarded a contract to develop the next-generation income tax filing system to reduce processing time for returns from 63 days to one day and expedite refunds. (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.) After a drone attack at the (IAF) station in Jammu, the force has decided to procure 10 anti-drone systems to stop such attacks in future in the border areas. The force has floated a Request for Information (RFI) for Indian vendors for Counter Unarmed Aircraft System (CUAS) that can be armed with laser directed energy weapons to bring down rogue drones. On June 27, drone attack was carried on the Jammu Air Force Station where two unmanned aerial vehicles were used to drop bombs. The Investigation Agency has taken up the probe into the matter. The RFI stated: "The CUAS is intended to detect, track, identify, designate and neutralize hostile UAS. Laser Directed Energy Weapon (Laser-DEW) is essentially required as a kill option." It stated that the systems should be equipped with Global Navigation Satellite Jammer System (GNSS) and Radio Frequency jammers as a soft kill option and Laser-based Directed Energy Weapon (Laser-DEW) as a hard kill option to destroy the drones. "It should provide a multi-sensor, multi-kill solution to enforce effective no fly zones for unmanned aircraft while inflicting minimal collateral damage to the surrounding environment. It should generate a composite air situational picture for the operator and generate alerts based on user defined parameters," the RFI stated. The Air Force stated that these anti-drone systems are required in mobile configuration mounted on indigenous vehicles with cross country capability and powered by indigenous Electrical Power Supply (EPS) system. The anti-drone system should have provision for dismounting of all sub systems including integral power solution from the vehicle and mounting on roof top/open ground. "The entire system should be road and air transportable. The design should include modularity for quick deployment and withdrawal," it stated. The RFI specify that the radar should have 360 degree coverage with a range of 5 km for a mini unmanned aircraft system. --IANS sk/dpb (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indians are looking at travel in newer ways and are willing to explore flexible and nearby travel, and travel to work remotely, according to the latest Airbnb-YouGov survey conducted in May 2021. According to the survey, while the timeline for travel recovery depends on a number of external factors such as vaccination coverage, Indians continue to be eager to get back to travelling and connecting with new people and places, Airbnb said in a statement on Tuesday. The survey showed that 43 per cent would expect or plan to travel in the year, and 66 per cent would consider trips that are within driving distance. More than a third of respondents would like to travel and explore new places with loved ones. About eight in 10 said they would like to be closer to their family in order to receive or provide support, Airbnb said. The survey was conducted with a sample size of 1,023. As per the survey, a third of Indian travellers would like to spend time travelling and working 'anywhere' in different locations, in a post-pandemic world, Airbnb said. Seven in 10 respondents are interested in unique accommodations when they travel next, and a third said that they are very likely to stay in unique accommodations when they travel next, it added. Nature travel continues to be preferred by four in 10 respondents, according to the survey. "As many of us think of travelling again, stepping out the door will be about spending quality time with loved ones and creating new memories in unique destinations nearby or in nature," Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan General Manager Amanpreet Bajaj said. It will also be about exploring more flexible ways to live and work in a new world, he added. "Reflecting these preferences in India and around the world, Airbnb recently launched more than 100 upgrades that include new ways for customers to discover unique nearby destinations, and easier ways to sign up to be a host on Airbnb," Bajaj 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.) supremo on Tuesday accused the Uttar Pradesh Police of committing atrocities on Dalit families in Azamgarh and demanded strict action against the guilty cops and compensation for the victims. "It is shameful that Azamgarh Police instead of giving justice to the victimised of Palia village are committing atrocities on them and causing financial losses. The government should take immediate cognisance of this incident and take strict action against the culprits and compensate the victims financially," said in a tweet in Hindi. "Taking note of the seriousness of this latest incident of victimisation of of by the oppressors and the police, a delegation of under the leadership of former MLA Gaya Charan Dinkar will visit the village soon to meet the victims," she said in another tweet. According to police, there was a dispute between a doctor and some people in Palia village under Raunapar Police Station area on June 29 following which two policemen intervened in the matter and they were allegedly attacked by the village pradhan and his aides. On the same night, police surrounded the Dalit hamlet and damaged the houses and looted them following which, the villagers fled, claimed locals. On Monday, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra too had accused the state police of attacking in Azamgarh, and sought action against the accused and adequate compensation for the victims. Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police, Azamgarh, Sudhir Kumar Singh said a case has been registered against 11 named people and 135 unidentified people. He too claimed that cops were attacked and efforts are on to catch the accused. (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.) Reacting to Congress' criticism on glitches in the new portals, Minister of State for Finance on Tuesday said the Centre has already flagged concerns in the new portal with officials and urged them to address the work on all shortcomings. "A few days ago, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took a meeting with the officials where she asked them to fix all the glitches in the new I-T portal as soon as possible. officials are in regular touch with the team to work on all shortcomings. Daily, at least for two hours, officials sit with Infosys team and work on the issues," said Thakur. Earlier today, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had slammed the Centre over the reported glitches in the new Income Tax portal and said that even after spending Rs 4200 crore, the government 'failed' to attain the objective and 'created a mess' instead. Taking to Twitter, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said that Chartered Accountants in All India Professionals Congress (AIPC) informed him that the change of Income Tax Portal has been "disastrous", with glitches including "longer-than-usual log-in times". Meanwhile, on June 22, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman flagged concerns in the new Income-Tax portal in a meeting with Infosys officials and urged them to address these issues.Sitharaman exhorted Infosys(service provider) to work on the tax portal to make it "more humane and user-friendly". (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.) Prime Minister on Tuesday had a telephonic conversation with the Tibetan spiritual leader on his 86th birthday and wished him a "long and healthy life". "Spoke on phone to His Holiness the @DalaiLama to convey greetings on his 86th birthday. We wish him a long and healthy life," Prime Minister Modi tweeted. The Tibetan spiritual leader is celebrating his 86th birthday on Tuesday. In a video message, the hailed India and said "Since I became a refugee and now settled in India, I have taken full advantage of India's freedom and religious harmony." He added that he had great respect for India's secular values such as "honesty, karuna (compassion), and ahimsa (non-violence)." The is the spiritual leader of He was born on 6 July 1935, to a farming family, in a small hamlet located in Taktser, Amdo, northeastern At the age of two, the child, then named Lhamo Dhondup, was recognised as the reincarnation of the previous 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. In 1950, after China's invasion of Tibet, he was called upon to assume full political power. In 1959, he was forced to escape into exile. Since then, he has been living in Dharamsala. (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.) Congress veteran and six-time Himachal Pradesh chief minister has been shifted to the cardiac care unit of the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH) here after he suffered a heart attack, doctors said on Tuesday. IGMCH Senior Medical Superintendent Janak Raj told the media that the condition of Virbhadra Singh, 87, is critical but stable. He had a cardiac arrest on Monday. Despite recovering from Covid twice in the last three months, Virbhadra has been admitted to the IGMCH since April 23. BJP national President Jagat Parkash Nadda and state Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Monday visited the IGMCH to enquire about the health of Virbhadra Singh, a sitting legislator from Arki in Solan district. --IANS vg/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.) The long-awaited and much-talked about expansion is likely to take place tomorrow evening, news agency ANI reported. However, there is no confirmation from the BJP or the government about the time of possible reshuffle. Amid the Buzz, BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia cut short his tour of the Malwa-Nimar region in Madhya Pradesh and took off for Delhi from the Indore airport after taking darshan of the famous Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain. Other party leaders Sarbananda Sonowal, and Narayan Rane, all of whom are being seen as probables for induction as ministers in the Modi government too, arrived in the capital. In another indication that expansion might happen anytime soon, earlier during the day, Union minister Thaawarchand Gehlot was appointed as Governor of Karnataka as the government also named three other senior BJP leaders for gubernatorial posts in Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh. Modi's review of the works of his ministers, early next year assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab and the COVID-19 pandemic that has been a factor in the internal evaluation of the party's governance and organisational works are likely to weigh heavy in the expected reshuffle. Since last month there have been speculations about possible reshuffle and the Prime Minister held several rounds of discussion with senior party leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party chief Nadda and general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh. He (Modi) personally reviewed the performance of existing ministers. Few ministers are likley to be dropped and they might be accommodated in some other positions. Names of Bhupender Yadav, Anil Baluni, Sudhanshu Trivedi are doing the rounds while BJP MPs Sushil Modi, Ashwini Vaishnav and G V L Narasimha Rao are also being mentioned as probables. Indias Managing Director said hes ready to appear before the Uttar Pradesh Police, provided that they guarantee they wont arrest him. He reportedly made these remarks while addressing the Karnataka High Court in a plea against the notice issued to him by the police over tweets posted of an elderly Muslim man being assaulted in Ghaziabad. "If the court records the submission of the that they are not going to lay their hand upon me, then I am willing to appear before the police personally, provided they give an undertaking," he told the court through his counsel CV Nagesh. He also argued that he is just an employee of Twitter. "The police can't name me as the person representing the company. Only the company can," he argued. The Karnataka High Court also slammed the UP Police for not ascertaining basic facts in connection with the FIR against Maheshwari. The court has adjourned the matter and will it hear it in the afternoon today. Earlier in the day, the Delhi HC directed to inform it by July 8 as to when it will appoint a resident grievance officer (RGO) in compliance with the new IT Rules after the microblogging platform submitted that it was in the process of doing so. Justice Rekha Palli took exception to the fact the court was not informed that the earlier appointment of the RGO was only on interim basis and he has already resigned. The high court pointed out that only an interim RGO was appointed by and a wrong impression was given to the court on May 31 as it was not informed that the appointment was on interim basis. "If he went away on June 21, the least Twitter could do was to appoint another officer in these 15 days since you knew that this matter was coming up for hearing on July 6. We are concerned with the issue of compliance. How long does your process take? If Twitter thinks it can take as long as it wants in my country, I will not allow that, the judge said. Senior Advocate Sajan Poovayya, representing Twitter, said though Twitter is in process of making the appointment, it was true that as on date there is no chief compliance officer, RGO and nodal contact person. So as the court said yes Twitter is not in compliance with rules as of now. But it is in the process of appointing the officer. When an intermediary is not in compliance with rules, it loses safe harbour protection. It is indeed that Twitter should and Twitter will comply with the rules. Please grant a reasonable time, he said.Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing the Centre, said the rules were notified on February 25 and three-month window was given to the intermediaries to comply with the rules, which has expired on May 25. We are on July 6. It is a 42-day complete non-compliance. They are most welcome to do business in India. But this attitude is cock a snook at the digital sovereignty of this country, he argued. Pandemic pushes millions of small Thai companies into crisis Many small and medium-sized enterprises, the backbone of Thailands economy, are struggling with crushing debt loads that could force them out of business as the latest wave of Covid infections dims the prospects of an economic recovery. Thailands SMEs, many of them concentrated in the tourism industry, have been hit especially hard since the country closed its borders last year, sending the economy to its deepest contraction in more than two decades. The situation has worsened with daily cases and deaths at record levels, leading the government to impose fresh restrictions in late June. Read here Let's look at the global statistics Global infections: 184,154,287 Global deaths: 3,984,582 Vaccine doses administered: 3,226,396,768 Nations with most cases: US (33,723,157), India (30,619,932), Brazil (18,792,511), France (5,849,011), Russia (5,568,104). Source: John Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center Lets face it, most bankers are going back to the office The world's top banks have on several occasions said they are open to flexibility in work models and adopting to post-pandemic changes. While the portentous language in press releases sounds nice, its clear very few companies have actually committed to new ways of working that can be easily implemented or measured. Many have pledged to offer more flexibility without specifying who can actually take advantage of it and how frequently. The danger is that the new Work From Home vs Return To Office rules might not be practical for many employees, and companies will have to backtrack on what has been interpreted as a commitment to lots of remote work. Thats a breeding ground for intra-office dissent. Read here Luxembourgs PM is hospitalised in serious condition with low blood-oxygen levels Prime Minister Xavier Bettel of Luxembourg, who is suffering from Covid-19 symptoms, was in serious, but stable condition on Monday at a hospital, the State Ministry in Luxembourg said. The prime minister was diagnosed with low oxygen levels in his blood, an acute concern for people with Covid-19. Less than 10 days after a star turn at the European Union summit meeting in Brussels late last month, Mr. Bettel, 48, spent his second day in the hospital, where he was sent as a precaution, according to the ministry. Mr. Bettel is expected to spend two to four more days there under observation because of his persistent symptoms, the ministry said. Read here Fiji reels as it moves from Covid haven to frontline While most countries around the world grappled with surging Covid cases and overwhelmed health systems, Fiji a country of about 900,000 people in the south Pacific was largely spared a widespread outbreak. But in April, daily case numbers began climbing. Lockdowns were ordered, curfews put in place, the vaccine rollout was sped up, but still the cases kept rising. The country has seen daily records broken over and over. On Sunday this week, there were 522 new cases and three Covid-19 deaths. Read here The continuing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are providing an impetus to to focus on divesting non-core assets, with 74 per cent of the surveyed planning to divest in the next 24-months, says the EY India Corporate Divestment Study 2021. The survey highlights that one of the biggest challenges faced by CEOs today is identifying the right time to divest assets as 70 per cent of surveyed said that they held on to assets for too long. Companies acknowledge the importance of divestments as it allows them to focus on long term value opportunities in the core business. In line with this agenda, majority of the companies (80 per cent) are using the divestment proceeds to invest in technology to support their core operations. In addition, CEOs are also looking to prioritize operational performance of the RemainCo, while developing the divestment strategy. After effectuating a divestment, 53 per cent CFOs agreed that divesting assets allowed them to streamline their operations and pay attention to higher growth opportunities across the core business. A successful divestment requires that the process be viewed as a part of the corporate strategy rather than a one-off decision. A clear view on strategic alignment of each business, supported by rigorous portfolio reviews can help CFOs identify the right divestment candidates and sharpen the focus on core businesses. It is also important for companies not to lose sight of the transformational opportunities for the RemainCo, while planning for a divestment, the EY survey observed. Naveen Tiwari, Partner and Head, Carve-Out and Separations, Strategy & Transactions, EY India, said, Divestments can not only help companies have a clear focus on core business, it can also provide much required impetus to build resilience during the current crisis. Companies need to place particular emphasis on structured portfolio reviews and a comprehensive divestment strategy to drive maximum value." rejig: NMDC, SAIL, BoB, 4 other stocks enter large cap category In the latest reclassification exercise by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi), public sector companies such as NMDC, Steel Authority of India (SAIL) and Bank of Baroda have been pushed to the large cap category from the mid cap segments. Others such as Adani Total Gas, Apollo Hospital Enterprises, Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company and Honeywell Automation India too have been moved to the large-cap category. Read here collections fall below Rs 1-trn mark after eight months in June Goods and services tax collections fell below the Rs 1-trillion mark for the first time in nine month in June to a 10-month low, as economic activity got disrupted due to the second Covid-19 wave, official data showed. However, experts say the collections are better than expected and will provide a cushion to the government to ramp up spending, going forward. Read here Amid cabinet reshuffle buzz, Thawarchand appointed Karnataka Governor Union Minister Thawarchand Gehlot was on Tuesday appointed as Karnataka Governor and Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel was named as the Governor of Madhya Pradesh, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique. The development comes at a time when Union cabinet reshuffle is expected to take place on July 8, according to agency ANI. Read here Gehlot is the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment. As crowds throng hill stations, markets, govt warns gains will be nullified The government on Tuesday cautioned that people roaming in hill stations and markets without following COVID-19-appropriate behaviours can nullify the gains made in the management of the pandemic so far. Stressing that the pandemic was not yet over, an official described the images of large numbers of people thronging popular hill stations as "frightening". Read here. Praveen was in for a surprise when he checked his bank statement in July after six months. The lockdowns and fear of the pandemic had prevented a visit to his bank branch in rural Uttar Pradesh. He was hoping for Rs 500-700 to be credited as subsidy for the cooking gas (liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG) he had bought over the years. I though some Rs 150 or so was being reimbursed for every cylinder I buy. But this time the money has not been credited to my account. I wonder where it has gone, he said. Officially there is no way for Praveen and the thousands of LPG ... The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will conduct open market purchase of worth Rs 20,000 crore under the G-sec Acquisition Programme (G-SAP 2.0) on July 8. The said in a statement that it reserves the right to decide on quantum of purchase of individual securities, accept bids for less than the aggregate amount, purchase marginally higher/lower than the aggregate amount due to rounding off and accept or reject any or all the bids either wholly or partially without assigning any reasons. On July 4, Governor Shaktikanta Das had announced that the central bank will conduct open market purchase of government securities of Rs 1.2 lakh crore under the G-SAP 2.0 in Q2 of the current financial year to support the market. The next purchase under G-SAP 2.0 will be conducted on July 22 for Rs 20,000 crore. The government securities to be purchased in auction will be communicated in due course, said the The government raises money from the market to fund its fiscal deficit through dated securities and treasury bills. The RBI has said it remains committed to use all instruments at its command to revive the economy by maintaining congenial financial conditions, mitigate the impact of Covid-19 and restore the economy to a path of sustainable growth while preserving macroeconomic and financial stability. (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.) Dr Reddy's Laboratories which also sells its Over the Counter (OTC) products through and other e-commerce channels in the US, is planning to double the portfolio on themarketplaceto over 50 products in the foreseeable future. Dr Reddy's first began selling its OTC Habitrol brand nicotine patches on in 2016, as an experiment. Shortly after launching it, Doan's was added to the portfolio and subsequently two years later in 2018 reached out to the Indian drug maker looking for companies that could launch Amazon-exclusive brands in the OTC space. Dr Reddy's direct-to-consumer strategic priority gained the necessary traction and proved its viability. In January this year, the HealthCareAisle store brand in the ecommerce space hit a key milestone, achieving USD 100,000 of sales in a week, the drug maker said in its latest annual report. "At the current growth rate, the Amazon direct-to consumer channel is now a key growth driver for the OTC business, and the team plans to launch products on Amazon first and then to other channels. Additionally, they anticipate ramping up to double their online portfolio to 50+ products in the foreseeable future," it said. Dr Reddy's revenue from North America Generics (NAG) was Rs 7050 crore, with a growth of 9 per cent versus FY2020. The growth was supported by the launch of 27 new products includingCiprofloxacin Dexamethasone, OTC Diclofenac, Sapropterin, Abiraterone (Canada) and Colchicine tablets. As of March 31, 2021, Dr Reddys had three late projects at different levels of development, ranging from products that have completed Phase 2 clinical trials to a product that is undergoing pivotal studies for registration. In addition, it has multiple other programmes in the early stages of development (i.e., exploratory stage through Phase 2) in the pipeline, the drug maker said on its Proprietary Products Segment. (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.) Alarm sirens were turned on at the in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the air defense system was activated over an "unknown object" in the sky above the embassy, Iraqi television channel Al Sumaria reported citing a security source. "Alarm sirens went off at the US embassy, the C-RAM system was activated due to the detection of an unknown object in the sky above the US embassy," the source said. Another source told the TV channel that a drone was shot down in the Green Zone where government agencies and foreign diplomatic missions are located. (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.) Sri Lankas risk premium for a default jumped, reflecting concern that the pandemic is damaging the nations ability to fill its foreign-exchange coffers ahead of at least $2.5 billion in dollar debt due in the next 12 months. The nations five-year credit default swaps rose to 1,553 basis points on Monday, the highest since March 1. A separate gauge of one-year default probability was at 27.9 per cent, the steepest in Asia, up from around 13 per cent over six months ago, according to a Bloomberg model where a reading above 1.5 per cent signifies high risk of failure to pay. The first test comes July 27, when the South Asian nation must repay a $1 billion bond to investors. President Gotabaya Rajapaksas administration tightened capital controls last week, limiting how much foreign currency can leave the country, and speculation is growing that it may need to turn to the Monetary Fund for additional finances after securing assistance from countries including China. These resources should enable to meet its remaining debt maturities through the rest of 2021, said Sagarika Chandra, primary sovereign analyst for at Fitch Ratings. Nevertheless, Sri Lankas debt repayment challenges will continue into the medium-term. Authorities have not yet specified plans for meeting the countrys foreign-currency debt-servicing needs for 2022 and beyond. Arrangements are already in place to settle the bonds due later this month, the central bank said in a statement late Monday. Two more payments become due next year a $500 million bond on January 18, followed by $1 billion of debt maturing July 25. The other bonds also we will pay, said Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Sri Lankas state minister for money and capital markets and a former central bank governor, citing steps such as foreign- exchange controls and swap agreements with China and Bangladesh. Still, the uncertainty has prompted calls from some opposition party members for to seek help from the IMF, which prematurely ended a $1.5 billion fund facility last year amid change in financing needs due to the pandemic. While the government and the central bank have said theres no need to go back to the Washington-based organisation, it isnt uncommon for nations to renegotiate terms with the global lender of last resort. Sri Lankas government is instead aiming to pursue its own policy mix, including promoting import substitution and garnering support from bilateral creditors, including India and China. It secured a $1.5 billion currency swap line from Beijing in March, and is expecting inflows including a $250 million swap facility from Bangladeshs monetary authority, besides a $400 million facility from the Reserve Bank of India to bolster reserves. Foreign-exchange reserves stand at around $4 billion, excluding the China swap agreement, according to the central bank. Thats enough to cover three months of imports. The breakdown of OPEC+s meeting on production levels has left the oil market in limbo. The immediate consequence is that an expected increase in output in August now likely wont happen, leaving the world short of barrels as the economic recovery gathers pace. The lack of unity within the alliance has also raised the specter of a repeat of last years price war when members pumped at will and sent oil prices crashing. The situation is still very fluid and its possible talks could be revived in the coming days. Heres how analysts see things playing out. UBS With no more OPEC+ supply imminent, the oil market is likely to tighten further and that could result in Brent climbing to $80 a barrel by September, analyst Giovanni Staunovo said in a note. The alliance could still reach an agreement, given negotiations will likely continue among member states. It remains unclear if the failure to agree on a supply deal will translate into lower compliance rates next month. The release of Saudi Aramcos official selling prices for August in the coming days should provide more clarity. ING If the group keeps output unchanged in August that should be bullish for prices, but the likelihood that members actually keep production steady isnt very high, Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy in Singapore, said in an interview. Members will probably start pumping more, and there will likely be a breakdown in the broader deal. There is potential for a price war like last year, but all involved will try to avoid that. A clear solution would be to separate the two elements of the deal: agree on the 2 million barrels a day supply increase for August to December, and then tackle the extension of the deal at a later date. Citi Brent is expected to breach $80 a barrel sooner than expected following the breakdown of the OPEC+ talks, analysts including Ed Morse and Francesco Martoccia said in a note. Oil prices above this level would severely hamper the economic recovery now under way, particularly in emerging OPEC+ countries are likely to come under pressure from the governments of the worlds big economies for not acting to prevent expensive fuel prices when the group has a lot of spare capacity. That could even provoke new NOPEC legislation in the US Sooner or later theyll succumb to the pressure and add more oil to the market at a level higher than initially planned. The high prices are increasing the prospect that US production will come back swinging in 2022. FGE If theres no increase in production, then oil at $85 to $90 a barrel is on the cards, Fereidun Fesharaki, chairman of industry consultant FGE, said in a Bloomberg TV interview. However, its likely some sort of compromise will be reached over the next one to three weeks, although prices are likely to rise until this happens. Its unlikely that the United Arab Emirates will leave OPEC, but it wants more independence in policy making. With prices at these levels, there will probably be a lot more US shale production coming back next year. RBC Capital Markets Although back-channel talks are reported to be continuing, questions about the UAE commitment to remain in will likely grow in the coming days, analysts Helima Croft and Christopher Louney said in a note. Since the launch of its Murban benchmark in March, there has been a distinct question mark over the durability of UAEs membership and its willingness to continue idling its expensive spare capacity. This UAE-Saudi Arabian dispute appears to be more than about oil policy, with UAE seemingly intent on stepping outside the kingdoms shadow and charting its own course in global affairs. Rystad Energy A no-deal that keeps output unchanged after July isnt an outcome that any of the OPEC+ members want, oil analyst Louise Dickson said in a note. That may be raising expectations for an agreement that would satisfy the UAE a bit more. The market could see an immediate price correction if OPEC+ eventually agrees to increase output by well over 500,000 barrels per day in August. All eyes will be on potential leaks from behind-closed-doors unofficial negotiations. It could be a wild price ride in either direction. --With assistance from Yvonne Man, Rishaad Salamat and David Ingles. Mexico's state-owned oil company said Monday that a bizarre chain of events, including a lightening storm and a simultaneous gas pipeline leak, set off a strange subaquatic fireball seen last week in the Gulf of Petroleos Mexicanos said an intense storm of rain and lightening on July 2 forced the company to shut off pumping stations serving the offshore rig near where the fire occurred. Simultaneously, the leak in an underwater pipeline allowed natural gas to build up on the ocean floor and once it rose to the surface, it was probably ignited by a lightening bolt, the company said. Pemex sent fire control boats to pump more water over the flames and no one was injured in the incident in the offshore Ku-Maloob-Zaap field. It said no crude oil was spilled. Pemex said it was repairing the pumps and investigating the cause of the gas leak. The accident unleashed a subaquatic fireball that appeared to boil the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and drew a hail of criticism from environmentalists. Greenpeace said the fire, which took five hours to extinguish, "demonstrates the serious risks that Mexico's fossil fuel model poses for the environment and people's safety." President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador has bet heavily on drilling more wells and buying or building oil refineries. He touts oil as "the best business in the world." Climate activist Greta Thunberg reposted a video clip of the fireball on her Twitter account. "Meanwhile, the people in power call themselves climate leaders' as they open up new oilfields, pipelines and coal power plants granting new oil licenses exploring future oil drilling sites," Thunberg wrote. "This is the world they are leaving for us. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) has signed a deal with South Korea to ship 7,00,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech that are soon to expire to get the same amount of shots back later in the fall, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Tuesday. "According to the agreement, will immediately transfer approximately 7,00,000 doses of the vaccine to South Korea for the vaccination of its citizens by the end of July. In exchange, South Korea will return the same quantity of vaccines to from a future order in September-October 2021," the statement read. Noting that the vaccine swap agreement is the first of its kind, the Israeli prime minister called it a "win-win deal." Over 15.3 million people have already received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in South Korea and over 5 million two doses, however, this number mostly comprises medical personnel, the elder generation, soldiers, teachers and diplomats. Vaccinations for residents aged 20-50 are yet to begin. By September, the country aims to vaccinate 36 million of its 52 million population and achieve herd immunity by November. South Korea authorized the use of Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Janssen vaccines for people over 18. (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 OPEC+ oil cartel is facing its biggest crisis since a price war at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The United Arab Emirates, the groups fourth-biggest producer, argued against a deal proposed by Saudi Arabia and Russia to extend quota limits until the end of next year, rather than ending them in April as originally planned. The UAE agreed with the other 22 OPEC+ members that monthly output cuts should be eased by 400,000 barrels a day from August, but said the extension should be treated separately. The group normally settles its differences in private and likes to put on a show of unity. But this rift runs so deep that the energy ministers of the UAE and Saudi Arabia aired their grievances in interviews with Bloomberg Television and other media on Sunday. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies were meant to reconvene on Monday to try to bridge the divide, but called their meeting off. Without a deal, will be left in limbo at a time when theyre clamoring for more oil, prices for which are already up around 50% this year. Heres why the UAE is digging in. Production Increase The UAE claims it can pump much more than the 3.2 million barrels a day baseline accorded to it under OPEC+s quota system. Energy Minister Suhail Al-Mazrouei said that levels totally unfair and unsustainable. The country wants an increase to 3.8 million barrels daily if the supply agreement -- signed in April 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic was crushing oil demand -- is extended until the end of 2022. Mazrouei said the UAE has roughly one-third of its output idle, meaning its sacrificing its production to a greater extent than other OPEC+ members. Saudi Arabia argues that its withholding much more oil than the UAE -- and has done for years. Riyadh also insists that the extension is needed to put energy at ease because of the continued threat to fuel consumption from the pandemic. Abu Dhabi, which produces almost all the UAEs crude, is spending around $25 billion a year to help boost its capacity to 5 million barrels a day by the end of the decade. The UAEs de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, sees the plan as crucial for raising more funds to invest in new industries and diversify the economy. They want a higher baseline to better reflect the investment theyve made, Jeff Currie, global head of commodities at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., said in a Bloomberg Television interview. Photo: Bloomberg Foreign Partners Unlike Saudi Arabia and most other Gulf OPEC members, Abu Dhabi has companies as equity investors in its oil and gas fields. Long-standing partners such as BP Plc and TotalEnergies SE, which have operated in the region since before the UAE came into existence 50 years ago, have been joined by others from India and China over the past three years. Sultan Al Jaber, chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., has led an aggressive restructuring of the state producer since taking on the role in 2016, and has done so with the firm backing of Prince Mohammed. In addition to boosting capacity and ties with Asian energy companies, hes sold billions-of-dollars-worth of pipeline, refining and real estate assets to foreign private-equity investors. Lower production can potentially hurt those investors as well as the UAE. We can not continue with our investors losing on their investment, Al Mazrouei said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. Crude Futures Abu Dhabi allowed its main grade of crude, called Murban, to be traded on a new futures exchange earlier this year. This was a first for an OPEC member. It wants Murban to be adopted by oil traders and other Middle Eastern producers as a benchmark for the region. For that, it needs to ensure large flows to underpin liquidity and trading. Adnoc has said it expects to provide more than 1.1 million barrels a day for the exchange from August. Ramping up Murban production closer to full capacity of about 2 million barrels a day would strengthen Adnocs bid for it eventually to get benchmark status. The U.S. Defense Department canceled its $10 billion JEDI cloud-computing project on Tuesday, pulling the Trump-era award to Corp and announcing a new multi-vendor contract expected to include its big tech rival Amazon.com. The contract awarded by the in late 2019 has been on hold after Amazon filed a lawsuit challenging the decision under then-President Trump publicly derided then-Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and repeatedly criticized the company. Amazon said in 2019 the decision was full of "egregious errors," which it suggested were a result of "improper pressure from Trump." The company cited a 2019 book that reported Trump had directed the Defense Department to "screw Amazon" https://reut.rs/2V4LqgQ out of the JEDI contract. As recently as September the Defense Department re-evaluated the contract proposals and said Microsoft's submission was the best. Under the new Biden administration, the said Tuesday Amazon and are the only that can meet the department's requirements but later noted that they are reaching out to other cloud providers in the next three months if they also meet the government's standards. Other top cloud include Oracle Corp, Alphabet Inc's Google and IBM Corp. The Pentagon hopes to have the first awards by April 2022 for its new Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability (JWCC). John Sherman, acting chief information officer for the Defense Department, said he expects both and Amazon will get cloud contracts. He said the need was urgent. "I've got to get this now -- as soon as possible -- starting hopefully as soon as April," Sherman said. Microsoft shares were down 0.5%, while Amazon traded up more than 4% and hit a record high after the news. Microsoft said in a statement the company was confident it will "continue to be successful as the DoD selects partners for new work". Microsoft could submit a termination bid to recover costs of the scrapped project, Sherman said. Amazon did not immediately comment. The now-cancelled Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure Cloud (JEDI) contract was budgeted for as much as $10 billion and was part of a broader digital modernization of the Pentagon aimed at making it more technologically agile. "We don't have an estimate yet, but I wouldn't latch onto the $10 billion figure," Sherman said. "This plan involves a multi-cloud procurement by a full and open competition perhaps as soon as early 2025. For the near term, however, we are confident that a direct award path is absolutely required and appropriate to enable us to bring urgently needed enterprise cloud capabilities to the force," Sherman said. Bezos hits wealth record of $211 bn on Pentagon move Jeff Bezos is leaving the rest of the world behind when it comes to wealth accumulation. The worlds richest man reached a record $211 billion net worth after Amazon.com shares rose 4.7 per cent after the Pentagon move. The rally raised Bezoss fortune by $8.4 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The last time anyone in the Bloomberg ranking neared this amount was in January, when Teslas Elon Musk briefly hit $210 billion. Bloomberg (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.) Like many relationships, the one between and the United Arab Emirates had long rested on two simple principles for when disputes arose: Deal with them behind closed doors or bite your tongue. After the neighbours public spat over future Opec+ oil output, thats now looking hopelessly old-fashioned and the consequences are rippling out from the Persian Gulf. Most obviously, the tussle has left a question mark over crude supply as major nations emerge from Covid lockdowns. Opec+ abandoned its meeting on Monday without a deal, sending oil past $77. Oil prices climbed to multi-year highs on Tuesday. Brent crude hit a session high of $77.84, a level not seen since October 2018, before losing momentum and easing to trade $1.95, or 2.53 per cent lower, at $75.21 a barrel by 8.40 pm IST. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures traded up $1.05, or 1.40 per cent, at $74.11, after reaching $76.98 earlier in the session, the highest since November 2014. The tussle underlined a growing economic rivalry thats been sharpened by the pandemic and has implications for global companies, as well as a political divergence with repercussions across the Middle East from Yemen to Israel, Iran to Qatar. While no ones saying ties are set to break down, the ground rules have shifted. More than 80 per cent of the time, these two capitals are on the same page, said political science professor Abdulkhaleq Abdullah. However, there is growing economic competition; it is growing deeper by the day. The trigger for the Opec+ showdown was the UAEs opposition to a Saudi-led production deal. The US is urging compromise. Abu Dhabi wants to renegotiate the level from which its output cuts or increases are calculated, giving it the ability to pump more oil after strengthening ties with energy-hungry markets in Asia. The acrimonious rhetoric surprised everyone, said a person familiar with high-level discussions, describing it as politics spilling over into the oil talks and vice versa. Mediation made little headway, and a couple of decisions taken away from the Opec+ negotiating table threatened to further poison the atmosphere. banned flights to the as talks broke down at the weekend, citing virus concerns. While the timing could be coincidental, it comes ahead of an Islamic holiday when Gulf visitors typically descend on Dubai, now reopened for tourism. Riyadh also said it would exclude imports from free zones or linked to Israel from a preferential tariff agreement with neighbouring Gulf nations, potentially dealing a blow to a key pillar of the The relationship between Abu Dhabis crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and his Saudi counterpart, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, appears to have cooled, though, as Abu Dhabi flexes its muscles geopolitically, asserting an independent foreign policy. is considering revamping the kingdoms pension system to require citizens to work longer and contribute more, another hit to living standards that could undermine public support for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans efforts to reshape the oil-reliant The government -- faced with an estimated actuarial gap of 800 billion riyals ($213 billion) at the state-controlled pension fund -- is weighing proposals to increase the retirement age, according to three people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified to discuss confidential deliberations. It could also require workers to contribute more of their salaries to the General Organization for Social Insurance, or GOSI, which manages both public and private sector pensions, the people said. A final decision on the details of the changes and whether to implement them has not yet been made, the people said. Saudi officials have warned the current system is unsustainable. Thats a quandary pension programs the world over have faced as people have lived longer -- but with a decidedly Saudi twist. The average Saudi life expectancy is 75 years, and although the official retirement age is about 60 for men and women, about a third retire early after working 25 years in the private sector or 20 in the civil service. That compares to an average retirement age of 64.3 years for men and 63.5 years for women in member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Any changes to the rules, however, could be controversial domestically. Prince Mohammed, the kingdoms de facto ruler, has already upended decades of expectation that the state would use its oil wealth to provide citizens with benefits like cheap gasoline and power, plentiful government jobs and university scholarships. As part of his plan to end the economys reliance on oil and fill a budget gap left by lower crude prices, hes remodeled the social contract in the worlds largest crude exporter by cutting subsidies, introducing taxes and criticizing a bloated public sector. Many low- and middle-income Saudis are struggling to adjust, and the coronavirus pandemic has only accelerated the pace of change by straining government finances and highlighting the urgency of economic diversification. When asked about the proposed changes to the pension system, GOSI said the merger of the public and private sector pension and insurance funds last month will not affect the insurance entitlements of the insurance clients, the pensions for the retirement clients, or the percentages or supply of subscriptions for each fund, nor its operations or transactions. But Nader Al Wahibi, the assistant governor at GOSI, recently argued on state television that early retirement and longer life spans were endangering the funds future. The practice of retiring workers after 20 years of service was temporarily frozen after the fund merged with the Public Pension Agency last month. The people that are retiring early now are going to drain all of the money in the fund, Al Wahibi said. Theyre living longer, and the money isnt enough, even if we achieved astronomical investment returns. Workers now pay 9% of their salaries into the fund for retirement. The Ministry of Finance and the governments Center for Communication didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. Al Wahibis pointed remarks sparked negative reactions from some well-known Saudis -- a rare occurrence since Prince Mohammed led a crackdown thats chilled domestic criticism. Even if we agreed that this is the truth, it shouldnt be said in this dry, tough language, novelist Mohammed Al Rotayyan said in a post on Twitter. People arent numbers in a rigid accounting process. --With assistance from Reema Alothman. The Taipei government has termed China's "one country and two systems" as a facade, stating that it is really intended to annexe This comes after the government recalled seven representative officials from Hong Kong, citing "unreasonable political preconditions". According to the concept of "one country, two systems", two systems will be practiced within the sovereign state of the People's Republic of During a TV interview, Chiu Chui-cheng, the Deputy Minister of Taipei's Mainland Affairs Council, said the government was reassuring Taiwan's representative offices in and Macau to sign a "one China" commitment letter, News reported. This would have given validity to Beijing's "one China" principle, which Taiwan would never accept, he said. Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades. Chiu also pointed out that the government did not require other foreign embassies to sign such a document. Seven staff members flew out of Hong Kong last month and just one Taiwanese employee is left in the office. "Our staff in Hong Kong did not break any local laws or regulations while carrying out their duties," Chiu said, adding that the Taiwan office will remain open with the help of 50 local staff members. The Deputy Minister also said that he hopes Taiwan will become the new home for Hongkongers as Beijing tightens its control over the semi-autonomous Chinese city. The diplomatic tensions between Hong Kong and Taiwan are rising in the last few months. Hong Kong and Macau closed their trade offices in Taipei and Beijing seeks to pile diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan. (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.) By Raphael Satter WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Between 800 and 1,500 businesses around the world have been affected by a centered on U.S. information technology firm Kaseya, its chief executive said on Monday. Fred Voccola, the Florida-based company's CEO, said in an interview that it was hard to estimate the precise impact of Friday's attack because those hit were mainly customers of Kaseya's customers. Kaseya is a company which provides software tools to IT outsourcing shops: that typically handle back-office work for too small or modestly resourced to have their own tech departments. One of those tools was subverted on Friday, allowing the hackers to paralyze hundreds of businesses on all five continents. Although most of those affected have been small concerns - like dentists' offices or accountants - the disruption has been felt more keenly in Sweden, where hundreds of supermarkets had to close because their cash registers were inoperative, or New Zealand, where schools and kindergartens were knocked offline. The hackers who claimed responsibility for the breach have demanded $70 million to restore all the affected businesses' data, although they have indicated a willingness to temper their demands in private conversations with a expert and with Reuters. "We are always ready to negotiate," a representative of the hackers told Reuters earlier Monday. The representative, who spoke via a chat interface on the hackers' website, didn't provide their name. Voccola refused to say whether he was ready to take the hackers up on the offer. "I can't comment 'yes,' 'no,' or 'maybe'," he said when asked whether his company would talk to or pay the hackers. "No comment on anything to do with negotiating with terrorists in any way." The topic of ransom payments has become increasingly fraught as ransomware attacks become increasingly disruptive - and lucrative. Voccola said he had spoken to officials at the White House, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security about the breach but declined to say what they had told him about paying or negotiating. On Sunday the White House said it was checking to see whether there was any "national risk" posed by ransomware outbreak but Voccola said that - so far - he was not aware of any nationally important organizations being hit. "We're not looking at massive critical infrastructure," he said. "That's not our business. We're not running AT&T's network or Verizon's 911 system. Nothing like that." Because Voccola's firm was in the process of fixing a vulnerability in the software that was exploited by the hackers when the was executed, some information security professionals have speculated that the hackers might've been monitoring his company's communications from the inside. Voccola said neither he nor the investigators his company had brought in had seen any sign of that. "We don't believe that they were in our network," he said. He added that the details of the breach would be made public "once its 'safe' and OK to do that." Some experts believe the full fallout from the hack will come into focus on Tuesday, when Americans return from their July Fourth holiday weekend. Beyond the United States, the most notable disruption occurred in Sweden - where hundreds of Coop supermarkets had to shut their doors because their cash registers were inoperative - and in New Zealand, where 11 schools and several kindergartens were affected. In their conversation with Reuters, the hackers' representative described the disruption in New Zealand as an "accident." But they expressed no such regret about the disruption in Sweden. The supermarkets' closure was "nothing more than a business," the representative said. About a dozen different countries have had organizations affected by the breach in some way, according to research published https://www.welivesecurity.com/2021/07/03/kaseya-supply-chain-attack-what-we-know-so-far by firm ESET. (Reporting by Raphael Satter; Additional reporting by Praveen Menon in Wellington, New Zealand. Editing by Kim Coghill, Robert Birsel, William Maclean, Jonathan Oatis and Diane Craft) (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.) fluctuated Tuesday after Chinas central bank and a regulator in the capital city took action against a company that was allegedly providing cryptocurrency-related services. The largest cryptocurrency had risen as much as 3.7% to $35,094 before dropping back after the Peoples Bank of China and Beijings local financial regulator ordered a company in the city to cancel its business registration. As of 7:55 a.m. in New York it was trading 1% higher at $34,194. Financial and payments institutions should not directly or indirectly provide virtual currency-related services, the PBOC and the Beijing regulator said in a statement. It named marketing, promotion and display, and location-setting among prohibited activities. Whilst not directly affecting crypto, China clampdown on tech firms is another example of it flexing its regulatory muscles against an industry whose oversight has been lacking, said Antoni Trenchev, co-founder of crypto lender Nexo in London. too is caught in Chinas regulatory crossfire as its seen as a threat to the digital yuan. China has increased its focus on the cryptocurrency industry, adding restrictions on mining, trading and other services, as well as issuing cautions to entities like banks that might facilitate such transactions. Many miners have shut down or are trying to move out of the country, and mining metrics have showed the decreased activity. The move came after some chart watchers had been eyeing the 50-day moving average above $36,000 as a potential zone to see a bullish breakout. However, has been stuck in a range of about $30,000 to $40,000 for weeks after dropping from its record near $65,000 reached in mid-April. Bitcoin has been trending sideways between $30,000 and $40,000 for the best part of seven weeks now, Trenchev said. I expect Bitcoin to remain stuck in this trend for the forseeable future, before grinding higher again. Read more: China Calls Top Banks to a Meeting to Reinforce Crypto Ban --With assistance from Ocean Hou and Yujing Liu. Shares of edged higher by 13 per cent to Rs 1,369 on the BSE in intra-day trade on Tuesday after the companys total more-than-doubled or rose 124 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to 1,925 units in June 2021. The car and utility vehicles company had sold a total of 860 units in June 2020. On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, the total sales grew 32 per cent from 1,460 units sold in May 2021. At 10:18 am, the stock was trading 11 per cent higher at Rs 1,348 on the BSE, as compared to a 0.09 per cent gain in the S&P BSE Sensex. It had hit a 52-week high of Rs 1,660 on December 8, 2020. The trading volumes on the counter jumped multiple-fold, with a combined 835,000 shares having changed hands on the NSE and BSE so far. While the company's domestic sales increased 107 per cent to 1,501 units, exports sales jumped by 216 per cent to 424 units in June 2021 over the same month of the previous year. Compared with May 2021, the company's domestic sales and exports have increased by 15 per cent and 175 per cent, respectively. is engaged in the manufacturing of light commercial vehicles and utility vehicles and engines. It is an automobile company, with a focus on design, development and manufacture of a range of automotive components, aggregates and vehicles. For the January-March quarter (Q4FY21), had posted a loss of Rs 49.98 crore and a loss of Rs 111.86 crore for the entire previous financial year 2020-21 (FY21). The last quarter of FY21 was also impacted severely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both revenue and profitability for the year were severely impacted, resulting in a loss in FY21. Also, with the onset of the second wave of COVID-19, the impact will continue to affect the business of the company in the coming quarter, Force Motors said while announcing Q4FY21 results on May 28, 2021. Nifty futures on the Singapore Exchange traded 33 points down at 15,831 at 8.30 am, indicating a negative start for benchmark indices on Tuesday. Here are the top stocks to track in today's session: NMDC: The government will sell about 7.49 per cent stake in Ltd through an offer for sale (OFS) on Tuesday at a floor price of Rs 165 each. The OFS also includes a greenshoe option to sell an additional 3.49 per cent shareholding of the public sector undertaking. Tata Motors: The auto major said it plans to increase prices of its passenger vehicle range due to increase in input costs. The auto major did not share details on the time frame of the intended price hike but noted that would happen "shortly". Maruti Suzuki India: The auto company said its total production last month rose to 1,65,576 units as various states eased COVID related restrictions. The company had produced a total of 40,924 units in May this year. Religare Enterprises: The company's shareholders have approved a proposal for raising Rs 570 crore via preferential issuance of shares to a clutch of investors, including existing shareholders. Tech Mahindra: IT major Tech Mahindra on Monday said it has partnered with StaTwig, a Singapore and Hyderabad-based digital supply chain solution provider, to implement vaccine traceability platform 'VaccineLedger' globally. Raymond: CEO of its lifestyle business Joe Kuruvilla has decided to step down. NTPC: State-owned on Monday said its subsidiary Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd (NVVN) has floated a tender for deployment of hydrogen fuel cell buses in Delhi and Leh. Piramal Enterprises: The board approved the allotment of 1,250 secured NCDs at issue price of Rs 10.01 lakh per debenture, aggregating to Rs 125.19 crore on private placement basis. SH Kelkar and Company: On a consolidated basis, the company's sales in Q1FY22 stood at around Rs 355 crore, and on the balance sheet front, its net debt position stood at around Rs 386 crore as of June 2021 compared to Rs 380 crore as of March 2021. IOL Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals: CARE has upgraded the credit rating by one notch for the banking facilities availed by the company, to A+/Stable, from A/Stable. Force Motors: The company announced production of 1,757 units of commercial vehicles, utility vehicles and tractors in June 2021, and sales of 1,925 units in June 2021. SpiceJet, IndiGo: The Civil Aviation Ministry has allowed domestic airlines to operate at 65 per cent of their original pre-COVID level capacity. The Centre on July 5 increased the seating capacity from the current 50 per cent to 65 per cent. A debt-ridden has signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to borrow USD 4.5 billion to alleviate oil and gas shortages that are crippling the economy and people's livelihoods through power cuts and fuel disruptions. The loan, issued by IDB, will be used to pay for crude oil, refined petroleum products, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and industrial chemical urea over the next three years, Asia Times reported. The agreement was reached with the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), the trading arm of the Jeddah-based IDB. The opposition parties blame the crisis on lethargy and mismanagement by the Prime Minister Imran Khan-led PTI government. They have pointed to delays in buying furnace oil and say a vessel crucial to the distribution of LNG is inexplicably out of action in drydock when it is most needed. The energy shortfall has hit power generation hard in the country amid reduced water flows into the Mangla and Tarbela hydroelectric dams on the Jhelum and Indus rivers. Citing the reports, Asia Times reported that dam water levels are now so low they can hardly turn the turbines at full capacity. The situation worsened on Friday when the hydropower shortfall exceeded 4,000 megawatts. generates about 7,320 megawatts from its reservoirs. As the power situation deteriorated, the government last week cut water distribution to provinces by 10 per cent, with more cuts planned if the situation does not improve. Low water supplies have reportedly hit the production of rice, sugarcane, cotton crops as well as orchards in Sindh and Punjab provinces. The government has also suspended gas supplies to non-export industrial units and compressed natural gas (CNG) stations to meet domestic demand for gas. Farrukh Saleem, an Islamabad-based Pakistani political scientist, economist and financial analyst, told Asia Times that mismanagement, lack of planning and non-adherence to supply chain mechanisms are behind the crisis. Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former finance minister Miftah Ismail said the Imran Khan government was directly responsible for the energy crisis. He added that the government continued to delay the purchase of furnace oil and then went for it in haste at an exorbitant price when the crisis became apparent. Pakistan's energy woes have been compounded by a deal with that has turned sour. The Saudis agreed in 2018 to help Pakistan stave off a current account crisis with $3 billion in currency support for a year, reported Asia Times. It further reported that this was supplemented in 2019 with a deal that said the Saudis would supply oil for three years for which Pakistan would make deferred payments. However, the Saudis ended the arrangement after one year for reasons which were not made public. (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 Australian share market finished session lower on Tuesday, 06 July 2021, with the S&P/ASX200 index crossing below its 20-day moving average, amid concerned about the coronavirus infections in New South Wales and the related lockdown. However, market losses capped as the country's central bank in a policy meeting decided to pare its bond buying programme. At closing bell, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 declined 53.18 points, or 0.73%, to 7,261.78. The broader All Ordinaries fell 57.64 points, or 0.76%, to 7,531.38. Total 7 of 11 sectors ended lower along with the S&P/ASX 200 Index. Energy was the best performing sector, gaining 4.8%, followed by industrials (up 4.7%) and materials (up 1.1%) sectors. Healthcare was worst performing sector, falling 4.1%, followed Information Technology (down 3.7%), utilities (down 1.9%), consumer discretionary (down 19%), consumer staples (down 1.7%), and financial (down 1.1%) sectors. The best performing stocks in the S&P/ASX200 were Oil Search (up 4.6%), Whitehaven Coal (up 3.9%), Dexus (up 2.5%), EML Payments (up 2.3%), and IGO (up 2.1%), while the worst performing stocks were Polynovo (down 8.8%), Appen (down 6.2%), Ramelius Resources (down 5.4%), Orocobre (down 4.9%), and ARB Corp (down 4.7%). CURRENCY NEWS: The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.754, above levels below $0.752 seen yesterday. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The key barometers traded in a range in afternoon trade. At 13:20 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, rose 177.08 points or 0.33% at 53,057.08. The Nifty 50 index gained 61.25 points or 0.39% at 15,895.60. HDFC Bank (up 2.48%), Bajaj Finance (up 4.15%) and Ultratech Cement (up 3.64%) boosted the indices. The broader market outperformed the benchmarks. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index added 0.90%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index rose 0.62%. Buyers outpaced sellers. On the BSE, 2,013 shares rose and 1,159 shares fell. A total of 148 shares were unchanged. COVID-19 Update: Total COVID-19 confirmed cases worldwide stood at 18,41,54,287 with 39,84,582 deaths. India reported 4,64,357 active cases of COVID-19 infection and 4,03,281 deaths while 2,97,52,294 patients have been discharged, according to the data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Gainers & Losers: Shree Cements (up 2.69%), Tata Motors (up 2.50%) and SBI Life Insurance Company (up 2.03%) were major gainers in Nifty 50 index. Tech Mahindra (down 1.74%), Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (down 1.41%), Nestle India (down 1.13%), Hindustan Unilever (HUL) (down 0.92%) and Cipla (down 0.72%) were major losers in Nifty 50 index. Stocks in Spotlight: Goldiam International soared 13% after the company said its board will consider a share buyback on Wednesday, 21 July 2021. IDFC First Bank slipped 1.19%. The private sector bank's total customer deposits increased 35.53% to Rs 84,583 crore as on 30 June 2021 as against Rs 62,409 crore as on 30 June 2020. Sequentially, the bank's deposits have risen 2.25% as on 30 June 2021 from Rs 82,725 crore as on 31 March 2021. CASA deposits of the bank soared 97.73% to Rs 46,449 crore at the end of 30 June 2021 from Rs 23,491 crore on 30 June 2020. CASA ratio improved to 51.04% on 30 June 2021 from 33.74% in 30 June 2020. Average CASA ratio as of 30 June 2021 stood at 50.27% compared with 50.23% as of 31 March 2021 and 32% as of 30 June 2020. Depositors' Concentration (Rs <=5 crore) stood at 81.88% at the end of 30 June 2021 compared with 64.81% on 30 June 2020. Gross funded assets grew by 9.02% to Rs 1,13,434 crore as of 30 June 2021 from Rs 1,04,050 crore as of 30 June 2020. Info Edge (India) fell 0.66%. The board of Info Edge (India) on 5 July 2021, approved acquisition of 100% of the share capital on a fully diluted basis of Axilly Labs (DoSelect) for an aggregate cash consideration of about Rs 21 crore. Bangalore-based DoSelect is engaged in the business of providing technical assessment services to its clients for recruitment and learning purposes. It delivers these services via its technical assessment platform 'doselect.com'. The company expects to complete the transaction on or before 31 July 2021. Global Markets: European shares fell across the board while most Asian stocks advanced on Tuesday, 6 July 2021. US markets were shut on Monday in observance of Independence Day. Meanwhile, OPEC+ ministers called off oil output talks on Monday after clashing last week when the United Arab Emirates rejected a proposed eight-month extension to output curbs, meaning no deal to boost production has been agreed. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delta Corp rose 2.51% to Rs 200.10, extending gains for the fourth day. The stock has added 12.86% in four sessions, from its recent closing low of Rs 177.30 recorded on 30 June 2021. On a year-to-date basis, the stock has added 23.54% while the benchmark Sensex has added 11.16% during the same period. In an exchange filing made during market hours yesterday, Delta Corp said that due to the surge in COVID-19 cases being witnessed in Goa, the Government of Goa has extended the restrictions in the state respectively till 12 July 2021. Accordingly, the casinos operated by the company and its subsidiaries in Goa will remain closed during this period. The company said that it is unable to estimate the quantum of potential losses on account of this temporary closure and the pandemic at this time. Delta Corp owns and operates three offshore casinos in Goa out of a total of six offshore casino licenses and also one land-based casino. The total number of gaming positions in Goa is about 1,600. The company added that the Government of Sikkim has allowed reopening of the casinos in the State subject to the safety norms being followed. Further the company and/or its subsidiary operating the casino in the state of Sikkim will resume its operations from 6 July 2021. The company operates one casino located in the premises of hotel Denzong Regency in Gangtok, Sikkim. Delta Corp is the only listed company engaged in the casino (live, electronic and online) gaming industry in India. The firm, along with its subsidiaries, currently own and operate casinos in India, in the states of Goa and Sikkim, offering approximately 1,800 gaming positions. In addition, it also has ventured into the fast-growing online gaming space through our acquisition of Gauss Networks, which operates the online poker site 'Adda52.com'. The company's consolidated net profit soared 100.73% to Rs 57.65 crore on 16.81% rise in net sales to Rs 211.34 crore in Q4 FY21 over Q4 FY20. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is quoting at Rs 306.4, up 0.64% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The stock is up 45.11% in last one year as compared to a 47.13% jump in NIFTY and a 35.06% jump in the Nifty Energy. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is up for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 306.4, up 0.64% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.35% on the day, quoting at 15889. The Sensex is at 53027.33, up 0.28%. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd has gained around 1.76% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Energy index of which Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is a constituent, has gained around 4.31% in last one month and is currently quoting at 19789.65, up 0.3% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 40.81 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 47.25 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark July futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 306.6, up 0.54% on the day. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is up 45.11% in last one year as compared to a 47.13% jump in NIFTY and a 35.06% jump in the Nifty Energy index. The PE of the stock is 4.05 based on TTM earnings ending March 21. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NMDC fell 1.45% to Rs 172.75 after the offer for sale (OFS) opened for non-retail investors today, 6 July 2021. Through the OFS, the Government of India proposes to sell up to 11,72,24,234 equity shares (representing 4% stake), with an option to sell an additional 3.49% stake or 10,22,78,144 equity shares in case of oversubscription. The floor price for the OFS is Rs 165 per equity share, at a 5.88% discount to NMDC's closing price of Rs 175.30 on the BSE on Monday, 5 July 2021. The total OFS size (base size + green shoe) stands at 21,95,02,378 shares, representing 7.49% of outstanding equity shares of the company, aggregating to Rs 3,621.78 crore. The Government of India held 68.29% stake in NMDC as of 31 March 2021. The OFS opened on Tuesday (6 July 2021) for non-retail investors, while both retail as well as non-retail investors will be able to subscribe on Thursday (7 July 2021). A total of 10% of the offer size is reserved for retail investors. As on 12:15 IST, the OFS received subscription for 2,54,04,190 shares. It was subscribed 24.08% on the base non-retail offer size of 10,55,01,810 shares and 12.86% on the total non-retail offer size (base size + green shoe) of 19,75,52,139 shares. NMDC is India's single largest iron ore producer, presently producing about 35 million tonnes of iron ore from 3 fully mechanized mines, two located in Chhattisgarh and one in Karnataka. As on 31 March 2021, the Government of India held 68.29% stake in the company. On a consolidated basis, NMDC's net profit surged 717.15% to Rs 2,835.54 crore on 114.83% jump in revenue from operations to Rs 6,847.57 crore in Q4 March 2021 over Q4 March 2020. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Power stocks were trading in the positive zone, with the S&P BSE Power index rising 27.11 points or 1.01% at 2700.16 at 09:49 IST. Among the components of the S&P BSE Power index, Adani Green Energy Ltd (up 5%), Adani Transmission Ltd (up 5%),Adani Power Ltd (up 4.93%),Indian Energy Exchange Ltd (up 1.67%),K E C International Ltd (up 1.07%), were the top gainers. Among the other gainers were Siemens Ltd (up 0.73%), and Thermax Ltd (up 0.01%). On the other hand, NTPC Ltd (down 0.63%), Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (down 0.3%), and ABB India Ltd (down 0.25%) moved lower. At 09:49 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 59.89 or 0.11% at 52939.89. The Nifty 50 index was up 31.45 points or 0.2% at 15865.8. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was up 170.2 points or 0.66% at 25935.93. The S&P BSE 150 Midcap Index index was up 52.24 points or 0.66% at 7999.85. On BSE,1900 shares were trading in green, 779 were trading in red and 96 were unchanged. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) KRBL announced that on 05 July 2021 the company received the directions from Punjab Pollution Control Board (Punjab PCB) wherein Punjab PCB has given directions for restraining the operations of its unit situated at Dhuri, Distt. Sangrur, Punjab, in compliance to the orders dated 02 July 2021 passed by the Hon'ble National Green Tribunal (NGT). This order was passed ex-parte without even issuing notice to the Company. The Company is proceeding to file an appeal before the Hon'ble Supreme Court and the same shall be filed immediately, seeking stay against the orders of and the proceedings before NGT. The Company is confident that the above stated matter shall be resolved within next 7-1 O days and is taking appropriate legal recourse. With regard to carrying out operating activity at this unit this is to further inform that the unit is already undergoing the annual maintenance activity and the same is expected to continue for next 15 days. The order restraining the operations of the said unit will not have an immediate impact. The other units of the company located at Barota-Haryana, Alipur-Delhi, and Gautam budh Nagar-Uttar Pradesh are running smoothly ensuring production and supply of our products. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Wockhardt announced that Wockhardt UK, which has reserved capacity to allow for the supply of multiple vaccines to the UK government in its fight against COVID-19, was delighted to welcome His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) to its Wrexham manufacturing facility. Wockhardt UK specialises in the manufacture of sterile injectables and is one of the largest generic pharmaceutical companies in the UK with the capability to manufacture on a large-scale. Wockhardt is one of the major suppliers to the NHS and has had a site in Wrexham for over 20 years. It employs more than 500 people at the 612,000 sq. ft. high-tech factory. Wockhardt UK has been instrumental in the manufacture of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and carries out the 'fill and finish' stage of the vaccine manufacturing process. The firm has a manufacturing contract with the UK Government in place until August 2022. This involves dispensing the COVID-19 vaccine into vials ready for it to be sent out across the country. The visit comes eight months after Wockhardt welcomed Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who thanked staff for their hard work, saying that the vaccines could provide the salvation for humanity. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Revelations of Frances judicial investigations into alleged corruption in the deal for Rafale fighter aircraft raises fresh questions about the opaque and inefficient manner in which international defence deals are negotiated by India. The real loser, the second edit argues, is the defence forces which remains singularly unprepared for next-gen warfare In other views: The top edit explains how the is being gamed so that lenders losses are rising. Read it here Neelkanth Mishra assesses the outlook for global retail sales as the pandemic recedes. Read it here Prosenjit Datta points to a possible crisis as the government moves to improve supplies of Covid vaccines: inadequate testing facilities to handle those volumes. Read it here Mahesh Vyas shows how remains stubbornly unimpressed even though the economy is recovering at a decent clip after the second Covid-19 wave. Read it here The on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court, seeking it transfer to itself, all petitions pending in various high courts across the country challenging the validity of new IT Rules. The has emphasised the petitions challenging the (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, should be transferred to the apex court for an authoritative pronouncement on the issue, said a source. The petitions have challenged the new IT Rules intended to regulate social media firms like Facebook, Twitter as well as OTT players. The moved the transfer plea against the backdrop of several high courts including Delhi, Bombay, Madras and Kerala High Courts being seized of petitions challenging the new IT Rules. Meanwhile, in a major setback for Twitter in India, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday pulled up the micro-blogging site for failing to appoint resident grievance officer (RGO), saying: "How long will your process take place? This cannot be allowed", even as it gave a free pass to the Central government to act against the social media firm. The court posted the matter for further hearing on July 8, and asked Twitter to inform by when it will appoint an RGO and other officials. On May 31, the High Court had issued a notice to the micro-blogging platform on a plea by advocate Amit Acharya, urging the court to issue directions to the Centre to pass necessary instructions to Twitter India and Twitter Inc to appoint a resident grievance officer under Rule 4 of the (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 without any delay. The plea had contended that in a nutshell, every significant social media intermediary has the responsibility of appointing not only a resident grievance officer who will act as a single-point authority for receiving and disposing of complaints within a fixed time, but someone should also receive and acknowledge any order, notice and direction issued by the competent authorities. According to the new rules, the social media firms will have to put in place the complaint redressal mechanism with an officer being based in the country to deal with online contents, which have been flagged by authorities concerned and courts. The Quint and The Wire had also moved the Delhi High Court, challenging the regulation of digital news portals under the IT Rules 2021. --IANS ss/vd (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her residence here amid efforts by the party leadership to end factionalism in the party unit in the poll-bound state, sources said. The meeting comes amid continued attack by former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on the chief minister. Singh and Sidhu have been at loggerheads over various issues. Sources said that during the discussions, Singh and Gandhi will work out a formula to end factionalism by accommodating all sections, castes and regions in the overhaul of the state unit of the party as well as the state cabinet, with just months to go for the assembly polls. Singh was in Delhi twice last month to meet the three-member panel headed by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, set up to resolve the infighting in the Punjab Congress. Singh's meeting with Sonia Gandhi came days after Sidhu had met former party chief Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. (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.) Karnataka will implement the Mekedatu project across river Cauvery, and people of the state should have no doubts about it, Chief Minister asserted on Tuesday. "Things are favourable for us in this regard, there is no question of halting it for any reasons. We will implement the Mekedatu project within the legal framework and complete it, no one can stop it," Yediyurappa said in response to a question. Addressing reporters here, he said, "I had requested the Chief Minister (of Tamil Nadu) for doing it (implementing the project) in a friendly manner, as it will benefit both states, but for some reasons he did not respond properly, but still we will implement the Mekedatu project, let people of the state have no doubt about it." State's Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Basavaraj Bommai too on Monday had said that Karnataka will continue its legal battle with regards to implementation of Mekedatu project, as Yediyurappa's letter to his Tamil Nadu counterpart urging him not to object to it, did not elicit a positive response. Yediyurappa had on Saturday written to his Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin urging him not to oppose the Mekedatu project in the right spirit and offered to hold a bilateral meeting to address any issues. In response, Stalin on Sunday urged Yediyurappa not to pursue the Mekedatu project, as he rejected Karnataka's stand that implementation of the project would not affect the interests of Tamil Nadu farmers. Karnataka has maintained that the project will benefit both states as the surplus water stored can be managed between the two during the distress year, and its implementation will in no way affect the interests of the farming communities of Tamil Nadu. While Tamil Nadu is of the view that the project would "impound and divert" the uncontrolled water flow due to Tamil Nadu from Kabini sub- basin, the catchment area below Krishnarajasagara, and also from Simsha, Arkavathy and Suvarnavathi sub-basins besides other small streams. Mekedatu is a multipurpose (drinking and power) project, which involves building a balancing reservoir, near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district. The project once completed is aimed at ensuring drinking water to Bengaluru and neighboring areas (4.75 TMC) and also can generate 400 MW power, and the estimated cost of the project is Rs 9,000 crore. (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.) BJP leaders Sarbananda Sonowal, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Narayan Rane, all of whom are being seen as probables for induction as ministers in the Modi government, arrived in the capital on Tuesday amid indications that the Union Council of Ministers is likely to be expanded on Wednesday. In another pointer to the imminent Cabinet reshuffle, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot was appointed as Karnataka governor, causing yet another ministerial vacancy. JD(U) leader R C P Singh and LJP's Pashupati Kumar Paras, both of whom are expected to represent the BJP's allies in the government, also reached here from Bihar. All of them remained tight-lipped to queries about their possibility of joining the government. Rane told reporters that he had not received any call about his joining the government. Leaders of the LJP faction headed by Paras said he had received a call from Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday but claimed that it was related to the birth anniversary of party founder Ram Vilas Paswan. Though there has been no official word on the Cabinet reshuffle, a series of meetings in the government and the BJP have fuelled the speculation that a big shuffling of his council of ministers by Prime Minister is finally on the cards after he assumed the charge for a second term in 2019. Sources have indicated that it can happen anytime now. Modi's review of the works of his ministers, early next year assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab and the COVID-19 pandemic that has been a factor in the internal evaluation of the party's governance and organisational works are likely to weigh heavy in the expected reshuffle. Representation of BJP MPs from West Bengal and the Northeast may go up. Against the massive review exercise within the central government and the party machinery, the prime minister may go for new faces with an eye on grooming younger leaders while also factoring in caste and regional balances. The reshuffles undertaken by Modi so far, all in his first term, have also seen some ministers being dropped or removed from key portfolios on account of their performance. The prime minister has also sprung surprises in the past by inducting those with apolitical background, like S Jaishankar and Hardeep Singh Puri, as ministers. A party source said it is likely to be a "big shakeup" and members of the party organisation may be brought in the government. Names of Bhupender Yadav, Anil Baluni, Sudhanshu Trivedi are doing the rounds while BJP MPs Sushil Modi, Ashwini Vaishnav and G V L Narasimha Rao are also being mentioned as probables. BJP general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh met party president J P Nadda in the evening. Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje also met Santhosh. With Gehlot set to quit as an MP after becoming governor, his departure will also leave the key post of the leader of the House in Rajya Sabha vacant. It will leave one more position vacant in the BJP's Parliamentary Board, the party's apex body, where he is the only Dalit leader. Incidentally, top RSS brass, including its chief Mohan Bhagwat and joint general secretaries Krishna Gopal and Manmohan Vaidya, was also in the city for the last few days. The BJP has often factored in the feedback from the RSS in its key decisions. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], July 6 (ANI): All do not seem to be well in the over appointments in the organizational setup in the party's state unit. As per the sources, to continue its stronghold in the state unit, the camp of former chief minister is putting pressure on the high command ahead of appointments from district to state level of the party. More than 20 MLAs from the Hooda camp have come up to say that must be taken into consideration before making any decision. A senior leader from on the condition of anonymity said, "It is a pressure tactic from the Hooda camp to get the maximum share in the appointment from its side." On Monday, a 5-member group of Congress MLAs met party General Secretary organization KC Venugopal in the national capital. "We are happy with the response of KC Venugopal. And we have put up our demand that must be consulted for decisions of appointments. MLAs also must be heard before appointments," Congress MLA Kuldeep Vats told ANI after meeting Venugopal. Asked about changing of state president, another Congress MLA BB Batra said that the decision in this regard can only be the call of party high command. Ahead of the reshuffle in Haryana Congress and meeting with Venugopal, 22 party MLAs from the state met Bhupinder Singh Hooda, his son, and MP Deepender Singh Hooda at their residence. Meetings will continue on Tuesday also, sources said. After a gap of almost six years, Haryana Congress has started an organisational reshuffle in the state. The party had dismantled district Congress committees in the state in 2015 and now it has decided to organise them. However, this step seems to have caused infighting in Haryana Congress as a few days back a group of 19 party MLAs from Hooda camp met AICC in charge of the state, Vivek Bansal. According to the sources, the MLAs conveyed to Bansal that leadership in the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) should be changed. Besides, MLAs alleged that they were ignored by the organisation as well as by HPCC chief Kumari Selja in taking key decisions and that there was a delay in the expansion of the party in the state. Following this, PCC chief Selja had also met Venugopal on Friday. According to sources, Selja has submitted a list of District Congress President to the General Secretary Organisation but that has been put up on hold till the MLAs are heard. The whole exercise has once again highlighted the infighting of the state 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.) Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday met Congress president at her residence here amid infighting in the state unit, and said whatever decisions she takes on changes in the organisation and the government will be acceptable. The meeting that is part of the party leadership's efforts to end factionalism in the poll-bound state lasted around 90 minutes and the two leaders discussed governance and political matters. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was present during the meeting along with senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge who headed the party panel set up to resolve the infighting in the Congress. The meeting assumed significance as the party high command has been trying to resolve the internal rift in the unit of the Congress and there is talk of its revamp, with just months to go for the assembly polls. Congress leader for former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has been at loggerheads with the chief minister, attacking him on issues like the alleged delay in the completion of a probe into the 2015 desecration of Sikh texts and the subsequent police firing on protesters. After his meeting with Sonia Gandhi, Singh told reporters, "Whatever decision the Congress president takes, we will implement it in Punjab. The decisions taken by Congress chief on anything -- the party and the government -- will be acceptable." He said the party was all geared up for the assembly elections in the state, slated for early next year. The chief minister said he always meets the Congress president whenever he is in Delhi and this was one such meet. "I do not know anything about Sidhu sahib, I only discussed our government's work. Political issues were also discussed," he said, when asked whether a role for Navjot Singh Sidhu was also discussed during the meeting. Singh was in Delhi twice last month to meet the three-member panel headed by Kharge. The panel had given a set of suggestions to the party chief after talking to a cross-section of leaders from the state. Later, Rahul Gandhi separately met several leaders from the state, including MLAs, MPs and former party chiefs, to assess of the situation. Singh's meeting with came days after Sidhu had met former party chief Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. (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 strained ties between Washington and Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Monday said that the is "the top threat to global cybersecurity." "As facts have proven time and again, it is the US that has been forcing companies to install backdoors and obtaining user data in violation of relevant rules. The US itself is the top threat to global cybersecurity," Wenbin said during a press briefing. Wenbin stated that the US has long been taking advantage of its advanced tech capacity to run invasive surveillance on people at home and abroad, steal various types of data and violate all kinds of privacy. "The Patriot Act adopted after 9/11 requires cyber companies to offer regular updates on user information. This move has drawn much attention from around the world. France's CNIL decided in December last year that the French websites of Google and Amazon breached relevant French law by placing cookies on the computers of users without obtaining prior consent and without providing adequate information. Earlier, Ireland asked Facebook to suspend the transmission of EU user data to the US," he further said. "We call on the international community to jointly expose and reject US practices that endanger global cybersecurity and undermine global rules," he added. The ties between Washington and Beijing had deteriorated after the US has taken sharply opposing positions against in various issues including the trace of the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the human rights exploitations of Uyghur Muslims in China's Xinjiang province. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], July 6 (ANI/Oswaal Books): Education boards are changing the status quo basis the effects of Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the second wave and rising infections this year, the 2021 exams including the Boards had to be cancelled. After learning through online classes for the whole year, students demanded online exams. But when even that wasn't possible, a new assessment scheme was devised to prepare results for students of 10th and 12th. Now, the 2021-22 academic session has begun and Covid-19 hasn't fully been neutralized. So, children are still attending school through online classes. To avoid last minute crisis, the education boards are thinking of different steps right from the start. One such step is the reduction of syllabus for English and Indian languages for ICSE and ISC 2022 exams. The CISCE has reduced the ICSE and ISC syllabus for English and Indian languages for the coming academic session. It is considering to reduce the syllabus in other subjects as well. The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has said that subject matter experts are being consulted before slashing the syllabi so that quality of the content doesn't suffer. Let's look at some ways to start preparing for your 2022 exams from right now so you outperform your own self: Take one chapter at a time - It's just the start of the year and you have enough time to give every chapter. So when you learn a new topic, get a deeper understanding, practice previous years' papers and master the chapter. This way, at the end of the year, you can prepare for the exams faster as you will only need to revise. You can use the Oswaal ICSE & ISC Question Banks 2021 -22 for Class 10 & 12 respectively for this. It covers all typologies of questions and has chapter wise and topic wise segregation for a systematic study. Use innovative learning methods - Better performance requires a better approach. Oswaal ICSE & ISC Question Banks 2021 -22 have 'Mind Maps' which make remembering a lot of information easy and fun. There are 'QR codes' which can be scanned to access concept videos. With 'Answering Tips' and 'Examiners' Comments' you get valuable insights about what is expected. Here's the recommended link for ICSE Question Banks Class 10 2021 -22: (https://bit.ly/3qMQQsy) & ISC Question Bank Class 12 2021 -22: (https://bit.ly/3xlDAO9) Improve writing quality - How do you ensure that your paper stands out from the hundreds of papers that the teacher will check? When so many students will write for the same questions, you need to have a better writing style to score more. These ICSE & ISC Question Banks 2021 -22 comes with 'Toppers' Answer Sheets' which help you polish your answers. Practice consistently - The more you practice, the more confidence you gain to face any kind of paper- be it easy or tough. Familiarise yourself with the paper pattern by solving previous years' question papers. These Question Banks is designed to provide ample practice in an exam-focussed way. Practicing helps increase writing speed too. Don't forget to have fun - Watch a movie, play outdoors, take breaks. Don't exhaust yourself by studying 24/7. Give your mind and body time to relax and rejuvenate. You can study better when you are in a good mood. Studying regularly in small instalments from the beginning is the only way to ensure that you are not burdened and stressed right before your exams. Oswaal Books is always with you to simplify learning and help you score more. Best of luck! This story is provided by Oswaal Books. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/Oswaal Books) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], July 6 (ANI/SRV Media): Helly and Chilly, is an established cafe that aims to serve the country with authentic food. Helly and Chilly broke two world records. The first record was for the largest French fries of the World, which was 11.5 Kilograms in Weight and 9.5 Feet in Length, and the second world record was for the largest serving of french fries and it was 659-kilogram fries. This cafe has also been credited with holding the Asia book, India book, and Limca book of records. Helly and Chilly successfully marked our country on the global map by holding such prestigious records. Helly & Chilly is currently Working With The High Standards Of International Organizations and a member of IAFP (International Association For Food Protection, USA) and Safer Food Handler (Qualifi, UK) To Provide Hygienic Food Standards to the Indian Market. It is ISO 22000:2005 and HACCP (HAZARD ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINT) certified by UASL, England, UK. The cafe'sambiance complements Ahmedabad's journey through the world as a Premium Cafe. Helly and Chilly's reputation has grown sufficiently over the years. The cafe ensures to offer hygienic food to their customers. Helly and Chilly encourage their employees to adopt social skills to interact with their customers to gain trust and loyalty. Also, the cafe provides great opportunities to young entrepreneurs with a passion for serving people authentic food. Chandresh Bayad, Chairman and CEO of Helly and Chilly says, "We are the only cafe brand in India with 2 Guinness world records in the food category and we strongly believe in food innovations regularly. Recently, we got two awards for most promising cafe franchise brand 2021 and most innovative company of the year 2021 for food innovation. We are providing the most affordable cafe franchise concept in India to create more numbers of food entrepreneurs." Helly and Chilly have come up with an innovative mission to spread lakhs of smiles and joys to each and every customer. It offers the most affordable cafe franchise with the lowest investment and highest ROI. All types of setups, assistance, training support, raw material, and unique marketing support are provided by the company. Helly and Chilly is India's first cafe business concept that is integrated with various technologies to make the business more comfortable and easier to manage. They are currently running 35+ outlets in pan India. It is ISO22000:2005 and HACCP brand certified in India. Chandresh Bayad and Arpit Maheta, two of the gentlemen who founded the brand, started it with an innovative concept to give unique and memorable experiences to food lovers worldwide and to connect with everyone. This cafe was designed to create a meaningful social connection without excluding cafe foods. The cafe looks forward to serving great and authentic food all around the country. To know more visit: (https://hellychilly.com) HellyChilly Cafe This story is provided by SRV Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV Media) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On Thursday, a Wexford County jury convicted Gordon Doyle Diehl, 50, of Cadillac of several crimes associated with a January incident. The trial was the first one held in the 28th Circuit Court courtroom since October. 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. Follow Dakota Morlan 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 St. Johnsbury, VT (05819) Today Cloudy early, then thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 79F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. remaining of Thank you for reading! This is your last free article before you will be asked to subscribe. Already have a paid subscription? Sign in * Username This is the name that will be used to identify you within the system. Choose wisely! * First name * Last name Your real name will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more! * Email Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. We won't share it with anyone else. * Password Create a password that only you will remember. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. Glen, NH (03838) Today Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High around 75F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 65F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Carroll, IA (51401) Today Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High 84F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 62F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Regarding the advice from "Dr". Colin Basran (Chaos on Bernard Ave) I would like to know what specific medical qualifications Colin Basran has to offer medical advice to the general population? Perhaps he can provide Castanet with same so we can assess his suitability to be coercing the public to take vaccinations. Can the local media please obtain copies of all this evidence to back up his extensive medical training and expertise? Perhaps Mr Basran could focus on his role as Mayor of Kelowna and keep out of things that have nothing to do with him and are significantly outside of his scope of expertise. Although is is most likely above his political skillset, perhaps Mr Basran could maintain some awareness of the sensibilities and mood of the public. A public who have been repressed and demoralized through 16 months of oppressive medical tyranny. The public seem to have spoken, and at last, on Canada Day, they deemed it fit to celebrate and socialize as if they were free human beings with a free will and a desire to express their humanity. There was no curfew in place, so may we inquire why the Mayor is encouraging people to go home in the early hours. What existing provincial rules was he referencing in making this statement? Stay in your box, Dr Basran. The public have spoken and they reject your miserable, dour faced, joyless, nihilistic totalitarianism. There is an awakening of humanity, and an explosion of freedom and expression of joy. Stay in your box, wear your joyless multimasks of misery, and let people get on with their lives. Even if you are not ready yourself, we are ready to embrace our families, welcome our guests, share our joy with visitors, showcase our community, and support our local businesses. We are ready to be human once again. Even if our oppressors are not. Ricky Daytona, West Kelowna So again different bills die on the order paper because our elected representatives go on holiday We have a total ineffective set of rules for the elected elite. How about instead of a set date to holiday, hey have to deal with items effecting all Canadians? What about dealing with bills instead of holidays? Whoa what a unique idea. Actually working instead if filibustering? OMG you see the indignation? I for one am sick and tired of incompetent politicians who get paid big bucks, at taxpayers expense, unable to deal with things that should be done because of their holidays! Both the Senate who are appointed by the pleasure of our Prime Minister, until they reach age 75, and our representatives in the House who after a super long period of 6 years are able to feed at the pubic trough with very generous pensions until the die can simply go on vacations until the next sitting. Some Senators, see Andy Thompson, who was apparently living in Mexico, apparently do not even have to attend to receive generous Government benefits and salary. Am I the only one who is annoyed? Celebrate Canada Day? Really? Even before the polls close in Western Canada the media are declaring a minority or majority government in Ottawa. What has Canada done for Western Canada? Robert Hepting, Kelowna Tropical Storm Elsa is nearing the southern shores of Cuba, where the warm, shallow water could help it intensify before landfall. Modern milling in Mexico Published 06 July 2021 Encouraged by healthy construction demand and promising growth potential, two regional cement manufacturers have decided to invest in cement grinding facilities in Yucatan, Mexico. Both Cementos Fortaleza and Holcim Mexico have entrusted Gebr Pfeiffer to deliver these facilities and the required capacity to satisfy immediate demand. By Rodney Pradet, Gebr Pfeiffer Americas, USA. For some, thinking of the Yucatan Peninsula brings to mind student parties, also known as Spring Break. However, for the more discerning tourist, this somewhat remote peninsula holds a wide variety of more cultural attractions. Among them is the Mayan city of Chichen Itza, which was built with limestone blocks chiselled from nearby quarries 1000 years ago. Or there are the cenotes (from the Mayan word dzonot meaning fountain), which offered the Mayan people places of worship where they could speak with the gods and receive the divine blessing of fresh water. Today, one can swim or snorkel in these natural sinkholes and marvel at the extensive system of underground caves and rivers formed by rain dissolving limestone over thousands of years. Plentiful was the limestone that Mayans used to build their cities. But how will the people of Yucatan build for the future? This is where Gebr Pfeiffer comes in with its state-of-the-art material preparation systems, as implemented for two Mexican cement producers discussed below. To continue reading this story and get access to all News, Articles and Video sections of the CemNet.com website, please Register for a subscription to International Cement Review or Login Bolivian market sees 7% MoM decline in April ICR Newsroom By 06 July 2021 Cement consumption in Bolivia surged to 286,667t in April 2021 from a very low base of 39,222t in April 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to INE, the countrys statistics agency. However, MoM demand fell by 7.3 per cent from 297,744t in March 2021. Production from domestic cement plants also returned to more regular levels, noting 276,061t in April 2021, up from 11,579t in the previous year, when the pandemic saw factories closed. MoM there was a five per cent slip from 290,525t. Published under The Pittsylvania County Board of Zoning Appeals approves an ATV trail permit; Over 50 Danville students get hands-on training this summer; Danville planners update city code dealing with satellite dishes; Help on the way for the Virginia Tourism industry. The Childrens Advocacy Center of Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, or CAC-LMJC, reports that 150 children have used their services so far this year compared to the 260 children who used their services in all of 2020. The advocacy center provides services for child abuse victims and their families in a child-friendly environment that serves as a centralized location for interviewing and examining children who are victims of abuse. Staff says the increased case load was expected when the economy reopened due to Georgias mandated reporting law that requires professionals to disclose suspected abuse. The CAC-LMJCs Executive Director Anthony Dye says although their child abuse case load decreased during the COVID pandemic, child abuse didnt stop. Due to the pandemic, students were not in schools with mandated reporters. They didnt get the opportunity to talk about their abuse. Our reports say that most perpetrators know the victims. Its somebody the kids know or live with, and unfortunately, some of these children in 2020 were stuck at home with their abusers, said Mr. Dye. With the economy reopened, more child abuse cases are being reported and theres a waitlist of 20 for their therapy services. Mr. Dye says additional resources are needed to handle the case load. A coordinated multidisciplinary team manages child abuse cases. All services are provided upon referral from law enforcement, Department of Family and Childrens Services and the District Attorneys Office. Lt. Tammy Davis with the Fort Oglethorpe Police Department says working in the field of crimes against children is an extremely rewarding career and it requires a commitment to serving those in the community who are the most vulnerable. Through our partnership with the Childrens Advocacy Center, we are able to provide the highest level of service to not only the child victims we serve, but also to their families. The services CAC provides, such as forensic interviews and medical exams, often yield valuable evidence critical to the investigation of crimes against children. The CAC also offers therapy for children, which provides them with the necessary tools to begin their recovery, said Lt. Davis. The Tennessee Society Sons of the American Revolution color guard members from across Tennessee joined the Stephen Holston Chapter to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence at James White Fort in Knoxville on Saturday at 10 a.m. The celebration part of the SARs National America 250th anniversary series of celebrations honoring the events of the American revolution featured select readings from the Declaration by Nicole Leverton, chair, Knox County Council of Regents, Daughters of the American Revolution, members of the Children of the American Revolution presenting a Roll Call of Declaration Signers, Guest Speaker Arthur Bohanan and the TNSSAR Color Guard musket volley and salute demonstration. The John Sevier Chapter will conduct its anniversary focused reflagging ceremony on Aug. 16 in honor of Patriot Robert Patterson and his participation in the Battle of Camden. Individuals or organizations interested in participating with the SAR in this Patriotic program can contact the John Sevier Chapter at https://johnsevierchapter.org/home for more information. How do the citizens of Democrat cities celebrate the 4th? Well the old-fashioned way, they shoot each other. As usual ChiTown led the way with over a hundred shootings and at least 18 dead. Two police officers were shot which brings the total number of cops shot so far this year to 33. Chicago hasn't had a Republican mayor since the 1930s. Meanwhile in the Democrat paradise that is Oakland, the police chief said, "This is the most violent 4th we have ever had...nonstop chaos." It's so bad in San Fran that Walgreens has closed 17 stores due to shoplifting. Across the bay in San Francisco, the Nieman-Marcus store was the victim of a gang robbery with at least nine of their most upstanding citizens involved.It's so bad in San Fran that Walgreens has closed 17 stores due to shoplifting. Even here in our little town we had the 100th victim of a gunshot wound Monday. Last year at this time we had 61. And the, "Concerned" Clergy is worried about Sheriff Hammond. Happy 246th birthday, America. Douglas Jones Ooltewah * * * First I want to say to Doug, no one with a quarter of a brain expected there would be no serious blowback to talks of taking away funding from police. Not even if one percent was set aside to help rebuild communities policies and actions helped to decimate. But let's go back to that 1930s Chicago under Republican leadership you so want to glorify. Is that the same 1930s Chicago "Taxi Wars?" Where rival taxi gangs threw dynamite into the taxi cabs of fellow cabdrivers in order to dominate the taxi cab business? And what about organized crime and mafia. Say of the Al Capone kind? Then there was the reporter who was murdered when he blackmailed bootleggers and threatened to write an expose' about whorehouse overseers and gamblers? November 1930, the wife of the city's mayor was assassinated in a jewelry robbery by gangsters. 1933 Chicago's "reform" mayor sent two cops out to put a hit on a gangster in order to replace him with another gangster more to his liking. On up through 1939 when a Chicago attorney was gunned down while driving when unknowns drove up alongside his car spreading it with bullets. For all of the above see: "Timeline of Organized Crime in Chicago."--Wikipedia Today's Chicago is actually tame in comparison to that 1930s Chicago you're trying to convince others was so pristine and clean under Republican leadership. You'll learn, Douglas, should the day come you're ever told "Arrangements can be made to have your house broken into just to prove to you the person you call first will be the police," there's something insidious, darker and wicked going on than we'll ever be privy to. If someone outside criminals hold so much control and power over them, then isn't it just as well and strong probability someone(s) is also controlling the crime? Brenda Washington * * * First I want to say to Doug, no one with a quarter of a brain expected there would be no serious blowback to talks of taking away funding from police. I think Brenda hit the nail on the head with that statement. So I guess the next question is why do people in these violent cities keep putting these brain dead politicians in office? All they are doing is putting innocent lives at risk with all the newly created crossfire and the increased crime from these budget cuts. The social experiment of defunding the police has failed miserably and the hundreds if not thousands of innocent lives that have and will be lost as a result are at the hands of these politicians and their brain dead directives. Its absolutely amazing we have reverted back to the Wild Wild West of criminals running wild in the streets in these liberal cities with little to no consequences for their actions while police have just enough manpower remaining to clean up the carnage left behind. As the saying goes, Stupid is as stupid does and they are now reaping what they sowed. The truly unfortunate part is it is at the hands of innocent victims and business owners who have no recourse except to wait until the next election or close their doors. Chris Morgan * * * How about this? A solution for opiate addiction was to flood the streets with Opiates! We know how that plays out in the Darwinist society we have. Now the solution to gun violence is: flood the streets with guns. After all that is what the Tennessee Legislature did with the approval of the Governor and disapproval of city police chiefs and Tennessee Sheriffs. Open carry 21 and older is soon the rule of law in Tennessee. In Chicago where do you get your guns? Answer: Indiana, gun laws there are lax. In New York, where do you get your guns? Answer, some Southern states where gun laws are lax. Amazingly crime reports in todays Chattanoogan have no missives about guns taken from glove boxes or front seats. So the saying goes If youre not part of the solution, youre part of the problem. Thats what our police departments have to deal with every time they make a traffic stop or encounter on the streets. They are rapidly having to make every encounter, be it a citizen who called them in distress or in danger versus the one they are in pursuit of, every encounter as potential of deadly threat until proven otherwise. So please, while we put out armchair definitions of urban issues, why dont we address the issues of the whole society that ail us. We are supposed to be members of the human race, arent we? It is ironic the Legislative leader of Open Carry in Tennessee is from a small town, yet he gets to determine how urban cops now have to deal with every stop they make, day or night. Prentice Hicks * * * Guns and Dems is not a new rock group though it might be a good name for a musical group rather then the grim reality of guns in this country. Oh, the Republicans suggest that the big cities of NYC and Chicago have Democratic governors that the reason for all the gun activity is because Mayor DeBlasio is a Democrat or Chicago's Mayor Lightfoot. Let me share the real truth and not Republican finger pointing. About 50 million people live in cities in the U.S. Many of those cities have mixed neighborhoods with lots of ethnic peoples. Maybe we could blame gun crime on ethnic gangs or such. Or maybe we could look a little deeper at not the politics of a mayor but the prevalence of guns.. Oh, it is the members of the Republican Party that put up such a squabble when legislation is suggested to address the guns on the street. That party wants nothing of it and frankly it is almost easy enough to buy, steal or open up a box of Wheaties and find a gun. I am not suggesting that Wheaties contains a gun but my point is it is easy to get a gun. Gun in the hands of someone that wants to harm is frighteningly easy.. Just to name a few Democratic mayors in the following cities: LA., Atlanta, Houston, San Diego, San Jose, Columbus, Austin and etc. Cities in Calif. have laws that make it very difficult to get a gun.. None of the other cities mentioned here and about 30 other large cities have such restrictive laws as does California. The solution to guns killing people is get the guns out of the hands of people that should not have a gun. Where is the Republican Party when that question comes up? Political parties enjoy blaming the other party and rightfully acknowledged but when the facts are presented the blame takes on a different perspective. The state of Tennessee wants and has passed an open carry; open to anyone, man, woman or child to own and carry a weapon. Wonder if that Wayne LaPierre speech where he often said.. a good guy with a gun is better then a bad guy with a gun... Where are we going with guns or it is possible to open up a box of Wheaties and find a gun? Robert Brooks The Tennessee Judicial Conference, which is comprised of Tennessees state court judges, elected new officers at its meeting in June. The new president-elect is 11th judicial district Chancellor Pamela A. Fleenor, who has served Hamilton County since she won election in 2014. Chancellor Fleenor earned her law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law and her bachelors degree from the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. Taking the helm as president is Chancellor J.B. Cox, who sits on the bench in the states 17th judicial district of Bedford, Lincoln, Marshall and Moore counties. Chancellor Cox was first appointed to the bench in 2000 and was reelected in 2006 and 2014. He is a graduate of the Vanderbilt School of Law and Middle Tennessee State University. Judge Valerie L. Smith from the 30th judicial district was elected as moving vice president. She was first appointed to the bench in Memphis in 2016 and won reelection in 2016. Judge Smith earned her law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and her bachelors degree from the University of Memphis. Court of Appeals Middle Section Judge W. Neal McBrayer is the vice president. Judge McBrayer was appointed to the Court of Appeals in 2013 and won reelection in 2014. He is a graduate of the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary and Maryville College. Judge Darrell Scarlett, who serves Rutherford and Cannon counties in the 16th judicial district, is the organizations new secretary. Judge Scarlett was appointed in 2018 and won reelection in 2020. Judge Scarlett earned his law degree from Samford University and his bachelors degree from Tennessee Tech University. Judge Kathryn Wall Olita, who serves in the 19th judicial district, will serve as treasurer. She was appointed to the bench in 2019 and won election in 2020. She earned her law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and her bachelors degree from the University of Tennessee. Three judges from each of the states three grand divisions also serve on the TJC executive committee. Representing West Tennessee are: Judge Carma McGee (Court of Appeals), Judge Jennifer Johnson Mitchell (30th judicial district), and Chancellor Tony Childress (26th judicial district). The Middle Tennessee representatives are: Judge Larry J. Wallace (23rd judicial district), Judge Jill Bartee Ayers (Court of Criminal Appeals), and Chancellor Melissa Blevins (12th judicial district). Representing Eastern Tennessee are: Judge James Gass (4th judicial district), Judge Barry Steelman (11th judicial district), and Judge Kyle Hedrick (6th judicial district). The 2022 annual meeting of the TJC will be held in Middle Tennessee with Judge Barry Tidwell of the 16th judicial district and Gary McKenzie of the 13th judicial district serving as convention co-chairs. Sixth Judicial District Judge Kyle Hixson and 13th judicial district Judge Jimmie Turner will be hospitality co-chairs. F9 not only takes The Fast and the Furious into the future, but it delves into its past. In flashbacks, Vinnie Bennett plays young Dominic Toretto. The flashbacks explain what happened to his father, Jack (J.D. Pardo) and between Dom and Jakob (Finn Cole, John Cena). But, Bennett didnt even meet Vin Diesel when he played his iconic character as a kid. [Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for F9.] Vinnie Bennett | Rich Fury/WireImage Bennett spoke with Showbiz Cheat Sheet by phone about his role in F9. Surprisingly, Bennett said he did not speak with Diesel until after he already filmed his scenes as young Dom. Vinnie Bennett was expecting an F9 meeting with Vin Diesel Since Dom leads the Fast and the Furious family, and Diesel is a producer of the series, Bennett did expect to meet. However, F9 just threw Bennett right into the roole fo Young Dom. Before filming had started, I kind of expected him to sit me down to go through what was expected, Bennett said. But no, it wasnt until afterwards when we had the premiere. I caught up with him after the screening and he seemed to be quite happy with it. So that meant the world to me. How Vinnie Bennett captured Young Dom in F9 Without Diesel there to guide him, Bennett relied on Diesels previous work. He looked beyond the Fast Saga, too. Seeing the other movies, watching lots of Vins earlier work, Bennett said. Theres a short film called Multi-Facial. Watched that a few times. I just kind of became obsessed with the way he moves and all the little mannerisms and all the things like that. Vin Diesel | Universal Pictures RELATED: F9: The Ending Explained and What it Means for The Fast and the Furious Saga Bennett is from New Zealand, so he totally changed his voice to sound like Diesel. It was a lot of adjusting and the kind of mouth positioning, I guess if you will, and just playing with it until we could get the sound more closer to his, Bennett said. But, I felt like with the changes in the body and the movements, it just kind of would come. Transforming into Vin Diesel F9 used some movie magic to make Bennett resemble a young Diesel a bit more. I feel like my eyebrows are a bit more bushier than Vins so they were reduced a bit, Bennett said. Then I was like, Okay, surely therell be some kind of contact lenses because we dont have the same eye color. But that just never happened so Im like, Okay, I guess theyll do that in post-production which they did. I feel like the eye color definitely brought more resemblance to Vin, or at least a younger Vin. Vin Diesel | Universal Pictures RELATED: F9 Star Vin Diesel Says He Looks for a Miracle Every Day Hes On Set Wearing Doms signature white T-shirt didnt hurt, either. It fit quite well, Bennett said. It really made me feel the part, thats for sure. The classic iconic Dom Toretto white T-shirt. Nice and snug, and then the chain as well to complete the look. Vin Diesel weighed in on Vinnie Bennetts F9 performance Bennett met Diesel twice. First, when production wrapped, Diesel stopped by. I kind of walked up to him all being thankful, like, Man, thank you so much for this opportunity, Bennett said. Hes like, Oh, Ive been hearing really good things about you. Youre doing some good work. That was it. We did a little thing with his son Vincent for a behind the scenes and that was my whole experience with Vin up until after the premiere where we could catch up properly and talk about the role. Vinnie Bennett | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images RELATED: F9: Vin Diesel and Paul Walkers Pre-Fame Trip to Mexico Still Makes the Fast and Furious Actor Emotional After the F9 premiere screening, Bennett was worried he wouldnt measure up to Diesels muscles. Diesel reassured him. I went up to him and I said, Man, Ive got to tell you, I did work my ass off to try to get as big as you, but man, there was no way I could even catch up. Bennett said. He goes, Oh man, come on, look at this. He pushed his belly out. Im like no, hes still in great shape. There wasnt anything in particular but just to see him happy with it and just to tell me that I had done a good job meant a lot to me. The Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker rumors have struck again. This time, many fans think that the loved-up couple may have secretly tied the knot during a trip to Disneyland with Barkers children. What sparked the marriage rumors? As it turns out, it all has to do with one simple accessory Kardashian sported during the trip. Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker at the UFC 260 event | Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker spent the Fourth of July holiday in Disneyland It all started with a Fourth of July weekend getaway to the happiest place on Earth. As People reported, Kardashian and Barker headed off to Disneyland to celebrate the holiday with Landon and Alabama, Barkers kids with ex Shanna Moakler. Kardashians youngest son, Reign, also joined the group. According to People, Kardashian and Barker shared a few snaps of the outing on their Instagram Stories. The images showed Landon and Alabama riding the carousel together, Kardashian and Barker rocking matching shoes, and a beautiful family photo. Later in the evening, Kardashian shared a photo of the fireworks display. The outing looked to be a fun bonding experience for the close-knit family. However, some fans think that the trip may have also served as a place for Kardashian and Barker to get married privately. After all, they have previously taken a few trips to the theme park, so it may hold special value to the couple. Heres why fans think Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker got married One particular photo from the Disneyland trip sent fans into a frenzy. According to The Sun, a fan snapped a selfie with Kardashian and Alabama. Barkers daughter posted the image on her Instagram, but quickly removed the image. However, the gossip page Not Skinny But Not Fat, run by podcast host Amanda Hirsch, reposted the photo on its feed. The snap showed Kardashian posing in a pair of white bridal Minnie ears beside Alabama, who wore normal ears. The accessory sent fans into wild speculation in the comments section. No Disney fan wears the bridal gear unless theres a reason, one fan wrote. Usually you wear that when your a bride at Disney either pre-wedding or post for honeymoon, another person added. Some fans wondered if Kardashian and Barker didnt get married, but instead got engaged at the park. On the other hand, a handful of fans guessed that the ears may have belonged to the fan and Kardashian swiped them for the photo. Obviously the fans ears but Kourt know exactly how to ruffle all the feathers, one person wrote. For what its worth, a source close to Kardashian revealed back in April that the Poosh founder is not considering a marriage with Barker because of how it might affect her ex, Scott Disick. However, that hasnt stopped many fans from begging the couple to tie the knot. Kourtney Kardashian has sparked plenty of engagement and pregnancy rumors she has exited the building pic.twitter.com/w3gWUq6jjV Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) September 13, 2020 Kardashian has already left fans speculating about many aspects of her relationship with Barker. At one point in early June, engagement rumors circulated when a close friend of Kardashians left a bride emoji comment on one of her photos. More recently, many fans began to wonder if Kardashian and Barker are expecting. As Screen Rant reported, Kardashian has left what seemed to be many hints on social media about a potential pregnancy. She posted a cryptic collection of images that appeared to indicate a December due date. Of course, this may very well also just be wishful thinking from her and Barkers devoted fans. Their fan base can only hope for a big and not-so-subtle reveal if Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker ever do get married and have children. RELATED: How Close in Age Are Kourtney Kardashians and Travis Barkers Kids? Many American celebrities celebrated the countrys Independence Day this past weekend. Matthew McConaughey was one of them. He posted a video on social media sharing his thoughts on the United States, and the actor compared the countrys recent issues to growing pains and puberty. Matthew McConaughey | Lou Rocco/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Matthew McConaughey wished the country a happy birthday On July 4, McConaughey took to social media to give a speech about Independence Day. The actor talked to the camera while sitting in front of an American flag. Happy Birthday, America, he said. As we celebrate our independence today, as we celebrate our birth as a nation, the day that kick-started a revolution to gain our sovereignty, lets admit that this last yearthis trip around the sunwas also another head-scratcher. Matthew McConaughey says the United States is going through growing pains happy 245th birthday America lets rock pic.twitter.com/MiLKZ0HN8y Matthew McConaughey (@McConaughey) July 4, 2021 RELATED: Matthew McConaughey Once Revealed 1 of His Movies Took Just 25 Days to Film McConaughey went on to say that he believes the United States is still developing as a country. Lets also remember that we are babies, McConaughey said. As a country, we are basically going through puberty in comparison to other countries timelines, and were going to go through growing pains. We are going through growing pains. He added, This is not an excuse, this is just the reality, and this is good because we got to keep learning, we got to keep maturing, we gotta keep striving, we gotta keep climbing, we gotta keep building. And we gotta make sure we maintain hope along the way, as we continue to evolve. McConaughey went on to urge fellow Americans to chase their dreams while also being mindful of the collective responsibilities. We are all in this together, he stated. If you dont purchase that, move on. Go somewhere else. In honor of 4th of July, McConaughey told followers to reflect and on where weve come from, where we are, and how and where we want to go from here on the way to being the best we can be. Lets rock, America, he said in the conclusion of his video. Happy Birthday, just keep livin. Ill see you there. Does Matthew McConaughey plan to go into politics? RELATED: Matthew McConaughey Almost Had a Very Different Job in Hollywood It seems McConaughey hopes to unite Americans with his video message. This is not surprising given that he has been hinting about potentially going into politics in the future. During a March 2021 episode of the podcast The Balanced Voice, McConaughey was asked about his thoughts on running for governor in Texas. He said it was a true consideration. Im looking into now again, what is my leadership role? he said during another part of the podcast. Because I do think I have some things to teach and share, and what is my role? Whats my category in my next chapter of life that Im going into? However, according to an interview with USA Today that same month, McConaughey told fans to not get their hopes up too soon. I would say, as far as running, Im not until I am, he said, before adding, I am considering, as I said Id be a fool not to, to consider the honor to go into the position of politics, as the governor of Texas. But I honestly have to ask myself, How can I be most useful? And maybe thats as a free agent. Sister Wives star, Meri Brown, has had a rough six years. Following her legal divorce from Kody Brown and subsequent catfishing scandal, the mother of one didnt seem to know exactly where she belonged. Sure, she followed her family to Flagstaff, Arizona, but almost no one believed Meri wanted to be there. Now, after a couple of months in Utah, the empty nester seems happier and healthier than ever. At least, fans of the series are getting that impression from Meris Instagram. Sister Wives star, Meri Brown, has been documenting her adventures running her Utah Inn in recent weeks In March 2021, Meri announced the unexpected death of her mother, Bonnie Ahlstrom. For the last few years, Bonnie served as the innkeeper for Lizzies Heritage Inn, the small bed and breakfast that Meri owns. Following the unexpected passing, Meri headed up to Utah to take care of family business. Two months later, she announced the reopening of the inn. Thank you @ohheyitsaudrey for your amazing work at taking this original photo and creating this awesome logo!! #LizziesHeritageInn #Sisterwives pic.twitter.com/pWCZNx6naB Meri Brown (@MeriBrown1) March 12, 2018 RELATED: Sister Wives: Meri Brown Announces the Death of Her Mother, Bonnie Ahlstrom, via Instagram Since then, Meri has been working as a live-in hostess. While she admitted she was nervous about running the business without her mother, things appear to be going well. Brown family followers have noticed that Meri looks happier and healthier than she has in recent years. They think the Sister Wives star has found her true home as an innkeeper, and they love seeing her share her adventures on Instagram. Where is Meri Brown living? Technically speaking, Meri still lives in Flagstaff, Arizona, along with her sister wives and estranged husband. At the very least, that appears to be her legal address for the time being. Still, its not where she is spending most of her time. For the last few months, Meri has been posting exclusively from Parowan, Utah. The cast of Sister Wives | TLC Parowan is a small town with just 3,000 residents. It is located roughly 3 hours from Las Vegas, Nevada, where the Brown family once lived. Its a five-hour car trip from Parowan to the Brown familys current home base in Flagstaff. Has Meri Brown left her husband, Kody Brown? While the media initially reported that Meri left her famous family behind to start a brand new life in Utah, that doesnt seem to be the case. Sure, Meri is spending most of her time in Utah, several hours away from the Brown familys home base, but that does not mean shes officially done with Kody. The small business owner has not announced what her permanent plans are. RELATED: Sister Wives: Mykelti Brown Suggests Everything Fans See on TV Is Exaggerated Christine Brown, Kodys third wife, is also spending a lot of time in Utah these days, although she isnt spending her time with Meri. Christine has been visiting her adult children, all of whom currently live in Utah. Sister Wives fans assumed Christine would be moving, too. That doesnt appear to be the case, though. Mykelti Padron, Christine and Kodys daughter, recently revealed that her mother doesnt have plans to move to Utah permanently. Mykelti didnt mention Meri, though. The hit series The Last Kingdom has finished filming in Hungary. The next season will be the last, which is hard for some fans to come to terms with. At least theres one more season to go before its all really over. Fans have recently been treated to content from the actors together and on set. Even Jon East, a director for the series who has directed episodes in previous seasons and who will also direct in season 5, recently shared some images of Finan (Mark Rowley) and Sihtric (Arnas Fedaravicius), which shows their looks in season 5. Finn Elliot, Mark Rowley, and Arnas Fedaravicius in The Last Kingdom | Adrienn Szabo/Netflix Finan and Sihtric in The Last Kingdom Finan and Sihtric are both great friends together with Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon), the main character. They are constantly by his side through it all, which is great for fans to see. Finan is a warrior that is originally from Ireland. He was a slave with Uhtred when they first crossed paths, but they are eventually freed. Sihtric is the son of Kjartan (Alexandre Willaume) born out of wedlock. Finan and Sihtrics friendship with Uhtred is critical to the show, and theyve been through so much together over the years. See Finan and Sihtrics looks in season 5 of The Last Kingdom It appears Stiorra can handle her ale better than Baby Monk!#TheLastKingdom #ReturnToSeason4 pic.twitter.com/fHpT5dAjfp The Last Kingdom (@TheLastKingdom) May 19, 2021 RELATED: The Last Kingdom: Why Fans Feel Bad for Uhtred in Season 4 On June 13, 2021, Jon East shared some images on Instagram of Finan and Sihtric, which shows their looks for season 5. Both actors are lying down on some wooden boards, and the camera is at an angle, so it isnt the most direct shot. Fedaravicius can be seen with his hands laced together as he wears his usual warrior attire. There are cuffs on his arms and over his elbows, as well as fur outlining his ensemble on his shoulders. His hair is braided as well. East captioned the post: Sihtric!!! The rather marvelous Arnas Fedaravicius. TLK5. Next up is an image on Instagram with a look at Finan lying on some wooden boards as well. He has his hands resting over his stomach with his warrior attire on. His ensemble is green and brown, and there is chainmail on his shoulder areas. His head looks off to the side in the image. East captioned the post of Rowley as Finan: Finan! The rather splendid Mark Rowley! TLK5. Jon East recently shared an image of Brida (Emily Cox) on a horse with an umbrella This isnt the only photos Jon East has shared recently. On June 25, he shared an image on Instagram of Emily Cox dressed as Brida while on top of a horse. In one hand she holds an umbrella, and in her other hand, she holds the reins of a horse that she sits atop. The image is from the side, and lush greenery can be seen on the ground and in the background. Other people can also be seen in the shot, as well as red tents in the background along with smoke. Jon East captioned the post: Brida with a brolly! The wonderful Emily Cox just before shooting a scene for ep3 of TLK2 in 2016, (which I seem to recall we eventually cut for pacing reasons, as is often the case with all TV dramas). Its always nice to see photos like these of our favorite characters and actors. Well have to see what else is shared before the series premieres its final season. The Cherokee Nation has signed an agreement with the town of Vian to donate revenue from traffic and misdemeanor citations back to the municipality. In the front row are Vian Mayor Dennis Fletcher, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner. In the back row are Secretary of Veteran Affairs S. Joe Crittenden, Assistant Attorney General Sandy Crosslin, Vian Chief of Police Daniel New, Attorney General Sara Hill, Secretary of State Tina Glory Jordan, Tribal Councilor E.O. Smith, Secretary of Natural Resources Chad Harsha, Delegate to Congress Kim Teehee and Deputy Attorney General Chrissi Nimmo. Even at the distance of over 40 years, I still remember having my fingerprints documented for my criminal record. It was the first time in my life I had felt ashamed about anything. The young police constable was pleasant enough as he gently guided me through the process of fingers, thumbs, and ink pads. He was sensitive to the sense of grief originating from a single sound in the room: the uncontrollable weeping of my distraught mother sitting a few feet away, as my father tried quietly calming her. As recent immigrants to the UK from India, they were confused and shocked. They had wrenched themselves from established lives as schoolteachers. They had traveled to England by sea, working in a shoe factory and selling bus tickets so that my brother and I could go to school. For families immigrating from the Indian subcontinent, providing an education for their children was (and still is) the driving priority. So when my parents discovered that their teenage son had spent years secretly engaging in arson and shoplifting just for fun, they could barely comprehend it. Sometimes it takes the tears of a loved one to stop us in our tracks and focus our minds on where weve gone wrong. But what exactly was I ashamed of? My mothers grief had brought sudden clarity about the damage I had caused to my familyshameful, lasting damage. It dawned on me that there really is a moral law in the universe, and I had overstepped it. Actions had consequences, just as my family had taught me. The Hindu idea of karma, I had learned, is that you get what you deserve. Here was karma, spectacularly demonstrated. Debating Christianity I am the son of a Hindu priest who was himself the son of a Hindu priest. In the working-class English town where I grew up, life revolved around our close-knit Indian community. We regularly met in temples or public halls to celebrate religious festivals and holidays. I never once heard the gospel in my first 18 years. My understanding had always been that Christian meant you were white and British, and no one ever suggested otherwise. But then I left home for university andby some divinely orchestrated coincidencegot to know a bunch of Christians. To me, they were do-gooders: nice enough people who just didnt have their heads screwed on straight when it came to being rational. They would take me along to meetings where someone would present a Christian message or testimony. Afterwards, we would debate what seemed (to me) like the many holes in their arguments. Despite my skepticism, these good Christian students adopted me as some kind of project. I didnt share their faith, but their friendship and concern moved me. You see, there was always one roadblock on my journey to understanding Christianity, one concept that, in my view, was immoral and unacceptable: the idea of grace. The notion of someone else suffering shame and pain for the wrongs I had chalked up was absurd and repugnant. To me, grace and karma were complete opposites. Karma is logical; it feels right. Its fair. Karma is what happened in the police station that day. This attitude persisted for some time, until one of my friends, Alex, commented thoughtfully, Chris, you can argue forever about the unfairness of the Cross. In many ways youre absolutely right. Or, you can accept that this man Jesus died because he loves you. Its up to you. Still carrying my doubts, I worked out a way to give this Christian thing a try: Make the commitment, say the prayer, and see what happens over the next six months. I reckoned I would know in that time if it was true or not. What was there to lose? The six months became 12, and then 24 (mainly because I continued to enjoy the social life of church). I graduated in engineering and began studying toward a PhD. But I was a lazy Christian. I barely picked up a Bible, prayer was an annoying afterthought, and I only went to church if I felt like it, which wasnt often. Article continues below One day, my Anglican minister, David, made a suggestion. He said I should get baptized. I was appalled at the thought. Genuinely horrified. The exact words in my head were: Baptism is something you Brits do to your babieswhy are you talking to me about this? I had seen infant baptisms on TVwas this fellow seriously suggesting wrapping me up in a white gown and dunking my head in a bowl? Despite my recoiling, David persisted, and he showed me in Scripture where the baptism of adults took place. I was still unnerved by the whole thing. It sounded crazy. But David gently advised that I should make a decision: Accept the faith, all of it, or reject it. Eventually, I consented. And so, one quiet evening in March 1984, I found myself at the first baptism service I ever attendedmy own. I still recall my bewilderment as I noticed the sprinkling of water falling from my head onto the pages of the service book in my hands and wondered, for a second, if I might get into trouble. I didnt! And God honored that small act of obedience. The wilderness year Within days, even hours, of my baptism, I felt a restless urge to quit studying and do something different. (Only much later would I come to understand what it means to experience a baptism of the Holy Spirit.) After a few unsuccessful applications for jobs in Zambia and Kenya, I got a position lecturing at an engineering college in India. I had grand ideasmainly based on English college lifeof what my sojourn in India would look like. However, it was nothing like that. The school, only partially built, was located in a remote part of the country. I was told to teach computing with no computers, and for several months I had a laboratory with nothing in itjust a bare room. Meanwhile, I lived in a small village outside the college town, in a humble dwelling with intermittent power, no running water, and scary wildlifeincluding snakes and scorpions (Luke 10:19)wandering around outside. Worst of all, I felt suddenly and terribly alone. Though eventually I made some truly great friends, those first few weeks were unbearably lonely. There was no church, and there were no other Christians. In short, I hated it. In the evenings, I could just see airplanes flying into the horizon toward distant lands. I dearly wished I was on board. There were frequent tearsI couldnt understand what I was doing. Later in my faith journey, I could see that this was a wilderness experience of the sort many other Christians have shared. Its a model we receive from Jesus himself. Sometimes its exactly what God needs to break through a hard heart. After some weeks, I discovered a small fellowship that met in another town. Every Sunday morning, I would ride a jam-packed bus to get there, which involved struggling mightily just to climb aboard. This was hard but encouraging all at once. I remember distinctly hearing God say, Chris, when your fellowship was a short walk down the road in England, you couldnt be bothered to go. Now you will fight to go. I was broken, but I was also being remade. Those surprised and wonderful Indian Christians welcomed me from the day they set eyes on me. Every Sunday became an entire day at their house, complete with meals, conversations, love, and support. During those months, with their help, I grew enormously in faith. I began devouring Scripturesometimes for hours in a dayand I discovered a God who wanted me to depend on him, a God who knew me and spoke to me. A God who wasnt a six-month experiment. Article continues below That year included another unexpected blessing: a chance to travel north overnight and meet my previously unknown set of cousins, aunts, and uncles. They are Christian. (My mother had actually given up her nominal Christian faith when she married my Hindu father.) And they were able to introduce me to a much wider range of Indian church experiences. At the end of that year, on my return to the UK, folks in that small Anglican church (who had also supported me through the year with letters and recordings) barely recognized me. Youve completely changed! they would invariably say. Incomprehensible grace Since then, I have married my lovely Christian wife, Alison (I think she also adopted me as a project). We now have three wonderful daughters in their 20s. Around 10 years ago, while working in the telecommunications industry, I began training as a Baptist minister. Today, I help lead a small English church while keeping a part-time role in the tech world. God has answered many prayers over the years, while leaving many others unanswered. We have endured our share of family crises, but in Christ I have an anchor in those storms. If youre looking for an easy ticket through life, the Christian faith isnt it. But if you want purpose, meaning, and direction, here is a narrative, a grand story, in which you have your own essential part to play. And most importantly, you get the incomparable privilege of intimately knowing the author. I should say that my mothers driving ambition was also fulfilled. I ended up with a bunch of university degreesI really hope it makes up for that day in the police station! But she got more than she bargained for, becoming a Christian during her own life crisis, after my father left us in my teens amid considerable family sadness. She passed away a few years ago as part of a loving, faithful congregation in that same small town where we grew up. I dont understand grace, even now. The Cross is appallingly unfair. I suspect Ill never have it entirely figured out, at least in this lifetime. But Im thankful that because of Gods grace, I can love him and commit my life to him even as he and his grace lie outside my capacity to fathom. Chris Goswami is associate pastor at Lymm Baptist Church in Lymm, England. He is also vice president of communications for Enea Openwave, originally a Silicon Valley startup. His writing appears on his website, 7minutes.net. When eight-year-old Joel Edwards arrived in London from Jamaica in 1960, he was on his guard against British Christians. Only the Black Pentecostals, he thought, could be true believers. We thought Baptists were maybe OK because they baptise like we did, and so perhaps they stood a chance of being real Christians, he later wrote in Turning the Tables on Mission: Stories of Christians from the Global South in the UK. Methodists confused us; we couldnt work out if they were Anglicans or Baptists. Anglicans had no chance and Catholics were the antichrist! We didnt even really trust white Pentecostals! They didnt preach for as long, didnt sweat, didnt jump or shout much and didnt sound Pentecostal! In the years that followed, Edwards not only overcame his suspicion; he devoted his life to bringing Christians together. The first Black leader of the Evangelical Alliance UK (EAUK), Edwards served as the spokesperson of thousands of UK evangelicals who did not always see eye to eye on theology, politics, or culture. He was known as a leader who could confidently preach the gospel on BBC and fight against injustice. Last week, Edwards died of cancer at age 70. Joel developed a multilingual ministry based on the liberating empowerment of the gospel of Christ that spoke in the languages of many differences, said Joe Aldred of the National Church Leaders Forum. Like the apostles on the day of Pentecost, people heard him speak of the limitless transcending power of God that transcend race and culture and religion, in their own tongue. Finding an identity Most Caribbean Christians and members of the Windrush generationthe millions of West Indian and West African immigrants who came to the UK over three decadesarrived with a combination of economic pragmatism and patriotic idealism. But Edwardss community believed they had something to spiritually offer their new home. Edwards heard his elders ponder Esther 4:14 over and over again: Who knows, but that God has called us to the Kingdom for such a time as this. That was a cardinal text in the hearts and minds of the Caribbean Christians as we came and implanted between the early 1960s and 80s. Here was a huge issue of identity: what does it mean to be a Christian, and what is our mission task here in Britain? he wrote. Who are we? How do we do what God has called us to do, and how do we understand outreach and mission in Britain in relation to who we are? Edwards was ordained in the New Testament Church of God, a prominent British Caribbean denomination, and led a congregation in East London. Despite his immigrant identity, Edwards believed he had assimilated into British identity, until he arrived at London Bible College (now London School of Theology). A classmate looked at his books and noticed A Peculiar Institution, a history of a slavery, and Stokely Carmichaels Black Power, sitting among the more common theology titles. Aha! Will the real Joel Edwards step forward, said his classmate, Edwards recalled. The comment caught him off guard. That day I actually understood for the first time that others do not perceive you as you perceive yourself, he said. And I was learning that this was also true for church life and missions. He nevertheless made his home among evangelicals, working and collaborating with the broader UK movement. His first connection to the Evangelical Alliance came when he first became the general secretary of the African and Caribbean Evangelical Alliance in 1988. In 1992, he became the UK director. Five years later, Edwards became the general secretary of the Evangelical Alliance and soon became the consistent evangelical voice Brits encountered as a regular contributor to BBCs Thought for the Day. Joel was a person who was fully alive living in the richness of his calling and loved seeing others live in the same way. He embodied joy and hope and inspired even the cynic to believe that the world could be changed, said Selina Stone, a theologian mentored by Edwards. Joel believed that the good news of Jesus could change the world and longed to see churches living out the beauty of the gospel in ways which brought light and hope to the world. Even as the voice for British evangelicals, he said he sometimes hesitated to claim the word. Im an evangelical with a capital E, he once said. I hesitate to make such a confession, for I am painfully aware of the baggage the label carries. Without wanting to blame Americans for all the problems of the world, it is, well, largely their fault. As the first Black leader of the EAUK, he made a priority of racial injustice and critiqued Christians past silence. During his tenure as EAUK director, Edwards was also named a member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the UK body charged with enforcing legislation guaranteeing equality without regard to of age, ethnicity, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. The appointment drew criticism from LGBT activists because of Edwardss conservative stance on sexuality. But Edwards believed he belonged there. As a Christian leader, I believe one of my primary responsibilities will be to ensure that the values of faith communitiesour concerns for important issues such as respect and toleranceplay an effective role in this commission, he said. But I think equally it is going to be a huge challenge for Christians and people of faith as we learn how to present our faith distinctives within a liberal democracy, where morals and values cannot be dictated by Christian faith alone. The Windrush legacy Through his personal actions and public work, Edwards affirmed the faith and ministry of the Windrush generation and their descendants. I have looked up to Joel as one of those who carved out the way for younger generations of Black Christian voices to be heard in public life, said Chine McDonald, the head of public engagement at Christian Aid. Edwards often compared the experiences of the Windrush generation with those of the Israelites who struggled understanding their culture, responsibility, and place after ending up in Babylon. At a service at Westminster Abbey commemorating the 70th anniversary of the landing of the HMT EmpireWindrush, he reminded the community of their obligation to seek the welfare of their community. Like the people in exile, the Windrush generation was faced with a new dilemma. In the words of a popular psalm, By the rivers of Babylon, we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion. How can we sing the Lords song in a strange land? Or to put it another way: how can you be yourself in the place where you werent born? However, 70 years in Babylon produced Daniel the prime minister, senior civil servants and Queen Esther. In captivity, they rediscovered themselves, their history and their understanding of God. Edwards also realized his responsibility in raising up the next generation of Black British Christian leaders. He gently affirmed my ministerial vocation and demonstrated through his action and attitude how a Black person could survive and thrive within settings not designed with them in mind or heart, said Azariah France-Williams, the vicar of Ascension Church Hulme in the Diocese of Manchester, who noted that Edwards was one of his ordination sponsors. He and I were not always of the same mind on issues of the day, but our hearts were aligned, for his friendship and support I am deeply grateful and count myself blessed to have had such an amazing big brother who lived a Jesus-shaped life and created a more solid world on which we can all stand and dance. Edwards is survived by his wife, Carol, and two children. Even as many colleges lift COVID-19 restrictions and anticipate more-active campus life in the fall, ministry leaders expect that pandemic will continue to shape how they gather and have lingering effects on students mental health and social lives. A survey commissioned by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and released today is the latest in a string of research indicating that college students suffered higher levels of stress and anxiety as their lives inside and outside the classroom grew more remote and isolated. The ministry found that by the end of the school year in May 2021, over a year after the pandemic began, around half of InterVarsity students said their mental and emotional health had been negatively impacted. Of those, the majority said the biggest challenge contributing to their mental state was loneliness and isolation. At the University of South Carolina, campus minister Lizzie Keegan saw the suffering firsthand, especially among freshmen students, who faced the challenge of making friends their first year of college in the midst of campus rules designed to keep students apart. While doing Instagram outreach to connect with new students, Keegan noticed one freshman who admitted she hadnt made friends at UofSC and was asking students to direct message her if they wanted to be her friend. I thought if shes willing to do that, how many more students feel like that but wouldnt put themselves out there, Keegan said. The freshman ended up coming to InterVarsity gatherings once her schedule allowed mid-year. She was like, Oh my gosh. I cant believe this is a room of peopleyes, in maskswho want to be friends, who enjoy each other, who laugh together, and then study Scripture together, Keegan said. By the end of the year, the student had rediscovered both friendship and faith; she recommitted her life to Christ. For the leaders of the UofSC InterVarsity chapter, her story underscored the desire for community so many students have, especially after missing out on the typical social opportunities of college life. Theres a huge opportunity of people who are desperate for hope and a desperate for community, perhaps more than weve ever seen in history because of the pandemic, said Tom Lin, president of InterVarsity. Our role needs to be on developing these witnessing communities in the face of this isolation that Gen Z is feeling, and our focus has to be leading them toward hope in the midst of the hopelessness they feel. Even before the pandemic, Christian outreach had recognized these areas of need among the next generation. With an uptick in anxiety disorders, depression, and teen suicide happening alongside young peoples social media use, more youth pastors and youth ministries rely on mental health resources and see professional counselors as partners in the work they do. In certain ways, it just accentuated and accelerated the concerns that we already had about Gen Z. This generation generally has been shaped by higher rates of mental health concerns, anxiety and such, said Lin. Even though Gen Z is so connected, theyre all about digital connectivity, the figure that struck me was 71 percent of those who had a negative experience during the pandemic attributed it towards isolation, toward lack of community, toward lack of social interactions. Keegan at UofSC is known among her students for regularly recommending they turn off their phones and spend more time in silence and sabbath. Even as her chapter relied more on social media for recruiting and making connections last year, their goal was to move those conversations to face-to-facewell, mask-to-maskas soon as possible. It wasnt just the pandemic that stirred students anxieties. Across the country, more than half of InterVarsity participants are students of color, many of whom felt the racial trauma around the highly publicized deaths of George Floyd and other Black victims last year. Racial justice ranked as the most important social issue for students in the recent survey. Top 10 Social Issues (ranked by InterVarsity survey respondents) 1. Racial justice 2. Climate change 3. Foster care, adoption, or orphan care 4. Reducing abortion 5. Religious tolerance / freedom 6. Police reform / criminal justice reform 7. Global poverty 8. Health care 9. Poverty in America 10. Economic inequality At UofSClocated in Columbia, South Carolinathere has been a significant shift among the student body around racial issues. Christian students of color have always been interested in the links between Jesus teachings and racial justice, but now the vast majority of white students are eager to learn and discuss the topic too. At the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, digital gatherings during COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020 meant the InterVarsity chapter could continue to connect with students over the summer. As protests took place across the country, they held virtual sessions to discuss biblical reconciliation and justice. Lin said several chapters across the country saw levels of online participation they would have never reached with in-person events, particularly around faculty involvement. An event hosted by Northwestern Universitys chapter, themed around God and the Human Mind, drew more than 1,000 faculty from across the country, while another on racial justice brought together around 350 participants. While Zoom and online formats allowed them to keep gathering when campus restrictions didnt allow for big events, ministry leaders said the most significant connections happened on the small-group level. At UVA, the chapter was known for its fun campus outreach programs, like a massive Christmas party, scavenger hunts, and trivia nights. We lost all of those. Suddenly, we werent meeting people naturally, said Emily Isler, InterVarsity campus staff at UVA. They werent just wandering into our large groups on grounds. It was only relational; the only way we were going to meet people was by personal invite. As a result, the small-group setupwhere around 100 total students meet weekly with those of their same year and gendershifted to become the central focus of InterVarsity at UVA. And it took on more significance in students lives. People werent like, Oh, this is another thing thats part of my busy schedule. Instead, they said, This is actually my community, and I want to invite my other friends into this, Isler said. Students completed Bible reading programs together, went on prayer walks, and held small group meetings outside with folding chairs and hot coffees. Isler has already booked rooms for the fall semester, where they can finally return to in-person large group gatherings with student-led worship and speakers. As excited as she is about getting to see the whole chapter again for the first time in 18 months, she knows there will be a reentry period. I think theres going to be more adjustment than students think there will be, Isler said. Ruth Haley Barton has talked about the collective trauma weve undergone, and we dont just bounce back from that. Were going to carry something with us. But the lingering effects from 2020 might not be as troubling as we expect. Psychologists commissioned by the medical journal The Lancet found that, despite the losses and suffering of the pandemic, people adapted relatively well. In an article out Sunday in The Atlantic, they celebrated the astonishing resilience that most people have exhibited in the face of the sudden changes. Resilience was also how Keegan described what her Gen Z students learned during the pandemic. People with underlying mental health conditions like depression and anxiety were certainly worse during the global pandemic, but they knew that we were all going through this, she said. Obviously theres a lot of cost to the pandemic, but I have hope that for this generation, its going to also give them that resilience as well. Equal Rights Amendment proponents vow to continue legal fight after appeals court loss Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment plan to continue their legal battle after an appeals court affirmed a lower court ruling that rejected their lawsuit on behalf of the proposed amendment for lack of standing. In 2020, the groups Equal Means Equal, the Yellow Roses, and a Massachusetts woman named Katherine Weitbrecht sued National Archivist of the United States David Ferriero over his refusal to add the ERA to the United States Constitution. The groups reasoned that, with the Commonwealth of Virginia recently passing the ERA, the proposed amendment had reached the necessary 38-state threshold to be ratified. However, in late June, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit issued a unanimous ruling against the groups, arguing that they lacked the standing to sue. Equal Means Equal and The Yellow Roses do not purport to premise their standing here on any benefit that has been denied to them by the challenged actions of the defendant in the way in which the plaintiffs in those three cases did, wrote First Circuit Judge David Barron for the panel, affirming a lower court decision. They instead premise their standing on the risk of harm that they contend they face because of the Archivist's failure to publish the ERA. Thus, those precedents fail to support the conclusion that the plaintiffs plausibly assert the requisites for standing. Barron also rejected the argument by the plaintiffs that women face an increased risk of suffering sex-based violence and other harms due to the rejection of the ERA. But, neither these aspects of the complaint nor any other purport to address how any causal link between the risk of such harm that Weitbrecht in particular faces and the Archivist's failure to publish the ERA differs from the causal link between the risk of such harm that the organizations' members generally face as women and that failure, continued Barron. Barron did conclude that the constitutional questions that the plaintiffs' complaint raises concerning the legal status of the ERA are significant. To be fit for adjudication in federal court, however, they must be raised in a suit that satisfies the requirements of Article III, he concluded. In a statement released last week, Equal Means Equal said they will seek further review of this outrageous decision by the full First Circuit Court of Appeals. How can any court rule that women as a class have no standing to even SPEAK in court when the government unlawfully blocks women from achieving equal protection of the law even after the ERA was ratified by the necessary 38 states on January 27, 2020? stated the group. Over 46 million women voted for President Biden and Vice President Harris, in part because they explicitly stated during their campaign that they support the ERA being published in the Constitution! In August of last year, Judge Denise Casper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts dismissed the lawsuit by the groups over lack of standing. In 1972, Congress passed the ERA and sent it to the states for ratification with a seven-year deadline which was eventually extended to 1982. The proposed amendment reads that Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Although the ERA failed to get the necessary 38 states for ratification at the time, more recently three states passed it, concluding that the passed deadline was not an issue. Litigation aimed at allowing the new passages to count and to nullify the votes taken by some states to rescind the ERA has yet to be successful in making the proposed amendment official. Conservative groups have long been critical of the ERA, arguing that it will be used, among other things, to further advance abortion and possibly curb religious liberty. Mat Staver, founder and chairman of the Liberty Counsel, told The Christian Post in a 2019 interview that he believed the ERA would absolutely threaten religious freedom if approved. Staver believed that if the ERA is passed, it could be used as a hammer against religious organizations, including churches, to provide abortion or abortion-inducing drugs or devices. I think also the ERA now would include an LGBT agenda that would conflict with churches and religious organizations with respect to biblical doctrines and beliefs of male and female in uniquely created and complementary sexes, Staver said at the time. So I think in both the abortion area and in the LGBT arena, the ERA Amendment would be a direct assault on religious liberty, against religious organizations and churches. Nick Vujicic co-founds pro-life bank to combat abortion crisis: 'God wants to take back His role' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment GRAPEVINE, Texas A few years ago, it came to the attention of evangelist Nick Vujicic that most major banks in the United States support Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the nation. Most banks 90%, in fact give philanthropically toward abortion, the 38-year-old Life Without Limbs founder told The Christian Post, adding that an unthinkable amount of Gods money has been used to fund the murder of pre-born children. It was this sobering reality that prompted Vujicic to partner with Betsy Gray, his spiritual mother and the executive director of Network Medical Women's Center, a primary care medical clinic in Santa Barbara, California, to found ProLife Bank. ProLife Bank, Vujicic said, is not a for-profit bank its a for-giving bank. The bank will give 50% net profits to Judeo-Christian-aligned-nonprofit organizations to further the Kingdom of God, he explained. Just like Noah's saved lives, so we're going to save lives with ProLife Bank, he shared. Its based on the understanding that God wants to take back His role and redistribute it through His faithful students. Though the founder and CEO of a nonprofit ministry and a New York Times bestselling author, Vujicic said he considers himself a numbers guy. The Dallas-based entrepreneur started trading options and stocks as a teenager and purchased his first home as an investment at 19 years old. He obtained a Bachelor of Commerce with a double major in financial planning and investments and accounting and graduated at age 21. So when presented with the idea of a pro-life bank, he was intrigued but asked Gray to give him three months to pray with his wife over the decision. During those three months, the father-of-four shared, he faced spiritual assault like never before. My world turned upside down, he recalled. We had a grenade at our house; I had a false article published in a gay magazine that I fired someone from being gay. I had a lawsuit threat against me by somebody internationally. I had a spy drone above my house, and I got kicked out of a bank, all within a matter of 16 weeks after that prayer. It was evident to me that this is an issue close to the Lord's heart, Vujicic added. The last 20 years of my life was sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to millions around the world. The next 20 years will be, preach where I can, but also bring change, tangibly. Protecting the sanctity of life at all stages is an issue close to Vujicics heart. The Australian-American was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs. Living with a disability gives him a unique perspective on issues including abortion, adoption and the foster care system. In America, there have been 77 million abortions thats 23% of our population. And one in three Christians has had an abortion. Im doing my part to rattle the cages of the Church to say, You can't afford not to tell people that half the abortions in America are done by a Christian, he said. Vujicic is also urging Christians to actively participate in city councils, school boards and other local political committees to use their voice in taking America back for God. He expressed the belief that Roe v. Wade will be overturned and pointed out there are already 12 sanctuary cities in the U.S. that do not allow abortions to happen. Christians, he said, have the power to bring that kind of change to all cities across the country. We're not far from cities realizing that it's just enough of us to go on a school board and bring the Bible back to school systems, city per city, he stressed. That is how we take back America. The way that America has been stolen and the way that America will be, half of Americans will never agree with me. And we are being forced in this cancel culture to choose one side or the other." We lost the war, and we're going to pay for it, Vujicic said, adding: But the remnant will hold. The evangelist, who has shared the Gospel from over 3,500 stages in 74 countries, expressed concern that the Church in America is sleeping in the face of coming persecution. He challenged pastors to face the music and preach biblical truth from the pulpit, no matter how unpopular. I think America is going to have a rude awakening, he said. "Those of us who don't face the music, who don't correct the unrighteousness it's going along with the change of the tide since 2005 when churches changed their song and dance to bring the lost through the door by watering down the experience. Weve forgotten to teach them meat. The COVID-19 pandemic, he posited, exposed the lack of commitment and spiritual discernment among many Christians. The speaker and author urged the next generation to stop basing their actions on feelings Don't just share things or jump on things because you heard somebody else doing it, he advised and rather on the Word of God. So many people who are Christian have fallen into depression, thoughts of suicide, divorce, and all these things in the last 18 months like never before because they were never taught to memorize Scriptures, read the Bible on their own and understand that worship is between you and the Lord Jesus Christ without the structure of the church, Vujicic said. We feel this is the time as Christians to come together and ask God to forgive us of the sins of our land. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment My Faith Votes recently had the opportunity to catch up with Jack Phillips, a cake artist and the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colorado. Phillips gained national recognition as a result of his Supreme Court case, Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, which originated when Phillips refused to create a cake for a same-sex wedding in 2012. This conversation has been edited for clarity and length. You can watch the full conversation with Jack Phillips here. My Faith Votes: Your book, The Cost of My Faith: How a Decision in My Cake Shop Took Me to the Supreme Court, is a powerful look at what has transpired over the past nine years for you and your cakeshop. First, I would love for you to share your testimony and what ultimately led to people knowing you as the Christian baker. Phillips: I grew up going to church, but around 17 years old, I stopped going because it just didnt interest me. It never stuck with me. A few years later, Im married with a couple of kids. Im working hard at a good job, but Im still living without God. When God got ahold of me, I wasnt a drug-dealing alcoholic who woke up in a gutter saying, God, if you save me, Ill serve you! It happened out of the blue on my way home from work after working the night shift. It was a sunny morning in the spring of 1987, and the Holy Spirit came to me in my car and convicted me of my sinful nature. I needed a savior, and that savior was Jesus. At first I tried to negotiate, Let me clean up my life first, and youll get a better deal. But the Holy Spirit made it clear that I couldnt do that. A few more blocks down the road and I had given my life to Jesus. My Faith Votes: Jumping ahead in your story, in 2012 youre still following Christ and youre now the owner of Masterpiece Cake Shop. Take us back to that day in July 2012 when a conversation with two potential customers changed your life forever. Phillips: One July afternoon, two men came into my store in Lakewood, Colo. I went over to the men who were sitting at the wedding desk to discuss how we could help them. They gave me their names and said they were looking at cakes for their wedding. I replied, Sorry guys, we dont do cakes for same-sex weddings. They stared at me blankly. I told them we would do their birthday cake, cookies, brownies, anything like that. I just dont do cakes for same-sex weddings. Immediately they jumped up, started swearing at me and then stormed out of the shop. I thought to myself, What in the world just happened? Twenty minutes later, I get a call and someone asks, Are you the one who just turned away the gay couple? I replied that I would never turn anyone away, I just told them we wouldnt create that specific kind of wedding cake. Things just took off from there. My Faith Votes: What ultimately led to the Supreme Court case? Phillips: In the weeks that followed the two men coming into the shop, they staged two protests right outside the store. Media came, and there were a lot of people on both sides. One of the reporters asked me if I was aware I had broken an anti-discrimination law. As it turns out, the two men who came into the shop filed a complaint through the Colorado Civil Rights Division, and the Colorado Civil Rights Commission found probable cause to pursue and took me to court. This eventually led to us petitioning the case to the Supreme Court and, against incredible odds, they took the case. It was through this process that I realized this case was not about me; every Americans freedoms were at stake. We were fighting for the right to exercise freedom of speech and religion. Before I ever opened the shop, my wife sat down and decided on the kinds of cakes we could not create because of our religious convictions. This was one of those cakes, and we never waivered. My faith compels me to serve everyone that comes into my shop, but I cant create every message. Every American should be free to live and work according to their conscience without fear of punishment from the government. And thats what was at stake. My Faith Votes: We would love to hear if there was a particular verse that helped you stay grounded in your faith. Phillips: The verse that comes to mind is 2 Chronicles 16:9, The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (NLT). The Lord truly has shown us his strength continually throughout this experience. Jack Phillips book, The Cost of My Faith: How a Decision in My Cake Shop Took Me to the Supreme Court, is available on Amazon. Today, the Equality Act poses one of the most severe threats to religious freedom in America. This federal legislation cloaked in positive rhetoric seeks to destroy sex and gender as defined by God (Genesis 1:26-28) and it will cost people of faith the ability to freely live out their convictions. Jacks story should encourage us to stand strong in support of biblical truth and to oppose the Equality Act so that other people do not have to endure persecution for their religious beliefs like Jack did in Colorado. At My Faith Votes, we encourage you to contact your senators today using our simple tool and let them know you oppose the Equality Act. Send a message to your senator by clicking here. Fight Church founding pastor pleads guilty to child sex abuse 3 years after son owned abuse charge Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Joe Burress, the 71-year-old founding pastor of Victory Church in Rochester, New York, also known as the Fight Church, has pled guilty to one of two second-degree sexual abuse charges against him three years after his son Paul Burress pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual abuse. Court documents cited in a recent WHAM report say two teenagers accused Joe Burress of sexually abusing them in separate incidents while they were under the age of 14. One of the accusers says she was abused between Sept. 1, 2018, and Aug. 15, 2020, while the other said she was abused between Jan. 1, 2014, and Jan. 31, 2017. Joe Burress is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 2 in Pittsford Town Court but will remain out of custody on his own recognizance until the hearing, WHAM reports. In March 2018, Paul Burress, who was previously charged with four counts of forcible touching after allegedly groping three women in his Henrietta, New York, home, pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual abuse, a misdemeanor. Paul Burress, who also served as pastor of Victory Church, gained national attention in 2014 after being featured in a documentary on mixed martial arts called "Fight Church." Allegations of sexual abuse and claims that he enjoyed life as a swinger dogged his time at the church's helm. In 2009, Paul showed me fully nude photos of his wife, and also showed me a pornographic video of him having sex with his wife. This occurred on several occasions that year, an unidentified source wrote in a letter sent to the leadership team of Victory Church in 2013. I was a single, 21 year-old at the time. This weighed on me for years, until I couldn't take it anymore and eventually left Victory because of it. A person should be able to trust his pastor. I could not. 1 Cor 4:2 says it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy." While the church is currently led by Pastor Alex True and his wife, Sarah, the church has not escaped its abusive past. Filed on Monday, court documents allege that the church allowed and even encouraged multiple men with histories of sexual abuse in the past to serve on staff and look after girls in unsupervised settings, according to a Democrat & Chronicle report. The allegations were made in three new lawsuits filed under the Child Victims Act in New York State Supreme Court in Monroe County. Ashton-Krebs, 56, of Penfield, New York, and two other women alleged the churchs leadership created a haven for sexual predators throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Ashton-Krebs recounts how she was groomed by her abuser, who she married after getting pregnant at 19. The three women seek judgments against the church with compensatory and punitive damages to be determined at trial. When asked about the lawsuits at his home, Joe Burress said he had heard about them but told the Democrat & Chronicle he did not think the claims were valid. "In all honesty, I dont even understand the story. Its silly stuff," Joe Burress said. "It just sounds like that three girls got together and decided, Hey, lets see if we could get some money." PCA pursues partnership with Lifeline Childrens Services as 'preferred' adoption agency over BCS Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Presbyterian Church in America has endorsed Lifeline Childrens Services as its "preferred adoption and orphan care ministry" due to its commitment to the sanctity of life and not Bethany Christian Services, which recently announced it would be offering its services to LGBT couples. At its 48th annual convention in St. Louis, Missouri, this week, the PCA General Assembly passed a resolution in support of Lifeline because of its national presence, global reach, and its unwavering commitment to the sanctity of life and mission to provide positive alternatives to abortion, through adoption. The resolution directs the PCAs outreach arm, the Mission to North America, to explore the advisability of endorsing Lifeline Childrens Services as a resource for PCA churches, the denomination said in a statement. "We are honored to pursue an official partnership with the Presbyterian Church in America denomination, Herbie Newell, president of Lifeline Childrens Services, said. Newell noted that churches and ministries in the PCA network are unapologetically rooted in Scripture and its teachings about the sanctity of life and the dignity of orphans and vulnerable children. At Lifeline, we look forward to co-laboring more with PCA churches, and all Bible-believing churches, across America to serve children and mothers and share the Gospel with them, Newell added. The endorsement of Lifeline comes three months after the Michigan-based group Bethany, which is the nations largest Protestant adoption and foster agency, announced it would begin placing children with adults who identify as LGBT. In a statement to The Christian Post at the time, Nathan Bult, senior vice president of the historically evangelical organization, said that faith in Jesus is at the core of their mission, but they were not claiming a position on the various doctrinal issues about which Christians may disagree. We acknowledge that discussions about doctrine are important, but our sole job is to determine if a family can provide a safe, stable environment for children, Bult said. Unlike many other child and family welfare organizations, Bethany is committed to partnering with churches to find as many families for vulnerable children as possible, and we seek to place children with families that share our mission. He added, We believe that Christians with diverse beliefs can unify around our mission of demonstrating the love and compassion of Jesus. It's an ambitious mission, and we can only accomplish it together. Bethanys latest decision was met with disappointment from evangelical and Christian leaders. Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, said at the time that in choosing to open its services to LGBT couples, Bethany decided to meet the demands of the moral revolutionaries. Last January, Bethany said it would soon end international adoptions and would instead focus on supporting children in their home communities. Our decision to phase out international adoption is not a criticism of the program, but a reflection of our desire to serve children in their own communities, Kristi Gleason, the vice president for global services at Bethany Christian Services, said at the time. Gleason noted that international adoptions to the U.S. dropped from nearly 30,000 children in 2004 to just over 4,000 in 2018. Boy Scouts failing because program abandoned laser focus on boys, Trail Life USA CEO says Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Days after new data showed Boy Scouts of America lost approximately 2 million members in eight years, Trail Life USA CEO Mark Hancock suggests the embattled organization is failing because it abandoned its laser focus on boys. Its not the pandemic or social trends away from the outdoors that is hurting the Boy Scouts, Hancock, who heads the leading alternate scouting program founded in 2014 after controversial changes at BSA, said in a statement shared with The Christian Post Tuesday. When an organization with a remarkable past that provided us with Presidents and astronauts and generals and civic leaders for over 100 years decides to abandon its laser focus on boys and its commitment to the core strengths that made them and this country great, what would you expect? Trail Life USA, which started in the wake of the Boy Scouts lifting a ban on gay youth, seeks to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others, and experience outdoor adventure. Other changes Boy Scouts have made over the years include allowing openly gay scout leaders in 2015 and expanding membership to include girls in 2019, which led to a lawsuit from Girl Scouts of the United States of America. In just nine months after it launched, the "unapologetically Christian" alternative to BSA attracted more than 14,000 members. It recently reported some 30,000 members and has continued growing even during the pandemic. In just the past month, over 200 individuals have reached out to ask about how to start a Trail Life Troop in their community, Hancock, who holds two graduate degrees in mental health counseling, said. Families are scrambling in search of an organization that will help them make godly men from the stuff of boys. Trail Life is that organization, and thats why our numbers are exploding. From 2019 to 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic, the BSAs flagship Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA programs lost 850,000 members, dropping from 1.97 million to 1.12 million over the period. Since then, membership in those programs has fallen a further 358,000 to the current 762,000, according to figures recently reviewed by The Associated Press. Last Thursday, the 111-year-old youth organization reached a historic restructuring support agreement filed in bankruptcy court in Deleware with about 60,000 sexual abuse victims that legal experts believe could exceed $1 billion in compensation. After months of intensive negotiations, the Debtors have reached resolution with every single official and major creditor constituency in these chapter 11 cases. The debtors now have a plan of reorganization that is supported by the Future Claimants Representative, the TCC, the Creditors Committee, JPM (the Debtors senior secured lender), the Coalition, and the AHCLC, attorneys for the BSA wrote. Attorneys for the tort claimants committee, or TCC, previously estimated the value of some 82,500 sexual abuse claims at about $103 billion, AP reported. Ken Rothweiler, a lawyer representing a group of survivors, told USA Today that the new agreement, which reflects an initial settlement of $850 million, is the largest settlement of sexual abuse claims in United States history." "I am pleased that both the BSA and their local councils have stepped up to be the first to compensate the survivors, Rothweiler said. Paul Mones, another attorney also representing survivors, told USA TODAY that he expects the settlement amount to exceed $1 billion with contributions from insurance companies. Hobby Lobby under fire for July 4th ad promoting 'One Nation Under God'; Franklin Graham defends Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Christian-owned arts and crafts chain Hobby Lobby has been accused of dominionism after running a full-page ad in newspapers nationwide on the Fourth of July promoting the idea of "One Nation Under God." The ad highlighted quotes from prominent Americans promoting God and the Bible. The ad featured a child running with an American flag with the words, One Nation Under God." Lower in the advertisement are the words of Psalm 33:12, which reads, Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD. The page also features a series of quotes from American founders and other leaders essential to the shaping of the nation, touching on the importance of God or the Bible. Among those highlighted are former presidents, Supreme Court justices and Founding Fathers. The bottom of the page offered contact information for those interested in having a relationship with Jesus. The ad ran in newspapers across the U.S. and was published on Hobby Lobbys social media pages. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." Psalm 33:12 https://t.co/wxCmPuRq1Dpic.twitter.com/yIoZU7326z Official Hobby Lobby (@HobbyLobby) July 4, 2021 Social media users slammed the ad as unconstitutional and propaganda." And the secular legal organization Freedom from Religion Foundation posted a rebuttal. In Hobby Lobby We DONT Trust, the title of FFRF's rebuttal webpage reads. The webpage includes a breakdown of each of the quotes Hobby Lobby included in the ad. Do these quotes prove we are a Christian nation? Click them to find out, FFRF, which advocates for strict separation of church and state, posted with an exposition of each quote. Critics accused Hobby Lobby of advocating for dominionism, a subset of American Christianity seeking a Christian-run nation governed by their understanding of biblical law. David Weissman, a former Republican Trump supporter-turned-liberal Democrat, tweeted: As an American Jew who served in the United States Army and took an oath to defend the Constitution; I find your statement of America should be lead by Christians to be asinine and unconstitutional. Shame on you @HobbyLobby. As an American Jew who served in the United States Army and took an oath to defend the Constitution; I find your statement of America should be lead by Christians to be asinine and unconstitutional. Shame on you @HobbyLobby. David Weissman (@davidmweissman) July 4, 2021 Other influential users called the ad "absolutely frightening" and "dominionist propaganda." Some used the hashtag #seperationofchurchandstate. A headline on the LGBT blog Joe My God reads, Hobby Lobby Goes Full Dominionist In July 4th Ad. Prominent evangelical leader Franklin Graham, the son of the late evangelist Billy Graham and leader of the evangelical humanitarian organization Samaritan's Purse, commended Hobby Lobby's ad and thanked God for Hobby Lobbys owners. Hobby Lobby is being attacked for running some beautiful full-page newspaper ads on July 4. , Graham shared on Facebook. I hope this exposure for their ads, even though it was intended for harm, will actually allow even more people to read the message and appreciate what Hobby Lobbys owners, the Green family stand for, Graham continued. I thank God for the Green family, their Christian-run business, and their strong public stand for the Word of God and biblical values. Messianic Jewish radio host and author Michael Brown published an op-ed defending the ad's message. What we do believe is that Gods ways are always best, and thats why we advocate for biblical principles and seek to live by them personally, Brown wrote. In the same way, others (such as atheists, agnostics, Hindus, Muslims, or secular activists) advocate for their own particular spiritual or secular worldviews and seek to live accordingly. This is all part of the fabric of our nation. In short, I do believe that the more truly Christian we are, the more blessed we will be as a nation, he continued. But we are not forcing this on anyone (God forbid), and we live by the rules of a Democratic Republic. Since the Hobby Lobby ad will get a lot of negative attention, lets be prepared to affirm what we do believe and deny what we dont. Hobby Lobby, a company known for its conservative, Christian values, ran a similar ad in past years on Independence Day. The company includes biblical messages in most of its holiday ads and provides a list of its prominent holiday ads since Easter 1997 on its website. Each of the ads provides a spiritual component. Holiday Messages became part of Hobby Lobbys mission when founder David Green felt commissioned to do something more with advertisements in 1995 after noticing that newspapers failed to provide the true meaning of the advertised holidays. Hobby Lobby ran its first newspaper ad that explained the true meaning behind Christmas in 1996. The company began placing beautiful full-page ads celebrating the real meaning of Christmas, Easter and Independence Day in newspapers across the country from then on, the Hobby Lobby website explains. International Womens Day: Have you heard of sex slave tradition nari mata? Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pushana gently brushes soft kisses across her daughters brown cheek. Her toddler turns and gazes up at her. She reaches out her tiny hand, which her mother covers with another kiss. I first met Pushana four years ago in the Banchara community of India. She was still a teenager at that time, and she was one of the first girls who taught me about the horrific reality of nari mata the tradition that forces girls to sell their bodies to pay for their brothers dowries. This year, I got to speak with her again and meet her beautiful little girl. Pushana wants to boldly speak out about this abuse so her own daughter wont have to suffer. And today on International Womens Day, you can help give a voice to women like Pushana and fight for their freedom from sexual slavery. Pushanas family doesnt approve of her speaking out against this work. They believe its simply a normal part of their culture. So, Pushana asked that I not tell you her real name or show you her picture. Ive chosen to use the name Pushana for this brave young mom because it means protector and provider, and thats exactly what she is for her two children. Pushana doesnt want her daughter, whom Ill call Angel, to follow in her footsteps someday. She dreams of her 2-year-old growing up, graduating from school, and having a beautiful wedding and a compassionate husband everything Pushana did not. She dreams of her little girl living in a nice house, not the tiny, one-room dwelling they now call home. The colorful paint on the walls is faded and peeling. A few dishes sit in the kitchen, located only a few feet from the bed. And in this small space, Pushana tries to give her children everything. Pushana holds Angel on her lap as the afternoon sun casts a sliver of light in the dark room. They sit on the bed, a subtle reminder of the work that dominates Pushanas entire life. She is paying off the debt of three brothers marriage dowries. What she owes totals around $9,500 an astronomical amount for someone living in poverty. And the interest compounds daily. Her brothers do nothing to help her with the debt, although they are aware their sister works in the sex industry to pay for their security. It will take Pushana most of her life to pay the debt. She looks down at Angel and kisses the childs head. Her daughters life could easily mirror her own if Angel doesnt escape the traditions that her community has followed for generations. I dont want her to suffer like I do, Pushana says. The single mother is doing her best. Her 8-year-old son goes to a good school thanks to child sponsorship, and she hopes her daughter will follow in his footsteps. But theres one problem. When her brother is old enough to marry, its Angel who will be expected to go thousands of dollars into debt for him and to repay it with her body. For now, though, Angel is tired of sitting on her mothers lap. She slides off and wobbles into the sunlight. When I ask Pushana how she will make sure her daughter doesnt have to suffer, she doesnt hesitate. I will pay the money, she says, tears slowly sliding down her cheeks. Her answer floors me. This mom, already burdened with her three brothers debts, is willing to add even more of a burden so her daughter can have a different future. Youre a good mom, I tell her as we both quietly contemplate the weight of her words. Those words mean she will add years to an already life sentence as a slave to the sex industry. She will add countless more nights of being used by men who dont care about her. And her chances of contracting sexually transmitted diseases will increase even more. But to Pushana, its all worth it because it means her daughter will be free. When she says I will pay the money, Pushana is saying so much more. What she is really saying is, It ends here with me. The debt. The pain. The line of customers. The abuse. The limited future none of this will pass on to her daughter. Today on International Womens Day, we can join Pushana in this fight. We can help a girl have a happy, dignified life instead of paying off mountains of debt by selling herself. You, too, can say, It ends here with me. Through World Helps freedom programs, we introduce girls like Pushanas daughter to freedom by helping provide her with essentials like a safe place to live, education or vocational training, medical care, trauma counseling, and more. These homes are havens for girls who are looking for a way out. When I asked Pushana if she had any other way to pay off her debts, she shook her head. She has no education so she has no job prospects. But at the Freedom Homes girls can go to school and learn valuable skills so they can find a good job and avoid this vicious cycle of sexual slavery. The question is: Will we be brave like Pushana? Will we make sure one more little girl doesnt have to follow in her mothers footsteps? LinkedIn reinstates account of mRNA vaccine inventor who warned of COVID-19 shot risk for kids Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Dr. Robert Malone, an mRNA vaccine technology pioneer, said his LinkedIn account was restored Monday after it was shut down last week when he raised concerns about potential risks of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for some groups, which LinkedIn labeled as misleading. Malone, the self-proclaimed inventor of the mRNA vaccine, medical doctor and CEO of a biotech and government consulting business, tweeted out a message he received from a senior LinkedIn executive on Monday apologizing for his personal account being removed from the platform for a short time. Malone said he was truly grateful for his kind gesture. Dr. Malones account has been fixed as of this morning, the message from a senior executive from LinkedIn read. Id like to apologize on behalf of LinkedIn were just not good enough at detangling complicated, subtle scientific claims concurrent with similar [but different] misinformation coming from others. This evening, I recieved a very kind and personal note from a senior executive of LinkedIn. Given what has transpired, I asked and received his permission to post an anonymized version. This is attached below as a screen shot. I am truly grateful for his kind gesture. pic.twitter.com/T4abgAA9oT Robert W Malone, MD (@RWMaloneMD) July 5, 2021 The Microsoft-owned professional networking site LinkedIn shut down Malones profile last Tuesday after he raised questions regarding the risks of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for people younger than 18. Malone said at the time that the action taken against him was arbitrary and capricious and has damaged our business, and we deserve to be compensated. His account was removed for purportedly violating LinkedIn's user agreement by posting misleading or inaccurate information about vaccines and COVID-19, The Epoch Times reported. The historic record of what I have done, stated, figured out [and when] etc. over time is a key part of establishing my credibility and track record as a professional, Malone tweeted in a thread on June 30. And that has been erased completely and arbitrarily without warning or explanation. My business pays for linked in premium. I have been deleted. Purchased a service from linked in to promote my company. This is very different from the youtube or twitter terms. This arbitrary and capricious action has damaged our business, and we deserve to be compensated. Robert W Malone, MD (@RWMaloneMD) June 30, 2021 Malones wife, Jill Malone, wrote an email to Just the News that said her husband was given no notice, no warnings" before his removal on June 29. Google-owned YouTube also deleted a podcast video last month where Malone and others discussed the risks and concerns associated with the COVID-19 vaccines, Fox News reported. Malone appeared on Fox News' Tucker Carlson Tonight on June 23, where he expressed concern over adolescents received the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, stating his concerns that the benefits probably don't outweigh the risks for younger Americans receiving the vaccine. "[O]ne of my concerns are that the government is not being transparent with us about what those risks are. And so, I am of the opinion that people have the right to decide whether to accept vaccines or not, especially since these are experimental vaccines," Malone said on the show, emphasizing that the vaccines are not officially approved by the FDA but are administered under an emergency use authorization. Multiple reports have shown links between the mRNA vaccines and heart inflammation, especially among adolescents and young adults, at a time when many public and private universities are mandating students get the COVID-19 vaccine before they can register for classes. The health risks some doctors are seeing in young patients are myocarditis and pericarditis. Inflammation of the heart muscle is called myocarditis, while pericarditis is the inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart. Malone said there is a "pretty good chance" that the risk-benefit ratio for under 18 years old doesn't justify vaccination in these very young adults. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention safety panel reported in June that there's a likely association between receiving the vaccine and heart inflammation in adolescents and young adults. Clinical presentation of myocarditis cases following vaccination has been distinct, occurring most often within one week after dose two, with chest pain as the most common presentation, said Dr. Grace Lee, who chairs the committees safety group. The CDC, however, maintains the benefits of receiving the mRNA vaccine outweigh the risks. As of July 1, over 4 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since March 2020. "Over 12,000 child cases were added to the cumulative total last week," according to The American Academy of Pediatrics. "Weekly child cases reported in June were as low as weekly cases reported in May/June 2020," the AAP added, noting that children have accounted for 14.2% of all COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began. But as of the week ending July 1, they now make up 16.8% of all cases. Harvard Medical School epidemiologist Martin Kulldorff was similarly locked out of his Twitter account for a month for speaking publicly about his skepticism of the efficacy of face masks, Just the News reported. "To censor and silence scientists under such circumstances can lead to many unnecessary deaths," Kulldorff said. This is why LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube should "restore all suspended accounts, Kulldorff told Just the News, adding that LinkedIns actions against Malone were disturbing. The CDC reports over 182 million Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, which is nearly 55% of the population. Over 67% of Americans age 18 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Multiple voices have been silenced by Big Tech companies that are demonetizing and removing accounts that feature speakers who raise questions about vaccines or alternatives to the COVID-19 vaccines, labeling anything that doesn't come from the CDC or World Health Organization as inaccurate or misleading. Ohio passes bill allowing religious hospitals, doctors to refuse procedures that violate convictions Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a state budget last week that, among other things, allows for medical professionals and insurers to be excused from performing procedures that conflict with their religious beliefs. The operating budget, also known as Amended Substitute House Bill Number 110, was signed by DeWine last Wednesday. The bill faced criticism from progressive groups that expressed concern about the conscience clause. According to page 1454 of the Ohio budget, a medical practitioner, health care institution, or health care payer has the freedom to decline to perform, participate in, or pay for any health care service which violates the practitioner's, institution's, or payer's conscience as informed by the moral, ethical, or religious beliefs or principles held by the practitioner, institution, or payer. Exercise of the right of conscience is limited to conscience-based objections to a particular health care service, continued the section. Whenever a situation arises in which a requested course of treatment includes a particular health care service that conflicts with the moral, ethical, or religious beliefs or convictions of a medical practitioner, the medical practitioner shall be excused from participating. In advance of the bills signing, the Ohio chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union took issue with the added conscience protection language. The organization claims the provision will be used to advance discrimination. The practical implications may include Catholic hospitals refusing to admit LGBTQ Ohioans, health insurance companies refusing to pay for contraception, doctors blocking fertility treatments, and so much more, wrote ACLU Ohio Chief Lobbyist Gary Daniels. Daniels contends that "adoption of this language will result in less health care access across the state when someone does not like who you are or what you believe. The progressive activist maintains that because the conscience protections include non-religious objections, discrimination against pro-choicers, Trump voters, meat eaters, and Michigan fans will all be fair game. Dr. Todd Kepler of Equitas Health, a nonprofit healthcare system serving LGBTQ patients, expressed concern that the exemption in the budget bill is widely broad in its language. Say I happen to be a gay patient and I wanted to see a provider in my town, and there weren't really any other providers in town, Kepler told The Journal-News. But they find that morally unacceptable, they could turn me away, and the language is so broad that that could even be done at an institutional level. So, if you have a hospital that perhaps has an affiliation with a religious institution, and again, that happens to be the only institution in town, theoretically, they could turn that patient away for health care. In a statement last Thursday, DeWine said that the inclusion of the conscience protections in the budget simply puts in statute what the practice has been anyways. Let's say the doctor is against abortion, the doctor is not doing abortion," DeWine said, as reported by The Journal-News. "If there's other things that maybe a doctor has a conscience problem with, it gets worked out, somebody else does those things." The measure comes as there have been legal battles in recent years based on religious healthcare providers' objections to Obama-era nondiscrimination policies that required them to perform medical procedures against their religious convictions, such as sex-change surgeries or abortion. In April, the Biden administration filed an appeal to defend the Obama-era healthcare mandate struck down in federal court earlier this year. Across the country. some Catholic hospitals have faced lawsuits for refusing to allow surgeons to perform sex-change operations on trans-identified patients as part of gender transition procedures. Earlier this year, Arkansas passed a similar bill to provide conscience protections for the religious objections of healthcare providers. Although that bill faces opposition from progressives, the religious freedom legal group Alliance Defending Freedom voiced support for the legislation. Patients are best served by doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals who are free to act ethically and consistent with their oath to do no harm, ADF Legal Counsel Stephanie Nichols said in a statement in March. The MED Act ensures that no medical professional is compelled to breach this oath by being forced to participate in procedures or treatments that violate their conscience. Megachurch pastor heartbroken as 125 test positive for Delta variant of COVID-19 after camp Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Bruce Wesley, lead pastor of Clear Creek Community Church, a multi-campus megachurch headquartered in League City, Texas, says he's heartbroken after more than 125 youth and adults who attended a student ministry camp tested positive for what health experts suspect is the Delta variant of COVID-19. According to Yale Medicine, the Delta variant of COVID-19 is "a highly contagious and possibly more severe strain" of the virus. It was first identified in India in December and since and then Great Britain, infecting and killing many. More than 125 people reported to the church that they tested positive for COVID-19 after camp. And all who were sick came home and exposed their families to COVID. Im aware of a number of families where everyone got sick after camp and obviously, thats horrible. That breaks our hearts. Weve been diligent to follow strict safety protocols for over a year as a way of loving our neighbors and loving one another, Wesley said in a video statement posted on YouTube Sunday. More than 400 people participated in the camp designed for youth between the sixth and 12th grades. Wesley explained in a letter to congregants that in consultation with the Galveston County Health District, the church canceled services for July 4 and again on July 7. They hope to reopen on July 11. Dr. Phillip Keiser, Galveston County Health District authority, told KHOU that they weren't sure how many people have been infected, but because of how rapidly it has spread they suspect it might be the Delta variant. Were testing it for the Delta variant, to see if thats the cause for it spreading so rapidly among that group, Keiser said. Individual church members have been talking to the pastor and they think that maybe 120, 130, so we dont have firm numbers on that yet. Keiser is encouraging anyone who might have been exposed to get tested and quarantine. He further noted that if the youth group is found to have been infected with the Delta variant it will be an opportunity for researchers to study it. We knew that there were going to be breakthroughs, but this is going to be a real opportunity for us to learn more about the Delta variant because we have a group of people who have just been exposed, Keiser said. If it turns out to be the Delta variant, we know when they were exposed, and we can see how well theyve done, and see how many people are breaking through. Inci Yildirim, a Yale Medicine pediatric infectious diseases specialist and vaccinologist, explained that the Delta variant of COVID-19 has been shown to spread more among the young. A recent study from the United Kingdom showed that children and adults under 50 were 2.5 times more likely to become infected with Delta, Yildirim told Yale Medicine. As older age groups get vaccinated, those who are younger and unvaccinated will be at higher risk of getting COVID-19 with any variant, but Delta seems to be impacting younger age groups more than previous variants, she added. Scouting Community Fear Sex, Politics of Gay Agenda Will Fracture Boy Scouts of America Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment GRAPEVINE, Texas Opponents of the BSA's resolution to allow openly-gay membership in the scouts frequently speak about keeping sex and politics out of the scouts an institution where young boys, many of whom grow up in fatherless homes, depend on mentors who can teach them how to become moral and upstanding citizens, according to Robert Schwarzwalder, senior vice president of the Family Research Council, who's asking delegates to vote "No" when they cast their ballots Thursday. The Christian Post spoke with BSA delegates and members of the scouting community who are in Texas to witness the outcome of the vote. While non-voting members believe it's too close to call, many voting delegates expect the resolution to pass, but anticipate the Southern region to be the only major opposition to the resolution. Delegates from Illinois told CP the Western region is split, but the majority of the delegates from the Midwest and Northeastern councils will be voting in favor of the resolution. A scout leader from Utah, whose husband is a delegate, said she fears that if the resolution passes, the BSA will end up like the scouts in Canada, whose numbers have drastically declined over the last 10 years. None the less, she believe the resolution will pass, eventually, if not this year. Elizabeth Pritchard, the pack committee chair for Pack 928 in Southlake, Texas, told CP that her council, the Longhorn council, has eight delegates, and is expected to split their vote by six-to-two six opposed to the resolution, and two voting in favor. "I just hope this is done upfront, very honestly, and that they listen to the membership. I'm optimistic; I'm hopeful," she said. "My concern is, you've got a lot of people in the Northeast and a lot of people on the West Coast who are going to unanimously vote for this to happen, so we need enough people to vote against it to counteract them," Pritchard added. "I just can't imagine going to camp with my son, being with him every step of the way saying: 'I'm sorry, he can't sleep in tents with other boys. I'm sorry, he can't take a shower unless I'm outside the shower and he's the only person in there. I'm sorry, he can't go biking with other boys unless his father or I are there.' How is that scouting? I think if it doesn't pass, give it two years, and it will be up again." Steve Hufstetler, a BSA supporter from Allen, Texas, who raised two sons that became Eagle Scouts one of which is serving in Afghanistan is opposed to the resolution, and told CP that he wants to "encourage delegates to vote 'No' on the resolution." "The reason the resolution has come up is because they were encouraged by big money, namely AT&T and Ernst & Young, to allow openly-gay members," Hufstetler said. "I think the vast majority of the membership is opposed to that. I hope that they don't just look at the money. I hope that they can see what it might do to the scouts as an organization it just may decimate the organization. So it doesn't do any good to collect a whole lot of money from big contributors if you decimate the organization, opposed to benefit it." Schwarzwalder confirmed Hufstetler's claims and added that: "The reality is two of the major board members of the BSA are actively promoting this from within the chairman of AT&T and the chairman of Ernst & Young. They said publically last summer that they were dissatisfied with the results of the two-year survey that showed 'a vast majority of scout parents want to retain the current policy,' and then pledged to work from within." He continued: "The overwhelming majority of gay men are not predators. They're as horrified by predation as anyone else is. We know that. Yet within scouting, if you look at the roughly 20,000 files that the scouts have kept and recently released on abuse in scouting, about 98 percent deal with man-on-man or man-on-boy predation. Introducing an openly-gay man or young man into a tent with vulnerable trusting boys is a recipe for disaster." In Schwarzwalder's opinion, it's about principle. "It's not about bigotry or hatred. It's about what does it mean to be morally straight? When my sons take the oath to be morally straight, they're committing themselves to making sure that they are aligning with the Judeo-Christian understanding of moral principles." "Consequently," he continued, "this is not something that is being driven by the families, by the boys, by former scouts, by current scouts, or anybody having anything to do with scouts, except the senior leadership, who are afraid of a loss of money or bad publicity, or both from major corporate America." John Stemberger, founder of OnMyHonor.Net, told CP he believes the BSA didn't take the scouting community's opinions into consideration. "The current policy is fair and it doesn't discriminate. They looked at public opinion polls from Gallup on gay marriage and they looked at public opinion polls from Gallup on the moral acceptability of homosexuality. They didn't listen to parents, they didn't listen to scout masters, they didn't listen to the scouting community." He continued: "They did a two-year study from 2010 to 2012, and unanimously concluded that this was the absolute best policy for BSA. What happened is that activists throughout the country began to bombard them with very ugly communications, and some private respectful communications, that put tremendous pressure on the top leadership of the BSA. And they caved to the pressure and they caved to the polls instead of principle. We don't put our finger in the air to determine what the scout oath is, and that's precisely what the leadership has done." Stemberger feels Thursday's vote could be very close. "I know there are many people who support the resolution, there's also many people that don't. The BSA had not released the names [of delegates] until just last week. We found a Texas statute that basically it's a principle that if you have a corporation and their shareholders are making a decision, their shareholders can communicate. So we found a delegate out of Tennessee. We invoked this statute, and we actually got the list, but just last week. So we were able to send a piece of mail and an email to all of the delegates to communicate the other side of the story." In his opinion, the BSA leadership has not been candid. "There's been no risk analysis about the increased risk to boys. They've just been hush hush on a lot of issues. They've been guarded. A fellow named Nathan Rosenberg out of California has been paid a very handsome sum while he sits on their board. So, I think that could backfire." "What's sad is that membership in full and full participation is not good enough for the gay activists," Stemberger added. "They want to openly flaunt sexually and inject a leftist-political agenda. The only difference between the old and the new policy is now you can be open, and as defined by the gay community I mean everything I look at a gay blog, a gay parade, a gay website, it usually has partial nudity, inappropriate material for kids. So why we would cave to this under pressure makes no sense whatsoever and it will devastate the program." The Boy Scouts of America will hold a press conference to announce the outcome of the vote at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas. Texas mother who moved family to Rio Grande Valley for better life now fears for her kids' safety Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Texas mom in a town along the southern border is constantly concerned for her three daughters safety due to the increase in danger over the past six months amid the immigration surge. Alison Anderson, who moved with her family to Del Rio, Texas, for a safer place for her daughters to play in the yard, told "Fox & Friends" on Friday that it was peaceful at first until increased migrant activity began to affect the area. Its challenging because I am constantly concerned for my familys safety and that especially of our three daughters, she shared. Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Anderson stated how she often has neighbors calling her, especially her elderly neighbors, whom she described as concerned and fearful. Were kind of on-call and were here to help our neighbors as well who are afraid, she told Fox. The level of migrant activity in the past six weeks has dramatically increased, she said. The mother detailed how a group of illegal immigrants at their next-door neighbors house earlier that week was tapping on their daughters window and circling in vehicles. "It's scary. I want safety. I want something done, Anderson said. Reports have also surfaced about homes are being invaded, ranches are being damaged and crime is increasing in some border towns. Governors along the southern border have stepped up to respond to the worsening situation along the border. Critics have argued that the Biden administration's policies have exacerbated the border situation. However, Biden administration officials have argued that the rising border numbers reflect seasonal trends consistent with historical patterns. The Biden Administration's reckless abandonment of the rule of law is endangering Texans, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted last week. It must be stopped. Working with law enforcement, we will uphold the law & restore safety & order to our communities. The Biden Administration's reckless abandonment of the rule of law is endangering Texans. It must be stopped. Working with law enforcement, we will uphold the law & restore safety & order to our communities. pic.twitter.com/qBlzQgBMXy Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 1, 2021 Last month, Abbott announced the states plans to build the state's own barriers at the southern border after the Biden administration halted progress on the border wall started during the Trump administration. Texas will begin with a $250 million payment. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds also plan to send National Guard troops or law enforcement officials to the southern border to help respond to the crisis. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, there were at least 180,000 border apprehensions in May. Data on June apprehensions have not yet been posted by the agency. Former Acting Director of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Ronald Vitiello argued on Fox & Friends First Monday that the chaos at the border is the result of reversing former President Donald Trumps immigration policies. "Working with Guatemala, working with The Northern Triangle on governance and anti-corruption activities, thats all well and good. But thats not going to stop the surge thats occurring on the border right now," Vitiello argued. "Weve encouraged people to send or bring their children to the border and the root cause of the chaos is the reversal of the policies." Unaccompanied minors came to the southern border in record numbers this spring and thousands of unaccompanied minors are housed in U.S. government-run facilities. Vice President Kamala Harris was tapped to be the border czar in March and faced heavy criticism for waiting months to visit the southern border in El Paso last month, which is nearly 800 miles from the epicenter of the crisis in the Rio Grande Valley. Critics called Harris trip to El Paso nothing more than a political, check-the-box trip. Harris visited Guatemala and Mexico last month to address the root causes of immigration. She told migrants, do not come, do not come to the border due to the overwhelmed facilities. Former President Donald Trump recently visited the "decimated" southern border where he accused President Joe Biden of "destroying" the country. True rainbow culture Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pride Month has concluded with its profusion of rainbow flags celebrating sexual liberation and autonomous individualism. Corporate America was among its chief celebrants, with many rainbowing their logos. Government buildings, which should only showcase state emblems, went rainbow. And of course liberal Protestant churches further amplified their rainbow commitments. Many liberal Protestants complain of USA flags in or around sanctuaries as idolatry but affirm rainbow flags unironically. Look for annual July 4 sermons and blogs against American flags, just days after Pride Month hoopla. Rainbow culture can be found almost exclusively in Christian-shaped societies throughout the West. Rainbow flags and logos arent common in historically Islamic lands, or in Hindu or Confucian or Buddhist shaped cultures. Sexual liberation and pride contravene historic Christian teaching of course. But Christianity teaches human equality and the importance of the individual. The Gospel proclaims freedom, rightly understood, against coercion. It also affirms human creativity. Rainbow and pride culture reject orthodox Christianity. But they are ungrateful descendants of it. Tom Holland, author of Dominion, How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, notes that the secular West is suffused with Christian shaped assumptions. And the culture war is often a Christian debate over the meaning of human equality and freedom. The Christian-shaped West rejects state and religious coercion as found in Islamic and eastern societies. But the West is divided over how to understand human equality. The ostensibly post-Christian West equates freedom with expressive individualism and liberation absent some traditional moral restraints. Besieged traditionalists of course insist true freedom depends on human dignity premised on moral restraint and divine creation. The imposition of rainbow ideology is often blamed by traditionalists on elites. Obviously theres truth there on advocacy by corporations, universities, and government, amid efforts to stigmatize if not silent dissent. But it would be wrong exclusively to fault cultural elites while romanticizing the populist sentiment of the general population. Polls show support for rainbow ideology is wider than just rich urbanites. Corporations would not tout it if not perceived to be in their commercial interest. Universities would not tout if concerned parents of students and alumnae donors would object. Government would not tout if more concerned about voter reaction. Even much of flyover country including religious traditionalists have passively acceded to the rainbow even if not directly flying it themselves. Some hardcore rainbow opponents have looked to authoritarian societies as the desired corrective. Orbans regime in Hungary, recently downgraded by Freedom Houses ranking as only partly free after being free for 30 years, is often cited for its resistance to the rainbow. Russia, far more authoritarian, is sometimes often celebrated for its defiance of rainbow ideology. Of course, Saudi Arabia and Iran, among other theocracies, could be cited for their criminalization of the rainbow. Few in the West see Islamist rule as the antidote for rainbow rule. The more effective antidote to rainbow ideology is remembrance of the original rainbow from the Book of Genesis: Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth. After the Great Flood, God offered grace and mercy to Noah under a new covenant premised on faith and good living whose fruit would be human flourishing. Liberty in the Christian-shaped West ultimately traces to this rainbow covenant. We as humans are not completely autonomous. We dont create ourselves. Our identities are not completely self-generated. We are free but only so long as we recognize Who created us in His image, which elevates us above the other creatures who filled Noahs ark. This rainbow is truly good news, truly liberating, and is truly the basis for human dignity, prosperity and peace. For a society to benefit not everybody must believe in this covenant with God and His rainbow. But many must believe and follow, and the narrative, at least broadly understood, must leaven the wider culture and shape societys master narrative. The contemporary rainbow of corporations, universities, government and popular culture, with some liberal Protestant churches tagging along, is a distorted descendant of the original rainbow. It imagines human happiness, equality and liberation through self-empowerment, pride and radical autonomy. But the transcendent goods they seek cant be found at the end of the proud human rainbow but only under the arch of the eternal divine rainbow, which offers riches beyond measure to all who shelter under it and look to it. Originally published on Juicy Ecumenism Boy Scouts reach settlement with nearly 60K sex abuse victims that could exceed $1 billion Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Boy Scouts of America has reached a historic settlement agreement with some 60,000 sexual abuse victims that legal experts believe is likely to exceed $1 billion in compensation, a restructuring support agreement filed Thursday in a federal bankruptcy court in Delaware shows. After months of intensive negotiations, the Debtors have reached resolution with every single official and major creditor constituency in these chapter 11 cases. The debtors now have a plan of reorganization that is supported by the Future Claimants Representative, the TCC, the Creditors Committee, JPM (the Debtors senior secured lender), the Coalition, and the AHCLC, attorneys for the BSA wrote. Attorneys for the tort claimants committee, or TCC, previously estimated the value of some 82,500 sexual abuse claims at about $103 billion, Fox News reported. Earlier this year, the BSA proposed in its revised bankruptcy plan to issue an unsecured promissory note for $80 million for a victims trust fund and to use its restricted assets to cover post-bankruptcy expenses, the Rockland County Times reported. Changes to the youth organizations original Chapter 11 filing increased the BSA's contribution to the trust fund from $120 million under its previous plan to $250 million. Under the latest plan, according to Fox News, the BSAs more than 250 local councils would contribute $600 million into the fund for abuse victims, and at least half of the councils contribution would be in cash. With their contributions to the trust fund and the transfer of insurance rights, the BSA and local councils would be released from liability, Fox News noted. Similar action by sponsoring organizations such as churches and civic groups could also release them from further liability. Ken Rothweiler, a lawyer representing a group of survivors, told USA Today that the new agreement, which reflects an initial settlement of $850 million, is the largest settlement of sexual abuse claims in United States history." "I am pleased that both the BSA and their local councils have stepped up to be the first to compensate the survivors, Rothweiler said. Paul Mones, another attorney also representing survivors, told USA TODAY that with contributions from insurance companies, he expects the settlement amount to exceed $1 billion. "It is important that people see this dollar amount, and know this is not the end; this is just the beginning," plaintiff attorney Jordan Merson told the publication. "There are billions of dollars in insurance money, and the fight to get that money is continuing." Attorneys for some insurance companies like Century Indemnity Company were displeased with the agreement and said they were shut out of the deal-making process. Century argued in a filing Thursday that the BSA allowed attorneys representing the victims to reframe the youth organizations restructuring plan to make it more favorable for their clients while paying themselves significant fees. The new Plan, new Disclosure Statement, and new TDPs are the product of the closed-door meetings between BSA and Claimants Representatives that have occurred from June 2nd, and from which the insurers were wholly excluded, Centurys attorneys argued. A review of publicly available documents indicates that, after BSA and the Local Councils reached an agreement fixing their contributions to a plan of reorganization, and thus no longer had an economic interest in what claims are allowed, BSA turned over the pen to the claimants representatives to re-draft the Plan and the terms for allowing and valuing the claims of their constituents, they continued. With only the fox guarding the henhouse, the outcome is utterly at odds with what BSA itself asserted was necessary for a confirmable plan and is permissible under the Bankruptcy Code. Roger C. Mosby, president and CEO of the BSA, noted in a declaration in support of the RSA, however, that it is the best path forward because it will allow the organization to compensate survivors and keep the BSA running. In my opinion, as well as the Boards, the path set forth in the RSA is the most realistic approach to achieve the Debtors objectives. Any other option would likely involve significant litigation and would not yield the support of holders of Direct Abuse Claims, whose acceptance is necessary to confirm a plan that includes third party releases, Mosby stated. I understand that these releases are essential for a global resolution of abuse claims for the Local Councils that are essential to the Debtors ability to carry out the charitable mission of Scouting after the conclusion of these chapter 11 cases, he added. Migrant children struggle with depression, suicide amid horrid conditions at Texas shelter Overcrowded migrant border facilities for children raise alarm Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Lice outbreaks, unsanitary living conditions, suicide attempts and reports of rape are emerging from the tent camps housing thousands of migrant children at the U.S. southern border, where the children are held before being bussed or flown to cities in Texas and other states. As the border crisis continues to escalate, reports reveal what it's like for many children living in overcrowded holding facilities and tent camps who suffering in living conditions described as terrible. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services set up a system of over a dozen emergency camps to temporarily house unaccompanied minors at the beginning of the year. Unaccompanied minors came to the southern border in record numbers after the Biden administration reversed many strict Trump-era immigration policies early in his term, including rescinding a national emergency proclamation. Border agents have for years complained of being understaffed and under-resourced. Nearly 15,000 unaccompanied minors are said to be housed in U.S. government-run facilities. Many migrant children at the Fort Bliss Army Base in El Paso, Texas, which once housed thousands of children before many of them departed in recent days, were depressed and discouraged. Some children in Fort Bliss large tent complex required one-on-one supervision to ensure they did not harm themselves or commit suicide. Last week, attorneys filed complaints on behalf of over a dozen minors who detailed the conditions they faced, with one girl saying she spent over 60 days in the facility. A released court document details the account of a 13-year-old girl from Honduras who had been at the Fort Bliss Emergency Intake Site in El Paso for a few months. She described her time on the 1:1 suicide watch list, where a staffer is required to supervise the suicidal minor at all times. At the time of her account, eight people were on the suicide watch list, but the number was once as high as 28 individuals, she said. Since pencils, pens, scissors, nail clippers and regular toothbrushes have been banned inside tent housing due to fears of self-harm, some have resorted to using their identification cards to cut themselves. She shared how she virtually ate only juice and popsicles due to the food smelling foul she described as horrible. Staff members have reported multiple cases of self-harm, according to interviewees who spoke with BBC. "I thought that I was not going to get out of there, that I was not going to see my family again," a 15-year-old told BBC. "Sometimes, and at night, we would cry. During the worst time, I was nearly at the point of committing suicide," he said. One migrant minor reported having trouble setting up appointments with counselors for her depression. She told Reuters that a lot of minors "end up having to talk to someone because they have thoughts of cutting themselves." A teenage girl from Honduras complains there is no one to help her with her case. "There is no one here I can talk to about my case," said a 17-year-old Honduran detainee, according to Reuters. "There's also no one here I can talk to when I'm feeling sad. There's no one here; I just talk to God. It helps me, and I cry. It would help if I could have a Bible." Another story shared by the Associated Press was of a 16-year-old boy who had to wait more than three weeks to see if he could live with his sister in New Orleans. I am desperate, he shared with AP. I wouldnt mind being here for 20 or 30 days if I knew that I was going to be released soon. But because the process hasnt started and because I had no idea whats happening or when the process will start, that makes me feel very, very anxious. I dont know when this will end. Fort Bliss is an unlicensed shelter that has been repeatedly singled out in reports for its allegedly filthy conditions and lack of staff, The Dallas Morning News reports. Reports have even surfaced about children suffering sexual abuse from staff members at the Fort Bliss camp. "We have already caught staff with minors inappropriately," an employee said at a camp training session secretly recorded by a staff member and shared with the BBC. Another employee said the Department of Homeland Security had discussed rape with the staff members. "DHS mentioned there was a rape they are giving the girls pregnancy tests," an employee told BBC. "And I heard the other night that another contractor was caught in a boys' tent, you know, doing things with him." HHS did not respond to BBC about the specific allegations uncovered at Fort Bliss. However, the agency released a statement saying that it is "providing required standards of care for children such as clean and comfortable sleeping quarters, meals, toiletries, laundry, educational and recreational activities, and access to medical services." Carlos Holguin, a lead attorney representing migrant children in a federal case, saw distressed children close to their breaking point when he visited the Fort Bliss facility earlier this month. He compared it to "industrial-scale detention. "I saw that in the faces of virtually every kid I interviewed at Fort Bliss: A sense of despair and isolation," Holguin told CBS News. "It cannot be healthy for children who have left endemic violence in the Northern Triangle of Central America, endured the gauntlet that they had run to get here from Mexico and then to wind up in a facility that is so large and impersonal as Fort Bliss," Holguin continued. After visiting the Fort Bliss holding facility, attorney Leecia Welch of the National Center for Youth Law said the government should seek alternatives to the border facilities and focus on more permanent solutions. "The government makes a poor parent to begin with and Fort Bliss exemplifies this beyond measure," Welch told CBS News. Journalists have not been allowed inside this makeshift facility made to assist overcrowded Border Patrol facilities. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra visited the Fort Bliss shelter on Monday. He praised the improved processing that had fallen from 4,000 children in May to now under 790 boys. He said all the girls were reunited either with relatives in the U.S. sent to a sponsor family or sent to licensed facilities that have a higher standard of care. However, he did not address the specific requests about the inhuman conditions of the facility, Dallas Morning News reported. In a trip to Guatemala and Mexico last month to address the root causes of immigration, Vice President Kamala Harris told migrants, do not come, do not come to the border. Harris toured the Texas border in El Paso for the first time last week since being tapped as the administrations border czar in March. Harris faced heavy criticism for visiting the border in El Paso, which is nearly 800 miles from the epicenter of the crisis in the Rio Grande Valley. Critics claimed her border visit was nothing more than a check-the-box trip. As the border surge continues and children remain in rough living conditions at overwhelmed border facilities, the Biden administration faces backlash from both sides of the political aisle that it is not rising to adequately address the crisis and overrun facilities. The Biden-Harris campaign promised a fair and humane immigration system." It campaigned on the commitment to improve the humanitarian situation at the southern border. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has announced plans to invest at least $250 million in border wall construction after the Biden administration halted construction on the Trump administration's border wall. Trump visited the "decimated southern border" with Abbott this week to discuss the surge in illegal immigration, decreased national security and the need to complete the southern border on Wednesday. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment On July 4th, Hobby Lobby took out a full-page ad in multiple newspapers featuring a prominently placed verse from the Bible along with numerous, pro-Christian, pro-Bible quotes from our Founding Fathers and other key leaders in our history. It then closed with an appeal to seekers to find out more about Jesus. The response has been quite shrill, if not downright hysterical. But is the response in any way justified? According to a headline on the popular gay atheist blogsite, Joe My God, Hobby Lobby Goes Full Dominionist In July 4th Ad. A viral tweet claimed, Hobby lobby took out a full page ad in the Register-Guard this morning. Talking about how America should only be led by Christians. Absolutely frightening. Another tweet alleged, Full page of dominionist propaganda in this mornings @BostonGlobe courtesy of @hobbylobby. #separationofchurchandstate Yet another tweet stated, Hobby Lobby Faces Backlash For July 4th Ad Claiming Only Christians Belong in America. And still another tweet (and there are more cited by Joe My God) claimed, Hobby Lobby's owners should look at the US Constitution. There's no litmus test for religion to hold public office. And there's surely no mandate for a theocracy. Also, they might want to review the 10 Commandments since they're fond of stealing artifacts from other countries. Snopes.com actually devoted a page to examining whether it was true that, On Independence Day in 2021, Hobby Lobby crafts store placed an ad in several newspapers that read: One Nation Under God. (The verdict: yes, its true!) But what does the ad actually say? Is Hobby Lobby guilty of preaching dominionism? Of suggesting that only Christians can run for office? That America should only be led (or populated) by Christians? The Hobby Lobby website provided a link to the ad with options to download a JPEG or PDF version, so anyone can check out the content and read it for themselves. It features a large picture of an American flag and next to it the words, One Nation Under God. So far, so good. Thats what we still say in the Pledge of Allegiance, and that is certainly the hope of ten of millions of Americans today. Next is a quotation from Psalm 33:12, Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, in all caps. Again, so far, so good. This is a universal biblical axiom, and one that has been shared by generations of a predominantly Christian-professing America. We believe that to be true, but we are not seeking to enforce that. Then, in small print, is a series of quotes from Presidents, Founding Fathers, Supreme Court Justices, Congress, Education, Supreme Court Rulings, and Foreign Opinion. Some of the quotes simply remind us that our founders believed that Christian faith was indispensable to the success and stability of our nation. For example, John Adams stated that, Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. And Jedidah Morse opined that, Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall be overthrown, our present republican forms of government, and all the blessings which flow from them, must fall with them. More broadly, the ad quoted Thomas Jefferson, who asked, Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Other quotes were broader still, including a quote from the non-Christian Benjamin Franklin, pointing to the deitys providential care over the world. And there were quotes pointing to the supremacy of the Scriptures, like this, from the first Chief Justice, John Jay, who wrote, The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. That being said, there were other quotes that affirmed that America was founded as a Christian nation, that Christians were best suited to lead the nation, and that the Christian faith lay at the root of our legal system. For example, John Quincy Adams said, Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemers mission upon the earth? And James Madison argued that a non-believer was not fit for leadership, stating, Before any man can be considered as a member of Civil Society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe. John Jay also said, Providence has given to our people the choice of their ruler, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers. The Freedom from Religion Foundation posted a rebuttal to these quotes titled, In Hobby Lobby We Dont Trust. This was followed by, Do these quotes prove we are a Christian nation? Click them to find out. It claims that some of the quotes were deliberately altered or taken out of context so as to mislead (you can check them for yourself and come to your own conclusion) while others, such as quotes about student life at Harvard, were totally irrelevant (again, do check them for yourself). In sum, Freedom from Religion would argue that America never was a Christian nation and that Christianity should have no special influence over America today. In response to all this, I would say that: 1) I understand Hobby Lobbys intent, seeing that American history is under such attack today and our founding is being mourned rather than celebrated. In that regard, I appreciate what they did. Our nation does have many biblical roots. 2) I totally agree with Hobby Lobby that, to the extent we choose to be a God-fearing nation and to the extent we choose to draw on the positive, Judeo-Christian principles that inspired our early thinkers, we will be blessed. I argued for that in Saving a Sick America. 3) That being said, I do understand how others would read the ad as advocating for a theocracy (which I wholeheartedly oppose) and as for claiming that only Christians should run for office (which is ridiculous). That is unfortunate, and thats why its important for us to make clear that we are not seeking to take over America and impose the Christian faith on the nation. What we do believe is that Gods ways are always best, and thats why we advocate for biblical principles and seek to live by them personally. In the same way, others (such as atheists, agnostics, Hindus, Muslims, or secular activists) advocate for their own particular spiritual or secular worldviews and seek to live accordingly. This is all part of the fabric of our nation. In short, I do believe that the more truly Christian we are. the more blessed we will be as a nation. But we are not forcing this on anyone (God forbid), and we live by the rules of a Democratic Republic. Since the Hobby Lobby ad will get a lot of negative attention, lets be prepared to affirm what we do believe and deny what we dont. Church of England bishop calls for 'gender neutral marriage canon' to 'bless' same-sex unions Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Bishop of Liverpool, Paul Bayes, has ramped up pressure on the Church of England to allow clergy to bless same-sex relationships by making the controversial call for a "gender neutral marriage canon." The call comes in advance of elections to the governing body, the General Synod, where evangelicals are seeking to increase numbers in a bid to protect the doctrine of the Church. Speaking to a national conference on Saturday for revisionist activists in the CofE, Bishop Bayes said: "I want to see a gender-neutral marriage canon, such as they have in the Episcopal Church (in the U.S.) or in the Scottish Episcopal Church. "And as a necessary but not sufficient first step I want to see conscientious freedom for the Church's ministers and local leaders to honor, recognize and, yes indeed, to bless same-sex unions whether civil partnerships or civil marriages." Bishop Bayes was addressing the Movement of Supporting Anglicans for an Inclusive Church (MoSAIC), which launched in February. The group announced: "The movement aims to have a presence in each diocese of the Church of England, where it will work with local clergy and laity on projects that promote inclusion for all those who are currently marginalized by the Church of England whether that be due to race, ability, sexuality, gender or gender identity." Bayes told the national conference: "I want to see an abolition of the foolishness that sees the call to ordained ministry as a call to a state morally higher than that of the baptized, as though baptism called us to a lesser holiness. "I want to see an end to LGBTQ+ people hiding who they are for fear of being exposed to conversion therapy or to being forbidden to minister in churches. I want to see an end to the inquisition of ordinands about their private lives." Elections for members of the General Synod, the CofE's governing body, are due to take place in the fall. The five-yearly elections were postponed from 2020 due to the Covid crisis. Flagging up the upcoming elections, Bayes told MoSAIC activists: "Inclusion is seamless, and I think MoSAIC understands that. So I want to see more people like you, and to encourage you, and to share with you the task of holding these values before the Church, and before the electors to the General Synod, and in the end before the world." Evangelicals worried about the direction of the Church of England are equally conscious of the elections. The Evangelical Group of the General Synod (EGGS) has been working hard this last year to increase evangelical representation. A campaign leaflet from the group spells out the importance: "If you believe that it is important to maintain the historic, orthodox beliefs and practices of the Church, then the General Synod is very relevant to you and your parish. It is vital that this voice is clearly heard in the forthcoming elections in 2021, as the future of our Church might well be decided in the five years after 2021." On the agenda for the upcoming July Synod is a presentation on the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) resources on marriage, sexuality and gender identity, which sparked a war of words when they were first launched late last year, and which are being discussed across the Church of England nationally this year. Originally published at Christian Today Muslim father beats, poisons daughter for putting faith in Christ after miraculous healing Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A 38-year-old mother of three is recovering in a hospital in eastern Uganda after her Muslim father and other relatives attacked her with a blunt object and forced her to drink poison in her pastor's house, where she had been taking refuge since her conversion to Christianity following a miraculous healing. The father of the woman, identified as Hajat Habiiba Namuwaya from Namakoko village in Nangonde Sub-County of Namutumba District, and her other relatives arrived at her pastor's home on the morning of June 20, the victim recalled from her hospital bed, according to Morning Star News. He started beating and torturing me with a blunt object, inflicting bruises on my back, chest and legs, and finally forced me to drink poison, which I tried to resist but swallowed a little of it, Namuwaya, a former Islamic teacher, was quoted as saying. My father, Al-Hajji Mansuru Kiita, recited many Quranic verses cursing and denouncing me as no longer one of the family members, she added. The pastors neighbors heard her cries for help and thats when the Muslim relatives fled the scene. The pastor was not around when the attackers arrived, but a neighbor telephoned him, said Namuwaya, who accepted Christ in February. He feared to come immediately but later came and found me fighting for my life. I was rushed to the nearby clinic for first aid, and later I was taken to another place for treatment and prayers. She said she was restless with continuous pain in my stomach. The victim has found shelter at an undisclosed site and has not filed a police complaint, fearing retaliation from her relatives, including the possibility that they might file a false case against her or the church. Namuwaya put her faith in Christ on Feb. 24 after the pastor prayed for her and reportedly healed her from breast cancer. My mother warned me that the family was planning to kill me, she was quoted as saying. I shared my fears with the pastor, and the pastor together with his family accepted to host me, and freely I openly shared my new life in Christ with friends on WhatsApp, which landed me in trouble. A text message about her staying at the pastor's home reached her father, who then mobilized other relatives to track her down. While most people in Uganda are Christian, some eastern and central regions have higher concentrations of Muslims. The Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project shows that about 11.5% of Ugandas population is Muslim. Muslims in Uganda are primarily Sunni. The murder of and attacks on converts are not uncommon in the region. Radical Islams influence has grown steadily, and many Christians within the majority-Muslim border regions are facing severe persecution, especially those who convert from Islam, a Voice of the Martyrs factsheet explains. Despite the risks, evangelical churches in Uganda have responded by reaching out to their neighbors; many churches are training leaders how to share the Gospel with Muslims and care for those who are persecuted after they become Christians. Last December, a mob of Muslim extremists in Uganda reportedly killed 41-year-old former imam Yusuf Kintu a week after he converted to Christianity. BANGKOK (AP) A massive explosion at a chemical factory on the outskirts of Bangkok early Monday killed at least one person, injured dozens more and damaged scores of homes, while prompting the evacuation of a wide area over fears of poisonous fumes and the possibility of additional denotations. Dense clouds of black smoke continued to billow from the site late in the day. Winds shifted and started blowing toward the citys center, and evacuation centers were set up in a school and a government office for those forced from their homes. The fire broke out at around 3 a.m. at a foam and plastic pellet manufacturing factory just outside Bangkok near Suvarnabhumi Airport, with the explosion blowing out windows of surrounding homes and sending debris raining from the air. The blast could be heard for kilometers (miles) and surveillance video from a nearby house captured the bright flash and boom, followed by damage to the home and the one next door from the shockwaves. The main blaze at the Ming Dih Chemical factory had been brought under control by mid-morning, but an enormous tank containing the chemical styrene monomer continued to burn, said local disaster prevention official Chailit Suwannakitpong. Officials said many tons of styrene monomer were stored on the site. Helicopters tried to navigate close enough through the thick black smoke to dump fire retardant onto the fire, with little apparent success. The Prime Ministers Office ordered that rain clouds be seeded if possible in the hope that a downpour would help bring the pollutants out of the sky, then reversed the command over concerns it would lead to toxic chemicals contaminating the citys rivers and canals. Authorities said 62 people had been injured, including 12 involved in firefighting and rescue efforts, and one person had been confirmed dead. Styrene monomer, a hazardous liquid chemical used in the production of disposable foam plates, cups and other products, can produce poisonous fumes when ignited. Chailit said officials were trying to move all people out of the area, including doctors and patients from the neighborhood's main hospital where many of the casualties were initially treated, over fear of the fumes and the possibility of more explosions. The chemical itself also emits styrene gas, a neurotoxin, which can immobilize people within minutes of inhalation and can be fatal at high concentrations. Last year in the Indian city of Visakhapatnam, a leak of styrene gas from a chemical factory killed 12 people and sickened more than 1,000. Authorities were carefully monitoring the air in the area around the fire, and Pollution Control Department official Thalerngsak Petchsuwan urged anyone remaining in the vicinity to close their doors and windows to avoid inhaling any fumes. Those who breathe it in can get dizzy and vomit and it might cause cancer in the long term, he said. Authorities ordered the evacuation of an area 5 kilometers (3 miles) around the scene. Firefighters could be seen in photos from Thai media climbing through the twisted steel wreckage of the complex's warehouses to get their hoses close enough to the flames as they fought to control the blaze. The badly charred body of the only known fatality identified by officials as an 18-year-old volunteer firefighter lay face down among the wreckage, his head resting on his right forearm. The area around the factory is a mixture of older industrial complexes and newer housing developments that were built after the opening of the airport in 2006. Jaruwan Chamsopa, who lives about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the factory, said the loud explosion in the middle of the night broke her house's windows, damaged the roof and caused parts of the ceiling to tumble down. She said the windows of every house on her road were broken as well. I was shocked when the explosion took place," she told The Associated Press. I came out and saw a big fire in the sky. She said she and her husband and mother didn't evacuate until 8 a.m. I didn't realize that it would be such a dangerous chemical that I have to evacuate, she said. "I am worried because the black smoke reached my house. There was no immediate word on what might have caused the fire in Bang Phli district, and the company was not reachable by phone. The initial explosion shook the terminal building at Suvarnabhumi, Bangkok's main international airport, setting off alarms. Airport officials said no flights had been canceled but they were continuing to monitor the situation and were prepared to put in place contingency plans in case of emergency." ___ Associated Press writers Chris Blake, Tassanee Vejpongsa and Chalida Ekvittayavechnukul contributed to this report. WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden said Tuesday that damage to U.S. businesses in the biggest ransomware attack on record appears minimal, though information remained incomplete. The company whose software was exploited said fewer than 1,500 businesses worldwide appeared compromised but cybersecurity experts caution that the incident isn't over. Also Tuesday, a security researcher who chatted online with representatives of the Russia-linked REvil gang behind the attack said they claimed to have stolen data from hundreds of companies, but offered no evidence. Answering a reporter's question at a vaccine-related White House event, Biden said his national security team had updated him Tuesday morning on the attack, which exploited a powerful remote-management tool run by Miami-based software company Kaseya in what is known as a supply-chain attack. It appears to have caused minimal damage to U.S. businesses but were still gathering information, Biden said. "And Im going to have more to say about this in the next several days. An official at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, speaking on condition they not be further identified, said no federal agencies or critical infrastructure appear to have been impacted. On Wednesday, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will lead an interagency meeting to discuss the administrations efforts to counter ransomware. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki held out the prospect of retaliatory action. What Biden told President Vladimir Putin in Geneva last month still holds, she said: If the Russian government cannot or will not take action against criminal actors residing in Russia, we will take action or reserve the right to take action on our own. What sort of action that would be is unclear. Biden has said repeatedly that the Kremlin bears responsibility for giving ransomware criminals safe harbor, even if it is not directly involved. There is no indication that Putin has moved against the gangs. Psaki said Russian and U.S. representatives were meeting next week and would discuss the matter. Further underscoring the geopolitical stakes in cyberspace, the Republican National Committee said Tuesday that it had been informed over the weekend that one of its contractors had been breached, though it was not immediately clear by whom. The RNC said no data was accessed. The contractor, Synnex, initially said that the action could potentially be in connection with the recent cybersecurity attacks of Managed Service Providers, a likely reference to the breaches last week. But it backed away from that claim in a second statement late Tuesday. Fridays attack hobbled businesses in at least 17 countries. It shuttered most of the 800 supermarkets in the Swedish Coop chain over the weekend because cash registers stopped working, and reportedly knocked more than 100 New Zealand kindergartens offline. Kaseya said it believes only about 800 to 1,500 of the estimated 800,000 to 1,000,000 mostly small business end-users of its software were affected. They are customers of companies that use Kaseyas virtual system administrator, or VSA, product to fully manage their IT infrastructure. Cybersecurity experts said, however, it is too early for Kaseya to know the true impact given its launch on the eve of the Fourth of July holiday weekend in the U.S. They said many targets might only discover it upon returning to work Tuesday. Ransomware criminals infiltrate networks and sow malware that cripples them by scrambling all their data. Victims get a decoder key when they pay up. Most ransomware victims dont publicly report attacks or disclose if theyve paid ransoms. In the U.S, disclosure of a breach is required by state laws when personal data that can be used in identity theft is stolen. Federal law mandates it when healthcare records are exposed. Security researchers said that in this attack, the criminals did not appear to have had time to steal data before locking up networks. That raised the question whether the motivation behind the attack was profit alone, because extortion through threatening to expose sensitive pilfered data betters the odds of big payoffs. But Ryan Sherstobitoff, threat intelligence chief of the cybersecurity firm Security Scorecard, said REvil representatives claimed Saturday to have stolen data from hundreds of companies and were threatening to sell it if ransom demands of up to $5 million for bigger victims they were seeking $45,000 per infected computer were not met. The operators are claiming that, though there is not necessarily direct evidence, added Sherstobitoff, who said he masqueraded as a victim to engage the criminals. He said the criminals claimed banks were among victims. REvil offered a universal software decoder to free all victims in exchange for a lump sum payment of $50 million, he added. On Sunday, that sum rose to $70 million in a post on the criminals dark web site. Analysts say the chaos ransomware criminals have wrought in the past year hitting hospitals, schools, local governments and other targets at the rate of about one every eight minutes serves Putins strategic agenda of destabilizing the West. Most of the more than 60 Kaseya customers that company spokeswoman Dana Liedholm said were affected are managed service providers (MSPs), with multiple customers downstream. Given the relationship between Kaseya and MSPs, its not clear how Kaseya would know the number of victims impacted. There is no way the numbers are as low as Kaseya is claiming though, said Jake Williams, chief technical officer of the cybersecurity firm BreachQuest. Others researchers also questioned Kaseyas visibility into crippled managed service providers. The hacked VSA tool remotely maintains customer networks, automating security and other software updates. Essentially, a product designed to protect networks from malware was cleverly used to distribute it. In an interview on Sunday, Kaseya CEO Fred Voccola estimated the number of victims in the low thousands. The German news agency dpa had reported that an unnamed German IT services company told authorities that several thousand of its customers were compromised. Also among reported victims were two Dutch IT services companies. A broad array of businesses and public agencies were hit, apparently on all continents, including in financial services, travel and leisure and the public sector though few large companies, the cybersecurity firm Sophos said. Liedholm, the Kaseya spokeswoman, said the vast majority of the companys 37,000 customers were unaffected and said the company expected to release a patch Wednesday. REvil, previously best known for extorting $11 million from the meat-processing giant JBS after hobbling it on Memorial Day, broke into at least one Kaseya server after identifying a zero day vulnerability, cybersecurity researchers said. Dutch researchers said they alerted Kaseya to the zero day and a number of severe vulnerabilities ahead of the attack. Neither they nor Kaseya would say how far in advance. ____ Associated Press reporters Darlene Superville and Eric Tucker in Washington and Alan Suderman in Richmond, Virginia, contributed to this report. (Bloomberg) -- Mexicos energy ministry has designated Petroleos Mexicanos as the operator of the countrys largest oil discovery by private companies, in the latest sign of the governments nationalist approach to the energy industry. The Zama field, discovered in 2017 by a private consortium led by Talos Energy Inc., will be operated by the state-owned producer, according to a statement by Talos on Monday. The resolution ends a long-standing conflict between Pemex, as the state company is known, and the Houston-based producer over the field in Mexicos Campeche Bay, which contains as many as one billion barrels of oil equivalent. Talos said it was very disappointed with the decision and will explore legal and strategic options regarding Zama. The company added that the energy ministry had informed Talos of its sudden decision only three days after the driller received a letter directly from Pemex arguing for operatorship. Talos shares fell more than 8% on Tuesday after the announcement. The dispute over Zama has been dragging on for years after it was discovered that the field shared the same reservoir as one belonging to Pemex. Many have viewed it as a bellwether for Mexicos energy industry, potentially setting a precedent for the state oil behemoth to lay claim to other private companies discoveries in the country. In 2018, the two parties signed a preliminary agreement to share information and undertake a unification of the joint area. In May, Talos announced that Pemex had the majority share of Zama, with 50.4%, citing a study commissioned by both parties. Talos had initially said that the Houston-based company and its partners held a 59.6% stake in the shared reservoir, based on an independent study by Netherland, Sewell & Associates last year. Taloss partners in the consortium are Wintershall DEA and Premier Oil Plc. New Reality The decision to rescind Taloss operatorship of Zama is indicative of the new reality for international and private oil companies under the government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. His government has sought to roll back the 2013-2014 energy reforms that opened Mexico to private drilling, and wants to return much of the energy sector to Pemex. One of his first moves as president was to suspend new crude auctions, which had lured the worlds biggest oil companies to Mexico. Read More: Mexicos AMLO Uses Energy Nationalism Card Ahead of Key Vote Major producers that once flocked to the country are now considering other options, and the decision to award Zama operations to Pemex will create more tension with the U.S. over the North American trade deal, said John Padilla, managing director of consultancy firm IPD Latin America. Everyone was waiting to see what would happen with this decision, he said in a phone interview. It will put increased pressure on the U.S. to become much more vocal. Thats precisely what many companies are going to take a look at. A further concern is whether Pemex has the resources and skills to operate the field, said Padilla. So far, Talos has undertaken the full investment while Pemex has yet to drill a single well after it canceled plans to drill an appraisal well in June. And its safety record is under question following a fire near Pemexs Ku-Maloob-Zaap offshore platform complex on Friday, sparked by a gas leak. It doesnt make Mexico and Pemex look good, Padilla said. Following the accident of Ku, its only going to raise further questions of safety, but also their capability to manage a type of project in substantially deeper water than anything theyve ever done, and a formation in which theyve had no successful track record in. Spokespeople from Mexicos energy ministry, Pemex and Talos didnt respond to requests for comment. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. This week's San Antonio music roundup has a little something for everyone. Read on to see what shows have been announced, new music from local artists, and which set are happening this week. The Symphony is back The lineup for the San Antonio orchestra's 2021-2022 Pops Series is set to crescendo January 2022 through May 2022. The series features four showcases, including Hotel California, a classical ode to The Eagles; Rhapsody in Blue (celebrating George and Ira Gershwin); Fiesta Pops (a take on the annual celebration); and The Music of John Williams (with scores from Star Wars, Harry Potter, and more). All performances will take place at the H-E-B Performance Hall at the Tobin Center for Performing Arts. Get bewitched Bewitched DJ Collective invites you to join them for "a celebration of self expression, experimentation, and you being unapologetically you. If youre more into leather, latex, and techno over enchanting movie franchise scores, then this may be the evening plan for you. Bewitched, a DJ collective spinning dark music and visuals at local Texas haunts, hosts free-spirited events to be enjoyed by all. After a May night at Paper Tiger, the group's next sultry showcase is set to kick off at the venue on July 16. Catch DJ sets from DJ Nicole Noire, Bad Acid 303, Markos Grave, and DJ Caryatid. Homeshake is headed to San Antonio Clear your calendars (for almost a year in advance) because Homeshake, the moniker of Canadian artist Peter Sagar, is set to inevitably shake things up in San Antonio. The soulful mood music produced by this indie-act will fill the Paper Tiger on May, 2, 2022. The announcement comes hand- in-hand with the release of his latest spacey single, Vacuum. Tickets are on sale now. RELATED: Snoop Dogg, jazz and more live music to take in this week in San Antonio sleep well. at Brick Set your alarms 'cause sleep well. has announced a tour stop in their hometown of San Antonio. The now Austin-based indie band will return to the city during the Aint Like it Used to Be tour, with additional stops in Austin, Dallas, and Houston. Catch the local show at Brick at Bluestar later this month on Thursday, July, 29. Grab your tickets here. Country star Doug Kershaw If youre fixin for a good fiddlin', catch country star and legendary fiddle player Doug Kershaw at the Lonesome Rose on October 11. Tickets are on sale now. This week: Get your cry on The stars have aligned: An '80s New Wave and goth meetup is happening at Sam's Burger Joint when Boys Don't Cry: A Cure Experience takes the stage this Saturday, July 10. What to expect? Synths and heavy eyeliner. Doors open at 8 p.m. Get your tickets today. Fri-yay at Peacock Alley Catch a fun DJ set by San Antonio-based Steven Lee Moya at the latest downtown spot quickly becoming a prominent backdrop of summer in the city. The event will begin this Friday at 6 p.m located off Broadway and between Houston and Travis streets. Running until 9 p.m, the event is free. Listen to new tracks Texas based rapper Tay Money dropped a single recently, now streamable on Apple Music. Last week, the artist made an appearance at Midnight Swim. Tune in next week for more! RELATED: Marias announce San Antonio date and more local shows An aluminum can shortage slammed the beverage industry last year and continues to plague supply chains this summer. In Houston, beverage makers are being forced to innovate to avoid running out. All the breweries were forced to switch to packaged product," said Bryce Baker, the co-founder of 11 Below Brewing Company, referencing the period in 2020 when on-premise drinking stopped during the shutdown. "So there was a huge increase in demand for cans and a big can shortage. DRESS CODE CONTROVERSY: Houston's famous Turkey Leg Hut under fire for new rules on attire Yet the pandemic is only partially to blame for the problem. Aluminum can plants were already nearing capacity before COVID-19. The National Beer Wholesalers Association reports that the percentage of beer that ends up in cans increased from 50% to 60% between 2010 to 2019, according to CNN. That number skyrocketed to 67% in 2020, according to the National Beer Wholesalers Association, meaning two-thirds of all beer is going into cans.. Over the last decade, cans have also become more popular in other beverage markets. So, when the pandemic shifted beer consumption from kegs to cans, aluminum can facilities reached a tipping point. Charday VanOrstrand Mark DellOsso, founder and owner of Galveston Island Brewing, started hearing rumors of a can shortage in summer 2020. He tried to order extra cans to shore up what (he) needed, but the can supplier told him to order his normal amount, assuring him there was no shortage. But when DellOsso went back to the same company for his next order in winter 2020, there were no cans. Buyers couldnt even take an order in December. Ultimately, he says the freeze on cans lasted a month or two, which he attributes to a widely known fear of the shortage and people over-ordering cans. While American can manufacturers struggled with the shortage, some turned to overseas markets. The Can Manufacturers Institute estimated that two billion empty cans would be imported in 2020. Can manufacturing began to catch up to demand in spring 2021 only to once again drop to critical lows this summer. DellOsso says the situation took a turn for the worse because were in the peak of summer, "when can demand is at its highest. Bryce Baker Baker knows that 11 Below Brewing was real lucky to not run out of cans. Weve had cans arrive and be getting beer filled in them in 20 minutes. That was the closest wed ever come. When their luck ran out, local breweries found other creative ways around the shortage through strategic planning, labeling their own cans and sharing their stockpiles. Brock Wagner, owner and founder of Saint Arnold Brewing Company, initially managed by keeping large inventories of cans on hand, he said. However, as the can freeze made stockpiling impossible, the brewery was forced to begin managing its supply chain "actively and on a daily basis" in order to avoid running out of cans. DellOsso says he's learned to be more strategic and plan in advance. In the past, Galveston Island Brewing paid for cans 14 days prior to delivery, but now, its lead time has stretched to 14 weeks. The business has to set aside between $20,000 to $40,000 about 3.5 months in advance, "which is a lot from a small business point of view, Dell'Osso says. Wagner found another solution when he began buying silver unprinted cans and labeling them in-house, a process he described as "labor-intensive. Saint Arnolds already had its own labeling equipment, but it was only for small, special release beers. Priscilla Walker Once the company started using it for more of its own beers, Wagner discovered theres a big difference between doing a couple of thousand cans that way and doing 50,000 cans that way. So its logistically quite the challenge. A label maker was also a vital part of Southern Star Brewings candemic survival plan. Its CEO, Dave Fougeron, notes that its machine is not a good labeler, but its better than most people have ... The machine came from China with no instructions, so we sometimes have to do it by hand. Fougeron says the cans labeled in-house might not always be the prettiest, but we can at least bring product to the market. Thankfully, most customers have been understanding about the cans looking different, he said. But the business did receive one complaint from a customer who said they threw a bunch of beer in the cooler, and when the ice started to melt, the stickers came off of the cans. Baker said that as getting printed cans became even harder, 11 Below Brewing Company started doing blank cans and putting labels on them to give them flexibility. Ultimately, the company's label machine and ability to have a drive-thru saved it "from financial ruin," Baker said. Meanwhile, breweries that didnt have label makers began scrambling to buy them. DellOsso shared that Galveston Island Brewing ordered a label machine in late 2020, but the delivery date kept getting pushed back and he finally received it in early 2021. Priscillla Walker When strategies and labeling failed, some breweries turned to each other for help. Fougeron says Southern Star Brewing shared some cans that we didnt have any use for anymore with Brash Brewing. They wrapped their labels around our cans. Fougeron had talked about selling it to them but ultimately just gave it to them, he said. When DellOsso heard about the exchange of cans, he was happy to know that Houston brewers were willing to help each other out. It was a good deal to see that camaraderie. But two other problems are exacerbating the aluminum can shortage. One is the truck driver shortage. Wagner says there arent enough truck drivers. "Weve had containers basically full of our cans at the plant, but no drivers available to bring us the trailer. So, that has caused some delays. A lack of storage also inhibits breweries ability to build up their can supplies. DellOssos can manufacturer produced an overrun on Galveston Island Brewings latest order: He ordered 204,000 cans, but they printed 244,000 cans. When DellOsso went to buy the extra cans, he was told that the factory couldnt store them past the end of July. If he doesnt take them by then, they will destroy them. DellOssos warehouse is full. He is building an expansion to the brewery where he plans to store cans. However, the building wont be done until August. During a can shortage, Dell'Osso has 40,000 cans he would love to buy, but nowhere to put them. This is his biggest challenge, knowing that they will destroy (his) cans. After grappling with the can shortage for over seven months, brewers face an uncertain future. "If we can get through Labor Day, then well be okay," Dell'Osso said. Brewers are hopeful that lower demand in the fall coupled with new manufacturing plants will help balance out the shortage. Ball, the world's largest manufacturer of metal beverage containers, has invested $300 million to build a new aluminum can plant in Pennsylvania set to open later this year. Wagner knows the shortage is temporary, but the big question is, "how temporary is it? More plants (will) open and the supply chain will all correct itself, but right now its a bit of a mess, he said. Will we go through this again next summer? CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) Seven West Virginia regional airports will receive a total of $5.3 million in federal funds for improvement projects. Sen. Joe Manchin announced the funding Tuesday from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Manchin said in a statement that additional funding from the American Rescue Plan will ensure that the projects will have a full federal match. The funding in various amounts is for the Tri-State Airport Authority near Huntington, the Greenbrier Valley Airport in Lewisburg, airports in Elkins and Phillippi, the Benedum Airport Authority in Bridgeport, along with airport authorities in Raleigh and Logan counties. This funding will improve regional airports across the state and spur economic development. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a pilot myself, I will continue to advocate for funding and resources to support West Virginia airports, Manchin said. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Republican Allen West, the former Florida congressman and firebrand who rode into office on the tea party wave a decade ago, said Sunday that he will run for governor of Texas in a bid to again seize on restless anger from the right. His odds are far longer this time around: Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who is up for a third term and may also be eyeing a 2024 presidential bid, has already locked up the endorsement of Donald Trump whose voters West would need to have any shot at winning a GOP primary in Texas. CONSPIRACY TIME: Louie Gohmert, GOP chairman Allen West speak at Dallas QAnon conference The hurdles don't stop there. Abbott is the most prodigious fundraiser of any governor in America, having started the year with nearly $40 million already socked away, and West is shunned by powerbrokers in his own party. Last month, West stepped down as chairman of the Texas GOP after spending a year using the platform to antagonize Abbott and other Republicans who he deemed insufficiently conservative. Still, West's celebrity in the grassroots that lingers from a combative one term in the U.S. House makes him the most prominent primary challenge Abbott has faced since becoming governor in 2015. Already there have been signs of Abbott moving to protect his right flank, passing ever-looser gun laws in Texas that he never previously endorsed and picking up Trump's immigration mantle along the U.S.-Mexico border. Let's stand up for God, for country and for Texas, West told those gathered Sunday at Sojourn Church in the Dallas suburb of Carrollton, where he made his announcement. He later tweeted video of the service. Democrats, who continue to see Texas as a budding battleground even as their losing streak continues, have yet to put up a challenger to Abbott in 2022 although former congressman Beto O'Rourke isn't ruling it out. West won a House seat in Florida in 2010 and quickly became a tea party favorite and lightning rod, at one point accusing Democrats of having as many as 80 communists in their House caucus. He failed to win reelection in 2012. He later moved to Texas and largely stayed out of the spotlight until running for chairman of the state GOP party last year. After winning the job, West went about criticizing Republicans as much as Democrats, calling the GOP speaker of the Texas House a traitor for working across the aisle and leading a protest outside Abbott's mansion over coronavirus restrictions. In May, West spoke at an event in Dallas that was organized by adherents of the QAnon conspiracy and included former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell. Abbott, who in previous years drew only token primary challengers, now faces two candidates who have previously held office. Former GOP state Sen. Don Huffines is also running. PASO ROBLES, Calif. (AP) A man who fired at officers after barricading himself in a Paso Robles apartment was shot and killed by a SWAT team early Tuesday, police said. A Paso Robles Police Department statement said the man was Steven Adam Calderon, 32, of Los Angeles. Police were called to an apartment complex around 4 p.m. Monday when the man discharged a firearm from a balcony. The man also pointed the gun at his girlfriend and threatened to shoot her and fired several shots at officers who were attempting to negotiate with him, police said. Paso Robles Police Chief Ty Lewis said in the statement that he requested the assistance of the San Luis Obispo Regional SWAT team because the situation posed extreme risk to the community and officers. Unfortunately, this event ended tragically when the suspect ignored officer commands and reached for his gun, Lewis said. The officers were left with no choice but to defend themselves. Medics treated the suspect but he died around 1:15 a.m. Paso Robles is a city of 30,000 in the central coast wine region midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. RIO DE JANEIRO - For months, the congressional probe into Brazil's lax coronavirus response has been seen as politics as usual. Inside a hearing room, lawmakers had retreated to their standard political positions to argue, shout and preen for their bases. Many here called it political theater - even background noise. No longer. Following an explosive set of allegations, the probe has in recent days gone from a meditative exploration of Brazil's failure to stop the coronavirus to a mounting threat to the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro. Protests are growing in the streets. Bolsonaro is facing a criminal investigation. Some have questioned not only whether he can win next year's presidential election - but whether he'll still be president by the time it arrives. At the center of the political drama is a classic corruption scandal. There are allegations of kickbacks, financial irregularities and an overarching question: What did the president know, and what did he do about it? The Brazilian government, after stalling several vaccine purchases to haggle and fret over costs, made a harried deal this year to buy an unapproved Indian vaccine at a suspiciously expensive price. Documents submitted to congressional investigators showed Brazil paid more than 10 times the price that was originally quoted by Indian pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech for its vaccine, Covaxin. The deal was suspended last week. The contrast between how government officials approached the Covaxin deal with how slowly they acquired other vaccines sparked corruption concerns inside the health ministry - concerns that Bolsonaro is accused of ignoring after he was allegedly informed. On Friday, the Brazilian supreme court took the extraordinary step of authorizing a criminal investigation into Bolsonaro. Congressional investigators say there's no evidence to suggest Bolsonaro informed relevant authorities of the suspected malfeasance, which in Brazil could constitute a crime of dereliction by a public servant. "This isn't a suspicion," Omar Aziz, a federal senator and leader of the inquiry, told the Brazilian newspaper Globo. "This is a fact. [Bolsonaro] hasn't disproven this. He didn't send anything to the police. . . . For any public servant, this would be a dereliction." Bolsonaro, who still retains enough political support to fend off calls for his impeachment, has tried several tactics to distance himself from the scandal. He has denied any misconduct - both in the purchase of Covaxin and in his own behavior. "I'm incorruptible." Then he claimed ignorance. "I didn't even know how the Covaxin deal was going." Finally, he has worked to undermine the probe itself: "an embarrassment." The accelerating momentum of the probe has brought the right-wing nationalist into the most vulnerable chapter of his presidency and injected an extraordinary degree of political uncertainty into a deeply polarized country reeling from record unemployment, a widening hunger crisis and the coronavirus deaths of more than a half-million people. In recent weeks, large protests - some in favor of Bolsonaro, others opposing him - have traded off. Dozens of lawmakers last week filed what they call a "super-request" for Bolsonaro's impeachment, combining more than 100 impeachment requests already filed against him. The president's approval rating has cratered into the 20s. Some political analysts think it could go even lower. "The problem has begun," said Matias Spektor, an associate professor of international relations at Fundacao Getulio Vargas in Sao Paulo. "If this spins out of control, this could be big, big trouble for Bolsonaro." From the beginning of his presidential bid, Bolsonaro had positioned himself as political outsider - the only one unmarred by the frequent corruption scandals that have disillusioned millions of Brazilians, frayed social trust and contributed to diminishing faith in democracy. Bolsonaro made combating corruption central to his campaign. Then he named as his justice minister: Sergio Moro, the judge who had presided over the sprawling Latin American corruption probe known as Lava Jato. He even declared last year that his government had been scrubbed free of malfeasance. The belief that Bolsonaro wasn't corrupt has been central to his political survival. Even as the virus ravaged Brazil, and an increasing number of Brazilians started to blame him for doing little to stop it, he retained his core group of supporters. At least he was honest, many said. "You can call him dumb, a bad administrator, but you cannot call him a thief," Olavo de Carvalho, a prominent right-wing political philosopher whose base overlaps with Bolsonaro, said last year. Allegations he looked the other way on alleged corruption could undercut one of the few areas of strength he has left, political observers said, and could erode his popularity among his base. "That's the million-dollar question," said Creomar de Souza, a political analyst in Brasilia and the founder of the political consultant firm Dharma Politics. "If all of this is confirmed, he will have a major problem, because he would lose the streets. And if Bolsonaro, someone already in a weakened political position, loses the streets, he will be even more hobbled." Bruno Brandao, the executive director of Transparency International in Brazil, said several past scandals during the Bolsonaro presidency did little to chip away at his support among anti-corruption hawks. But this one could be different. "The dirtiness of corruption in the middle of a humanitarian tragedy is something more shocking and much closer to people's real suffering," he said. "Maybe indignation will finally overtake indifference." WARSAW, Poland (AP) The former top European Union leader who recently took the helm of Poland's strongest opposition party appealed Tuesday for a non-aggression pact among the opponents of the country's right-wing government. Donald Tusk, a former Polish prime minister who served as president of the European Council, met with Senate Speaker Tomasz Grodzki, a political ally, and is holding talks with various party leaders and political figures on strengthening the opposition. Grodzki is a member of the pro-EU Civic Platform party, which Tusk co-founded in 2001 and resumed the leadership of on Saturday. Tusk said that while unity should not be expected in all areas, Poland's opposition forces should avoid conflict among them. It will not be easy at all to build a unity on every level, on every issue, so at least (let's have) an honest and respected from today non-aggression pact, which means that if we have a difference of opinion, we can talk about it, but we do not attack each other within the opposition camp, he said. Tusk did not name anyone, but Szymon Holownia, the founder of the Poland 2050 party, has said that he sees Tusk's return to Poland's politics as a challenge that will help the opposition party consolidate and develop. In a June opinion poll, Holownia's Poland 2050 received more support than Tusk's party. The ruling right-wing nationalist coalition of the Law and Justice party and two small partners leads the polls. When retaking his party leadership Saturday, Tusk said he was returning to Polands politics with the intention of fighting the evil caused by the Law and Justice-led government, which has ruled Poland since 2015 and put the country on a collision course with the EU. Tusk said that due to his involvement in Polish politics, he will not seek reelection as president of the European People's Party, which fields candidates for the EU Parliament. ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) For a year, Gary Scromo of Staten Island, New York, would either walk outside one of Atlantic City's casinos if he wanted to smoke a cigar, or just do without one if the weather was bad. But last weekend, he was once again able to light up inside the casinos as a year-long ban, inspired by the coronavirus last July, expired. I walked inside and saw the ashtrays, and knew: Smoking is back, he said. Smoking is indeed back at the nine Atlantic City casinos. But not everyone is happy about it, and even the state's governor is hinting he might look favorably on a bill that would permanently ban it inside the gambling halls. Democrat Phil Murphy said last week, I would be very constructive on that, stopping short of saying he would sign the legislation. Smoking foes are making a major push to eliminate the so-called casino loophole, the one big exemption to New Jersey's law banning smoking in most indoor places, including restaurants and bars. They held a rally last week on the Boardwalk calling on the state's legislative leaders and Murphy to enact a permanent smoking ban in the casinos. In my 20 years as a dealer, I've seen too many of my coworkers experience serious health issues due to exposure to secondhand smoke, a casino dealer, Nicole Vitola, said at the rally. Murphy lifted the ban, which was part of a health emergency that was allowed to expire as the state continues to vaccinate residents and case numbers decline. The situation is now what it was before the pandemic: Casino patrons can smoke on no more than 20% of the casino floor, signs designate areas where smoking is allowed, and the casinos have invested heavily in air filtration systems. But smoking opponents say those systems are not the answer, stating there is no healthy level of secondhand smoke. Several casino executives declined to comment on the resumption of smoking at their properties this week. Earlier this year, the Casino Association of New Jersey, the trade group representing the Atlantic City casinos, said a permanent ban would do great harm to the industry. Banning smoking permanently would have long-term financial implications for the industry and the region, the group said in a statement. Going completely nonsmoking would place Atlantic City casinos at a competitive disadvantage with other nearby casinos that allow smoking. Such a ban would lead to fewer customers, fewer casino jobs and lower tax revenue, it said. Scromo, the smoker from Staten Island, said the current arrangement is workable. There is a certain area where it's allowed, and that's it, Scromo said. People don't have to sit there if they don't like it. I enjoy smoking at the casino when I play, but I'm usually at the slot machines. I can see where at a table, the dealer has to stay there, so I don't smoke at the tables. Shay Trowery of Philadelphia is a smoker who recently started visiting Atlantic City casinos. But she opposes allowing smoking to return right now. I feel like COVID is still around, she said, adding it is impossible to tell whether a person has COVID-19 and could be spreading it through airborne smoke particles. Baaqir Mutaali of Atlantic City also smokes, but he, too, thinks it's a bad idea to let it resume in the casinos. Secondhand smoke is bad; we all know that, he said. Even before the pandemic, I felt that smoking inside the casinos was bad. ___ Follow Wayne Parry at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC WASHINGTON (AP) Secretary of State Antony Blinken met virtually on Tuesday with Uyghur Muslims who were detained at camps in Chinas northwest Xinjiang region to hear about their experiences and seek advice on how best to pressure China to halt repression there. The State Department said Blinken wanted to hear directly from the seven former detainees, relatives of others and advocates about conditions that they and the Uyghur community more broadly face. The secretary thought it important to meet with these individuals to hear firsthand their stories, to hear firsthand their impression of the ongoing atrocities in Xinjiang and the internment of a million Uyghurs," department spokesman Ned Price said. Also, its an opportunity for these participants to offer any recommendations they may have." China has come under severe international criticism and sanctions for detaining more than 1 million Uyghurs and and other minorities for political re-education in Xinjiang. Price said the meeting showed continuity in American policy on the matter between the widely divergent Biden and Trump administrations. Both administrations have termed the campaign in Xinjiang a genocide and slapped sanctions on China for human rights abuses. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met several times with Uyghur ex-detainees during his tenure as America's top diplomat. America has spoken out very clearly and consistently about the abuses, about the atrocities, about the ongoing genocide that is taking place in Xinjiang, Price said. "And, as we deem appropriate, I suspect well be employing additional tools going forward to hold to account those officials responsible for what has taken place there. Since the Trump administration, the U.S. has steadily ramped up pressure on China on a number of fronts, notably over repression in Xinjiang and a clampdown on political dissent and human rights in Hong Kong. Those have included travel bans, financial sanctions and commercial restrictions on Chinese imports to the U.S. OTTAWA (AP) An Inuk leader who has served as a Canadian diplomat was named the country's first Indigenous representative of the crown on Tuesday an announcement that comes in the wake of a scandal over the nation's long mistreatment of Indigenous people. In naming the next governor general, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it is only by building bridges can the people of Canada move forward together. "Mary Simon has done that throughout her life, Trudeau said speaking at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec. I know she will help continue paving that path ahead. And we will all be stronger for it. Today after 154 years, our country takes a historic step. I cannot think of a better person to meet the moment. He said Queen Elizabeth II has approved the appointment of her representative in Canada. The appointment follows the revelation that hundreds of unmarked graves of children have been found on the grounds of former residential schools across Canada institutions to which Indigenous children were forcibly relocated for generations. Simon was born in Kangiqsualujjuaq, in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec, and is the former president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, a national advocacy organization. Simon began her remarks by speaking in Inuktitut, and then in English thanked Trudeau for the historic opportunity, saying she is honored, humbled and ready to be Canadas first Indigenous governor general. Simon described her appointment as a "historic and inspirational moment for Canada, and a step forward on the long path towards reconciliation. Simon replaces Julie Payette, who resigned in January following a scathing independent report on the toxic work environment that had developed during her tenure. A federal election is expected this fall. The prime minister would need to ask the governor general to dissolve Parliament to trigger an election. The 73-year-old mother of three children was once a broadcaster for CBC North and later began her career as a public servant when she was elected secretary of the board of directors of the Northern Quebec Inuit Association. Simon was one of the senior Inuit negotiators during the repatriation of the Canadian Constitution during First Ministers conferences that took place from 1982 to 1992, as well as during the 1992 Charlottetown Accord discussions. In 1994, Prime Minister Jean Chretien appointed Simon as the first Canadian ambassador for circumpolar affairs. She took the lead role in negotiating the creation of an eight-country group known today as the Arctic Council. Simon also served as Canadian ambassador to Denmark, was a member of the Joint Public Advisory Committee of the North American Free Trade Agreement Commission on Environmental Cooperation and was the Chancellor of Trent University. BERLIN (AP) German security officials said Tuesday they made more than 750 arrests and seized large amounts of drugs after gaining access to extensive chat data of encrypted cellphones. The focus of the investigation, which started in April 2020, was on data from users of the provider EncroChat who were involved in the illegal drug trade, Frankfurt prosecutors and the countrys Federal Crime Police Office said in a written statement. AP HONOLULU (AP) Former New York Yankees player Bronson Sardinha was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Hawaii over the Fourth of July weekend. Sardinha was arrested shortly after midnight Sunday, according to Honolulu police records. TEHRAN, Iran (AP) An explosion ripped through oil and gas pipelines at a pump house in Iran's southwest Tuesday, killing three oil workers and injuring four others, local media reported. The blast struck the Einkhosh field some 500 kilometers (310 miles) southwest of the Iranian capital of Tehran, according to several news outlets, including the semiofficial Mehr agency. The condition of the injured workers was not immediately clear. A photo widely circulated from the scene showed a corpse under a blanket next to a charred building that apparently had served as a rest place for workers at the pump house. ATLANTA (AP) A Georgia state lawmaker indicted on a misdemeanor charge related to a 2019 fatal hit-and-run-crash is stepping down from his leadership post, but remaining in the state House. Republican state Rep. Trey Kelley, who as majority whip had been the fourth-ranking member among House Republicans, announced that he was giving up the leadership post in a Thursday email to fellow House GOP members. I knew when I accepted this role it wouldn't be forever and now is the time for me to dedicate more time and energy to my professional and personal life, Kelley wrote in an email. I feel that it is necessary for me to step down today from my role as majority whip. Kelley, a Cedartown resident and lawyer, represents all of Polk and parts of Floyd and Haralson counties in northwest Georgia. He was indicted in December on a charge of reckless conduct, alleging he wrongly didn't report a fatal 2019 hit-and-run crash that his friend called him about as the victim lay dying in a ditch. Kelleys wife of 13 years also filed for divorce in May. Kaleb McMichen, a spokesperson for Republican House Speaker David Ralston of Blue Ridge, said the majority Republican caucus is required by its rules to elect a successor. McMichen said no date for the election has been set, but that it could come this summer Ralph Ryan Dover III, the man accused of calling Kelley instead of 911 after fatally hitting bicyclist Eric Keais, was indicted on charges of felony hit-and-run and reckless conduct. Kelley has denied doing anything wrong and asked a judge to throw out the indictment. His attorney, Lester Tate, said Tuesday that the judge has yet to rule on the motion to quash. Officials have said Dover hit Keais while driving his SUV on North Main Street in Cedartown on the night of Sept. 11, 2019. Instead of calling 911, Dover drove elsewhere and called Kelley, who in turn called Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsome at home, according to authorities. An officer was sent to the area, unaware that someone may have been injured, and eventually found Keais lying in a ditch, gravely wounded. Keais died from his injuries soon afterward. Kelley told police that night he wasnt sure whether Dover hit a person or a deer. He says he cooperated with police and denies wrongdoing. ___ Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy. HONOLULU (AP) A nonprofit organization that serves and advocates for the Micronesian and Pacific islander communities in Hawaii plans to open a youth center in Honolulu this month. The center will offer college and career prep, cultural exhibitions, mentorship programs and study areas, We Are Oceania CEO Josie Howard told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. It will have resources for homeless youth and families, she said. Just like a home means everything to a family, this center will be the same, Howard said. Its a place where they can come and seek help. Somebody is there to help, and somebody is there who understands them. The Youth Empowerment Center is the first of its kind for We Are Oceania. It's located inside a former American Savings Bank branch in Liliha. The bank offered the space to the nonprofit rent-free. University of Hawaii at Manoa undergraduate K-nard Narruhn, who is Chuukese, is recruiting youth mentors for the center and is excited to continue working as one himself. The 22-year-old from Pearl City helps organize and run We Are Oceanias food drives, vaccination clinics, translation services and unemployment and housing support. He remembers getting help from We Are Oceania himself after he dropped out of high school and was going from job to job feeling unfulfilled. Thanks to college fairs, campus visits, mentorship and financial aid help, Narruhn earned his high school equivalency diploma and enrolled in the University of Hawaii at Hilo. There he went from being a high school dropout to making the deans list. He later transferred to Manoa. Its a surreal experience. Its crazy how I was on the other end getting counseling and help, and now Im on this end giving back, he said. It feels right to me. JERUSALEM (AP) Israels parliament early on Tuesday failed to renew a law that bars Arab citizens from extending citizenship or residency rights to spouses from the occupied West Bank and Gaza, in a tight vote that raised doubts about the viability of the countrys new coalition government. The 59-59 vote, which came after an all-night session of the Knesset, marked a major setback for Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. The new Israeli leader, who had hoped to find a compromise between his hard-line Yamina party and the dovish factions in his disparate coalition, instead suffered a stinging defeat in a vote he reportedly described as a referendum on the new government. The vote means the law is now set to expire at midnight Tuesday. The opposition last night delivered a direct blow to the security of the country, Bennett said Tuesday, accusing his opponents, including former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of choosing petty politics over the nations well-being. The Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law was enacted as a temporary measure in 2003, at the height of the second intifada, or uprising, when Palestinians launched scores of deadly attacks inside Israel. Proponents said Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza were susceptible to recruitment by armed groups and that security vetting alone was insufficient. Under it, Arab citizens, who comprise a fifth of Israels population, have had few if any avenues for bringing spouses from the West Bank and Gaza into Israel. Critics, including many left-wing and Arab lawmakers, say its a racist measure aimed at restricting the growth of Israels Arab minority, while supporters say its needed for security purposes and to preserve Israels Jewish character. The law has been renewed annually and appeared to have the support of a large majority in parliament, which is dominated by hard-line nationalist parties. But Netanyahus Likud Party and his allies decided to oppose it to embarrass Bennett and harm his coalition, which includes a collection of eight parties across the political spectrum, including a small Islamist Arab party. Interior Minister Minister Ayelet Shaked, a member of Bennett's Yamina party, said the opposition move to block the law's renewal would lead to thousands more applications for citizenship. She accused Netanyahu and his allies of choosing "petty and ugly politics, and let the country burn. Amichai Chikli, a renegade member of Yamina who voted with the opposition, said the outcome was a sign of deeper issues. Israel needs a functioning Zionist government, and not a mismatched patchwork that is reliant on the votes of Arab lawmakers, said Chikli. He was the only member of his party to oppose the new coalition-led government last month. Netanyahu, ousted by the new coalition after 12 years as prime minister, made clear his political goals. With all due respect for this law, the importance of toppling the government is greater, Netanyahu said Monday. Bennett reportedly proposed a compromise with liberal members of the coalition that would have extended the law by six months while offering residency rights to some 1,600 Arab families, a fraction of those affected. But the measure was defeated, in part because two Arab members of the coalition abstained. The vote exposed the deep divisions and the fragility of the new government. The decision, however, gave some hope to Arab families that have been affected by the law. The law has created an array of difficulties for thousands of Palestinian families that span the war-drawn and largely invisible frontiers separating Israel from east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, territories it seized in the 1967 war that the Palestinians want for a future state. You want your security, its no problem, you can check each case by itself, said Taiseer Khatib, an Arab citizen of Israel whose wife of more than 15 years, from the West Bank city of Jenin, must regularly apply for permits to live with him and their three children in Israel. Theres no need for this collective punishment just because you are Palestinian, he said during a protest outside the Knesset on Monday ahead of the vote. The law has been continually renewed even after the uprising wound down in 2005 and the number of attacks plummeted. Today, Israel allows more than 100,000 Palestinian workers from the West Bank to enter on a regular basis. Male spouses over the age of 35 and female spouses over the age of 25, as well as some humanitarian cases, can apply for the equivalent of a tourist permit, which must be regularly renewed. The holders of such permits are ineligible for drivers licenses, public health insurance and most forms of employment. Palestinian spouses from Gaza have been completely banned since the militant Hamas group seized power there in 2007. The expiration of the law will not retroactively enable Palestinian spouses to live in Israel, but those who have been denied residency will be able to submit new requests, according to the Haaretz newspaper. New applications will be subject to review by Israel's internal security agency, and if no grounds for rejection are found, it will be approved automatically. The Population and Immigration Authority declined comment. The law does not apply to the nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers who live in the West Bank, who have full Israeli citizenship. Under Israels Law of Return, Jews who come to Israel from anywhere in the world are eligible for citizenship. Israels Arab minority has close familial ties to Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and largely identifies with their cause. Arab citizens view the law as one of several forms of discrimination they face in a country that legally defines itself as a Jewish nation-state. Palestinians who are unable to get permits but try to live with their spouses inside Israel are at risk of deportation. Couples that move to the West Bank live under Israeli military occupation. The citizenship law also applies to Jewish Israelis who marry Palestinians from the territories, but such unions are extremely rare. 5 1 of 5 Douglas County Sheriff's Office via Facebook Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Douglas County Sheriff's Office via Facebook Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Douglas County Sheriff's Office via Facebook Show More Show Less 5 of 5 EAST WENATCHEE, Wash. (AP) A wildfire in Central Washington has expanded to burn 7,900 acres of land and authorities have called for additional evacuations. The Batterman fire near East Wenatchee started Sunday afternoon and was only 10 percent contained Monday. More local crews are heading to Douglas County to help in the effort, KOMO-TV reported. OMAHA, Neb. (AP) The Biden administration plans to issue a new rule to protect the rights of farmers who raise cows, chickens and hogs against the country's largest meat processors as part of a plan to encourage more competition in the agriculture sector. The new rule that will make it easier for farmers to sue companies they contract with over unfair, discriminatory or deceptive practices is one of several steps that the White House plans to announce in the next few days. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is also expected to tighten the definition of what it means for meat to be labeled a Product of USA to exclude when animals are raised in other countries and simply processed in the United States. Farmer advocacy groups have pressed for change for years but Congress and the meat processing industry have resisted. A USDA official familiar with the White Houses plan said an executive order is expected to be announced this week that will clear the way for the new rules. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that the rules are designed to increase competition in agricultural industries to boost farmers and ranchers earnings, fight back against abuses of power by giant agribusiness corporations, and give farmers the right to repair their own equipment how they like. The regulation will make it easier for farmers to bring complaints under the Packers and Stockyards Act and is similar to one the Trump administration killed four years ago. That rule was first proposed in 2010. Several court rulings have interpreted federal law as saying a farmer must prove a companys actions harm competition in the entire industry before a lawsuit can move forward. The new rule would ease that high burden of proof. Chicken and pork producers, for example, often must enter long-term contracts with companies such as Tyson Foods and Pilgrims Pride that farmers say lock them into deals that fix their compensation at unprofitably low levels and force them deep into debt. Previously, major meat companies have defended the system as fair; it calls for farmers to provide barns and labor to raise chickens while the companies provide chicks, feed and expertise. The North American Meat Institute, which represents meat processors, said the proposed rule would likely encourage costly, specious lawsuits. Supporters of the new rule said not to expect a flood of lawsuits from small farmers who are working very hard for not a lot of pay.. The idea that theyre going to become ultimately extremely litigious and go out and hiring every lawyer they can to sue the industry is, I think, a big exaggeration on the part of some of the associations that are against this, said Jonathan Hladik, with the nonprofit Center for Rural Affairs in Nebraska, which lobbies on behalf of family farmers. Bill Bullard, who leads a trade group representing farmers and ranchers, said the change should better protect individuals in their dealings with the four major meat companies, which together control roughly 70% of U.S. beef production. It will help to reform the marketplace and balance the tremendous disparity in power between multinational meatpackers and independent family-owned cattle farms and ranches, said Bullard, who is CEO of the R-CALF USA trade group. Missouri farmer Darvin Bentlage, who raises crops and cattle about 40 miles (64.37 kilometers) north of Joplin in the southwest corner of the state, said these new rules will help if they can boost competition. We need more competition," Bentlage said. "Capitalism works well with competition. But when you start consolidating everything and taking away the competition then the capitalism doesnt work good for the smaller guys. The USDA also plans to review the definition of what it means for meat to be labeled a Product of USA. Currently, companies can use that label whenever meat is processed in the United States, even if the animals were born and raised elsewhere. USDA officials say that most grass-fed beef labeled as made in the U.S. actually comes from imported cattle. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has said he wants that label to accurately reflect what consumers expect when they read it. Bullard said changing the label rules will help, but that even if meat producers can't use the Product of USA label, they won't be required to label the beef as foreign. Consumers may think the meat they buy is produced domestically, even if it has been imported, because it carries a USDA inspection stamp when it has been processed in the United States, he said. The Agriculture Department also plans to invest in new local and regional markets, so farmers will have more options for selling the animals and crops they raise. Critics have said the major meat processing companies dominate the market for cattle, hogs and chickens, which makes it harder for small farmers to get a fair price. This week's expected executive order follows an announcement this spring that the USDA was planning to strengthen protections for farmers under the law and encourage more competition in livestock markets. A source familiar with the executive order said it will also encourage the Federal Trade Commission to limit the ability of agricultural equipment manufacturers to force farmers to have their equipment repaired at dealers instead of using independent repair shops or doing repairs themselves. Currently, some tractor makers use proprietary tools and software to force farmers to go to dealers for repairs. ___ Associated Press writer Nancy Benac in Washington D.C. contributed to this report. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Workers at the beleaguered Virginia Employment Commission are still responding to only a small portion of calls for help related to unemployment benefits, a state official told lawmakers Tuesday, presenting troubling preliminary findings from an ongoing agency audit. Lauren Axselle, who is leading a review of the commission for the states legislative watchdog agency, also raised concerns during her presentation in Richmond about staffing turnover, a technology modernization project and whether real progress was being made in working through a backlog of claims requiring adjudication. Axselle's brief presentation came as the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission staff are working toward an interim report about the employment commission in September and a final report in November. The employment commission, like its counterparts across the country, was deluged with an unprecedented flood of applications for benefits at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. It also faced evolving demands to implement new federal aid programs. While data show Virginia has done quite well in quickly processing simple unemployment benefits for eligible individuals, the state has at times been last in the nation for the timely processing of certain claims that require additional adjudication. Widespread complaints have also persisted about poor customer service. A lawsuit filed in April alleged gross failures to provide laid-off workers assistance as required by law. In response to a lawmaker's question Tuesday about whether the performance of the agency's customer service call centers had improved, Axselle responded that some of the numbers I believe look a little worse than at the height of the pandemic. As of right now it looks like only a small portion of ... calls are being responded to by VEC staff," said Axselle, who told the lawmakers she did not have specific historical data at the ready to cite. She also addressed the recent work by the employment commission to process the tens of thousands of backlogged claims that had been awaiting adjudication. While the VEC has recently reported reducing a backlog that started around 92,000 to about 40,000 over about two months, Axselle said concerns have been raised that new adjudication issues had been added to the backlog in that time. She also described staffing turnover among the workers brought on to address those claims, saying her agency was trying to determine what the actual increase in staff has been. "The narrative that casts VEC's performance in this area as entirely positive may not be presenting the full picture to legislators," she said. The VEC is also working toward an order from Gov. Ralph Northam to implement an overhaul of its decades-old benefits system by Oct. 1. Axselle described problems with the work so far that remain unresolved and concerns about the availability of staff with necessary programming expertise. An official with the audit and review commission said in a response to questions from AP that the agency could not yet provide more specifics about data points, including the number of calls responded to, staffing levels or turnover rates because analysts were still working to ensure their accuracy. Those details are expected to be included in later reports. Asked if the employment commission had any response to Axselle's remarks, spokesperson Joyce Fogg wrote in an email, I have no comment." Virginians have flooded their lawmakers' offices with complaints about the employment commission. At one point in Tuesday's meeting, Democratic state Sen. Lionell Spruill joked that perhaps this year's elections, when all 100 seats in the state House are up, should be put off so no legislators would be affected by the issue. ISLAMABAD (AP) Pakistan on Tuesday vehemently rejected an international media watchdog's report that lists Prime Minister Imran Khan on a list of the world's 37 worst rulers when it comes to press freedom. The angry reaction from Khan's government came in response to a Monday report titled: Press freedom predators gallery old tyrants, two women and a European," released by Paris-based Reporters Without Borders. According to the group, the cases of brazen censorship are legion since Khan became prime minister" following parliamentary elections in 2018. It said during Khans rule, the distribution of newspapers was interrupted, media outlets were threatened with withdrawal of advertising and TV channel signals were jammed. Journalists who cross the red lines have been threatened, abducted and tortured, the media watchdog said. Pakistans Information Ministry in a statement Tuesday rejected the allegations, saying Khans government believed in the freedom of expression and media independence. In a statement, the ministry said it was surprising that Reporters Without Borders has jumped to the conclusion" that media in Pakistan are under draconian censorship measures by Khans government. It said the government has been taking all possible measures to create a congenial environment for journalists to perform their professional obligations. It appears that the report that (Reporters Without Borders) has issued is an attempt to malign the elected representative of the people of Pakistan, without any corroborative evidence," the ministry said. The ministry said it hoped that the watchdog in the future will avoid such irresponsible journalism." Critics say Pakistan has long been a deadly place for journalists. In 2020, it ranked ninth on the Committee to Protect Journalists annual Global Impunity Index, which assesses countries where journalists are murdered regularly and their killers go free. Although Pakistan says it supports freedom of speech, rights activists often accuse Pakistans military and its agencies of harassing and attacking journalists. GEORGETOWN, Del. (AP) A 12-year-old ATV passenger was critically injured in a hit-and-run crash with a truck on Monday morning, Delaware State Police said. The crash happened when three juveniles riding a Honda Recon ATV pulled out of a private driveway onto Shingle Point Road in Georgetown, police said. A southbound flatbed truck pulling a trailer moved into the northbound lane to avoid the ATV, but ended up striking the rear of the ATV. The rear passenger on the ATV, a 12-year-old girl, was ejected and landed on the pavement, police said. The driver of the truck stopped to check on the occupants of the ATV, then left, police said. The girl was flown to a hospital in critical condition, police said. Police describe the truck that hit the ATV as a white truck with a black flatbed, pulling a trailer with red wooden sides. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to keynote the signature fundraiser for the Republican Party in South Carolina, home to the first Southern presidential primary and a crucial destination for potential White House hopefuls of both major parties. Hes looking forward to coming down to South Carolina, being able to to deliver some red meat and speak his mind without having to worry about being a diplomat, state Republican Party Chairman Drew McKissick told The Associated Press last week, referencing a recent conversation with Pompeo. He delivers substance. The fundraiser known as the Silver Elephant Dinner began in 1967 with a California governor, Ronald Reagan, as its keynote speaker, and has become an annual attraction for top GOP figures. Headliners over the ensuing decades have included a slew of other Republicans who went on to vie for their party's top billing, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry among them. Pompeo, who also served as CIA director during his four years in the Trump administration, has been making the rounds in other states with early presidential voting contests, such as Iowa and New Hampshire, fueling speculation he will seek the Republican presidential nomination. But, as politicians often do this far out from a primary, Pompeo demurred when asked about future electoral ambitions, including a White House run, and whether a potential run by former President Donald Trump would sway any plans. Only the Lord knows where I will be in 2023, Pompeo told AP last month during an interview about a political action committee he formed to assist down-ballot Republicans in the 2022 election cycle. Such a political vehicle also serves to give anyone with presidential aspirations a platform by which they can develop connections in states across the country and maintain visibility. Several other former administration officials also have formed such PACs as Republicans grapple with their partys future following Trumps term. Trump himself has complicated those conversations, implying he could seek a second term and recently returning to the large-scale rallies that have become his signature events. Two and a half years out from the state's first-in-the-South primary, other former Trump administration figures mentioned as potential GOP hopefuls have also begun courting South Carolina. They include Nikki Haley, who cut short her second term as the state's governor to serve as Trumps U.N. ambassador. During an April visit to a historically Black university in Orangeburg, Haley addressed the 2024 race when questioned by AP, saying she would not seek her partys nomination if Trump runs again. Two weeks later, choosing South Carolina as the site of his first public speech since leaving office, former Vice President Mike Pence put down a marker for a potential return to office, telling a Columbia audience that in the coming months he'll be pushing back on the liberal agenda he says is wrong for the country. Another South Carolinian mentioned as a potential 2024 presidential candidate is Sen. Tim Scott, with his name appearing in a straw poll at this years Conservative Political Action Conference. Recently launching his 2022 Senate reelection campaign, Scott also gave the GOPs response to President Joe Bidens maiden address to Congress this year. McKissick, South Carolina's GOP chairman, declined to estimate how much money the July 30 dinner could bring in for the party, but said a thousand or more people would attend. In a statement to AP, Pompeo said he was looking forward to the event, as well as working to reelect great conservatives like Scott and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster next year. Now more than ever, its important to defend American values and stand up to the radical left, he said. ___ Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP. ALBANY For several months, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer has called on U.S. and Canadian officials to determine and publicize a plan for the urgent reopening of the northern border. In Plattsburgh on Tuesday, Schumer doubled down on his plea, adding that if Canadian officials are still reluctant to change their policies the United States should act alone. Speaking from the Plattsburgh Boat Basin, in a New York region heavily dependent on tourism and cross-border travel, Schumer, D-New York, said it is time for the U.S. to finally take the first move in good faith to safely reopen the border to vaccinated Canadians. Other federal lawmakers have previously said U.S. officials should act alone to reopen the border, including U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville. Schumer also called reports that the Canadian government is considering placing a new tax on underused vacation properties "unfair," given that most Americans with property in Canada have not been allowed to access those holdings for over a year. Americans' ability to visit their properties will not change, even if U.S. officials act unilaterally to reopen their border, unless Canada shifts its policies. Canadian officials were first to confirm the latest extension of the pandemic-induced joint border closure in mid-June. It is set to expire again on July 21. By then, the land border will have been closed to all but essential travelers, citizens and residents of the receiving country for an unprecedented 16 months. And while the U.S. has more permissive regulations for those opting for air travel, Canada does not. Business leaders in northern New York have been advocating for change, as have families and communities in the state which straddle its 445-mile border with Canada. North Country Chamber of Commerce President Garry Douglas lauded as a positive step Canadas decision to eliminate a 14-day quarantine for its citizens returning from the U.S., which took effect yesterday. In Plattsburgh, Schumer continued to emphasize the need for a binational plan that would open the border to nonessential travel, allowing U.S. citizens and residents to begin crossing the border as well. Though Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a news conference Monday that he is hopeful that we're going to see new steps on reopening announced in the coming weeks," he reiterated that Canadian officials would first watch for impacts of the quarantine rule change. U.S. lawmakers, including Schumer, have expressed skepticism that the two governments will agree on next steps with the urgency they say New York communities require. In an open letter to secretaries Antony Blinken and Alejandro Mayorkas, the senator urged the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security to take a first step to unilaterally expand the definition of essential travel to include vaccinated Canadian citizens with family, property, educational, medical, or business interests in the United States. He cited that U.S. businesses along the northern border could not afford another summer like the last." ST. LOUIS (AP) Police in St. Louis are investigating after officers found a man fatally shot inside a home in the citys Penrose neighborhood. Officers were called to the home around 7 p.m. Monday and found a man in his 50s dead inside the home, police said. Investigators said he had been shot behind an ear. BERLIN (AP) One person was injured in a stabbing in a car park at Duesseldorf Airport on Tuesday and officers were looking for the assailant, police said. The stabbing happened at a parking ticket machine and is suspected to have resulted from an argument among homeless people, police told German news agency dpa. There was no disruption to air traffic or to passenger operations. Nariman El-Mofty/AP WASHINGTON (AP) The Biden administration is extending a program that allows people from Yemen to stay in the U.S. temporarily because of the turmoil from the civil war there. The Department of Homeland Security said in announcing the decision Tuesday that about 2,100 Yemenis and their families will benefit from the extension and re-designation of temporary protected status. They will be allowed to live and work in the U.S. through March 2023, though the program does not automatically grant them a path to American citizenship. NEW ORLEANS (AP) Attorneys who don't want to belong to, or pay dues to, their state bar associations in Texas and Louisiana have won important battles at a federal appeals court in New Orleans. A panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Texas must stop requiring attorneys to join or pay dues to that states bar association unless and until it gives them a better opportunity to object to some of the ways the money is spent. In a separate case, the same panel of three appellate judges revived a lawsuit in which a Louisiana attorney objected to being forced to join that states bar association. That case, too, could eventually result in an order that the Louisiana State Bar Association make changes. RELATED: This Houston comic book store just filed the most colorful lawsuit ever Both rulings were handed down Friday. They are the latest developments in least six lawsuits being pursued by lawyers in some of the 31 states requiring bar association membership as part of the states' regulation of the legal profession. The victories were not total. The panel rejected the idea that mandatory membership by itself violates constitutionally protected freedoms of speech and association. In the Texas case, the panel held that compelled bar membership can be seen as constitutional under current law and Supreme Court precedent if the bar association is engaged in funding or lobbying for activities that are germane to the regulation of the legal profession. For instance, the bar association's lobbying to change the definition of marriage in the Texas Constitution and for the creation of civil unions was not germane, Judge Jerry Smith wrote for the panel. However, other controversial issues could be, he added, citing diversity initiatives conducted by the Texas Bars Office of Minority Affairs aimed at serving minorities, women and LGBT attorneys and enhancing employment opportunities in the legal profession for those groups. They are aimed at creating a fair and equal legal profession for minority, women, and LGBT attorneys, which is a form of regulating the legal profession, Smith wrote. But currently, Smith wrote, The Bar does not furnish Texas attorneys with meaningful notice regarding how their dues will be spent." It also leaves them with few workable options to express disapproval and obtain refunds of their dues. In Louisiana, attorney Randy Boudreaux's lawsuit said he opposed his dues going to pay for political activity, specifically citing issues including the Louisiana State Bar Association resolutions opposing the death penalty and the association's lobbying efforts against requiring judges to file financial statements and allowing school personnel to carry firearms on campuses, among other issues. MORE NEWS: Texas college helps restore reefs with diners' discarded oyster shells A lower court judge dismissed Boudreaux's complaint in January 2020. Judge Don Willett, writing for the 5th Circuit panel in the Louisiana case, said the judge was wrong on multiple grounds and ordered him to take another look at whether the Louisiana State Bar Association engages in non-germane activity" that Boudreaux shouldn't be made to help fund through his dues. Smith was nominated to the 5th Circuit by President Ronald Reagan. Willett and Judge Kyle Duncan, the third member of the panel that ruled Friday, were nominated by President Donald Trump. Houston-area Rep. Dan Crenshaw has some unexpected competition in the 2022 race for his seat. Libertarian Jean Luc Picard, Republican Sandy Cheeks, Green Party candidate Wayne Campbell and more have all filed Statements of Candidacy for Texas' District 2. And yes, those are fictional characters from long-running TV series and a 1990s comedy based on an "SNL" sketch. GOVERNOR MCCONAUGHEY?: New poll shows how Abbott stacks up vs. McConaughey And, obviously, Squilliam Fancyson isn't actually running against Crenshaw. Someone has taken it upon themselves to file multiple candidate statements for fictional characters (or long-dead rock stars). Twitter account @CATargetBot tracks candidacy filings across the country, where you'll find some familiar names clogging up the system. Look closely and you'll see Joe Swanson, Patrick Edward Star, Campbell, Picard, Kurt Cobain, Squidward Tentacles, Fancyson, Perch Perkins, Eugene Krabs, SpongeBob SquarePants and Cheeks have filed forms within the last week. A pretty stacked ballot, if you ask methough I'm not sure how much relevant experience a Krusty Krab fry cook actually has to serve as a Texas representative (even if he was named Employee of the Month 26 times in a row). Meanwhile, up in Illinois, a certain Sheldon Plankton has filed his own candidacy form, clearly adding a new element to a timeless rivalry. STARBASE, TEXAS: See inside Elon Musk's tiny, rented home in Texas No word on the legality of dead rock stars, spaceship captains or aquatic animals running in Texas. But if we can continue to seriously consider Matthew McConaughey as our potential governor, perhaps we can welcome some nautical nonsense in a congressional race. Looking to break into Seattle's intensely competitive real estate market? Be prepared to pay well over the asking price. More than 4,500 homes in the Seattle area have sold for at least $100,000 above the asking price so far in 2021, according to a recent report from Redfin. That figure dwarfs the number of homes that sold at such prices during the same period last year about 400. "Ive never seen anything like this housing market," Scott Petrich, a Seattle-based Redfin agent, said in the report. In Seattle, 146 homes have sold for at least $300,000 above asking price so far this year. Thats up from just eight at this time last year. In nearby Bellevue, the number of homes selling for at least $300,000 above asking price jumped from two to 88. Meanwhile, the number of Seattle homes that have sold for between $100,000 and $299,99 above asking price is a staggering 4,078. That number was 362 at this time last year. Petrich said wealthy employees at the citys tech companies have the means to out-bid other buyers and often end up paying for homes well above asking price. That, in turn, increases prices across the market, he said. Its fueled by employees of local tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft and companies with big offices in the area like Google and Facebook, he said in the report. A lot of them didnt want to work remotely during the pandemic in small apartments, and that pushed them to seek out large homes with office spaces. Most of those people have the money to compete with other buyers and drive up prices. Just over 6,300 Seattle homes have sold for between $25,000 and $99,999 above asking price, up from about 2,000 last year. The report said the incredible number of homes selling above asking price partly caused the median home price in Seattle to rise to a record $737,800 in May. However, the report notes that, because homebuying and selling slowed during the pandemic last year, the year over year growth in Seattles median home price (26.1%) is somewhat exaggerated. Apart from Seattle proper, suburbs east of the city saw the biggest jump in homes selling well above asking price. Bellevue topped the list in homes selling at least $300,000 above asking price (88, up from two). It was followed by Redmond (70, up from zero); Sammamish (54, up from one); Kirkland (46, up from two); and Issaquah (35, up from zero). The median sale price in all five Eastside cities topped $1 million in May I meet a lot of buyers dreaming of living over here because they see big homes listed at unrealistically low prices, Petrich said. But the reality is, people cant get a home for the list price or even slightly over list price. Because of this, the report advises prospecting homebuyers to seek homes below their budget and to ensure they have enough money in the bank to cover a low appraisal to make their offer standout. That may mean compromising by looking at smaller homes or considering a location with a longer commute, Petrich said. The report also compared the number of homes selling for at least $100,000 above asking price in Seattle to other metros of a similar size. Seattle came in second on that list of 10 cities. Oakland in California took the top spot. Florida, FL (34429) Today Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 87F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. A. Asking isn't enough and neither is the current level of enforcement. B. Entrance into Three Sisters Springs needs to be staggered. C. Human entry into Three Sisters Springs should be limited to only the boardwalk - no swimming or paddlecraft. D. The current levels of erosion are acceptable and can be addressed with additional rock installation. Vote View Results Twenty years ago, a group of 17 software developers changed the world. In February 2001, what came to be known as the Agile Alliance developed the Manifesto for Agile Software Development. Written over a long weekend at Snowbird, a ski resort in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, the Manifesto advocated a new approach to softwareone that emphasized adaptation, action, and speed over careful planning and consideration. Getty Images The Agile Manifesto started a slow-motion revolution. What started as a snowball slowly gathered mass and speed, launching a genuine agile revolution. Today, that revolution has finally reached the executive suite. Agility is officially a C-level concern. In fact, a recent survey of senior business leaders, conducted by IDC and commissioned by ServiceNow, found that 90% of European CEOs consider agility critical to their company's success. Thats no surprise after a year in which the ability to react quickly and effectively to new business challenges took center stage. CEOs are increasingly aware of the success agile companies enjoy. In my experience, these organizations are well-positioned to create great customer and employee experiences, drive productivity, and attract and retain the best talent. However, rather than talking about agility as a standalone C-suite priority, I see it as a foundational enabler of these three key organizational priorities. 1) Protecting and grow your organization Protecting your company in the current climate is priority number one. The trick is to stay protected while incorporating a growth focus. By putting the needs of peopleboth customers and employeesat the heart of your strategic thinking, you can achieve both. This principle has its roots in the original Agile Manifesto, and the results play out in real life. The IDC agility survey found that more than half of businesses in the highest tier of agility readiness performed excellently in terms of customer experience, compared with fewer than a fifth of organizations overall. These companies depend on flexible operating models to integrate customer feedback and align quickly to shifting preferences, increasing satisfaction and performing 20% better than market average when it comes to customer loyalty. 2) Driving efficiency and productivity By digitizing processes on a single workflow platform, organizations can automate manual, repetitive tasks to reduce costs and increase productivity. This clears the way for companies to move more quickly and frees employees to focus on higher-value work. Greater efficiency, underpinned by agility, has a direct impact on the speed of delivering new products or services to market. IDC found, for instance, that time to market for agile companies is 16% better than market average. Getty Images Don't be afraid to move fast and break things. That, of course, has a huge impact on productivity and growth. I recently spoke with a large pharmaceutical company that has saved $1 million for every day it has reduced medication time to market. Far more valuable are the lives saved by this acceleration. 3) Prioritizing and mitigating risk Risk used to be about prioritizing and mitigating operational risk. Today, Covid-19 has shifted the focus onto human risk, particularly on the health and safety of employees. Bringing in that human element is essential, and technology can facilitate an agile response to changing risk environments. Coca-Cola European Partners did this when it used ServiceNow to create a Covid-19 response portal in just three days, giving employees access to critical health and safety information. By taking an integrated view of rapid risk response across the organizational estate, companies can ensure that they remain competitive from both an operational and employee experience perspective. An agile imperative Though the benefits of agile are clear, the landscape is mixed when it comes to assessing the progress of companies in Europe. When measured against five types of organizational agility, IDC found that one third of organizations sit in the lower static or disconnected tiers, while nearly half are categorized as the in motion middle tier of the agility journey. Just one in five (21%) have attained the top levels of synchronized and agile. For those in the lower two tiers, 2021 will be particularly challenging. Id go as far as to predict that many of these companies will not be here at the end of 2021 due to their siloed legacy systems, rigid processes, and slow development cadence. And yet, for those committed to applying agile principles to their business operations, the current environment presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to drive change across the enterprise in an agile way. By overcoming corporate barriers and embracing digital workflows, we can join the agile revolution and position our organizations for success. This article originally appeared on Forbes BrandVoice. About the IDC Business Agility Benchmark Survey: The IDC Organizational Agility Benchmark Survey (October 2020) conducted with 873 large European organizations looked at the link between organizational agility and key performance indicators. Learn more about the IDC Organizational Agility Evolution Framework, and the five key foundational dimensions of Agility in the white paper: Agility: The strategic imperative to survive and thrive in volatiles times. Enterprises across the country are rethinking how much office space they need post-pandemic, as knowledge workers and admin staff show no signs of wanting to let go of the conferencing and collaboration tools that enable them to log in from home. Gary Desai, CIO at Discount Tire, has another real-estate question on his mind, though: How can IT help reduce the footprint of the companys typical tire shop so that it can open new locations in more densely populated markets? Discount Tire has around 1,100 stores employing 22,000 people across the US, and adds another 50 outlets each year. A typical shop will have a glass storefront that houses a display of tires and wheel rims, as well as a seating area and desks where sales staff can check in customers on computers and help them pick out the services they need. Out back, therell be three or four bays where the cars are serviced. Today we are mostly in Texas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, where youve got big parking lots, says Desai, who joined the 60-year-old family-owned business in January 2020. The situation in New York or Boston, however, is very different. Land there is at a premium. If you want to enter those markets, you want to enter it with half the footprint of your competition, he says. Support local journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Administratorii portalului nu poarta raspundere pentru continutul postarilor si materialelor plasate de utilizatorii site-ului. Utilizati informatia din acest articol pe propriul risc. Zurich Appoints Leader of Claims University Zurich North America has appointed Terry-Dawn Thomas as head of Claims University, a platform that trains Zurich employees interested in working for its claims department. Thomas will report to Doug Meyers, chief operations officer for North America claims. She will continue to work from Zurichs Atlanta office. Thomas will focus on creating a consistent and collaborative learning experience. Claims University is part of Zurichs Claiming our Future program, which offers employees development and growth opportunities across all lines and experience levels, the carrier said in a press release. Thomas has been with Zurich for eight years. She previously served as a managing attorney for the staff legal office in Atlanta. Prior to joining Zurich, she was an attorney in private4 practice for 24 years. In 2011 she joined GEICO as a managing attorney. IAT Appoints Senior VP for Claims IAT Insurance Group, a speciality property and casualty and surety carrier based in Raleigh, N.C., appointed Joseph R. Smith as senior vice president, property and inland marine claims. Smith previous worked for Chubb, most recently as senior vice president, field property claim leader. He led a team of 225 employees. Smith also managed most complex commercial and personal lines property claims. He worked on niche markets such as builders risk, third party administration services, habitation, winders, life scenes and high-net-worth homeowners during his career, IAT said. Smith holds a bachelors degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to his insurance career, he spent five years as a Counterintelligence Officer for the U.S. Army. AqualisBraemar LOC Appoints Global Adjusting Head AqualisBraemar LOC, a London-based international provider of insurance services to the offshore and marine markets, has appointed Charles Honner as global managing director of loss adjusting. The company said in a press release that its adjusters specialize in the investigation and resolution of insurance claims and commercial disputes within the energy, power, mining, petrochemicals, renewables and maritime industries. Key services include loss adjusting, expert witness and dispute resolution. Honner is based in Houston. The appointment expands his role as AqualisBraemar LOCs managing director for adjusting in the Americas. Previously, Honner was a director with AqualisBraemar LOCs Singapore office. Before moving into adjusting, Honner worked for nearly 14 years in the upstream oil and gas industry, working as a process engineer for both oil services companies and a global operator. Honner holds degrees in chemical engineering and business. Accuro Solutions Hires 2 to Launch Bill Review Platform Investors who launched this year Accuro Solutions said they searched in vain to acquire a bill review company, but decided in the end to hire managed care technology experts Steve Junker and Patrick Isaac to build bill review and workflow systems from the ground up. Junker was appointed as chief information officer. He works with executives and sales teams on client solutions, the company said. Previously, he was principal of Numeral Technology, providing technology consulting services to workers compensation managed care companies. His expertise is in medical bill review, preferred provider organizations, analytics, document management, and payment management applications. Prior employers were Service First Medical, CareWorks, MCMC, Universal SmartComp, and Litigation Solutions. Isaac was appointed chief technology officer. He manages internal technology, including application development and system architecture. Most recently, he served as vice president of information technology for Paradigm and earlier held technical leadership positions with Universal SmartComp, Align Networks, and Adva-Net. Based in Sarasota, Floa, Accuro Solutions provides bill processing technology and services. The Boy Scouts of America have reached an $850 million agreement with attorneys representing some 60,000 victims of child sex abuse in what could prove to be a pivotal moment in the organizations bankruptcy case. The agreement filed in court by BSA attorneys late Thursday would mark one of the largest sums in U.S. history involving cases of sexual abuse. The filing, known as a restructuring support agreement, includes the BSA, abuse victims, local Boy Scouts councils and lawyers appointed to represent victims who might file future claims. After months of intensive negotiations, the debtors have reached resolution with every single official and major creditor constituency, BSA attorneys wrote. The Boy Scouts of America sought bankruptcy protection in February 2020, moving to halt hundreds of lawsuits by men who were molested as youngsters decades ago by scoutmasters or other leaders. The filing was intended to try to reach a global resolution of abuse claims and create a compensation fund for victims. But attorneys for the Irving, Texas-based BSA had previously been unable to reach agreement with victims, local Boy Scout councils and insurers on how to compensate victims while allowing the 111-year-old organization to continue operating. Thursdays agreement signals the BSAs acknowledgment that disagreements remain between attorneys representing abuse victims and those representing the BSAs insurers. In an earlier court filing Thursday, attorneys for certain insurance companies accused the BSA of allowing attorneys for abuse victims to rewrite the BSAs restructuring plan to favor their clients. With only the fox guarding the henhouse, the outcome is utterly at odds with what BSA itself asserted was necessary for a confirmable plan and is permissible under the bankruptcy code, the insurers wrote. Attorneys for insurers appear to be concerned, among other things, that decisions regarding insurance coverage issues would be made without their input. Meanwhile, attorneys for the Boy Scouts are also asking for U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Laurie Selber Silverstein to declare that they have no obligation to seek court approval of a previously announced settlement with The Hartford, one of the BSAs insurers. The Hartford agreed to pay $650 million into the victims trust in exchange for being released from any further obligations under policies dating to 1971. The Hartford settlement was roundly criticized by attorneys for abuse victims, who estimate the insurers liability exposure at several billion dollars. They made it clear that victims would not support any plan that includes the Hartford settlement. The Boy Scouts have said that between $2.4 billion and $7.1 billion, including insurance rights, might be available for abuse victims. Attorneys for a committee that acts as a fiduciary representative of all victims in the bankruptcy case have estimated the value of some 82,500 sexual abuse claims at about $103 billion. Matthew Sturdevant, a spokesperson for The Hartford, said the companys agreement with the Boy Scouts is a crucial building block to move this bankruptcy case toward a conclusion. We are disappointed that the Boy Scouts of America have chosen to flout the organizations tenet of keeping promises by seeking to discard a thoughtfully negotiated and mutually agreed upon deal that appropriately values The Hartfords obligations, Sturdevant said in an email. In a joint statement, representatives for the victims as well as future claimants representative said the restructuring support agreement will allow the Boy Scouts to emerge from bankruptcy while providing meaningful compensation to the victims, and holding the Boy Scouts insurers to the terms of the insurance policies purchased by the Boy Scouts and their affiliates over many decades. In a revised plan submitted barely two weeks ago, the BSA offered to issue an $80 million promissory note to a trust fund for abuse victims. It also proposed maneuvers to make up to $50 million in additional cash available for abuse survivors. The proposed changes would increase the BSAs proposed contribution to as much as roughly $250 million, more than doubling a prior plan. Under a new plan expected to be filed Friday, the BSAs 250-odd local councils would contribute $600 million into the fund for abuse victims, doubling an offer from earlier this year. Under the plan, the BSA and local councils would be released from liability in return for their contributions to the victims fund. A hearing in the case is schedule for July 20. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. President Joe Biden plans to nominate a senior lawyer for a U.S. House of Representatives committee to chair the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), along with a lawyer at the agency for another commissioner slot, the White House said. Biden announced late on Friday that he intends to nominate Alexander Hoehn-Saric, a Democrat who is chief counsel for the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on communications and consumer protection, to head the CPSC. Reuters reported the planned nominations earlier. Hoehn-Saric works on legislation and oversight related to product safety, consumer protection, and communications. The Democratic president also plans to nominate Mary Boyle to the commission, the White House said. She is the CPSCs current executive director and has spent more than a decade at the agency in senior positions. American families need a strong cop on the beat at the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell said in a statement, adding Hoehn-Saric, who is also a former Senate Commerce Committee senior counsel has been at the forefront of the fight for a strong CPSC to protect consumers, children, and families from dangerous products. In December 2019, Senate Democrats said in a report that the CPSC was inappropriately deferential to companies it investigates. Settlements reached by the commission under Republican then-President Donald Trump are at odds with traditional recall agreements negotiated by the CPSC, the Senate Commerce Committee report said. Rather than providing consumers with a specific remedy that repairs all impacted products or a refund to remove the dangerous products from homes, these recalls perversely serve as marketing tools to allow the recalling company to sell additional products, the report found. (Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis and David Gregorio Subscribe to the Cleveland Jewish News Get the award-winning Cleveland Jewish News and our popular magazines delivered directly to you. Prices start at $53.95 per year. Subscribe today! Subscribe Submit your news We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit news Clinton, IA (52732) Today Partly cloudy early then heavy thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 84F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low near 70F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Heinz Experts Eye Future of U.S. Energy Infrastructure July 06, 2021 This year, a series of devastating events highlighted the growing gaps and weaknesses in the American energy infrastructure. In February, a historic cold snap exposed vulnerabilities in Texas' power grid, leaving 4.5 million homes and businesses without power and resulting in the deaths of at least 151 people. In May, a cybersecurity attack on a major pipeline dealt a startling blow to the East Coast's fuel supply that rippled out to the transportation and airline industries. In its 2021 Infrastructure Report Card, the American Society of Civil Engineers found that the investment gap in the American energy infrastructure is expected to grow to a cumulative $197 billion by 2029. As hackers pose increasingly sophisticated threats to critical infrastructure and the impacts of climate change continue to accelerate the frequency and intensity of weather events, the American energy infrastructure is in need of a serious overhaul to both increase resiliency and facilitate the transition to cleaner energy resources. At the end of March, the Biden Administration introduced the American Jobs Plan, a proposed approach to revitalizing the American economy through investing in rebuilding the infrastructure. The $2 trillion plan allocated significant investment to the energy sector including the development of a renewed electrical grid, the creation of a Clean Energy and Sustainability Accelerator, and the allocation of $46 billion to support clean energy manufacturing. For months, the contents of the American Jobs Plan were hotly debated across party lines. A bipartisan team of senators reached a compromise, resulting in a $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework. This framework proposes substantial changes to the energy sector, including the establishment of a new Grid Authority to upgrade the American power infrastructure. In an official statement, the Biden administration referred to these developments as the "largest investment in clean energy transmission in American history." However, many experts insist that the measures proposed by the American Jobs Plan will not be enough to bolster the energy sector and mitigate the effects of climate change. In the following Q&A, Karen Clay, a professor of economics and public policy, and Akshaya Jha, an assistant professor of economics and public policy, discuss the state of the American energy infrastructure. Q: Just to define the term, what is the energy infrastructure and what are its main components? Akshaya Jha: So, when we think about the energy infrastructure, what we're really talking about is the means by which different forms of energy be it electrical or otherwise are produced, transported, and delivered. Karen Clay: Right. Typically, we consider generation, transportation, storage and distribution to be the main categories of that infrastructure, or the steps that need to be taken. For instance, solar energy to be absorbed into a photovoltaic panel to someone miles away turning on their television. In addition to electricity, the main components of energy infrastructure also include petroleum products and natural gas, and the main categories of transportation and distribution include high voltage transmission lines, pipelines, and long- and short-distance transportation via truck, rail, barges and ships. Additionally, as I mentioned, the energy infrastructure also encompasses storage methods, such as batteries, underground and above ground storage of petroleum and natural gas, and hydroelectric storage methods. Jha: I would like to add that one new aspect that more and more people are also talking about is electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Having these charging stations so that electric vehicles can go from point A to point B, possibly achieving longer-distance rides than what's feasibly occurring today. Which is to say that as technologies change and evolve, what is considered energy infrastructure can also change and evolve. Q: The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the United States' energy sector a C- on its 2021 Infrastructure Report Card. What do you see as the most pressing issues or most pertinent areas of improvement related to our energy infrastructure as it is today? Clay: As I see it, there are three areas where we need improvement: reliability, security and resilience. Reliability is ability to deliver service under normal conditions, security is the ability to avoid or mitigate physical and cybersecurity attacks, and resilience is the ability to quickly restore service when severe natural and human events occur. In particular, we've seen a lot of issues with security, as sophisticated cyberattacks increasingly target infrastructure, and resilience, with the uptick in severe weather events. Jha: From a climate change perspective, we need to look at what facilitates a transition away from burning fossil fuels. When it comes to the electricity grid, we need to be thinking about how we build up transmission infrastructure so that a fossil fuel plant in Texas doesn't need to start up in order to satisfy electricity demand in Texas. Instead, we could be building up the transmission infrastructure so that it's more connected to other states. But there's a huge caveat that while this is feasible in a practical sense, it might not be politically. Connecting Texas' energy infrastructure to other states would mean that it would be subject to federal regulation. With this Texas example, there's also an inherent tension between the long-run shift away from burning natural gas and the short-term need to deliver gas for home heating and to fuel power plants. On the transportation side, it comes down again to the same question. It's a question of priorities. Do we want to be building public transit or really investing in roads to get people from point A to point B? Do we want to invest more into electric vehicles or try to improve the fuel efficiency of vehicles that use gasoline? It really comes down to finding a clear vision forward. We need to decide the best path for moving away from burning fossil fuels. Q: The Biden administration's proposed infrastructure bill addresses several avenues for preparing for and mitigating the impact of climate change. What do you see as some of the available opportunities with regard to tying infrastructure reform in the energy sector into sustainability and climate change preparedness? Clay: Any plan to address climate change needs to prioritize investment in renewables, and these renewables require electricity storage technology. Otherwise, during periods of low sun or wind where an insufficient amount of renewable energy is being produced to power the grid, providers need to switch to fossil fuel to make up the difference. If we had better storage technology, providers wouldn't need to fall back on fossil fuels. So, by increasing battery storage capacity, we can facilitate the integration of renewables, improve reliability and possibly even build resiliency. Also, decarbonization to address climate change will increase our reliance on the electricity grid. Updating older transmission and local distribution systems should help improve reliability and increase resiliency. This can mitigate crises, such as what we saw in Texas this winter, when millions of people lost access to power. Where electricity was unavailable, Texans were in some cases still able to draw on fossil fuels. Some users of gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles were able to access fuel, and owners of fossil fuel generators who had access to fuel produced electricity. If fossil fuels are less common and have more limited availability, the reliability, security, and resiliency of the electricity grid will become even more important than it currently is. I should add that additional measures beyond the items in the infrastructure bill will be needed to achieve decarbonization. Economists are currently focused on tradable performance standards and a hybrid clean electricity standard with a 100% clean target, partial crediting of gas generation, and a $40 per metric ton [carbon dioxide] alternative compliance payment backstop. Alternatives such as clean electricity standards alone or the extension of tax credits alone are not sufficient in many or even most scenarios. Jha: Going off of that Texas example again, building up electricity transmission infrastructure from these isolated grids feels like a great opportunity. Currently, states like Texas have relatively few interconnections to neighboring states. In principle, this seems like a relatively low-cost, high-value intervention. Of course, as I mentioned before, there is a political aspect to this, and Texas may not want to develop that kind of interconnection. Also, there are technology hurdles that we still need to overcome before we can move to a 100% carbon-free grid. For example, electricity storage is one of the biggest obstacles right now. If we had more electricity storage, when a wind farm or solar panel doesn't produce as much as we would expect, we wouldn't need to turn to natural gas to fill that gap. So, investing in the research and technology to develop cost-effective energy storage feels like a great opportunity. Q: So, what would the U.S. need to invest in as a nation in order to accomplish these goals and encourage innovation? Jha: As an economist, they would take my economist card away if I didn't say that we need to tax carbon. If we tax carbon, then the technologies that will "win" will be the ones that will be the ones that get put into place. It's not necessarily that we're putting money into technology A, technology B, and technology C and picking those technologies. We're letting the market dictate, well, if there's a price on carbon, then I can do it at this price, you can do it at that price. So, we'll pick the lowest cost way of reducing carbon emissions. So, if we have a carbon tax or carbon cap and trade policy that was federal, then we would see innovation on the technologies that are the lowest cost. Those are different things that would definitely help move us towards less carbon-intensive energy and transportation sectors. Clay: I also think that regulatory and economic pressures during energy transitions create opportunities for innovation. In some recent work, my coauthors and I have shown that there was a significant increase in innovation in the power systems area in the lead up to the 1970 Clean Air Act. Other reports have suggested that clean energy companies are doing well at the moment. It is unclear that funding is the primary barrier, meaning that this might be more aligned with motives and incentives around regulation, rather than just a need for more investment. Q: In your opinion, what is one aspect of the energy infrastructure debate or discourse that requires reframing or another layer of nuance? As in, "People who talk about _____ tend to overlook _____" or "Policymakers spend a lot of time talking about ______, but they should be focusing more on _______." Clay: A few points come to mind. The first is the need to carefully mitigate risks as we move to increased reliance on a single source of energy: electricity. Over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, we have drawn energy from diverse sources. While decarbonization is necessary, we need to carefully manage the transition to ensure that if the electricity grid goes down that it can be restored very, very quickly. The second is that decarbonization will yield significant benefits in the form of reductions in air pollution. This tends to get overlooked, but it will generate benefits across the United States. Reductions in air pollution help everyone and particularly help disadvantaged communities, which often have higher than average exposure to air pollution. The third is that we will pin most of our hopes for climate change on the current infrastructure bill. The bill can certainly help set the stage for change. Additional measures, such as tradable performance standards or a hybrid clean electricity standard, will be needed to achieve decarbonization. Jha: Building efficiency. It's relatively easy politically to sell that, hey, we want buildings to be more efficient from an energy perspective. But buildings are actually not that much of an energy consumer relative to other sources and it's not necessarily the lowest cost means of reducing energy consumption. So that would be one that perhaps there's been too much policy focus on relative to its benefit. The fact that electricity and transportation are two major carbon-intensive industries. It's not that we don't focus so much on these areas as much as there certainly should be more focus on those sectors. We have really old bus fleets all over this country, for example. Electrifying those fleets would be a great intersection of these two sectors. Something that gets left out of the debate about pipelines is that fact that if we don't build pipelines or if we shut down crude oil pipelines, we don't look enough at what is going to happen as an unintended consequence of that. One of the things that will happen is that less crude oil comes out of the ground, and so less gasoline will be burned. This is good for the environment. But the other thing that could happen is that the crude oil is transported by trains or trucks, instead of by pipeline. We saw this when the Colonial Pipeline shut down after the cyberattack. The Administration relaxed restrictions on trucks and trains, allowing them to transport crude oil more than they normally could. Trains and trucks produce a lot more pollution than a pipeline working at maximum efficiency. So, without a plan in place to avoid that, we'd actually have a higher environmental cost. That's a trade-off that doesn't get talked about a lot. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 5) - The World Bank should issue an apology to the Philippines for its supposedly outdated and insulting report on the country's educational situation, a Cabinet official said on Monday. In the recently released document, the World Bank said Filipino children fare poorly in studies as over 80% "do not know what they should know but Education Secretary Leonor Briones pointed out it was outdated. Briones said the data is no longer accurate as it was from the Program for International Student Assessment in 2019. The report did not include recent developments and efforts to improve education, she added. Briones said the World Bank also did not notify the government about releasing the report, which is against protocols. Since the country was insulted, shamed, we expect and look forward to a public apology, lalo na yung 'di pagsabi sa amin na naglabas sila ng gano'ng klaseng datos na lumang-luma [especially as they failed to inform us that they released outdated data], she said in a briefing. The Education chief said she already personally received an apology from the Washington-based lender but added that she wants it addressed to the Filipino people. Hindi naman ako ang natatamaan dito. Ang natatamaan ang bansa [Its not me being attacked by the report; its the country], she said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 5) President Rodrigo Duterte visited Zamboanga City on Monday to condole with troops affected by the C-130 plane crash over the weekend, conferring honors on the soldiers hurt and killed in the incident. Duterte's visit came a day after the military plane crashed in Patikul, Sulu. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed that 52 individuals have died in the country's deadliest military air disaster in at least four decades. "This is a very sorrowful event. Kung ano ang nasa puso niyo, 'yun din ang nasa puso ko." Duterte told those who were present during his visit. [Translation: This is a very sorrowful event. What is in your heart is in mine as well.] Duterte gave his assurance that help would be given to soldiers' families, specifically mentioning providing for the education for their children, giving prosthesis to troops who have lost limbs, as well as providing monetary help. "The best that we can really do the most important thing is that itong namatay [the dead] that they shall not have died in vain... and it behooves upon us to continue the help when they were alive as they are now in heaven," he said. Duterte also went to each of the caskets of fallen troops, laying his hands on the flags draped over these. According to Radio Television Malacanang, Duterte visited Camp Navarro General Hospital to award soldiers wounded in action with the Order of Lapu-Lapu with the Rank of Kampilan. Soldiers killed in action were conferred with the Order of Lapu-Lapu with the Rank of Kalasag. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) A lawmaker is challenging the Education Department to address the "perennial" problems of the country's education system instead of asking the World Bank to say sorry over its recent report. "DepEd and the Duterte administration should be ashamed for its abandonment and negligence in the worsening education crisis in the country, not because the World Bank published a report," said ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro on Tuesday. Among the woes Castro listed are the long-standing shortages in facilities and learning materials; undersupported, overworked and underpaid teachers; and large class sizes issues resulting from the lack of an adequate budget for the national education system. On Monday, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said she was looking forward to a public apology from the multilateral lender because of its recent report saying over 80% of Filipino children do poorly in studies. The Cabinet official added the World Bank apparently failed to inform Education authorities that it published outdated data. "What will an apology from the World Bank do to benefit the quality of education in the country? What will the DepEd do with the report if the World Bank informs them of the report before publishing?" added the solon. With this, Castro said the agency along with the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte must provide "concrete" plans to address the report's findings "instead of being onion-skinned and demanding an apology. The lawmaker likewise challenged DepEd to heed teachers' and students' demands for better access to quality education and address perennial problems to solve the "worsening crisis" in the system. Castro also urged the department to ensure each child has access to education amid blended learning if the current administration really does value education. RELATED: 89% of families find 'blended learning' setup more difficult than face-to-face classes Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) Malacanang on Tuesday issued a warning against individuals printing and presenting fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, who is a lawyer, said the act is equivalent to falsification of a public document. Nagbibigay po ako ng babala doon sa mga mamemeke [Im warning those who will fake vaccination cards]. Thats falsification of a public document... Mahaba ang kulong diyan [The penalty constitutes a long prison sentence], he said in his regular briefing. Under the Revised Penal Code, a public officer, employee or notary found guilty of falsifying a public document may serve time in prison for up to 12 years. Meanwhile, any private individual found to have committed the act may be jailed for up to six years. Roques warning comes amid concerns that the recently released government guidelines which list perks for fully inoculated individuals may give rise to the illegal act. The protocols include allowing those who have completed their immunization to present their vaccination card instead of undergoing the mandatory RT-PCR testing for "interzonal" domestic travel. Close contacts of a probable or confirmed COVID-19 case may also be subject to a shortened quarantine period if they are asymptomatic. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) Local government units have been instructed to use their remaining vaccines for second-dose completion as the country awaits more shipments, a National Task Force Against COVID-19 official said on Tuesday. NTF deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon said the directive came following a delay in the delivery of more Sinovac vaccines. Ang sabi natin sa mga LGU, lalo na sa NCR (National Capital Region), focus muna tayo sa second dose kasi gusto natin siguradong makuha ng mga kababayan natin ang kanilang second dose, Dizon said in a briefing. [Translation: We told LGUs, especially in the NCR, to focus first on administering the second dose because we want Filipinos to complete their vaccination.] Some LGUs in the country have halted their immunization drive after supplies ran out. Dizon said the arrival of additional doses from Beijing-based Sinovac was moved to July 18, but he added NTF chief implementer Carlito Galvez, Jr. is still working to have it possibly delivered by next week. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque also previously said the country is expecting some 1.1 million AstraZeneca and Sputnik V doses this week. Food and Drug Administration Director General Eric Domingo earlier stressed the importance of completing vaccination, saying "breakthrough" infections or cases of vaccinated people still contracting the coronavirus are notably lower among those who have had their two shots. READ: COVID-19 infections among vaccinated persons much lower after second dose FDA Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) Returning overseas Filipino workers will receive help for both physical and mental health concerns, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration said Tuesday. OWWA Director Rosalia Susana Catapang said this at the Laging Handa briefing, assuring OFWs that they will be looked after when they arrive home. "Lahat ng umuuwi na may sakit, maging pisikal man or mental illness, ay dinadala sa designated quarantine facility. Dedicated yon sa mga may sakit na OFWs," she said. [Translation: All those returning who are sick, whether it be physical or mental illness, are brought to designated quarantine facilities.] READ: Experts suggest 10-day quarantine for returning OFWs Health professionals like nurses and midwives are present 24/7 to attend to the needs of patients, she added, These medical personnel would also also accompany patients to hospitals if the need arises. When asked about how the agency handled cases of mental illness, Catapang said they have measures in place for such cases. "Iyong mga may mental illness po na kailangan po talagang dalahin sa mental institution, mayroon pong tie-up ang OWWA with the NCMH (National Center for Mental Health), at dinadala po natin doon iyong mga kababayan po natin na kailangan po ng hospital-based care po," she added. [Translation: Those with mental illnesses and should be brought to mental institutions, there is a tie-up with the NCMH, and we bring them there is they need hospital-based care.] Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said as of April 19, at least 519,566 overseas Filipino workers have returned since the start of the pandemic. Repatriation efforts are ongoing although the country has extended the ban on on travelers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates until July 15. The Inter-Agency Task Force, however, has released a list of areas considered as "green" or "low-risk" amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Delaware on July 1 reached the goal of 70 percent of adults having received at least one vaccination against the COVID-19 virus. President Joe Biden's target was to reach 70 percent vaccinated by July 4. The Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will again be assessing late fees, beginning Aug. 2, after expiration of the state's COVID-19-related State-of-Emergency. St. Andrews Episcopal Church in State College will hold an in-person poetry reading and panel discussion at 4 p.m. on Saturday as part of Central Pennsylvania's Festival of the Arts, which is largely virtual this year. The free event will feature local Centre and Lycoming County winners of the churchs 2021 poetry contest titled Poetry in a Time of Pandemic. The event will also be available to watch via Facebook livestream. The event will start with a poetry reading by poet Julia Kasdorf, which will be followed by a panel discussion hosted by Rev. Jeffrey Packard, rector of St. Andrews. In addition to Kasdorf, panelists will include Bishop Audrey Scanlan of Central Pennsylvania and Tierra Williams, candidate for Ferguson Township Supervisor. Starting as a discussion on the connections between religion and the pandemic, the panel is meant to be a continuation of this conversation about the impact and meaning of the events of 2020 and the power of poetry to help us understand them, according to the release. Following the panel discussion, the church will sell a book version of winning and selected submitted works from the contest titled Poetry in a Time of Pandemic: St. Andrews Episcopal Church 2021 Poetry Contest Anthology. MORE BOROUGH COVERAGE Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. This year our dine and drink business locations throughout the Gorge have suffered with closures. You can help support your favorites by purchasing take out and gift cards. Many of these business will offer curb-side delivery and some will deliver to your home. Lets keep the Gorge going strong! The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form Michael "Mike" Robinson, 75, of Danville passed away on July 7, 2021, following a brief illness. He will be remembered for his sense of humor, mechanical skill, generous spirit, kindness, creativity, fierce independence and love of nature and fast cars. He owned Cunningham Photo Service in D Im both a cheap geek and a realistic one. There are some hardware upgrades that I will gladly do upgrades such as ensuring that all hard drives in any computer I have are SSDs rather than IDE hard drives. Especially with Windows 10, its a no-brainer: an SSD makes any wheezy computer snappier. Ive even upgraded a server to include a TPM module. Typically the hard part is finding the right part that you need and then finding a picture (or ideally a video) showing exactly where the TPM module is plugged into the motherboard. But upgrading a processor? Thats where I draw the line. I have slathered on too much CPU thermal paste to feel comfortable in taking an existing processor out of a computer and upgrading it. So why am I worrying about upgrading hardware? Because of the recommended hardware mandated with the upcoming Windows 11 rollout near the end of the year requirements that include a 64-bit processor with 2+ cores and a speed of at least 1GHz, as well as a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0. To be clear, Windows 10 will be supported with updates until 2025, so there is no need to panic now. Rather, its a time to determine which computers can be updated to Windows 11 when it comes out at the end of the year and which ones should be left at Windows 10. Upgrading to TPM 2.0 But lets start with the basics. You may need to do some research on your computer or motherboard to see if it shipped with a TPM chip or can support it. Start by clicking in the Windows search box and typing in tpm.msc. If you have a TPM chip on the motherboard and its enabled in the bios, then the resulting screen will show you if you have TPM 1.2 or 2.0. Updating your computer to support TPM 2 may be only a boot away, or it may be more complicated. But first you have to ask yourself if youve encrypted your hard drive with a third-party encryption tool or with BitLocker. If you have, youll have to unencrypt the hard drive and re-encrypt it after the firmware upgrading process. This may take time. Going by my experience with unencrypting a BitLockered drive, be prepared to start it overnight and wait until the process has fully completed. On my Lenovo ThinkPad laptop, I was able to easily flip from TPM 1.2 to 2.0 by booting into the bios, finding the section in the bios settings usually in security and then changing the setting from TPM 1.2 to 2.0. A sample video on the process can be found on YouTube. For my HP desktop at the office, the process was a bit more complicated, as I had to find the exact firmware update to upgrade the computer from TPM 1.2 to 2.0. I originally attempted to use HPs TPM Configuration Utility but found a more exact match for my motherboard by reading this HP support document. For Dell, you can follow the companys documentation or YouTube video. If its been done successfully, your TPM module will now indicate that youve upgraded from 1.2 to 2.0. Upgrading the processor But now you will find that the real block in running Windows 11 successfully is not the TPM chip even though that is important but the processor. Unless you already have an Intel Generation 8 (or equivalent in the AMD family) or unless Microsoft backs down on its processor requirements, you wont be able to run Windows 11. Researching my computers and which Intel chipset they run on made me realize that some of my Core i5-based PCs are older than I had remembered. While I was a bit concerned that so many computers I control wont be able to upgrade to Windows 11 with their current processors, it was a useful wakeup call to the fact that I have a lot of older equipment in my fleet. While you can upgrade a processor after researching which ones your existing motherboard can support, the ease of doing so will depend on the kind of computer you have. Ive found that if Ive built a computer from scratch, buying the motherboard, the graphics card, the processor, and the case separately, I can often find a newer processor that the motherboard will support, or I can opt to upgrade the motherboard as well. In the good old days that usually meant a trip to Frys Electronics, but those days are over now that Frys has gone out of business. Nowadays upgrading is a bit harder, especially in cases where Ive purchased refurbished business desktop machines rather than starting from scratch. The only computer I have that will support Windows 11 is my recently purchased Surface Pro 7. But whenever I purchase Surface devices these days, I dont purchase them up front. Instead I sign up for the Surface All Access for Business plan that allows me to purchase them over time for 0% interest, and then when I get near the end of the term, I can turn in the device and get a newer one. Because Surface devices are extremely hard to open and service (I never have managed to pry open the Surface RT from years ago that had a battery die and was never able to be charged up again), I look to ways that allow me to swap them out for new equipment after several years. While this program is set up for businesses only, other computer vendors may provide similar offerings for lightweight laptops that cannot be easily upgraded. Should you bother? Of course, youll probably ask me if you really need to upgrade to Windows 11. If you think your computer has four more years of good, solid life in it, then the answer is no. Windows 10 will be fully supported for the next four years, and knowing Microsoft, if enough of us are still running Windows 10 at the end of these four years (we will, trust me), then the company will come up with some sort of extended patching program. Bottom line: evaluate your computers. See which ones can make the cut for Windows 11, and those that cant. And then relax, because Microsoft has just started the beta process for Windows 11, and Windows 10 has a lot of life still left in it. If you have any lingering questions, weve got plenty of answers over at Askwoody.com and here on Computerworld. 07/06/2021 Photo (c) blackdovfx - Getty Images Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.) Total U.S. confirmed cases: 33,724,923 (33,718,538) Total U.S. deaths: 605,582 (605,526) Total global cases: 184,285,579 (183,895134) Total global deaths: 3,987,062 (3,980,012) Pandemic boosted many workers pay When the COVID-19 shut down the economy in March 2020, millions of Americans lost their jobs. But many of those who kept working received bigger paychecks, especially frontline and essential workers. An analysis by the Wall Street Journal found that the median pay at around one-third of S&P 500 companies changed by around 5%. At 184 firms, pay rose by more than 5%. It decreased by more than 5% at 125 companies. The report says pay appears to still be rising in 2021 thanks to a reopening economy and a tight labor market. Wages are gaining the fastest in typically low-wage frontline jobs. CDC says Delta variant poses serious threat to the unvaccinated The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stepped up its campaign to persuade Americans to get vaccinated, warning that the Delta variant of the virus poses a particular threat. CDC data shows that the Delta variant is about 50% more contagious than the Alpha strain. Scientists now believe the Delta strain also produces more severe symptoms. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says preliminary data collected over the last six months showed that 99.5% of people who died from virus symptoms were not vaccinated. It is clear that communities where people remain unvaccinated are communities that remain vulnerable, Walensky said at a White House briefing. Study: Lottery did little to boost Ohio vaccinations With great fanfare, the state of Ohio launched its Vax-A-Million lottery, awarding cash prizes to state residents who got a vaccination. It was designed to encourage more people to roll up their sleeves, and some other states followed its example. According to a study by researchers at Boston University, it didnt really work. They analyzed Ohio's vaccination data one month before and one month after the state announced the lottery. They found no significant change in Ohio's vaccination rate that could be linked to the lottery. There was a slight increase in the number of people who were vaccinated, but that was linked to the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) approval of the vaccine for adolescents. Around the nation 07/06/2021 Photo (c) nzfhatipoglu - Getty Images Check your freezer Tyson Foods has recalled nearly 8.5 million pounds of frozen chicken because of concerns it might be contaminated with Listeria. The company, which is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the recall, said it has not received any reports of anyone getting sick from eating the chicken. Were committed to providing safe, healthy food that people rely on every day, said Scott Brooks, senior vice president, food safety and quality assurance at Tyson Foods. We are taking this precautionary step out of an abundance of caution and in keeping with our commitment to safety. The product in question was produced at a plant in Dexter, Missouri, between December 26, 2020 and April 13, 2021. It was distributed to foodservice and retail customers nationwide and Puerto Rico. The product is being recalled because the company believes, from its own internal inspections, that it could have been exposed to Listeria monocytogenes, a harmful bacteria. The concern about potential contamination arose long after the product had shipped. Includes private label products The recall includes Tyson brand frozen, fully cooked products as well as private label products made for customers. Some of these products were sold to food service companies. The rest was distributed to grocery stores nationwide. If you have Tyson frozen chicken in your freezer, there are three things to look for: A packaging location of Dexter, Mo.; A packaging date that falls between Dec. 26, 2020 and April 13, 2021; An establishment code that reads P-7089. The company said a list of retail stores that received the product will eventually be posted on USDAs website at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls. As foodborne illnesses go, Listeria is not the most severe. However, it can be very serious for people who are pregnant or older than age 65, or who have weakened immune systems. Symptoms are similar to the flu and according to the Mayo Clinic, healthy people dont always show symptoms of the infection. 07/06/2021 Photo (c) Tuckraider - Getty Images Subway is adding new menu items and upgrading its mobile app in an effort to draw customers back. The upgrades are part of an overhaul the sandwich chain is calling The Eat Fresh Refresh. As part of its push to improve the customer experience, Subway will be making the digital ordering experience simpler and more intuitive for customers and adding a number of new menu items. Additionally, Subway Delivery '' will become available in select areas. Customers will be able to place delivery orders through the retailers mobile app and at Subway.com. "Subway has been serving freshly made, customizable and better-for-you sandwiches for more than 50 years, and we wanted to give our guests more new and improved flavors," said Trevor Haynes, president, North America at Subway. "Our new culinary team is delivering monumental updates to the entire core menu. The Eat Fresh Refresh makes Subway better than ever with freshly made, craveable and delicious sandwiches to excite new and returning customers." More than 20 menu updates On July 13, Subway will unveil more than 20 menu updates. The updates will include 11 new and improved ingredients, six all-new or returning sandwiches, four revamped signature sandwiches, and two new fresh-baked breads (Artisan Italian and Hearty Multigrain). The day before the changes go live, Subway will be asking customers to take a break from eating their favorite sub. More than 10,000 of the chains U.S. locations will close at 6 p.m. on July 12 to give employees time to get ready for the Eat Fresh Refresh launch. Subways says restaurants will get design refinements and remodels along with employees that are ready to serve the new menu and offer an improved restaurant experience. Once Subways doors reopen on July 13, customers will have a chance to get a free sub. When restaurants open on July 13, Subway will give away up to one million free subs from 10:00 am noon local time, the company said. Guests can visit any participating Subway Restaurant and get a free six-inch new Turkey Cali Fresh sub upon request. Consistent experience Subway said the enhancements are intended to provide a consistent experience across all locations. In recent years, customers have said some of the retailers locations offer better experiences than others. In a review posted to ConsumerAffairs, Patty, of Hurricane, W. Va., said not all Subway locations offer the same stellar service as her local Subway. Polite employees, large variety menu, fresh ingredients, reasonable prices. Subway also regularly introduces new and seasonal items, often as special value prices, she wrote. Not all Subway restaurants are equal in quality, however, my local one is exceptional. Subway says it has further updates planned for the fall. Dorothy Jean McGraw aged 90 passed from this world on June 30, 2021. She spent her final days with family and loved ones. Born to Robert And Viola Mae McGraw in 1931, Dorothy hit the ground running and her life's journey was always an active one. As one of eleven children Dorothy learned the We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit Community News In the early 1990s, Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel (the creators of Max Headroom) got to work on a live-action adaptation of Super Mario, reimagined as a more adult-oriented satire set in a gritty sci-fi dystopia. Then Disney purchased the distribution rights to the movie and tried to turn it into a more kid-friendly story about a shroom addict murdering turtles. But since a lot of work had already been done on Morton's and Jankel's idea, the House of Mouse ultimately tried to sort of do both versions ... Succeeding at neither, pleasing no one, and ending up with everyone mentioning Super Mario Bros. (1993) in every Worst Video Game Movie article ever written. Continue Reading Below Advertisement Besides hiring script doctors without consulting with Morton and Jankel, Disney also locked them out of the movie's final edit, removing well over 20 minutes from the finished product. However, that missing footage was discovered on an old VHS tape in 2019, which was one lucky goddamn break. Usually, when you find hidden-away VHS tapes, the best-case scenario is you being disappointed that someone recorded over footage of your birthday party. The worst-case scenario is discovering footage of your conception. The worst-case scenario is the surprise cameo by Uncle Randy in the latter. Anyway, since then, the cut scenes have been restored, spliced into the theatrical release of Super Mario Bros., and released via the Internet Archive as "The Morton Jankel Cut." Is it like the Director's Cut of Daredevil that actually makes the original pile of Koopa Poop-a sort of good? Not really. We get a bit more info about the Mario brothers' rival Scapelli company, and also learn much sooner that the main characters' surname is "Mario." In case you blocked this memory: Yeah, in the movie, Bob Hoskins' character is literally called "Mario Mario," like in some twisted crossover between The Sopranos and Pokemon. There is also a rap scene featuring such inspired lyrics as "Koopa, the party poopah." Wondrous. Leslie Cunningham Haynes, "Les," passed away July 6, 2021. Les was born in Birmingham, AL. He was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. He is survived by his wife, Beverly; daughters and sons, Helen (Joel) Megginson, Beth Nabors, Michael Haynes and Ryan Jones-Haynes; grandchildr The Bible shares that Jesus had 12 primary followers while he was on Earth that are known as his disciples and were sent out as apostles. All of these disciples witnessed the ministry and life of Jesus. Once Jesus ascended to Heaven, these men were the ones that spread the Good News of the Gospel with the world. Most of these men gave their lives for the sake of the gospel. They knew deep in their bones that Jesus was the way, truth, and life. Some of these men we know so much about because the New Testament shares details about their lives and ministry. There are others from this group that have little documented information about who they were and what they did after Jesus left this Earth. Bartholomew was one of the disciples of Jesus, and, therefore, is an important figure in History. He had the privilege to walk alongside the Son of God during his ministry. Though his presence and willingness to share the gospel is so important, there are not a lot of details in the New Testament about who he was. Lets explore some of the things we do know about Bartholomews life and death. Who Is the Apostle Called Bartholomew? Bartholomew was one of the twelve main disciples that followed Jesus while he was on Earth. Bartholomew is only mentioned in four lists of the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:14-16), and Acts 1:1-13). There is little additional information provided about Bartholomew in the New Testament so readers of the Bible dont know much about him. The apostles were the men who were the primary witnesses of Jesus ministry. They are also known as the ones who were sent. After Jesus crucifixion, death, and then resurrection the disciples were those who shared the good news of Jesus with the world. They are responsible for the movement that later became known as Christianity. Bartholomews role as a member of this group means he was a significant leader in the early church. He worked hard to help spread the gospel during the first century but he is not explicitly mentioned in the New Testament books. Four Facts about Bartholomew 1. Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles. There are only four passages in the Bible that list out the names of all the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:14-16, Acts 1:1-13). Bartholomew is listed in each of these passages of Scripture. Bartholomew would have been present as a witness to Jesus ministry as recorded in each of the Gospels. The writers of the Gospels referred to the disciples as a group rather than listing them out by name. Their presence is implied from the time Jesus selects them to be his followers. 2. Bartholomews fathers name was likely Talmai. The name Bartholomew probably came from the Aramaic (Bar-Talmai) which can be translated as son of Talmai. Names derived from the name of a persons father were very common in ancient Israel. These are called Patronymic names. 3. Bartholomew and Philip are traditionally associated with one another. Three of the four lists of the apostles, we see that Bartholomew is listed right after Philip. This suggests a close connection between the two men. Some traditions also describe the two men working together in their ministries. In the apocryphal text Acts of Philip, these two men are both crucified upside down. In the text Philips preaching convinces those around to free them. Strangely, Philip asks to remain bound on the cross but Bartholomew is freed. This connection could mean nothing but many scholars believe they worked together to spread the gospel. 4. Bartholomew was likely a missionary. Jesus sent out the apostles to different specific regions in groups of two (Mark 6:7-13). Jesus charges them to go and make disciples of all nations before he ascends to Heaven (Matthew 28:19). There is no specific record in the Bible that tells us to which nations they all went to. There are some traditional understandings about where Bartholomew may have traveled to. Eusebius of Caesarea, recorded that he preached to India. He was a man with access to many historical resources but also did make mistakes in his writings. The Acts of Philip state that Bartholomew preached in places such as Armenia, Ethiopia, Lycaonia, Mesopotamia, and Parthia. Are Bartholomew and Nathanael in John's Gospel the Same Person? Bartholomew is not mentioned in the Gospel of John but a man named Nathanael is mentioned as one of the apostles (John 21:1-2). Nathanael does not appear in the other synoptic gospels. Many traditions believe that Bartholomew is the Nathanael that is mentioned in John. Some more modern scholars do not believe this is the case and maintain that these men are two different people. It was not unusual for people in the first century to have two names. For example, Simon was also known as Peter and sometimes called Simon Peter. At times they would have one name in Hebrew and a different one in Greek. Paul was also known as Saul and John was called Mark. It is possible that Bartholomew was Nathanael Bartholomew but there is nothing that lets us know this for sure. New Testament scholar Michael Wilkins says: Since the identification of Bartholomew with Nathanael is not conclusive, to assume it without question is to go beyond the evidence. Certainty is unattainable with the present evidence, but to reject categorically the identification is likewise unwarranted. There are some good reasons to believe that the two men are the same. If this is the case then we know a lot more about Bartholomew because there are a lot more details recorded about Nathanael than Bartholomew in the New Testament. Nathanael was a skeptic of Jesus, who did not like the fact that Jesus was from Nazareth (John 1:46). After seeing Jesus do miracles, he changes his mind. He declares that Jesus is the Son of God (John 1:49). When Jesus appears to his disciples to go fishing, Nathanael is included (John 21:1-3). How Did Bartholomew Die? Most likely Bartholomew was martyred. There are several accounts of how he may have actually died. The one that is most common is that he was flayed and then beheaded. This is why art commonly shows him wearing his skin or connecting him to knives. Foxes Book of Martyrs says that he was killed in India; he was first beaten and then crucified. Another book called The Golden Legend has several stories around his death; it says that he preached in India and died in Alban (a city in Armenia). He was crucified head down, but St.Theodorus said he was flayed while still other accounts note he was beheaded only. There is an additional tradition that says he was beaten unconscious and drowned in the ocean. No matter which is true, all connect his death to his ministry. It is clear that he gave up his life for the sake of sharing the gospel with the world. Each of the disciples played important roles in spreading the good news to the world! We owe our faith to their heroic efforts to share the truth of Jesus with the nations. While many of the details of Bartholomews life were not recorded, we do know for sure that he was a witness to Jesus life and gave his own life because he loved him. Source: OverviewBible.org, "Eusebius" Photo credit: Getty Images/sedmak Amanda Idleman is a writer whose passion is to encourage others to live joyfully. She writes devotions for My Daily Bible Verse Devotional and Podcast, Crosswalk Couples Devotional, the Daily Devotional App, she has work published with Her View from Home, on the MOPS Blog, and is a regular contributor for Crosswalk.com. You can find out more about Amanda on her Facebook Page or follow her on Instagram. Rainbow table definition A rainbow table is a large, precomputed table designed to cache the output of cryptographic hash functions to decrypt hashed passwords into plaintext. Rainbow tables were invented by IT expert Philippe Oechslin, who published a paper on his work in 2003. The method itself is based on research from the early 1980s by Martin Hellman and Ronald Rivest that explored the performance trade-offs between processing time and the memory needed for cryptanalysis. Rainbow refers to the colors used within a table to represent different reduction functions and steps. These create a colorful rainbow with a corresponding number of iterations. How do rainbow tables work? For security reasons organizations have, for several years, typically stored users passwords using hashes. Hashing algorithms disguise passwords and make them unviewable to anyone without inverting the hash function. This can technically be achieved via brute-force attacks, but as the set of possible password outcomes grows, it becomes more and more infeasible to use this method. Rainbow tables greatly reduce the complexity in cracking large numbers of passwords through a pre-generated data set of password hashes. Vast numbers of hashed passwords can be run through this data set and, following several stages of reduction by which hashes are split into smaller components, computed and linked to words and letters to reveal whole passwords in plaintext. Rainbow table creator Oechslin tells CSO: Rainbow tables allow you to reduce the effort of cracking a password by using large amounts of memory. You organize the passwords in chains, and only store the first and last element of each chain. The tables only contain a fraction of the passwords (i.e., one in 100,000) and they allow you to crack all passwords with only a fraction of the effort. The larger you make the table, by keeping a larger fraction of passwords, the faster the cracking is. This is why it is called a trade-off. Over the years, rainbow tables have proved most effective against the popular but particularly weak password hashing algorithm LAN Manager hash, used in the earlier days of Windows. Rainbow tables have typically been of interest to those on both sides of the law. For ethical security researchers, theyve provided a means to check the effectiveness of password security standards. For threat actors, theyve made it easier to crack passwords for malicious gain, testing what they can access with the passwords since most people (at least to some degree) reuse passwords across accounts. Rainbow table attacks and prevention Preventing rainbow table attacks is straightforward, explains Javvad Malik, security awareness advocate at KnowBe4. It requires adding a salt (an extra random value) to every hashed password, he says. If an attacker only has the rainbow table but not the salt, its not enough and they wont be able to match the password without that added bit of randomness. Its like taking a fingerprint for authentication and then stamping a random shape over the top of itand you need both for a perfect match. While pretty much all companies today salt hashed passwords by default, youre always going to find some developer thats made an app or something which may use a really poor password hashing mechanism, Malik explains. Likewise, an organization could still be using an outdated password hashing algorithm. Either of these two things could potentially make a company vulnerable to a rainbow table attack. Theres also the possibility of attackers who lack newer or vastly more effective password cracking methods opting to use the more traditional rainbow table approach to see what they can find. After all, rainbow tables still work well for decrypting short keys, for example to crack GSM A5/1 encryption, points out cryptographer JP Aumasson. Rainbow tables vs. modern password cracking From a modern password cracking threat perspective though, rainbow tables are mostly obsolete, and thats not only due to the previously mentioned commonality of password salting that makes them ineffective. They have also long since been replaced by more advanced, powerful practices less hampered by limitations. Rainbow tables rarely provide value compared to optimized GPU-based cracking, because they are very specific to a given password hash and password type, and theyre slow to generate, JP Aumasson explains. Oechslin agrees, adding that more modern password cracking techniques have driven rainbow tables into almost complete obscurity over the last 10 years or so. They are redundant except for very specific cases. When GPU became an alternative way to crack passwords, this tremendously increased the speed at which hashes can be cracked, he says. Jeremi Gosney, founder and CEO of distributed password cracking company Terahash, concurs. Modern password cracking is highly dynamic, and requires agility, flexibility, and scalability. Rainbow tables are static, rigid, and not at all scalablethey are the antithesis of modern password cracking. Even if you dont have the horsepower of GPUs, employing modern techniques will still net you a far higher hash yield than rainbow tables will. Probabilistic candidate generation, rules, hybrid attacks, and now even machine learning candidate generation are far superior to rainbow tables, he says. Perhaps the most relevant aspect of rainbow tables today is their use in education and training, with many universities and security qualifications still covering them, Malik points out. Its useful to understand, in the full picture, what security needs to be aware of when it comes to passwords. They are also a good example of how security has improved over time and teach us what we can do about other threat vectors. Details remain under wraps about whether teachers from one Connecticut school district were initially passed over for COVID-19 vaccines earlier this year. However, the Region 14 Board of Education has rescinded a future contract for embattled Superintendent Joseph Olzacki and are considering terminating his employment. Olzacki was placed on paid administrative leave in February amid the boards investigation into teachers accusations that administrators, central office staff, and school board members and their spouses were prioritized over other educators for the COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic in Southbury in January. This was before most people were eligible for the vaccine. That investigation has been completed, but the board is mum on the findings. The districts COVID-19 officer was fired. Its sensitive in that there is personnel involved, said George Bauer, chairman of the school board for the district that covers Bethlehem and Woodbury. Right now, its still protected by attorney-client privilege. A law firm investigated the accusations from the teachers union and gave the findings to the boards attorney, who then presented it to the board during executive session. Bauer said hes not sure when the results will be made public. It depends on the next steps taken in the process of working with the superintendent termination proceedings, he said. Olzacki directed questions to his attorney, who could not be reached for comment Thursday. Firing process The board voted unanimously last week to void Olzackis contract that would have taken effect Thursday and run through June 30, 2024. However, a contract in effect from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2022 remains in effect. The board agreed to consider terminating Olzackis employment under a process laid out in the existing contract. The first step is to provide the superintendent with written notice that the board wants to terminate him and why. Bauer said hes still working on that letter. Within 15 days of receiving the letter, the superintendent may file a written request for a hearing with the board in the next 30 days, according to the contract. The board must decide whether to fire him within 15 days of the hearing. The superintendent is permitted legal counsel at his own expense. Both parties may agree to waive these timelines. If the process continues beyond the current contracts expiration on June 30, 2022, Olzacki would effectively be out of the job. If there is not another contract in place, then hes no longer employed with the district, Bauer said. Under Olzackis contract, the board may terminate him for (1) inefficiency, incompetence, or ineffectiveness; (2) insubordination against reasonable rules of the board; (3) moral misconduct; (4) disability as shown by competent medical advice; (5) other due and sufficient cause. Vaccine rollout In January, educators were not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine when the Pomperaug Health Department held its clinic at Pomperaug High School in Southbury. But the clinic had been organized before Connecticut officials clarified that educators were not eligible, so the state allowed it to continue. Other clinics for the educators were canceled, so not all teachers from Region 14, Region 15 and Oxford school districts received vaccines. This frustrated Region 14 teachers, who said the process was unfair and claimed administrators, central office staff, and school board members and their spouses received doses ahead of them. Those who got vaccinated were the lucky ones to schedule appointments on the first day of what was meant to be multiple clinics, Olzacki told Hearst Connecticut Media in February. Board members who signed up for the vaccine registered in the same way as educators and had been told they would not be taking doses from others in Region 14, Bauer said at the time. Chris York, president of the Nonnewaug Teachers Association, could not be reached for comment Thursday. Wayne McAllister, who was the districts finance director for several years, remains as interim superintendent. Bauer said McAllister has done a fantastic job since taking over for Olzacki in February. Hes staying on until things get resolved, Bauer said. Were happy he can help out. Purdue Pharmas top-selling opioid, OxyContin, was approved by the Food & Drug Administration in December 1995. Since then, it has frequently drawn the attention of regulators and became the focus of several thousand lawsuits that allege the company fueled the opioid crisis by deceptively marketing the drug. Purdue has denied the accusations in the lawsuits that it engaged in misconduct that contributed to the opioid epidemic. In a three-part special report, Hearst Connecticut Media examines the impact of OxyContin since the drug went on the market 25 years ago. Here are several highlights: 1. Half a million people died from overdoses Nearly 500,000 people in the U.S. died from overdoses involving prescription and illicit opioids between 1999 and 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Opioid-involved overdoses killed nearly 50,000 people in 2019, accounting for about 70 percent of drug-overdose deaths that year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the epidemic has not abated. >>Interactive: A Timeline of Opioids in America In 2020, 1,273 people in Connecticut died from opioid-involved overdoses, a 13 percent increase from 2019, according to the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. In comparison, 298 people in the state died from opioid-related overdoses in 2012, the earliest data that Connecticut currently makes publicly available. 2. Individual settlements would be $3k to $48k Through its bankruptcy, Purdue is trying to reach a comprehensive settlement with several-hundred thousand individuals, private-sector groups and government bodies. Last year, Purdue conducted a national ad campaign telling Americans how they could file claims against the company if they believed they or family members had been hurt by its opioids. >>Read more: For many overdose victims, the gateway drug was OxyContin Nearly 624,000 claims had been filed by June 24. The total includes more than 130,000 claims filed on personal-injury forms, as well as the lawsuits filed by local and state governments. There are 550 submissions from Connecticut. Before attorneys fees and costs are deducted, individual claimants would each receive a settlement amount of $3,000 to $48,000, according to Purdue officials. 3. Senators are still asking for oversight The repercussions have extended far beyond the courtroom, as the country grapples with one of the deadliest and most-complex public health crises in its history. Amid the torrent of litigation in recent years against Purdue and other opioid makers and distributors, many medical and elected officials have lambasted regulators, with the FDA bearing the brunt of much of their criticism for its alleged failure to effectively regulate opioids such as OxyContin. Dismayed by the FDAs track record, they are demanding greater accountability from the agency and even the president. For most of these 25 years, the FDA has been essentially a toothless paper tiger without any real appearance of restraining the marketing and labeling of OxyContin to protect the public, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who sued Purdue and the FDA when he was state attorney general, said in an interview. Repeatedly, the agency has refused to act to impose restraints on Purdue that would literally save lives. >>Read more: FDA regulation of Purdue Pharmas OxyContin has many critics The debate about the regulation of OxyContin and other prescription opioids is still raging today. Although some courts are holding manufacturers and distributors accountable for their actions that caused this epidemic, it is clear the FDA missed clear signs about the risks and benefits of opioids, which allowed this crisis to take hold, seven U.S. senators wrote in a March letter to President Joe Biden. 4. Advertising in the millions In 1996, Purdue was spending about $700,000 in advertising for OxyContin. By 2001, advertising spending for the drug jumped to approximately $4.6 million, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report. Driven by those expenditures, OxyContins annual sales had surpassed $1 billion by 2001, making it at that point the most-prescribed brand-name narcotic of its kind in the U.S., the GAO said. 5. Opioid dispensing rate is dropping Pain management has undergone major shifts in response to an opioid crisis that has taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans in the past 20 years. Prescribing rates have dropped sharply in recent years as the medical community has become more cautious and states such as Connecticut have improved their monitoring of opioids. >>Read more: Opioid crisis forces return to fundamentals of pain management After the national opioid dispensing rate started to steadily increase in 2006, it peaked at about 81 prescriptions per 100 persons in 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But by 2019, it fell to about 47 prescriptions per 100 persons the lowest level in 14 years. BEEBE, Ark. (AP) The Rev. Al Sharpton and attorneys for George Floyd's family on Tuesday mourned a white Arkansas teenager fatally shot by a sheriff's deputy, as they urged support across racial lines for efforts to reform police practices. Sharpton eulogized 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, who was shot and killed by a white Lonoke County sheriff's deputy, Sgt. Michael Davis, during a traffic stop June 23 near Cabot, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Little Rock. The killing in the predominantly white community has drawn the attention of national civil rights activists such as Sharpton, who said concerns about police tactics aren't just limited to the Black community. The issue of policing is not about Black and white," Sharpton told a packed auditorium at Beebe High School, where Brittain was a rising senior. It's about right and wrong." Many attending the memorial wore jeans and shirts that read Justice for Hunter," in a ceremony that included Floyd family attorneys Ben Crump and Devon Jacob. Both are representing Brittain's family. Floyd died in May last year when a white Minneapolis police officer used his knee to pin the handcuffed Black man's neck to the ground. His death sparked nationwide protests over policing and racial inequality. Crump and Jacob invoked other people killed by police, including Breonna Taylor, a Kentucky woman who was fatally shot during a botched police raid. Crump led the crowd in chanting, Hunter Brittain's life matters." Because he is not here, we all have to unite together and make sure people all over America know that we will get justice for Hunter Brittain," Crump said. Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley last week fired Davis for not turning on his body camera until after he had shot Brittain. Staley said the only footage police have is from the aftermath. Arkansas State Police are investigating Brittain's death. Davis is white. Authorities have released few details about the shooting. Brittain's family has said the teenager was unarmed and was holding a jug of antifreeze when he was shot. Brittain's family and friends have held protests nightly outside the Lonoke County sheriff's office and have complained about the lack of information released. Family members have said Brittain had been working on his truck's transmission and had been test driving it when he was pulled over. Staley on Monday said he welcomed those who want to peacefully protest, but that out-of-state activists could risk inflaming an already difficult situation." The people of this county are good, decent people and they, like me, want to see accountability and transparency in this situation," Staley wrote on the office's Facebook page. The memorial included calls to pass federal legislation in Floyd's name to overhaul police practices. Hopefully, Hunter and his untimely death will finish what Hunter's brother George Floyd and his death started," Jacob said. Jesse Brittain, Hunter's uncle, received a standing ovation when he called for an end to qualified immunity for police officers, a legal doctrine that frequently shields them from civil lawsuits for things they do in the course of their job. Your life had meaning, you're loved and your family will not stop advocating until we have justice for you, Hunter," he said. And also justice for all of our other brothers and sisters dying at the hands of law enforcement hired to protect and serve us around this country." As mourners filed into the high school auditorium Tuesday morning, photos and video of Brittain were displayed on a large screen above his casket, which was decorated with blue and white ribbons, the Chevrolet symbol and Forever Chevy 17. Family members said Brittain dreamed of becoming a NASCAR driver after graduation. Hunter did nothing wrong, just like we felt George Floyd did nothing wrong," Sharpton told reporters before the memorial. But if we segregate how we react, then we're wrong." It was unclear what impact Sharpton's and the attorneys' calls for action would have in Lonoke County, a rural county of 73,000 people that is 90% white. Even before the memorial service, Brittain's friends and family were calling for change at the state level with petitions urging the Legislature to require officers to wear body cameras that would be turned on as soon as their shift begins. I never thought anything like this would happen until it hit so close to home," said Scott Hendrickson, whose son was close friends with Brittain and who is . Once it happened to my son's best friend, I said it could happen to my son so it was too close to home to not do anything about it." Dozens of people gathered outside the sheriff's office after the memorial service for a rally with Brittain's family, attorneys and the NAACP Melissia McMahan, who is the Brittain family's mail carrier and knew the teen since he was a toddler, said she had thought about the need for police reform before Brittain's death but hadn't thought it was something her own community would face. I never expected anything like what happened, especially not just a country boy working on his truck and taking it for a test drive," she said. TAYLORSVILLE, Ky. (AP) John Rogers waited months after becoming eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. It was only after talking with friends that the 66-year-old retiree from rural Spencer County, Kentucky, was persuaded to get the shot. They said, You know, the vaccine may not be 100%, but if you get COVID, youre in bad shape,'" Rogers said. You can die from it." With the nation falling just short of President Joe Biden's goal of dispensing at least one shot to 70% of all American adults by the Fourth of July, public health officials in places like Spencer County have shifted the emphasis away from mass vaccination clinics toward getting more information out in a more targeted way about the benefits of getting inoculated. Health departments have offered the vaccine at concerts, parades and fairs and plan to make it available at back-to-school events. They have encouraged local doctors to raise the issue with patients and promoted shots by way of printed materials and social media. The hope is that word of mouth will ease fears and misperceptions about the vaccine and change people's minds, one person at a time if necessary. Thats especially important in places like Spencer County, an area of rolling green hills and farmland southeast of Louisville, where the state reports that about 22% of eligible adults are at least partially vaccinated. Public health officials there think the numbers are improving and may already be higher. Biden administration officials are increasingly turning their attention nationwide to some 55 million unvaccinated adults seen as persuadable, a group they have dubbed the movable middle." Many of those being targeted are under 30, an age group that has an especially low vaccination rate. But they also include people like Rogers, who said many people in his community are hesitant to get shots because they just dont trust the government. Rogers, who worked for a packaging supplier in nearby Shelbyville, said he shook off the skepticism and is now looking forward to a summer of things going back to normal as they can be. Nationally, resistance to getting vaccinated tends to run higher in conservative and rural parts of the country. Overall, 49% of all Kentuckians have received at least one dose, compared with about 55% nationwide. Stephanie Lokits, who oversees vaccination efforts in the county for the public health department, has watched immunizations slow since a peak in March, when clinics drew hundreds of residents. Now only 10 to 20 trickle through a weekly vaccine clinic held in the county seat of Taylorsville, a town of 1,600 with an old theater, a courthouse, some empty storefronts and a few small businesses slowly finding their way out of the pandemic. While Kentucky has seen a decline in cases in the past seven weeks, nearly all confirmed infections and deaths reported in the past month have been in unvaccinated residents. I think that the philosophy that we have really tried to go by is that every single shot that we can get administered to a person is a positive thing, Lokits said. I think thats kind of the place where a lot of health departments and a lot of providers are at. Lauren Slone, a nurse practitioner leading the vaccine effort at a community health center in Taylorsville, said she has learned through conversations with her patients that misconceptions about long-term effects pose real problems. She has found that most people she talks to eventually get vaccinated. The challenge, she said, is getting people to talk to me about it in the first place." While appointments in the center arent filling up as quickly as she would like, Slone thinks an effort to distribute information at local middle and high schools led to more vaccine appointments. I thought, you know, one way to get adults in is when teenagers know about it, Slone said. If your teenager asks to get it, then maybe that encourages you a little bit as well. A June drive-thru clinic held after the information push was well-attended by young adults. That's another good sign, Slone said. Only one-third of Kentuckians 18 to 29 have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, compared with 83% of residents 65 and up. Still, getting the word out can be harder in a rural county, because some residents arent on social media or don't have consistent access to the internet. And in spread-out, sparsely populated places like Spencer County, some people may not feel the need to get the vaccine as quickly, said district health department director Roanya Rice. Also, Spencer County has lower cases per-capita than neighboring counties and the state as a whole, meaning the threat can seem far away to some. Rogers, now fully vaccinated, is enjoying the freedom to take off his mask for good, eat at a restaurant or visit with relatives without worrying. I waited a long time," he said. I should have gotten it a long time ago." __ Hudspeth Blackburn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. 99 cent introductory offer Includes everything we offer online for 24-7 news. This option allows you to read unlimited stories at ctnewsonline.com, and access our e-Edition (digital replicate of the daily newspaper). $7.99 per month after the introductory offer. This service comes with a complimentary CT Select Card allowing for local discounts. Rates are subject to change. LAS VEGAS (AP) Fifteen months after the pandemic transformed Las Vegas from flamboyant spectacle to ghost town, Sin City is back. Tourists are streaming in again, gambling revenue has hit an all-time high, the Las Vegas Strip has its first new casino in a decade, and big concerts are starting at a gleaming new stadium. Plexiglass panels installed to separate gamblers at the poker and blackjack tables have largely been removed, the world-famous buffets are reopening, and nightclub dance floors are packed. Vice President Kamala Harris was set to visit Saturday for what the White House is calling the Americas Back Together tour celebrating progress against the virus. But that progress is threatened: Nevada this week saw the highest rate of new COVID-19 cases in the country, hospitalizations are on the rise again, and the highly contagious delta variant has become the most prevalent form of the virus in the state, adding urgency to the campaign to get more people vaccinated. Still, in a place where the economy runs on crowds and uninhibited behavior, a return to pandemic-related restrictions and mask requirements seems to be off the table. Inside the casinos, guests are not required to wear masks if they are fully vaccinated, but employees do not appear to be asking anyone for proof. It seems like everything is opening back up, getting back to normal, Teresa Lee, a 47-year-old tourist from Nashville, Tennessee, said Thursday as she stood on the Strip, looking out over the fountains in front of the Bellagio casino. Lee said she is vaccinated and felt safe in Las Vegas because she read about the casinos efforts to get their workers and their families vaccinated. Tyler Williams, a 22-year-old from Eugene, Oregon, said it didnt feel as if there was a pandemic anymore because people are everywhere. He said he had seen hardly anyone with a mask apart from a few foreign tourists and felt no need to wear one himself, because he is vaccinated. Las Vegas fully reopened and lifted restrictions on most businesses June 1, though many casino-resorts had already returned to 100% capacity before that with approval from state regulators. Visitor numbers, while not at their pre-pandemic highs, have grown by double digits four months in a row. Shows and fireworks are scheduled for the July 4 weekend, and the new 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium where the NFLs relocated Raiders will kick off their season this fall was set to host its first major concert Saturday, by electronic dance music star Illenium. It will be followed by a full-capacity show from Garth Brooks next weekend. Over the past two weeks, Nevada's diagnosis rate of 190 new cases per 100,000 people was higher than that of Missouri, Arkansas and Wyoming -- all states with lower vaccination levels and the state public health lab found the delta variant in almost half the COVID-19 cases it analyzed. Also, the number of patients hospitalized with the virus has grown 33% over the past week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though the levels are far below what they were in December, when hospitals were near capacity. State biostatistician Kyra Morgan said Friday that the spike in cases might be attributable to the full reopening of the state and city in June and that the return of crowds and big events on the Strip could cause the increase to continue. If we know anything about COVID, we know that when people are gathering in close proximity to one another in large volumes, that is the recipe for COVID transmission to increase," Morgan said. State and local officials said that almost all the new cases and hospitalizations involve unvaccinated people and that the best way to attack the problem is by getting more shots in arms. Nevada has fully vaccinated 45% of those 12 and older, well below the nationwide level of 55%, according to the CDC. We are a state of skeptics when it comes to vaccines, Morgan said. We have a lot of anti-vaxxers, frankly, in the state of Nevada. State and local officials, who in May went so far as to hold a vaccine clinic at a strip club, said they are trying to find more ways to persuade people, including the launch of a cash raffle. Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak, who took the unprecedented step of shuttering casinos for 11 weeks last year when the pandemic started, said Thursday he will ask for help from the COVID-19 response teams that the Biden administration is dispatching to boost testing and vaccinations in communities with outbreaks. Sisolaks office did not respond to questions about whether he is considering reimposing mask mandates or other restrictions, but Las Vegas-area officials say they are following the CDC's guidelines, which say it is safe for fully vaccinated people to go mask-free. At this this point, there is no discussion about increasing restrictions to the business and social life here in Clark County," said Dr. Fermin Leguen, chief health officer in the Las Vegas area. Getting better numbers in immunization is the solution for this problem at this point. Birdcode Hot Chicken West Hartford, Darien (coming soon) After a successful November opening in West Hartford, Birdcode owners Brandi and Phil Killoran are expanding their hot chicken brand to Darien in fall 2021. Birdcodes spice levels start at the no-heat country level, and increase incrementally: mild with a touch of heat, medium proceed with caution; hot burn baby burn and the top-level Code Breaker, with a warning: Do you really want to do this? Eat at your own risk. Chicken tenders are served with bread and pickles, and sandwiches are built on brioche buns topped with vinegar slaw, pickles and mayonnaise-based comeback sauce. Theres also a kale salad option with tenders, and a Naughty Neighbor, featuring tenders on a bed of fries with vinegar slaw, pickles and sauce. Sides include fries, mac and cheese and slaw, and desserts, all made in-house include banana pudding and chocolate chip cookies. Read more 120 Park Road, West Hartford (and coming soon: 151 Post Road in Darien) 860-206-1971, eatbirdcode.com A man police say yelled racist slurs in front of a residence in Mount Laurel, N.J., on Friday, gave out his address to a person filming him, and then challenged them to visit his home. "Bring whoever," the man police identified as Edward Cagney Mathews, 45, added. The video, which appears to show Mathews repeatedly calling his Black neighbor the n-word and a "monkey," went viral. Three days later, protesters started showing up at the address listed in the video. By Monday morning, dozens of protesters had gathered outside Mathews's door, chanting "We want Edward!" the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. And, by the evening, the crowd appeared to have grown to more than 100. With a line of police officers guarding his house, Mathews briefly emerged during the protest and tried to apologize, the Inquirer reported, but protesters remained livid. As he faced charges for his behavior in the video, including harassment and biased intimidation, police later escorted Mathews out of his home with his hands behind his back. Protesters cheered, while some hurled food and water bottles at him. The incident followed more than a year of nationwide protests over the treatment of Black people and race relations in the U.S. "He said to pull up. We pulled up," Aliya Robinson, 43, who lives near Mathews, told the Inquirer. "We're not going to tolerate this anymore." Mathews could not be reached for comment late Monday, but he told the Inquirer that his racist tirade was a result of him being drunk and the confrontation involved a long-running dispute over the homeowners' association. He apologized. "I certainly wasn't expecting an encounter like that and certainly wasn't expecting to disrespect anybody," Mathews said. "Let me be clear: That is no excuse for what I said, but I lost my temper." Robinson and her daughter, Jazmyn, are among several residents who claim that Mathews had harassed them and used racist language toward them before Friday's incident, according to KYW-TV. Ashleigh Gibbons, 35, another neighbor, told the Inquirer that Mathews has been harassing her for years. "I totally understand why the protesters were here today," Burlington County Prosecutor Scott A. Coffina said at a Monday night news conference. In a statement early Monday, the Mount Laurel Police Department said that the incident began at 7:50 p.m. on Friday, when a resident reported that she was "continually harassed by her neighbor," who police identified as Mathews. After the video of him spread on social media, which racked up tens of thousands of views by Monday, police launched the investigation and then announced the charges. Coffina said at the news conference that his office is also charging Mathews with assault. The police department said in its statement that it does not tolerate hate or bias intimidation "in any form." "This type of behavior is totally unacceptable," the statement adds. "We can assure our residents that incidents like this are thoroughly investigated and that those who commit such offenses will be held accountable for their actions." Likewise, the Mount Laurel Township mayor and council said it rejected Mathews's "horrible and dangerous behavior and acts of hate like it." "This is not who we are and what our township stands for," the statement adds. The video appears to show Mathews approaching one of his neighbors, and repeatedly getting into the man's face. The unidentified neighbor, who is Black, tells Mathews to leave. But Mathews argues that he had a right to stand in front of the house and does not leave. "Learn your laws," Mathews allegedly says to the man. "It's not Africa." "I was born in America," the man replies. A police officer shows up minutes later and asks Mathews to go back to his house. As Mathews continues to scream racial epithets, the police officer says, "Cut it out, dude." Tia Brown, a protester at Mathews's house, saw the video and said it was the police officer's lax attitude that angered her, NJ.com reported. "They had a conversation with him like it was nothing," she said. Likewise, the Mount Laurel police department was criticized for not acting on complaints it received in the past about Mathews. A police spokesman, who did not return calls from The Washington Post late Monday, told the Inquirer that there had not been enough evidence to bring charges in the past. "We understand the frustration," Kyle Gardner, the department spokesman, said. "The perception was that we did nothing about it. We're doing the best we can." BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. (AP) A California man on a boat on the Colorado River was fatally injured when a personal watercraft carrying two teenage boys crashed into the boat, an Arizona police department said Tuesday. Timothy Randall David Lee, 33, of Ontario, California, was sitting on the back of the boat's swim deck when the wreck occurred Sunday, the Bullhead City Police Department said in a statement. MEDFORD, Mass. (AP) Some of the 11 people charged in connection with an armed standoff along a Massachusetts highway last weekend, including the purported leader of the group, refused to cooperate with court authorities during their arraignments Tuesday. Jamhal Tavon Sanders Latimer, 29, also known as Jamhal Talib Abdullah Bey, told the judge I dont understand how these charges can be brought against me. Latimer, a former U.S. Marine from Providence, Rhode Island, waived his right to an attorney, but the judge said she would have a lawyer speak to him about this rights before the next hearing in the case. Not guilty pleas were entered on behalf of all the defendants, who were held without bail pending a hearing Friday to determine whether they are dangerous. The first to appear, Quinn Cumberlander, 40, of Pawtucket, told the judge in a courtroom with a heavy security presence he was a foreign national who cannot face criminal charges, and said he did not want a defense attorney. Cumberlander invoked his Second Amendment right to bear arms, said the case should be heard in federal court, and said he meant no harm. We didnt want to cause fear. I object to being held without bail. I am not a threat to society or anybody," he said in court. Another defendant, Robert Rodriguez, 21, of the Bronx, New York, asked that a fellow defendant serve as his attorney but the judge noted the man is not a licensed lawyer. He also refused to be interviewed by Probation. I was seen by a probation officer," Rodriguez said. But I did not commit a crime. A third defendant, who has refused to identify himself to authorities, told the judge he was a free Moor." The judge ruled he had waived right to counsel, then ordered him out of the courtroom to watch proceedings on Zoom because he kept interrupting her. The defendants, 10 men and a 17-year-old juvenile, say they are members of a group called Rise of the Moors. Several of their supporters were also in court, while others watched remotely, sometimes interrupting. They face several charges including unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition and the use of body armor in commission of a crime, in connection with the standoff that started early Saturday morning on Interstate 95 in Wakefield. State police say they recovered three AR-15 rifles, two pistols, a bolt-action rifle, a shotgun and a short-barrel rifle. The standoff began when a State Police trooper stopped to offer assistance to the vehicles he found on the side of the highway that were refueling. The men, who were dressed in military fatigues and body armor and were armed with long guns and pistols, did not have licenses to carry firearms in Massachusetts, police said. They told police they were traveling from Rhode Island to Maine to conduct what they called training. Some of the defendants ran into the woods along the highway, leading to a standoff that lasted several hours and prompted the closure of the busy highway on a holiday weekend. The Southern Poverty Law Center says the Moorish sovereign citizen movement is a collection of independent organizations and individuals that emerged in the 1990s as an offshoot of the antigovernment sovereign citizens movement. People in the movement believe individual citizens hold sovereignty over, and are independent of, the authority of federal and state governments. The vast majority of Moorish sovereign citizens are African American, according to the SPLC. On the Rise of the Moors website, however, they say they are not sovereign citizens, but the original sovereigns of the U.S. based on a 1789 letter from George Washington to the sultan of Morocco. Those arrested Saturday were identified as Latimer; Cumberlander; Rodriguez; Wilfredo Hernandez, also known as Will Musa; Alban El Curraugh; Aaron Lamont Johnson, also known as Tarrif Sharif Bey; Lamar Dow; Conrad Pierre; a 17-year-old juvenile; and two who have refused to identify themselves, state police said. They are from Rhode Island, New York and Michigan. BRIDGEPORT A city man previously convicted of multiple felonies in Connecticut and Pennsylvania pleaded guilty last week to a federal gun offense, prosecutors said. Albert Lopez, 51, last living in Bridgeport, appeared before Judge Victor A. Bolden via video conference due to the ongoing pandemic and pleaded guilty July 1 to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. At sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled, Lopez faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison. Lopez was arrested by members of the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force on state and federal arrest warrants on Oct. 12, 2017. The state warrant was in connection with a Sept. 9, 2017, shooting in Bridgeport. The federal warrant, prosecutors said, was related to his alleged violation of supervised release conditions. When authorities searched Lopezs bedroom the day of his arrest, prosecutors said, a stolen .40-caliber pistol was seized. Lopez has previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses in Connecticut and Pennsylvania state and federal courts, prosecutors said. Among his prior convictions were offenses of assault with a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession of contraband by an incarcerated person and possession of a firearm by a felon, authorities said. In March of 2008, prosecutors said, Lopez was sentenced to 47 months in Connecticut federal prison for possession of a firearm by a felon. Then in January 2013, he was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison on offenses of possession of a firearm by a felon and for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release. The state charges from the September 2017 shooting are still pending. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) South Carolina's nearly $11 billion budget was sent to the governor's desk on Monday as lawmakers cut close the deadline to get the spending plan in place before it begins July 1. There is something for almost everyone in the budget, including raises for most state employees, teachers and law enforcement officers. It also includes money to expand the port in Charleston, repair college buildings and place a police officer and nurse in every public school in the state. Lawmakers also have earmarked funds for dozens of local projects such as downtown renovations, lighthouse repairs or art programs. What passed Monday doesn't include the $2.5 billion that lawmakers will control of the nearly $9 billion South Carolina is getting from federal COVID-19 relief. How to spend that money will be debated later this year. Gov. Henry McMaster has until the end of Saturday to decide if he wants to veto any individual items in the spending plan. The General Assembly plans to return June 29 to decide whether to override any of them. The Republican governor has made it a point to work with the Republican-dominated General Assembly throughout the budget process since taking office in 2017. McMaster issued only 28 budget vetoes the last time lawmakers wrote a full budget, in 2019. The General Assembly saved almost all the extra money left over after the 2019 budget by keeping spending levels the same, fearing a massive COVID-19 economic downturn. But things weren't as bad as feared, and South Carolina lawmakers had nearly $2 billion more to spend in the 2021 budget, most of it one-time money from lawsuit settlements or saved from the previous spending plan instead of extra tax revenue from growth that could be counted on each year. The House approved the budget 107-4 and the Senate passed it 39-5. The spending plan also sets aside $600 million in a rainy day fund in case there is a sudden economic downturn and revenue collected in the 2021-22 fiscal year falls below what was predicted. That money could prevent midyear cuts, Rep. Bruce Bannister said. On July 1 wed have twice as much in reserve as we normally would carry and I think there is at least some sense we would adjust those reserves to make them higher so we would always have enough money, Bannister, a Republican from Greenville, said at last week's conference committee meeting where the House and Senate worked out their differences. The budget that is heading to the governor's desk includes: $60 million for a 2.5% raise for all state employees. $72 million to give every teacher in the state a $1,000 raise. Raises and bonuses of differing amounts for a number of state law enforcement agencies. $100 million to build schools in rural areas that lack a large property tax base. $200 million to start expanding the Port of Charleston with more railroads and a barge that could carry cargo from one terminal to another. The Senate passed a $550 million borrowing bill to do the same thing earlier this year, but agreed with the House to spend the money out of pocket. $500 million to repair buildings and for general maintenance at colleges and universities and $40 million to help them not raise tuition. About $6 million to ensure every school in the state has a nurse on campus. $29 million to make sure every public school in the state has a police officer. ___ Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP. WASHINGTON (AP) More than for her shock of purple hair or unpredictable votes, Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is perhaps best known for doing the unthinkable in Washington: She spends time on the Republican side of the aisle. Not only does she pass her days chatting up the Republican senators, she has been known to duck into their private GOP cloakroom absolutely unheard of and banter with the GOP leadership. She and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell talk often by phone. Sinema's years in Congress have been a whirlwind of political style and perplexing substance, an antiwar liberal-turned-deal-making centrist who now finds herself at the highest levels of power. A key negotiator of the bipartisan infrastructure compromise, she was among those President Joe Biden first called to make the deal and then called upon again as he worked furiously to salvage the agreement from collapse. A holdout to changing the Senate's filibuster rules, she faces enormous pressure to act as voting rights in her own state and others hang in the balance. If anybody can pull this off its Kyrsten, said David Lujan, a former Democratic colleague of Sinemas in the Arizona statehouse. Shes incredibly smart, so she can figure out where peoples commonalities are and get things done. The senator's theory of the case of how to govern in Washington will be tested in the weeks ahead as Congress works to turn the infrastructure compromise into law and mounts a response to the Supreme Court decision upholding Arizona's strict new voting rules. She is modeling her approach on the renegade style of Arizona Sen. John McCain, who died in 2018 and was known for his willingness to reach across the aisle. But aspiring to bold bipartisanship is challenging in the post-Trump era of hardened political bunkers and fierce cultural tribalism. Many in her own party scoff at her overtures to the GOP and criticize her for not playing hardball. Her name is now uttered alongside West Virginia's Sen. Joe Manchin as the two Democrats standing in the way of changing the filibuster rules requiring 60 votes to advance legislation a priority for liberals working to pass Biden's agenda in the split 50-50 Senate. This year she cast a procedural vote against raising the minimum wage and has opposed the climate change-focused Green New Deal, even though shes not fully opposed to either policy. She declined a request for an interview. Its the easiest thing in the world for politicians to declare bipartisanship dead and line up on respective sides of a partisan battle," she said in a statement to The Associated Press. Whats harder is getting out of our comfort zones, finding common ground with unlikely allies, and forming coalitions that can achieve durable, lasting results. Sinema arrived in Washington with a burst of energy and a swoosh of fashion. She quickly became known as one of the best vote counters in the House, on par with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, because of her visits to the other side of the aisle. She voted against Pelosi more than once for speaker. Her maiden speech in the Senate drew from McCain's farewell address, a marker of where she was headed. She changed the decades-old Senate dress code by simply wearing whatever she wants and daring anyone to stop her. The purple wig was a nod to the coronavirus pandemic's lockdown. (In off hours, she has been spotted wearing a ring with an expletive similar to buzz off.) People may debate her sincerity, but the truth is, she makes an active decision that shes going to work well with other people and I havent seen her slip up, said Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, who served with her in the House. Sinemas status as a bipartisan leader fascinates those whove watched her decades-long rise in Arizona politics, where she began as a lonely left-wing activist who worked for Ralph Naders 2000 Green Party presidential campaign and then slowly retooled herself into a moderate advocate of working across the aisle. Ideologically, it does surprise me, Steven Yarbrough, a Republican who served 12 years with Sinema in the Arizona legislature, said of her transformation. But given how smart and driven she is, well, that doesnt surprise me at all. That Sinema even made it that far seemed improbable. Her parents divorced when she was young, and she moved with her mother and stepfather from Tucson to the Florida panhandle, where she lived in an abandoned gas station for three years. Driven to succeed, she graduated from the local high school as valedictorian at age 16 and earned her bachelors degree from Brigham Young University in Utah at age 18, leaving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in which shed been raised, after graduation. Sinema landed in Phoenix, where she earned several more degrees including a law degree and a doctorate worked as a social worker and then a lawyer, vociferously protested the Iraq War and fought for immigrant and LGBTQ rights at a time when Arizona was veering right. In 2004 she was elected to the state legislature representing a fairly liberal area and initially was a backbencher who lobbed rhetorical bombs from the left. But Sinema has written and spoken extensively of how she discovered the merits of moderation while serving in the GOP-controlled state legislature. She wrote a book titled Unite and Conquer about the need for leftists to compromise and cut deals. In 2006, she co-chaired a bipartisan group to fight a gay marriage ban on the ballot and had to decide whether to simply condemn the ban or try to defeat it, said Steve May, the Republican former state lawmaker who collaborated with her. An avid consumer of polling, she helped hit upon a strategy of targeting older, retired heterosexual couples who could also lose benefits under the ballot measure due to their unmarried status. They narrowly succeeded in defeating it. (Another ban passed two years later.) She came from doing speeches and leading protests, and she learned she can actually win, May said. When a congressional seat opened up in a bluing stretch of Phoenixs eastern suburbs, Sinema ran and won. She had remade herself into the ideal candidate for a state that was slowly becoming competitive. And in 2018, she seized the moment, winning the open Senate seat. Her infrastructure work is only one of several bipartisan gangs in the Senate where she is testing her theory of governance. She is about to roll out a minimum wage proposal with Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah and is involved with others on immigration law changes. Kyrsten is always honest and straightforward, two often underrated qualities that are the mark of a successful legislator," said Sen. John Thune, the South Dakota Republican whip, who is among those Sinema often seeks out for conversation. In a statement to the AP, Thune said that while we certainly dont see eye-to-eye on every issue, he trusts that she is transparent with him, and he respects her "sincere pursuit of bipartisanship. Charming and funny in private conversations, Sinema prides herself on competing in marathons and triathlons, while maintaining a notoriously colorful wardrobe even in her Green Party days, she referred to herself as a Prada socialist. Dashing from the Senate recently, she brushed off reporters' questions about the infrastructure talks. On that day she wore a faux tuxedo bib dress paired with a suit jacket. Why? She does what she wants, she suggested, by way of a shrug, before she climbed into a waiting car. ___ Riccardi reported from Denver. Where do we go from here? The end of this documentary must herald some transformation that proves the financial crisis of cancer matters enough for us to fix it. The coronavirus pandemic gives us some clues. As Carla Tardif from Family Reach said back in Act 1, the relatively recent and acute impact of the coronavirus on our financial and physical well-being gave all of us a glimpse of what happens when a health crisis creates a financial crisis. In response, thousands of credit unions offered easy skip-a-pay options to their members. From how theyve described it, Idaho Central Credit Unions medical forbearance program continues the spirit of the program with members who have cancer. That is as good of a place as any for a credit union to start looking for ways to serve members in a season of overwhelming need. But medical forbearance programs are just the beginning of a life-saving journey that our industry collectively, and each credit union individually, must take toward members battling cancer. We must prove their cancer matters enough to give members like Klara, Bernice, Lisa, Elizabeth, and countless others a healthy financial path forward despite their diagnosis. Thank you for tuning in to episode 114 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your host, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com. This episode is brought to you by our friends at CUES. CUES is the leading talent development solutions provider to the credit union industry. My guest on todays show is Juan Fernandez Ceballos, President & CEO of the Credit Union Association of New Mexico. In this episode, we chat about how credit unions can continue to thrive in a congested financial space and break down barriers. Juan shares the importance of mentorship and its impact on the career journey for future leaders. We also discuss Juans new role as President & CEO of CUANM. He shares his excitement as the first Latino to head a credit union association and how working at a natural-person credit union helped him understand the challenges executives and boards face daily. Juan believes the best innovations come from times of crisis and are born out of necessity. We also discuss ways credit unions and leagues can lean into more conversation and action around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Juan encourages other league executives to build a cohesive team and leverage the credit union difference to keep both leagues and credit unions relevant. He also shares hacks for finding the right mentor and ways leaders can support young professionals in their development. As we discuss Juans personal leadership style and the ways he maintains purpose, we discover his emphasis on community. We chat about the two types of leaders Juan surrounds himself with and how each group supports purpose. During the rapid-fire questions, Juan shares a very interesting story of his journey to credit unions and how it has fueled his passion for helping others. Juan shares a simple tip for leaders as we close the show, and youll be surprised to hear who he thinks of when he hears the word success. Enjoy my conversation with Juan Fernandez Ceballos! Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List How to find Juan: Juan Fernandez Ceballos, President & CEO of CUANM jfernandez@cuanm.org https://www.cuanm.com LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Show notes from this episode: A big shout-out to our friends at CUES, an amazing sponsor of The CUInsight Experience podcast. Thank you! After listening to our show, check out the CUES podcast here. The CUES podcast features a wide variety of industry leaders, and cross industry experts discussing their perspectives on credit union topics and trends. Check out all that Juan and his team are doing at Credit Union Association of New Mexico here. Connect with Juan on LinkedIn to get more information on the Happy Hour conversations. Shout-out: Jill Nowacki Shout-out: Charlotte Nemec, Canopy Credit Union Shout-out: CULCT Place mentioned: New Mexico Shout-out: Zoom Place mentioned: Delaware Place mentioned: California Shout-out: CUNA Shout-out: Marsha Majors Shout-out: Pablo DeFillipi Shout-out: Victor Corro Shout-out: Diana Dykstra, CCUL Shout-out: Troy Stang, NWCUA Shout-out: Paul Gentile Shout-out: Credit Union Times Program mentioned: CUDE Program Shout-out: Chad Helminak Shout-out: Gigi Hyland Place mentioned: Puerto Rico Place mentioned: Rochester, NY Shout-out: William Mellin, NYCUA Shout-out: Peloton Shout-out: Jills son, Crosby Shout-out: HBO Max Shout-out: Lois Kitsch Shout-out: Don Bosco Special School Place mentioned: Likuyani, Kenya Book mentioned: The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels by Michael D. Watkins Album mentioned: In the Heights (soundtrack) by Lin-Manuel Miranda Previous guests mentioned in this episode: Gigi Hyland, Marsha Majors, Victor Corro, Diana Dykstra, Lois Kitsch, Jill Nowacki (episodes 4, 18, 37, 64, 82, 101, & 113) In This Episode: [02:43] We congratulate Juan Fernandez Ceballos on his new position as the President & CEO of the Credit Union Association of New Mexico, especially as the first Latino in the role. [04:46] Juan shares what his journey through previous positions taught him as he got to his new position. [07:26] Are small credit unions associations influential? [09:21] Juan communicates what objectives he aims to align in the organization to help his team thrive. [11:25] What are Juans hacks for thinking forward? [13:12] For individual credit unions, Juan believes organizations should lean towards the cooperative nature of credit unions. [15:19] How important is it for credit unions to collaborate with their neighbor organizations and serve their communities together? [17:51] Juan explores the idea of placing a different spin on the role of regulators in the credit union space. [19:26] Juan shares how the people around him impact his life, and speaks on being intentional about who he keeps in his life. [22:26] We can build ourselves up by creating a network, including the network of content we consume. [24:32] Juan believes that having different perspectives is beneficial in more ways than one. [26:44] How does focus, or a lack of focus, impact a credit union? [28:16] What should credit unions do to stay relevant? [29:57] As a kid, Juan was interested in politics and banking. How did banking win between the two? [32:49] Juan cares about creating more opportunities to show young people in the field the bigger picture of the credit union movement. [34:54] Juan tells us the meaning behind How can we?, explains effective measurement, and dispels the myth of thinking any leader is unattainably extraordinary. [37:10] What does Juan do to recharge himself? [39:26] Juan says he was so shy in high school that he imagines no one would feel comfortable talking to him at that time. [42:13] Juan mentions The First 90 Days, In the Heights, and the first name he thinks of when he hears the word success. [45:12] To send us off, Juan encourages us to innovate, get involved, and seize the opportunities before us. Henry James Twitty Jr. of Birmingham, formerly of Colony in Cullman County, passed away July 10, 2021 at the age of 57. He was born March 17, 1964 in Cullman to Henry James Twitty Sr. and Rosetta Munford Twitty. He was preceded in death by his mother and grandparents, Essie and Midas Twitty. Kankakee, IL (60901) Today Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. Low 71F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Elizabeth City, NC (27909) Today Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 92F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low near 75F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Elizabeth City, NC (27909) Today Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 92F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low around 75F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Stay up to date on COVID-19 Get Breaking News Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Ryan Anderson/Daily Citizen-News When Dalton High School's Brooke Schlisner learned she was a Georgia Governor's Honors Program finalist and would be invited to the annual summer camp at Berry College, "it was an overwhelming feeling of excitement," she said. For one, "it's a taste of an advanced level" beyond high school, and "you get to meet new people in an overwhelmingly positive environment." Contributed photo David Aft, left, president of the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia, sat down with Jennifer Richardson, the Conasauga Accountability Court administrator, to discuss mental health issues affecting the community and the foundation's commitment to study the issue on a regional level and propose solutions. The Lower Esopus Creek in the town of Ulster, N.Y., is shown on Friday, March 19, 2021. Town of Ulster Town bears down on odors from RRA composting The following items are based on information provided by officials in law enforcement and the criminal justice system. President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, attend Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle during Inauguration Day ceremonies on Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington. Apr 12, 1969 - Jul 3, 2021 Brenda Lea Deem, 52, of Knoxville, Tennessee, passed away on Saturday, July 3, 2021 at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center surrounded by family. Brenda was born on April 12, 1969 in Ashland, Kentucky to the late William "Bill" and Betty Jo Adkins of Flatwoods, KY. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Please let us know what's going on! Go to form Deadline to apply is July 20 United Way to hold outreach events for mobile home tax program FILE - In this file photo dated Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, three vials of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine are pictured in a new coronavirus vaccination center at the 'Velodrom' (velodrome-stadium) in Berlin, Germany. The World Health Organization said that any COVID-19 vaccines it has authorized for emergency use should be recognized by countries as they open up their borders, in a move that could challenge Western countries to broaden their acceptance of two Chinese vaccines which the U.N. health agency has licensed, but most European and North American countries have not. Bidding wars are usually greeted with great excitement in the City, but the battle that has broken out for control of supermarket group Morrisons should make our hearts sink. No fewer than three rival US private-equity groups are vying for control of the grocery chain and still more contenders might well muscle in. The Morrisons board gives every appearance of being giddy with the thrill of the auction room and the prospect of higher bids before the hammer falls. In reality, all the offers lodged so far are low-ball attempts to grab one of our Big Four supermarkets on the cheap and ought to be rejected on that basis alone. That, though, is not the real point. Morrisons should not be sold to any member of this circling private-equity wolf pack at any price. Morrisons' bidder Apollo's co-founder Leon Black stepped down as chairman after revelations he paid the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein (both pictured) 114million for personal tax advice The latest potential bidder, Apollo, looks particularly unsavoury. Its co-founder, Leon Black, 69, stepped down as chairman and chief executive in March following revelations that he paid the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein 114million for personal tax advice. Black, who received more than 134million in pay and dividends last year, was served with a lawsuit last month claiming he raped and sexually harassed a young Russian model. He insists the accusations are lies and says the pair had a 'wholly consensual relationship' for six years. Be that as it may, the late Sir Ken Morrison, who built the wholesome supermarket we know and love, would be choking on his cornflakes if he were still alive. He would also be snorting in disbelief at the glib promises to preserve his legacy made by rival investment group Fortress, whose bid shamefully has already been accepted by the Morrisons board. Black was served with a lawsuit last month claiming he raped and sexually harassed a young Russian model, but he insists the accusations are lies. Pictured: Apollo Global's headquarters The supermarket is unique in the way it stocks its shelves and fridges with produce from its own farms, manufacturing facilities and fishing fleets. Prudently, the firm owns many of its own stores, rather than renting them. This, in the eyes of private equity, makes Morrisons ripe for plunder. The notion that private equity would have the remotest interest in sustaining Sir Ken's business model or his solid Yorkshire values is laughable. If they take control, his legacy is likely to be dismantled wholesale in an orgy of asset-stripping and debt. One wonders if we will ever learn, given there is a long list of such 'promises' made and then casually dishonoured by foreign buyers of UK firms. Alarmingly, these include so-called commitments made by the owner of Fortress, a Japanese outfit called SoftBank. It took over the Cambridge tech firm Arm Holdings five years ago and is now trying to flog it off to a US rival, despite painting itself as a long-term investor in the UK. 'Promises' such as these are no such thing just so much cynical hot air. Morrisons directors have a duty to follow the best course of action for shareholders, the business, the staff, the customers and the taxpayer. Given these bosses are in line for multi-million-pound jackpots in a takeover, though, it must be hard to set aside self-interest. Chief executive Dave Potts has put himself in line for a payout of 19million if the bid from Fortress succeeds, and possibly more if competitors up the ante. Tempting as it must be to take the money and run, it is also short-sighted. With its huge growth potential, Morrisons has no need to put itself at the mercy of private equity. It could even be more rewarding for bosses to stick around and create long-term genuine growth. Such a strategy certainly worked well for Frenchman Pascal Soriot, the chief executive of AstraZeneca. The late Sir Ken Morrison, who built the supermarket (pictured), would be snorting in disbelief at the glib promises to preserve his legacy made by rival investment group Fortress When US giant Pfizer came banging on his door with a 69billion bid in 2014 he mounted a robust defence, which has paid off brilliantly. As an independent British firm, AstraZeneca has grown in value by tens of billions of pounds and has produced a life-saving Covid-19 vaccine. It is barely conceivable that the company would have achieved any such thing if it had allowed itself to be swallowed up by an American aggressor, and was then starved of investment and shorn of its research facilities. As for Soriot, he chose to forgo the quick bucks in 2014, but over his tenure he has earned a total of nearly 87million. Not bad. The contrast with Morrisons is telling. Chairman Andrew Higginson and his spineless board, who have already rolled over like whimpering poodles, should be ashamed of themselves. They need to show some backbone, mount a proper defence of Morrisons as an independent British company and show this disreputable bunch of bidders the door. No one holds the title World's Most Unpopular Man for very long. There's always a fresh contender on the way up, offering even more to dislike. One day Donald Trump holds the title, and the next day it's Philip Green. Then along comes Prince Andrew, but already Harvey Weinstein and Kim Jong-un and Gavin Williamson are hot on his heels. Currently, Jamie Spears is in the lead. For the past 13 years, the grim-faced Mr Spears has been the legal conservator of his erratic pop star daughter Britney. This gives him control over virtually everything she does. Britney argues that he has mis-used his position. She claims he has forced her to perform live shows while sick, prevented her from getting married or having another child, and made her take medications against her will. Faced with such accusations, Mr Spears has hired a lawyer, Vivian Thoreen, to defend his reputation. 'I understand that every story wants to have a villain, but people have it so wrong,' Ms Thoreen gamely told Good Morning America. For the past 13 years, the grim-faced Jamie Spears (pictured) has been the legal conservator of his erratic pop star daughter Britney. This gives him control over virtually everything she does 'This is a story about a fiercely loyal, loving and dedicated father who rescued his daughter from a life-threatening situation . . . He's worked tirelessly to protect her.' I mention all this because a 'family friend', Jacqueline Butcher, has just claimed that Mr Spears hurled insults at his daughter after he took control of her affairs in 2008. She was quoted as saying: 'He would get all in her face spittle was flying telling her she was a w****e and a terrible mother.' When I first read this, I couldn't work out what a 'w****e' was. I always find asterisks counter-productive when it comes to covering up rude words. They are intended to deflate the word, but instead they inflate it out of all proportion, making you pause much longer than you otherwise would. For instance, if I write the word 'damn' as 'd**n' or 'd***' then you would have to set aside time to fill in the missing letters. When I saw 'w****e', with those four asterisks, I was bemused. Yes, I could think of one rude word of six letters beginning with a 'w', but this word ended with an 'r' not an 'e'. So what could 'w****e' possibly stand for? Had I lived such a sheltered life that a six-lettered W-word, ending with an 'e' had somehow passed me by? Could it be 'waffle'? Britney does go on a bit, so an unkind person might accuse her of waffling. But wouldn't Mr Spears have called her a waffler rather than a waffle? Or was he fat-shaming her for tucking into too many waffles? Britney (pictured) claims he has forced her to perform live shows while sick, prevented her from getting married or having another child, and made her take medications against her will Wobble and Waddle were also possible candidates, but Britney was never so overweight that she wobbled or waddled. Or might W****e be an item of clothing? A Boy Scout or a Girl Guide uses a woggle to thread their neck-scarf. When I was a Boy Scout, our Scout Master used to upbraid me virtually every week for losing my woggle. This made me loathe woggles, but it seems unlikely that, for all their many ups and downs, any member of the Spears family has suffered a Woggle-based trauma. Could it be Wimple, the head-piece worn by nuns? I doubted it. Britney never wears too much, in fact quite the opposite. She doesn't dress for warmth. This explains why she has never been seen jigging about in a Woolie, or, indeed a Wellie. What about Widdle? In Carry On Up The Khyber, little Charles Hawtrey plays Private Widdle, who loses his woollen knickers to the Khasi of Kalabar. But would Mr Spears, who hails from Louisiana, really have such detailed knowledge of the very English Carry On movies? By now, I had been trying to puzzle out the meaning of W****e for far too long. Weepie, Wedgie, Whinge, Waggle, Wiggle, Wheeze, Writhe: they all seemed unlikely, as did Wakame, a form of edible seaweed. 'You are a Wakame, and a terrible mother!' It just didn't sound right. I was getting nowhere with my investigations, and was about to abandon them, when I noticed that another website was using just three asterisks, not four. Aha! Mr Spears had actually called his own daughter a 'w***e', to rhyme with chore. On this basis, I suspect he may hold his new title for some time to come. It's been ten years since I resigned as detective constable from Greater Manchester Police in protest at how the victims of the Rochdale grooming gang were repeatedly failed. And so little has changed since then. This most horrific child abuse case continues to expose so much of what is wrong with our so-called 'justice system'. Whether that's inadequate charges, pitiful sentences, lack of victim care or systemic failures in prosecutions, this case exposes the lot, and it still makes my blood boil. We discovered this week that Adil Khan and Abdul Rauf, two convicted members of the notorious grooming gang, are fighting deportation from the UK on the grounds this will breach THEIR human rights! But what about the human rights of the victims, whose lives they destroyed? MAGGIE OLIVER: It's been ten years since I resigned as detective constable from Greater Manchester Police in protest at how the victims of the Rochdale grooming gang were repeatedly failed Adil Khan was a married man of 40 with three kids when he abused multiple children over many years, including a girl of just 13 who he made pregnant. He repeatedly denied this, but a DNA test proved he was the father. Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights grants the right to a private and family life, which seems fair and reasonable, right? As far as I am concerned, when these paedophiles abused their victims, they forfeited all claim to their own human rights and should have been deported years ago as directed by the trial judge. Instead, they are making a laughing stock of this country, exposing how weak our system is, while having millions of pounds of taxpayers' money thrown at them as they try every trick in the book to remain in the UK. It's scandalous! At least 47 children were groomed and abused by the gang of which Khan and Rauf formed part, but despite the magnitude of the crimes, Khan served less than four years of an eight-year sentence, Rauf just two and a half of his six-year sentence. In a recent court appearance, Khan had the nerve to claim: 'We have not committed that big a crime.' Clearly still unrepentant. To be considered for parole, an offender must be seen as no further risk to the public and show remorse. I would argue that neither of these criteria have been met here. MAGGIE OLIVER: We discovered this week that Abdul Rauf, a convicted member of the notorious grooming gang, is fighting deportation from the UK on the grounds this will breach HIS human rights! But what about the human rights of the victims? MAGGIE OLIVER: Adil Khan was a married man of 40 with three kids when he abused multiple children over many years, including a girl of just 13 who he made pregnant. He repeatedly denied this, but a DNA test proved he was the father Khan is also fighting deportation on the grounds it would leave him stateless, claiming he had renounced his Pakistani citizenship. It's a blatant attempt to play the system that will lead to an even longer drawn-out legal process, more money earned by their lawyers, on top of the millions already wasted through legal aid. The Government's rape review last month showed that victims are not reporting crimes for fear of being let down by the criminal justice process: not being believed, being blamed, going through the traumatic process only to see the prosecution collapse. The victims of the Rochdale grooming gang have been treated appallingly at every step by the police, CPS and parole they are still seeking justice, but are bottom of the pile every time. Perhaps the final kick in the teeth was when one of Khan's victims came face to face with him in her local supermarket. Imagine her absolute terror - she rang me in a total panic as she had no idea he'd been released from prison, never mind living back in Rochdale. The authorities had never contacted her since the day she gave her evidence in court, a clear indication of the absolute contempt with which victims are treated. Rape and abuse have been virtually decriminalised in this country and even Government figures show that the chance of being prosecuted for rape is microscopic - at 1.6 per cent of cases recorded by police (which we know is a tiny proportion of crimes actually committed). This is why I started a foundation to support survivors of sexual abuse or exploitation to transform their pain into power. We know this is not a historic problem that has been fixed. These failings continue, with victims abused by the criminals and then so often by the system that is supposed to support and grant them justice. If you are in need of support, can donate or would like to find out more about our work, please visit www.themaggieoliverfoundation.com. Advertisement An industrial warehouse given a second chance at life with a rooftop terrace and funky neon lighting is now one of Melbourne's trendiest homes in one of the city's coolest suburbs. Built in 1924, the historic Tomkins Dairy in Thornbury, 7.5 kilometres north of the CBD, was recently converted into a spectacular modern home by boutique developer Mark Connellan and his wife, Kate. The couple spared no expense reinventing the unique home with striking fixtures including a stainless steel kitchen, stone bathrooms and peaked ceilings that tower over sunlit living spaces. A red neon bunny with the apartment's number '3' on its back guides you to the custom timber barn door, which reportedly weighs a quarter of a tonne. Built in 1924, the historic Tomkins Dairy (pictured) in Thornbury, 7.5 kilometres north of Melbourne CBD, was recently converted into a spectacular modern home by boutique developer Mark Connellan and his wife, Kate The dairy's crowning glory is a rooftop terrace that captures sweeping views of the surrounding neighbourhood Mr Connellan told Domain a crane was needed to install it. The Tomkins family became well known dairymen in the Thornbury area after S.G. Tomkins opened his business there on Shaftesbury Parade in 1924, according to archival records from Victoria Libraries. Like many local dairies of the time, Mr Tomkins lived in a building at the front of his property and kept milking sheds at the back. Ten years later in 1934, a relative, P.W. Tomkins, founded a second dairy around the corner which was hailed as a 'modern marvel' equipped with the latest milking and bottling machinery and specialised sterilising gadgets that made its milk popular for babies and the elderly. Today, the interior of the building looks very different. The Connellans spared no expense reinventing the unique home with striking fixtures including a stainless steel kitchen, stone bathrooms and peaked ceilings that tower over sunlit living spaces A red neon bunny with the apartment's number '3' on its back (pictured) guides you to the custom timber barn door, which reportedly weighs a quarter of a tonne Vintage features like rusted metal beams, peeled back paint and exposed brickwork laid in the 1920s contrast with modern additions such as polished concrete floors and three elegant bedrooms, one with a stone ensuite A granite and stainless steel kitchen (pictured) links to a butler's pantry and a small powder room Vintage features like rusted metal beams, peeled back paint and exposed brickwork laid in the 1920s contrast with modern additions such as polished concrete floors and three elegant bedrooms, one with a stone ensuite. The ground floor is built around a central courtyard that affords respite from the suburb's vibrant streets. Upstairs is occupied by a sprawling open-plan living space where natural light floods through industrial windows and an original oversized doorway that leads to a balcony. Beside it is a granite and stainless steel kitchen that links to a butler's pantry and a small powder room. Listing agent Sam Rigopoulous, director of real estate agency Jellis Craig, said the sale of the house at just under $2million (AUD) showed Thornbury was 'making its mark' as a sought-after inner suburb The interior of the building (pictured) is worlds away from its original state The dairy's crowning glory is a rooftop terrace that captures sweeping views of the surrounding neighbourhood. The conversion was due to sell under the hammer on Saturday, May 29, but the auction was hastily brought forward to Thursday evening in light of the state government's announcement Victoria would be plunged into a seven-day circuit breaker lockdown after a sudden rise in Covid infections. Listing agent Sam Rigopoulos, director of real estate agency Jellis Craig, said bidding for the property opened at $1.3million (AUD) and closed just under the $2million mark. The kitchen flows into a butler's pantry (pictured straight ahead) The ground floor is built around a central courtyard (pictured) that affords respite from the suburb's vibrant streets It fetched almost $700,000 more than the average three-bedroom in the area, which sold for $1.3million in 2020, according to realestate.com.au. The dairy was the most-viewed listing on the website the week it sold. Mr Rigopoulous said the sale showed Thornbury was 'making its mark' as a sought-after inner suburb. Nicky and Jason Asquith-Thorpe's wedding photographs show a smiling couple enjoying what looks like the best day of their lives. Everything is picture perfect, from Nicky's white strapless dress to the eight bridesmaids' pastel gowns and ushers' suits. They tell of a glorious day: a beautiful church service, followed by prosecco and a roast for 100. But all bride Nicky remembers is tears and anguish in the run-up to their July 2019 wedding, very nearly ruined at the 11th hour. 'I can never look back and think 'that was the best day of my life' because of all the heartache and rubbish that came in the days before,' says the 33-year-old NHS worker from Harrogate, North Yorkshire. 'As much as people say of our wedding 'it was fantastic', I was such a mess emotionally. Even now, it's all still a blur.' Instead, Nicky recalls the thousands of pounds they lost, and the thousands more they spent to salvage their big day, erasing the money they'd saved toward a house deposit. Nicky and Jason Asquith-Thorpe's wedding photographs (pictured) look picture perfect. But all bride Nicky remembers is the tears after being scammed by wedding planner Dana Twidale She thinks of the emotional turmoil, the embarrassment, the brave faces she and Jason put on for their guests. Then, Nicky's thoughts turn to the woman responsible for the debacle Hull-based wedding planner Dana Twidale who was yesterday jailed for five years for conning would-be brides and grooms, leaving their dreams in tatters. The 43-year-old had admitted 26 counts of fraud by false representation between August 2017 and July 2019 at an earlier hearing. The judge described her actions, conning 24 couples out of a total of 15,000, as 'shameful'. But nothing will restore Nicky and Jason's tarnished memories not to mention the 2,800 Twidale disappeared with, plus the thousands extra the couple had to pay to rescue their wedding. Smooth-talking Twidale promised the Asquith-Thorpes a marquee, tables with crisp white tablecloths, elaborate decorations, gleaming cutlery, crockery and glassware, dressed chairs and food for all their guests. But just 48 hours before the big day, Nicky arrived at the pretty pub that was to be their reception venue to find one very empty field. 'All we had was grass and nothing else,' says Nicky, whose increasingly frantic calls to Twidale's mobile phone went ignored. 'We never saw or heard from her again.' Twidale (pictured), 43, from Hull, was yesterday jailed for five years for conning brides and grooms, leaving their dreams in tatters. She scammed 24 couples out of a total of 15,000 They would later discover Twidale had done a runner to Benidorm, where she was pictured sunning herself poolside at her Spanish hotel. While the twice-married mother-of-four topped up her tan, the hard-working couple she'd conned could no longer afford a honeymoon. They had to fork out an extra 1,000 for a function room next to the church, plus 3,000 to feed their guests kindly provided by a caterer at short notice. All in all, the day cost them 8,000, more than double their original budget. More distressing still, Nicky and Jason, 50, a bus company duty manager, weren't the only ones to fall for the 'wedding scammer' and her Facebook ads offering budget-friendly packages. After their plight was aired on local radio, they were bombarded with messages from other couples, worried that their big day was also in jeopardy. Similar tales of bitter disappointment on social media led to the creation of a Facebook support group for victims determined to warn others and fight for justice. Among them were bride-to-be Sam Devine, 32, and fiance Phil Leach, both from East Yorkshire, who lost 600. 'I felt upset, shocked and absolutely gutted,' said Sam. She'd moved their wedding forward after her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. 'I just couldn't believe somebody could prey on someone's weakness like that.' Kayleigh Enderby and Marc Hodge were also left in the lurch after handing over 600 to Twidale, which they later recovered via their bank. 'I was like 'wow what are we going to do? We get married in four weeks',' said the mother from north Hull after Dana vanished. So is Twidale as heartless as she sounds? Or an inexperienced entrepreneur who promised too much and then bolted when she couldn't honour her obligations? Nicky and Jason initially gave her the benefit of the doubt, not wanting to believe that 'lovely' Dana deliberately set out to scam them. Twidale, who advertised packages for as little as 1,000, successfully staged some weddings to begin with, posting impressive photographs and positive reviews online. But one reputable wedding planner told the Mail: 'She came to us when things were starting to fall apart, to rescue the events that weren't going very well, looking to cross-hire things from us. I know there were some suppliers who stood up for her very valiantly in the beginning, until more and more victims came forward. 'The hallmark of people who do these things is that they offer packages on social media for a very small amount, at half the price of the established companies to undercut them, but don't make enough to cover their costs. 'Sometimes it's a case of unrealistic business practices which are unsustainable. I don't like to speculate, but people have come forward saying it wasn't just weddings, people were losing money in other capacities.' Nicky and Jason would have been more wary had they known about Twidale's history, littered with exes who also say they've been duped. Her first brush with infamy came in 1998 when printer Richard Law told the People newspaper how she'd 'met, married, and ripped him off' in the space of 14 days. The 43-year-old (pictured) had admitted 26 counts of fraud by false representation between August 2017 and July 2019 at an earlier hearing Richard described how he'd fallen for the 21-year-old 'awesome beauty', then known as Dana McIntosh, in a Reading nightclub, marrying a week later. Seven days later, he returned home to find her gone, leaving behind her gold wedding ring. He later found their joint account emptied of 400, and overdrawn by 500. Some of their wedding gifts and items of his mother's jewellery were also missing. Reporting the matter to Thames Valley police, he warned 'Dana is callous and will do anything to anybody to get what she wants.' Mr Law told the Mail that she 'only had one drive which was to make as much money as possible by cheating anyone she came into contact with. I was one of those people and she just preys on vulnerable people for her own ends. 'Now she is finally being made to pay for making the lives of so many people a misery. I tried to raise how dangerous this woman was after she had left me devastated but no one would listen. They look at you as a man and say that you can't be taken in by someone like her. 'But that's exactly the sort of woman she was and my experience with her left me in a very dark place. It's been a hard struggle to get my life back and I'm now in a new relationship and I just want to forget I ever met this woman.' Over the years many more men say they were seduced into parting with their savings by the 'bubbly brunette', who told her first husband her family lived in Sweden and owned a villa in Spain, when in reality she grew up on a Hull council estate. Twidale's mother has declined to comment, but messages purporting to be from family have appeared on Facebook apologising and insisting they knew nothing of the offences. Estranged second husband Carl Twidale, 47, whose three-year marriage to the scammer collapsed in 2017, also said he'd been left 4,000 short after lending her money. Publicly appealing to his ex-wife to sign their divorce papers, he revealed he'd been left to face the wrath of her clients when he'd had no idea what she was up to. 'I've lived my life in the darkness with no lights on and it has been tough,' Mr Twidale, a barber, said. 'I've had threats and I've had to hide my car just in case, but on the plus side I've had other victims say 'we know you had no involvement and we want to stay friends'.' Dana's estranged second husband Carl Twidale (pictured), 47, whose three-year marriage to the scammer collapsed in 2017, also said he'd been left 4,000 short after lending her money It was Mr Twidale who identified the photos of Dana in Benidorm as his missing ex-wife, after recognising her distinctive tattoos. 'When I first met her she was lovely, bubbly and you just wanted to be around her, but it seems that was all part of the act,' he said when the allegations first came to light. 'There are no words. She is wicked and it's twisted you can't do the things that she's done. 'Scamming people and preying on their vulnerabilities is just wrong.' Ex-boyfriend Nigel Wainwright, 51, from Bridlington, met Twidale on Tinder after her marriage collapsed. Hull Crown Court heard that he lost 42,000 to Twidale and was left on the verge of bankruptcy. Twidale falsely claimed to Mr Wainwright that she was a victim of domestic abuse, but in fact, she had a gambling problem. Vulnerable after losing his father, he said he gave Twidale money to pay for her mother's funeral only to discover that her mum was still very much alive. 'The whole relationship was a sham,' he told local press in 2019. 'I thought this was it for me. She was saying all the right things but none of it was true. She said she cared for me and my mum and wanted to be in my life but now I just want my money back and I want to move on . . . she broke me.' The clients attracted by her too-good-to-be-true prices and alluring photos knew nothing of this, of course. 'I'd been saving for months, carefully budgeting every penny,' says Nicky, who like many couples wanted to avoid spiralling prices. The average UK wedding now stands at a cost of between 18,000 and an eye-watering 32,000. After checking out the profiles of other brides whose weddings Twidale had planned, and messaging them for feedback on the whole positive Nicky and her mum arranged to meet Twidale at her home in Hull. 'When I met her, I thought she was lovely. She didn't live in a mansion, but it was obviously her home. She had photos of her family up, wedding tablecloths in the washing machine and stacks of crockery in her car. She seemed very genuine,' says Nicky. 'She was so nice, I felt like I'd known her for ever. We had a pub venue near where we live, so we wanted a marquee on the grass next to it and we paid extra for her to do everything from the marquee, tables and chairs, to cutlery, glasses, water jugs, plates and food.' They also paid extra for a 'memory ladder' on which to hang photos of loved ones missing from their special day, including Jason's father who had recently died. None of it turned up. Publicly appealing to his ex-wife to sign their divorce papers, Carl (pictured with Twidale) said he'd been left to face the wrath of her clients when he'd had no idea what she was up to 'The last message I had from Dana was 'don't worry, I'm running late, I'll be there soon,' recalls Nicky of those anxious hours at the venue, two days before she was due to wed. 'For the next three hours we waited and waited. I kept ringing her and she just didn't answer her phone. It was switched off. 'I didn't know what to think, I kept telling myself 'it's fine, she's going to be here'. It was around 7pm when I finally realised she wasn't ever going to turn up.' At their church wedding rehearsal that night, Nicky was in pieces, her mum was beside herself, and Nicky's two children from a previous relationship, now aged 16 and 14, were devastated. 'After all the effort we'd put into trying to make it a fantastic day, we felt absolutely heartbroken and betrayed. Jason who served in the Army for 23 years was so strong and practical saying 'right, how are we going to fix it?'. 'Without him, I think I would have fallen apart.' In the end, as their wedding photographs show, their big day was a fabulous success thanks to their 'amazing' family and friends, plus all the local businesses who rallied round in their hour of need. But it wasn't what they'd dreamed of. 'When I met Dana, I thought my wedding was going to be perfect and I still don't want to believe she could deliberately do something so horrible to us,' says Nicky. 'She could have messaged me to say 'I'm really sorry, I was struggling and I just couldn't do it' but she ignored me. She was living her best life, while we were left in turmoil.' Twidale was arrested in September 2019 after being spotted driving around Hull, bold as brass. Both Nicky and Jason were in court to see Twidale sentenced. 'The money we lost doesn't really matter any more, because we still had our wedding day despite what she did, and she's got what she deserved. After all the heartache, we finally have closure. 'But we'd really like to know what happened to our money. Did she use it run away to Benidorm? That would really hurt.' 'Maybe now, she will finally learn or feel some remorse,' says Nicky, adding: 'I do hope that she's sorry because I trusted her, I really did. That's the sad thing, isn't it?' A shopper who shared a picture of her kitchen pantry has sparked a heated debate over where the tomato sauce and other condiments should be stored. Australian mum Sue shared her photograph of the new lights that were displayed in her pantry after she purchased them from Aldi. But many were up in arms about the bottle of tomato sauce sitting on the bottom shelf of the cupboard because they thought it should be stored in the fridge instead. A shopper who shared a picture of her kitchen pantry on social media has sparked a heated debate over where the tomato sauce should be stored Poll Where do you store your tomato sauce? Fridge Pantry Where do you store your tomato sauce? Fridge 706 votes Pantry 548 votes Now share your opinion 'Who keeps tomato sauce in the pantry?' one wrote, while another said: 'Not me, not since I saw a post about someone finding maggots in their sauce. Ever since then it's fridge for me.' 'People don't seem to read instructions even for their food - "refrigerate after opening". It goes off in the pantry and the vinegar separates,' another explained. While one added: 'All of you who keep it in the pantry are disgusting. It literally says refrigerate after opening. Plus nothing better than cold sauce and hot chips.' Others took particular issue with the soy sauce, saying it should also be stored in the fridge. However, many pointed out the soy sauce can be stored in the cupboard. 'Soy sauce doesn't need to be refrigerated. Check the bottle. Everything always has storage instructions,' one wrote, while another added: 'I've had soy sauce in my cupboard for years.' And another said: 'It's full of salt, so no worries there.' Many were up in arms about the bottle of tomato sauce sitting on the bottom shelf of the cupboard because it should be stored in the fridge instead Meanwhile, dozens quickly jumped to the shopper's defence, with some suggesting the tomato sauce could have been unopened. 'Gees it's about the lights and people going on about sauce, who cares whether it's in the pantry or fridge. That's up to the individual how you want to store,' one wrote. 'Looks great! And to all those people commenting on your pantry items - you totally missed the point you judgemental nasties,' another said. While one woman added: 'I think you'll find it's full of preservatives so it doesn't matter where you keep it. Who cares anyway, some people are rude aren't they? I don't think sauce ever killed anyone.' Shoppers are obsessing over a range of mats with stunning patterns after an interior enthusiast shared pictures showing how she styled them in her bathrooms. Renee Hunt, from Brisbane, purchased five indoor mats, which normally cost $39.99 each, from Adairs when they went on sale for just $26 each. 'We have two bathrooms so it's nice to change up the look of them by switching the mats,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Scroll down for video Interior enthusiasts are obsessing over a range of mats with stunning patterns after a shopper shared pictures showing how she styled them in her bathrooms Renee Hunt, from Brisbane, purchased the stunning indoor mats from Adairs from $26 each The jute mats with polyester chenille base are designed for doorway spaces but Renee said she hasn't had any issues using them in her bathrooms. 'They're good with water,' Renee - who blogs under Coastal Hills Haven on Instagram - said but she pointed out the mats cannot be cleaned in the washing machine. 'Mine don't get overly wet - but I usually just hang them up on a towel rail or out in the sun to dry.' The mats are made with jute, polyester and cotton and are available in 11 different unique designs to style spaces around the home. The jute mats with polyester chenille base are designed for doorway spaces but Renee said she hasn't had any issues using them in her bathrooms After sharing her pictures on social media, many were amazed with the designs, describing them as 'gorgeous', 'beautiful' and 'lovely'. 'They really go with the bathroom, it's a vibe,' one woman wrote, while another said: 'It makes the room look sophisticated and harmonious.' While others said they couldn't wait to get their hands on them. Her post comes just months after Renee revealed how she turned her dull and yellowed air conditioners sparkling white with a very simple trick. Brisbane design blogger Renee transformed the wall-mounted units in her office and bedroom from a faded yellow (top) to sparkling white (bottom) with $13.59 Rust-Oleum Satin Spray Paint The interior enthusiast transformed the wall-mounted units in her bedroom and home office with Rust-Oleum Satin Spray Paint, available from Bunnings online and in stores across Australia for $13.59. In a video posted to her Instagram highlight reel, Renee - who posts under the handle 'Coastal Hills Haven' - revealed how she removed the detachable grate and sides of both machines, then sanded and scrubbed them with sugar soap and water. Next, she stuck double-sided tape along the base of the units before slotting the sides and grate back in place and sanding down the fixed surfaces. Renee finished by spraying each air conditioner with 'two to three' coats of paint, leaving it to dry overnight before removing the tape. Unlike high gloss wall paints, Rust-Oleum spray paint sticks to plastic without peeling off - making it an ideal choice for faded fans, electricity boxes and air conditioners. The most cringeworthy phrases of 2021 have been ridiculed in a list of the worst jargon used in workplace emails - including a Covid-related quip nobody wants to read again. The Buzzsaw, an online tool that automatically strips buzzwords out of press releases, speeches and blog posts, shamed this year's worst offenders in its 11th annual 'Jargon Awards'. The list, which ranks the most infuriating cliches spouted by publicists and corporate professionals, are based on submissions of submissions from editors and news correspondents around the world. In first place is 'cohort', a convoluted way of describing a group of people, followed by 'close the loop' in second and 'hop on a call' in third. 'Trying times', a reference to the pandemic overused since the world's first lockdowns began in early 2020, comes in at number eight. In first place is 'cohort', a convoluted way of describing a group of people (stock image) Australian publicist Hamish Thompson has been compiling the list since 2010 after he noticed someone complaining about a sticker company that described itself as a 'global leader in adhesive labelling solutions'. 'The Buzzsaw was created to put an end to corporate waffle,' Mr Thompson explained. Emails or press releases can be pasted into the Buzzsaw, which checks the document against a database of thousands of buzzwords and cliches before it is regenerated with all matches struck out in red. The 10 most cringeworthy phrases of 2021 1. Cohort 2. 'Close the loop' 3. 'Hop on a call' 4. 'Hope your (sic) well' 5. 'B2H' (Business to Humans) 6. Mainstream media 7. Agile 8. 'Trying times' and 'now more than ever' 9. 'We remain cautious' 10. 'TLA' (three letter acronym) * The list is based on frequency of submissions from editors and correspondents around the world. Source: The Buzzsaw Advertisement 1. 'Cohort' Taking the title for the worst jargon of 2021 is 'cohort'. The term, used to describe a collection of people with a shared characteristic, is simply another way of saying 'group'. Judges said 'cohort' is the 'latest expensive-sounding invention of the Human Resources department', the prime source of the world's most irritating buzzwords. Their statement said: 'A few years ago it was cadre, but too many people weren't sure about how to pronounce it, so it had to go. I miss the good old days, when group, team and colleagues were good enough.' 2. 'Close the loop' In second place is 'closing the loop', jargon for finishing a task so that you never need to work on it again. 'This sounds as momentous as the part in the movie when the hero manages to close the interstellar portal to Planet Bad Guys,' judges said. 'Sadly, it's usually a plea to a journalist to have a conversation about a new solar-powered cutlery set.' 3. 'Hop on a call' in third position is 'hop on a call', a phrase beloved by publicists around the world which is just a round about way of asking someone to phone them. Judges called it an 'overdue addition' to the list of most offensive buzzwords in the same category as 'touch base', 'circle back', 'pivot' and 'reach out'. in third position is 'hop on a call', a phrase beloved by publicists around the world which is just a round about way of asking someone to phone them (stock image) 4. 'Hope your (sic) well' In at four is 'hope your (sic) well', the standard introductory line of an email that is often misspelt. Judges put the phrase in the 'insincere greeting category' alongside 'best' or 'BR' - the abbreviation for 'best regards'. 'If the correspondent (often a PR professional) is unable to get a basic sentence construction and spelling right, they're doomed,' their statement said. 5. 'B2H' (Business to Humans) Taking fifth is 'B2H', the alpha-numeric acronym for 'Business to Humans', a consumer-centric approach to marketing that creates real, human connections with purpose. It may be well-intentioned, but judges said it sounds like a 'cynical skin of niceness'. 'Self-congratulatory terms that are used to promote an organisation's virtuousness are surefire Buzzsaw Award winners. No further explanation is required,' they said in their statement. 6. 'Mainstream media' In sixth position is 'mainstream media', a term that has been bandied around on social media by conspiracy theorists since the pandemic broke out. Judges slammed the phrase for enabling 'a zillion conspiracy theories' and undermining the authority of impartial news organisations, adding: '[It] should be blasted into space.' Judges slammed the phrase 'mainstream media' for enabling 'a zillion conspiracy theories' and undermining the authority of impartial news organisations (stock image) 7. 'Agile' Taking the seventh spot on the list is 'agile', which in business is used to describe a a method of project management characterised by the division of tasks into short phases and frequent reassessment of plans. 'Generally, these words are attached to a description of a new process invented by people who don't get about very much,' the judges statement said. 8. 'Trying times' Lumped into eight position alongside equally infuriating Covid terminology such as 'now more than ever', 'new normal', 'nice to e-meet you' and 'we're all in this together' is 'trying times'. The judges declined to comment on the phrase aside from writing 'AAAGH!' to illustrate their frustration. The Buzzsaw 'dishonourable mentions' * 'Content' Judges said: 'Second only to the vacuum of space as the emptiest thing in the universe. It's like calling literature or journalism 'words'. It's the high watermark in the commoditisation of writing.' * 'Disambiguate' Judges said: 'A word that rather cleverly obscures the thing it seeks to clarify. Like spraying mud on windows to clean them.' * 'Human Capital' Judges said: 'The latest in the personnel department's march towards balance sheet.' * 'Reach out' Judges said: 'My standard response is 'back off'.' * 'Circle back' Judges said: 'Sigh. Incoming Halley's Comet press release.' * 'Bake' Judges said: 'Please stop using this as a noun. It is a loaf or a cake. It is not a bake.' * 'Going forward.' Judges said: 'I long for the day someone writes 'going backward'.' * 'Awesome' Judges said: 'Not since the devaluation of the Zimbabwean dollar, has something devalued as much as the word 'awesome'. To be full of awe in the presence of a tea towel or poached egg is setting a very low bar.' * 'Build the dish' Judges said: 'You're a chef, not a bricklayer.' Advertisement 9. 'We remain cautious' In at nine is 'we remain cautious', which judges described as a go-to phrase for 'highly-paid financial PR advisors and their clients'. 'These are the most expensive and meaningless words in public relations and investor communications. Worse still, they are a statement of the utterly obvious in a world ravaged by a pandemic,' their statement said. 10. 'TLA' Rounding out the top 10 is 'TLA', hailed as the 'lodestone of buzzwords'. Judges blasted the term, which stands for 'three letter acronym', as the 'verbal equivalent of a door to nowhere'. A mother has revealed her shock at the amount of hair her three-month-old daughter had grown all over her body. Kei'Yonna Gumbs, from Texas City, said her daughter Myla was born with a full-head of hair and it soon grew over her arms and legs. Little Myla, Kei'Yonna's fourth child, has also grown sideburns, which are jet black. A mother has revealed her shock at the amount of hair her three-month-old daughter had grown all over her body Kei'Yonna Gumbs, from Texas City, said he daughter Myla was born with a full-head of hair and it soon grew over her arms and legs At just two months the hair began growing all over her body. It now covers her calves and thighs, upper and forearms, it's also all over her cheeks. The excessive hair was something that Kei'Yonna had not experienced with the previous three children. 'I was shocked when I noticed the hair coming in,' she said. Little Myla, Kei'Yonna's fourth child, has also grown sideburns - which are jet black At just two months the hair began growing all over her body, pictured is hair on Myla's thigh Hair now covers her calves and thighs, upper and forearms. It's also all over her cheeks with a curly hairstyle 'But she's so gorgeous that it didn't matter, I will always love her. 'To all the mothers out there with daughter's like mine, embrace your baby. 'At birth she had a lot of hair but it was straight, It didn't start to curl up until she was around two and a half months. The excessive hair was something that Kei'Yonna had not experienced with the previous three children 'I was shocked when I noticed the hair coming in' Kei'Yonna explained: 'But she's so gorgeous that it didn't matter, I will always love her'. Her hair is pictured Kei'Yonna encourages other mothers out there with daughter's like her to embrace their bodies 'At birth she had a lot of hair but it was straight, It didn't start to curl up until she was around two and a half months' Kei'Yonna explained Little Myla has hair on her back and arms, as well as jet black curly hair all over her head What is Hirsutism and why does it happen? Hirsutism is excessive hair growth in certain areas of the body that mainly affects women. It's relatively common and often a long-term problem, but there are a number of treatments to control it. The excessive hair in hirsutism is usually thick and dark, rather than fine and fair and develops in areas where men often have hair, such as the face, neck, thighs and buttocks. It may also cause additional symptoms, such as oily skin, acne, a deep voice, irregular periods or no periods at all. Hirsutism is caused by an excess of male hormones called androgens in the body, or by the body being more sensitive to these hormones. In many cases, it's not clear why this happens. Some women just seem to develop extra hair growth as they get older, particularly after the menopause. In younger women, the most common cause is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that can cause irregular periods and fluid-filled sacs (cysts) on the ovaries. Source: NHS Advertisement 'That's the same time I started to notice the hair on her legs and arms.' Myla isn't the only baby with luscious locks. Earlier this year a baby grew comparisons to Boris Johnson thanks to his shocking mop of white blond hair. David Barabash, from Surrey is just three months old but already has more hair than many toddlers. His resemblance to the Prime Minister was spotted by nurses shortly after his birth on 1st March, according to his mother Tatiana Doronina, 35. Now wherever David goes, his parents are stopped in the street by strangers who comment on his looks. And in June, the mother of a seven-month-old baby revealed her little one is often mistaken for a toddler due to his impressive head of hair. Sammie Pepperell's son Beau, from Hornchurch, London, was born with head of jet black hair - resulting in hairdressers thinking he was two years old at his first haircut. His head of locks came as no surprise to Sammie, 28, because she suffered from 'terrible' heartburn throughout the pregnancy, which she's taken as proof that the old wives' tale is true. A couple who are mistaken for being father and daughter claim the criticism makes their relationship 'stronger' and say they 'thrive' off the hateful comments they receive from strangers. Sinead Warnes, 26, of Cambridge, said it was 'love at first sight' when she met boyfriend Daniel Long, 42, last year, despite being a 'bit wary' of their 16-year age gap. The mother-of-two posts about their relationship online and said she is regularly bombarded with negative comments about their age difference, with some asking if he is her 'dad or granddad' and others branding her a 'gold digger'. But despite the abuse Sinead insists dating an older man is 'so much less stress' than someone her own age. Scroll down for video Sinead Warnes, 26, of Cambridge, said it was 'love at first sight' when she met boyfriend Daniel Long, 42, last year, despite being a 'bit wary' of their 16-year age gap The mother-of-two posts about their relationship online and said she is regularly bombarded with negative comments about their age difference, with some asking if he is her 'dad or granddad' and others branding her a 'gold digger'. Pictured, the couple together The support worker wants to 'normalise' age gap relationships by posting videos on TikTok, where she has 161,000 followers. Sinead said: 'I find him very attractive and our personalities click very well together - neither of us care about the hate that we get on our age gap, if anything we thrive off it because it's just funny. 'It's more like people are taking time out of their life to put hate into mine, there's obviously got to be something so good about my life for them to actually waste their time to write these hate comments. 'A few people have said "you must be with him because he's got loads of money" but I actually work two jobs so it's not the case at all. 'I think it just makes us stronger because it doesn't bother us, it makes us laugh. We get so much more support than hate, it's just funny and it doesn't bother me one bit.' Sinead insists dating an older man is 'so much less stress' than someone her own age. Pictured, the couple in a grab from a TikTok video shared by Sinead Daniel smiles as he poses with Sinead's sons Mason and Leon, from a previous relationship The couple first met back in March 2020 when Daniel stopped to help Sinead while she was painting their fence. After spending a few months without talking they got back in touch with each other and began dating in January. Sinead said: 'I was a bit wary at first because of the age gap and then I think we just got on really well, he's different. I think it was love at first sight. 'I think he was a lot more worried at first than I was because I'm younger than him but he's not bothered, we're literally not bothered about it. 'My dad said that having an older man, "they've been there, they've done all the partying and going out and they know what they want in their life". 'It's so much less stressful than dating younger men he [just] wants to just settle down, and I've always been like that. He's very grounded and he goes to work every day, a lot of younger men don't seem to do that.' As well as abuse on TikTok, the couple also attract attention out in public. The couple also draw stares when they go out together, but say it doesn't bother them 'A lot of people stare. I think sometimes maybe they probably think he's my dad until he holds my hand. He's very loving,' Sinead said. 'I think he feels like I feel awkward sometimes being out with him and people staring but it doesn't bother me. There's been a few comments that say "that looks like your dad", and I just say thanks. 'Nothing really bothers me because I feel like if I react to them to show that they bother me, then it shows the people that I'm doubting our relationship. 'I'm with him, it doesn't matter what people think. Their opinions don't matter to us.' The social media fan wants to use her TikTok platform to shine a light on the positives of age gap relationships. Sinead said: 'It's more just to show people that it is a normal thing - if you're over the age of 16 and you're with an older guy, that's absolutely fine. 'It's more to show support to the other people [in age gap relationships] that don't like to post about it. 'I've had people privately message me on my Instagram saying "oh look, I've met this guy and he's a lot older than me. I don't know what to do. Can you give me some advice?". I just say "if you want to be with them, don't worry about what anybody says". 'I think it's just about normalising it - I should be able to post a video of me with my partner without people saying 'what's your age gap?' because people can see it, but it should be a normal thing.' She's known for her bold fashion choices, and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands didn't disappoint today as she showcased two colourful outfit choices. The royal mother-of-three, 50, joined her husband King Willem-Alexander on the second day of their tour of Germany to meet the President of the Bundestag (the nation's parliament). Putting her best fashion foot forward, Maxima sported an eye-catching floral hat, seemingly inspired by autumn leaves, paired with a matching caramel dress. The couple beamed as they posed for a picture with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel during their outing in Berlin today. Later this evening, the royal made a quick change and turned heads in a stunning powder blue tiered frock as she enjoyed a concert at the Konzerthaus at the Gendarmenmarkt square her husband. King Willem-Alexander (R) and Queen Maxima (L) of the Netherlands arrive before a concert at the Konzerthaus at the Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin, Germany today The royal made a quick change and turned heads in a stunning powder blue tiered frock, which she paired with a dazzling necklace Queen Maxima, 50, and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands beamed as they posed for a picture with Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel during their trip to the country The-mother-of-three accessorised with a dazzling necklace, matching earrings and clutch bag, and wrapped an elegant shawl around her arms to shield her from the chilly weather conditions. It's been a busy day for the Dutch royal, who showcased her slender figure this morning in a patterned frock featuring a billowing overlay with almost see-through sleeves. The royal, who is fond of colour coordinating her spectacular outfits, teamed the flattering garment with tan high heels and an animal print clutch. Adding even more glamour to her statement outfit, Maxima finished off her ensemble with glittering pearl drop earrings. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wave outside the Konzerthaus Berlin at Gendarmenmarkt square in Berlin Keeping themselves safe, the couple sported face coverings as they waved to crowds, while Maxima draped a matching shawl over her arms The couple take their seats before the show, as Maxima looks elegant in her powder blue dress and King Willem-Alexander looked dapper in a suit Putting her best fashion foot forward, Maxima sported the floor-length lace gown as the couple enjoyed their second day of their tour of Germany Queen Maxima of the Netherlands looks stunning in a powder blue tiered frock as she enjoyed a concert during her trip to Germany The royal matched her accessories to her ensemble, adding jewellery with blue gems to the look, and covered her face with a mask Both Maxima and her husband donned blue face coverings, featuring a crown emblem. Her blonde locks were styled in a trendy up-do tucked underneath her jaunty hat, while the royal's elegant facial features were enhanced with some very light touches of makeup. Looking just as smart, King Willem-Alexander, 54, donned a navy suit with a crisp white shirt and golden tie. The-mother-of-three accessorised with a dazzling necklace, matching earrings and clutch bag Always one to look effortlessly chic, Maxima donned the frock which featured ruffle details and a belt round the waist King Willem-Alexander (R) and Queen Maxima (2-R) of the Netherlands with the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (L) and his wife Elke Buedenbender (2-L) before a concert at the Konzerthaus at the Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin Queen Maxima of the Netherlands puts safety first in a protects face mask as she takes to her seat Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wrapped an elegant shawl around her arms to shield her from the chilly weather conditions The couple were seen applauding as they took to their seats to watch the concert in Berlin today King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands during the Counter performance by Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra at Konzerthaus in Berlin Queen Maxima and King Willem appeared in high spirits as they attended the meeting in Berlin earlier today and tested out VR goggles during the outing The royal mother-of-three, 50, joined her husband King Willem-Alexander (pictured together, left) on the second day of their tour of Germany to meet the President of the Bundestag (pictured right) The royal couple met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during the second day of their three day tour of the country Later the royal could be seen trying out a pair of virtual reality goggles while wearing her extravagant fascinator Putting her best fashion foot forward, Maxima (pictured) sported an eye-catching floral hat, seemingly inspired by autumn leaves, paired with a matching caramel dress She's known for her bold fashion choices, and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands (pictured) didn't disappoint today as she donned a very quirky headpiece Showcasing her slender figure, the patterned frock featured a billowing overlay with almost see-through sleeves. Pictured, Maxima, left, at the meeting King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima arrived in Germany yesterday for a three-day visit that was delayed from last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The royal couple were greeted with a 21-gun salute after landing in wet weather at Berlin's airport at the beginning of Willem-Alexander's first state visit to Germany since he became king in 2013. This morning, the royal couple met with President of the Bundestag Wolfgang Schauble in Berlin. The royal (pictured), who is fond of colour coordinating her spectacular outfits, teamed the flattering garment with tan high heels and an animal print clutch Adding even more glamour to her statement outfit, Maxima (pictured with her husband) finished off her ensemble with glittering pearl drop earrings This morning, the royal couple met with President of the Bundestag Wolfgang Schauble in Berlin (pictured) King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima (pictured) arrived in Germany yesterday for a three-day visit that was delayed from last year because of the coronavirus pandemic A meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is is preparing to hand over power after almost 16 years in the autumn, is also on the agenda during this week's visit. Willem-Alexander and Maxima were last in Germany in 2019, when they visited the state of Brandenburg, which surrounds Berlin. The king has some German roots - his father, Prince Claus, who was the consort of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, was German-born. Yesterday, the King and Queen were received by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (pictured right) at his Bellevue palace Mother-of-three Maxima (pictured right) appeared radiant when attending the event with her husband (left) The 50-year-old royal donned an elegant purple gown for the occasion, teamed with a glittering tiara and diamond necklace German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Buedenbender and King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands attend a banquet at Bellevue Palace Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's former chief of staff has said the Duke and Duchess have 'the potential to be very influential' in an interview given months after she unexpectedly quit her role with the couple. Canadian-born Catherine St Laurent, who lives in Seattle, was head-hunted by the couple from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to become their 'chief of staff' and executive director of Archewell, their new non-profit organisation, last April. But it emerged in March she had left the post with insiders saying she 'wanted out' after performing tasks outside of her contract and having to 'fulfil a great many functions for the Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39.' She has now said working for the couple was an 'incredible experience' in an interview with The Cut, saying: 'They are incredibly talented and creative leaders. Im grateful to have had the opportunity to do that, to be able to be with them on their journey.' Canadian-born Catherine St Laurent, who lives in Seattle, has said the Duke and Duchess have 'the potential to be very influential' in an interview given months after she unexpectedly quit her role with the couple Catherine, who is now working as a senior adviser for the couple, added: 'The time that I spent with them was incredibly fulfilling. I think they have the potential to be very influential leaders in the social-impact space.' Elsewhere, she described how she wakes up at 5.30am and checks her emails and work phone, before officially starting work at 8.30am. In March, it emerged that the Canadian-born mother-of-two had unexpectedly left her post just 11 months into the job. Sources told The Telegraph: 'I think there was a sense that she was having to fulfil a great many functions for the couple not all of which were necessarily in her job spec.' It emerged in March Catherine had left the post with insiders saying she 'wanted out' after performing tasks outside of her contract and having to 'fulfill a great many functions for the Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39' Harry and Meghan were dogged by a spate of departures from their ranks as working royals, losing at least two PAs as well as other key staff from their private office. Ms St Laurent was head-hunted by the couple from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to become their 'chief of staff' and executive director of Archewell, their new non-profit organisation, last April. CATHERINE ST-LAURENT: 'SENIOR ADVISORY ROLE' Catherine St-Laurent Old position: Executive director of the Archewell Foundation New position: A 'senior advisory role' at the Archewell Foundation Catherine St-Laurent took on the position of chief of staff and executive director of the Sussexes' non-profit enterprise the Archewell Foundation in April 2020. The Canadian-born French speaker was previously the director at Pivotal Ventures - Melinda Gates' women and families foundation - and held a top communications role at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. At the time of her appointment, a friend told the Mail that Ms St-Laurent was 'feisty, fair and up for a tough conversation', adding: 'But if all goes wrong, she is good for a laugh and a cocktail afterwards. 'She's a good egg. She'll bring a clean-sheet perspective.' After her hiring last year, the Sussexes had said: 'We are proud to be joined by Catherine St-Laurent in this next chapter with us. 'Her leadership and proven track record working within two organizations that have tremendous impact in the world the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Pivotal Ventures make her an incredible asset and we're excited to have her on our team.' In a departing email to staff, she announced: 'I am thrilled to be able to play a supporting role in realising their vision and enabling them to achieve impact on the issues that matter most to them.' It was revealed in March that mother-of-two Ms St-Laurent will instead take on a senior advisory role for Archewell, and will 'continue to bring high-level strategic guidance' to the foundation, a spokesman told Page Six. Advertisement The couple called her an 'incredible asset' when they announced her appointment, adding: 'We are excited to have her on our team.' There was no comment from her directly. She esd replaced as Archewell's executive director by the couple's current communications officer in the UK, James Holt. Reports suggested they have no immediate plans to replace him, leaving the Duke and Duchess of Sussex without any official representation in Britain and all their media relations now being handled in the US. The couple have already appointed Toya Holness as Archewell's 'global press secretary'. Buckingham Palace ceased to act for them after they quit as working royals last spring. One royal insider expressed surprise at Miss St Laurent's departure, telling the Mail: 'She was a huge appointment for them. 'A big hitter with a great track record, poached to head up their new working life in the US. It is really quite astonishing she has left that role after less than a year.' Earlier this year Buckingham Palace announced it was launching a probe into the handling of claims by their former head of communications that Meghan bullied several female members of their team, forcing at least two to quit. A spokesman for the couple denied the claims, calling it a 'calculated smear campaign'. At the time of her appointment as Harry and Meghan's most senior team member, Miss St Laurent had said she was 'thrilled to be able to play a supporting role in realising their vision'. She added: 'From our very first conversation, Harry and Meghan have expressed a deep commitment to improving lives and having a positive impact on society.' The interview comes as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle hired a Head of Audio to produce their Archewell podcast - after giving Spotify just 35 minutes of content so far for their 18million deal. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex who are currently living in their $14 million mansion in Santa Barbara, have taken on producer Rebecca Sanaes to oversee their podcast business, according to Deadline. She was previously lead podcast producer for Pivot, New York Magazine and Vox Medias show hosted by Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway and will report to Archewell's head of content, Ben Browning, when she joins the company in August. Before joining Pivot, she worked in public radio, where she worked on episodes including Why Is Vermont So Overwhelmingly White. In 2015, Rebecca received the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting HIV/AIDS Fellowship. It comes as Harry and Meghan are both taking 'several months off work' to take care of their newborn daughter Lilibet. Omid Scobie, a journalist favoured by Harry and Meghan, revealed that the couple are now taking time off work together. He said: 'We're so used to seeing senior royals going back to work but Harry and Meghan are leading by example. They offer up to 20 weeks parental leave at Archewell - it'll be several months off work for the pair of them'. She shares a fondness for horses with her mother-in-law the Queen, so it was no surprise that the Duchess of Cornwall looked right at home as she made a visit to HorseBack UK. The royal, 73, has been named patron for the organisation, which provides help to those needing mental health support, and runs courses for former and serving members of the armed forces suffering from both physical and mental life-changing injuries. In an undated photograph released today, Camilla, who has spent most of the last year at Clarence House in London, wrapped up in a trendy trench coat as she paid a visit to the Scottish charity, which is based in Aberdeenshire. The organisation said the royal, who is a keen rider, understands how horses can help have a positive impact on wellbeing and recovery. She shares a fondness for horses with her mother-in-law the Queen, so it was no surprise that the Duchess of Cornwall, 73, looked right at home as she made a visit to new patronage HorseBack UK HorseBack UK provides help to those needing mental health support, and runs courses for former and serving members of the armed forces suffering from both physical and mental life-changing injuries. In snaps released from a visit to the organisation, Camilla looked natural and relaxed with just a hint of mascara and a glossy lip, as well her hair neatly blown dry into her normal style. In one photograph, the royal could be seen chatting with Horseback UK co-founder Jock Hutchison as they walked through a stable. In another, Camilla reached up to stroke a horse named Peopleton Brook while chatting to staff from the charity. In an undated photograph released today, Camilla who has spent most of the last year at Clarence House in London , wrapped up in a trendy trench coat as she paid a visit to the Scottish charity, which is based in Aberdeenshire Like many members of the royal family, Camilla is keen on horses, and learned to ride as a child. Co-founder Emma Hutchison said: 'We are incredibly grateful to the Duchess of Cornwall for accepting the invitation to become our patron. 'As a keen equestrian herself, HRH understands how horses can help have a positive impact on our wellbeing and recovery.' HorseBack UK has been running its military courses since 2009 to empower serving and former forces personnel. Using horsemanship and outdoor activities, they deliver personal development programmes that encourage participants to acquire new coping strategies, life skills and resilience, along with a nationally recognised qualification. Camilla's stepson, the Duke of Sussex, is known for his work supporting wounded, sick, and injured veterans and armed forces members through the Invictus Games Camilla's stepson, the Duke of Sussex, is known for his work supporting wounded, sick, and injured veterans and armed forces members through the Invictus Games. Last year, he praised the introduction of mandatory mental health training in the British military as an 'amazing step forward'. In a statement, former soldier Harry said the training, which began in April, will help 'protect and strengthen the potential and resilience' of armed forces personnel. Harry has also spearheaded the development of the mental health platform HeadFIT, which aims to help members of the military with their wellbeing. It comes amid a busy period for the Duchess of Cornwall, who recently joined Prince Charles to meet with theatre royalty as they headed to the West End to reopen the Theatre Royal Drury before travelling to Hyde Park for an official visit. The couple were joined by Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber, 73, who gave the pair a personal tour of the venue, before Charles officially reopened the historic theatre. She is known to recycle looks, but Queen Letizia of Spain showed she was also a master of smart casual for an event in Madrid today. The mother-of-two, 48, headed to a meeting with the Abertis Foundation before taking a solo trip to the Unicef 75th Anniversary Exhibition in the Spanish capital. The royal donned a pastel blue linen suit for the occasion, which she paired with a casual white t-shirt and stylish colbat blue accessories for the occasion. Her locks were tied back in a ponytail that revealed a pair of thick hoop earrings. The blue suit gave a nod to the blue colours of the United Nations Childrens Fund, which is responsible for providing humanitarian aid to children around the world, and was founded in December 1946. The stylish mother-of-two opted for a linen blue suit by Spanish designer Adolfo Dominguez, which she paired with shoes and a bag from Magrit she first wore in 2018 King Felipe VI's wife headed to the event wearing the suit from the 2020 collection of Spanish designer Adolfo Dominguez, with an ankle-length pair of trousers and a matching blazer with one button. She amped up the cool factor by rolling up her sleeves to the elbows. Underneath, to keep the look casual, she wore a white t-shirt which was tucked in her trousers. To smarten things up, she accessorised with snake skin pumps in black and colbat blue and a matching clutch bag from Magrit which she debuted in April 2018. Queen Letizia of Spain, 48, stunned in a smart casual look as she headed to meetings with the Arbetis Foundation in Madrid today, before visiting the exhibition to mark the UNICEF's 75th anniversary She was wearing little jewellery, apart from the silver hoop earrings and her favourite gold ring on her index finger, which completed her look nicely. Her hair was tied in a high pony, putting the focus on her high cheekbones. While she was wearing a face covering, as per the Spanish coronavirus regulations, Letizia opted for a smokey eye makeup. Pumping up the volume! Letizia paired the pastel suit with heels from Magrit in a dark shade of blue to add a pop of colour to her outfit Letizia kept her accessories discreet. Her high pony revealed a pair of thick silver hoop earrings, pictured She was sporting her signature brown smokey eyes, and a dash of well-placed highlighter brought the attention to her cheeks. Letizia, who is Honourary President of the UNICEF's Spanish Committee, was attending an exhibition marking the organisation's 75th anniversary. UNICEF operates in around 190 countries and territories, taking practical actions to reach excluded children. She was sporting her signature smoking high and some highlighted bringing the attention to her sizzling cheekbones The mother-of-two was wearing a face covering in keeping with Spain's coronavirus regulations, pictured Over the weekend, she put on a summery display as she joined husband King Felipe VI to host lunch for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the Royal Palace in Madrid. The mother-of-two recycled an embroidered dress by Carolina Herrera for the occasion, which she first wore when she attended a conference in Palma, Mallorca on September 25, 2017. Typically stylish, the royal accessorised with the same pastel pink clutch bag but decided to switch her previous neutral shoes for matching pink stiletto heels, which perfectly complemented the colours in the floral pattern of her blue gown. She wore a classic makeup look, with just a dash of bronzer and a smokey eye and adhered to government guidelines by covering her mouth and nose with a protective face mask. A racy new show that sees a young Swedish prince explore his sexuality and struggle to decide between love and duty after being shipped off to a boarding school has won a legion of followers and already been compared to Gossip Girl and The Crown. Young Royals, which debuted last week on Netflix, stars 18-year-old Edvin Ryding as Prince Wilhelm of Sweden, who enrols in elite boarding school Hillerska after he's filmed getting into a fight in a nightclub. The show has already shot to the top of the UK charts, with fans already begging for a second season, praising the gritty plot-lines, stunning backdrops, good LGBTQ representation as well as 'realistic' portrayals of teenagers having 'acne' and 'awkward sex'. Others compared to Spanish soap Elite as well as Skam, a Norweigan 'Skins'-type coming-of-age drama with a cult following across the globe due to dozens of parties, sex scenes, and drug-taking. 'It has actual teens, and is like a cross between Elite, Gossip Girl, Skam and The Crown, I absolutely enjoyed it,' wrote one fan. A racy new show that sees a young Swedish prince explore his sexuality and struggle to decide between love and duty after being shipped off to a boarding school has won a legion of followers and already been compared to Gossip Girl and The Crown. Pictured: Omar Rudberg as Simon (right) and Edvin Ryding as Prince Wilhem (left) Despite the comparisons to The Crown, the drama has a lot more racy scenes than the Peter Morgan biopic - including a masturbation scene just 12 minutes into the first episode where two boarders discuss if they think 'royal d*** is different to regular'. The Swedish-language six-episode drama sees Prince Wilhelm join a boarding school, where he's shown the ropes by his second cousin August of Arnas (played by Malte Gardinger). As the second son of the Queen, or 'spare' WIlhem enjoys freedom and longs for a life away from his royal obligations, and thus quickly becomes romantically involved with Simon, a non-boarding student on a scholarship who is nicknamed the 'socialist' by his classmates. Many female students show an interest in Wilhelm. Student Felice (played by Nikita Uggla) admits dreams of marrying royalty and pleasures herself to a picture of the Prince before 'settling' for his cousin and having sex with him in the dorm room. The show has already shot to the top of the UK charts, with fans already begging for a second season, praising the gritty plot-lines, stunning backdrops, good LGBTQ representation as well as 'realistic' portrayals of teenagers having 'acne' and 'awkward sex'. Pictured: the teens at a party Young Royals, which debuted last week on Netflix, stars 18-year-old Edvin Ryding as Prince Wilhelm of Sweden, who enrols in elite boarding school Hillerska after he;s filmed getting into a fight in a nightclub (pictured right with Omar Rudberg as Simon left) The couple end up fighting when Felice closes her eyes while they're having sex with August accusing her of 'thinking about someone else'. Despite the female attention Wilhelm is more interested in Simon, with one scene showing him defend the student to the headmistress after he's accused of drug-dealing, while in another he sneaks to Simon's house and puts a video game on so his sister and mother can't hear them have sex. But the relationship - and Wilhem's freedom - is quickly derailed when his elder brother is killed in a car crash, making him the new Crown Prince and heir to the throne. Despite the comparisons to The Crown, the drama has a lot more racy scenes than the Peter Morgan biopic - including a masturbation scene just 12 minutes into the first episode where two boarders discuss if they think 'royal d*** is different to regular'. Pictured, the teens watching a movie As the second son of the Queen, or 'spare' WIlhem enjoys freedom and longs for a life away from his royal obligations, and thus quickly becomes romantically involved with Simon, a non-boarding student on a scholarship who is nicknamed the 'socialist' by his classmates. Pictured, from left: Wilhem's father, Ivar Forsling as Crown Prince Erik, brother of Wilhelm, Edvin Ryding as Prince Wilhelm of Sweden Pernilla August as Queen Kristina of Swede The show even had celebrities begging for more, with Glee Star Kevin McHale writing: 'Oh man, #YoungRoyals is about 20 episodes too short. Why is it so good?!?! Netflix, can I have more plz?' In his new role, he has to take on more responsibility and discuss marriage and children, opening up huge questions over his life with Simon. He's also initiated into secret societies 'aimed to protect the crown' and given a bigger bedroom and 24/7 security when he returns to school. Critics have praised the show for 'avoiding cliches' and 'typical YA tropes' while viewers have enjoyed the cast and well-written characters', and are begging Netflix for a second season after it was left on a cliffhanger. The Swedish-language six-episode drama sees Prince Wilhelm join a boarding school, where he's shown the ropes by his second cousin August of Arnas (played by Malte Gardinger). They are pictured at a school dinner Critics have praised the show for 'avoiding cliches' and 'typical YA tropes' while viewers have enjoyed the cast and well-written characters', and are begging Netflix for a second season after it was left on a cliffhanger. Pictured: Edvin Ryding as Prince Wilhelm 'Young Royals is definitely a level up on Netflix's catalogue, and they released it after pride month and making it purely as a queer story, not just some another profitable trash gay side storyline. I love it, better than elite,' wrote one. 'Its a crime that this show was only 6 episodes long,' said another. 'I swear to god, if they dont give us season 2 Im going to cancel my netflix subscription,' added a third. 'Wanna go back to this morning and watch it for the first time,' said one. The show even had celebrities begging for more, with Glee Star Kevin McHale writing: 'Oh man, #YoungRoyals is about 20 episodes too short. Why is it so good?!?! Netflix, can I have more plz? A British influencer who identifies as Korean has slammed the 'woke' backlash they have received after coming out as 'transracial'. Oli London, 31, from London, has spent over 175,000 on 18 surgeries over five years to look like Jimin from Korean boyband BTS - most recently sharing a video from their hospital bed after undergoing eye surgery, a face lift, brow lift and temple lift. The influencer, who recently came out as non-binary, says they felt 'trapped in the wrong body' and hailed themselves 'one of the biggest ambassadors for Korea and Korean people'. Oli has received criticism from Korean journalist Sandra Song in Paper magazine, but appearing on This Morning today said that they were being 'wrongly targeted', and that they haven't done 'anything to offend Korea'. Oli London, 31, from London, who identifies as Korean has spent over 175,000 on 18 surgeries over five years to look like Jimin from Korean boyband BTS - most recently sharing a video from their hospital bed after undergoing eye surgery, a face lift, brow lift and temple lift (left) Oli has received criticism from Korean journalist Sandra Song, but appearing on This Morning today said that they were being 'wrongly targeted' 'I think there are so many problems these days with woke culture,' said Oli. 'It's fantastic people have opinions, but people are so quick to play the race card. Paper magazine is a very woke magazine, which is fine, but I feel they were harsh with their criticism.' They went on: 'People are so quick to judge these days, it's fine to identify as 100 different genders, it's fine to identify as an alien if you want to, so why can't I identify as Korean? 'I don't see why people take offence and I understand that she may be from Korean ancestry and I respect that, but I feel she's targeting me wrongly. I haven't done anything to offend Korea, I feel like I am one of the biggest ambassadors for Korea and Korean people.' Oli's love of Korea started nine years ago while working as an English teacher in the country and they admitted they are 'obsessed' with Korean culture and pop band BTS. Oli has undergone 15 plastic surgeries and spent over 175, 000 in a bid to look like Jimin, of K-Pop group BTS (right) 'I feel the only way of comparing this is someone who is transgender,' said Oli. 'I mean no offence to the transgender community, this is just how I explain it. For the last nine years I have felt I have been trapped. 'Since I lived in Korea I feel I have identified as Korean, I feel the culture is me, I feel at home there, I don't feel judged I feel Korean people accept me, I feel I have the look now. 'It's been a very difficult journey it's how I felt inside, I just feel trapped, it was like someone born in the wrong body.' They added: 'I wasn't born in Korea but feel in a past life I was meant to be born in Korea.' Oli first hit headlines in October 2018 after news broke that they had spent over 75,000 on surgeries to look like K-pop star, Jimin. Oli first hit headlines in October 2018 after news broke that he'd spent over 75,000 on surgeries to look like K-pop star. The K-Pop enthusiast pictured in Seoul's streets They have garnered a significant following on social media, with 380,000 followers on Instagram and 495,000 followers on TikTok, and they have had two top 10 hits on the K-Pop iTunes chart. Despite their popularity online, Oli admitted that their family has stopped speaking to them as a result of their surgeries, and that they have lost several friends who are offended by him identifying as Korean. 'It's been really tough', said Oli. 'I haven't spoken properly with my family since I had my surgery a few weeks ago and It's been very tough. 'I have friends who will no longer speak to me because of the surgeries, they think, how dare you identify as Korean, you weren't born in Korea - but this is my truth. I feel so happy when I think about Korea, K-pop gives me happiness, BTS gives me happiness. Oli first hit headlines in October 2018 after news broke that they had spent over 75,000 on surgeries to look like K-pop star, Jimin from Korean boyband BTS Last month, they revealed that they would now be using the pronouns 'they/them/Korean/Jimin,' the latter being a reference to K-pop star Park Jimin 'I hope over time people understand. My family has been tough, they're actually not speaking to me right now, I feel very lonely.' Oli is currently trying to become a Korean citizen, and says they are willing to undergo two years of military service which is compulsory for males in Korea. 'I have already offered the Korean people, I will give two years of my life to do military service if they give me a citizenship, I will do anything to be Korean', said Oli. Despite their surgeries, Oli says they still are not happy with their appearance - admitting that it's a 'never ending journey' of altering their appearance. 'I never really reach that point of happiness to be honest', they said. 'I was so happy when I did my eye surgery and looked in the mirror I was crying for the first time thinking, "Wow this has been such a journey, I finally got the look I wanted".' They added: 'It's kind of never ending I get temporary happiness, it's sad in a way but I'm much happier than I used to be, I have so much more confidence.' An adorable moggy cat has landed himself a job as a train station's official chief mouse catcher. George, a redhead moggy from Stourbridge, in the West Midlands, landed the gig at the Stourbridge Junction Station after three years volunteering his service. The feline often leaves dead rodent as gifts for staff members since they adopted him three years ago when his owners relocated outside of the UK. Armed with his own badge and an army of fans online, George will be repurrting for duty at the station as an employee - and be rewarded with a competitive salary of treats, food and cuddles. George, a moggy cat from the West Midlands, pictured, has been appointment Chief Mouse Catcher at Stourbridge Junction Station, and even has his own badge Simone Carter, who is the station manager, said: 'George started hanging about the station and supervisor Ian Tomlinson, 66, brought him into the ticket office where he made himself at home. 'They formed a special bond and George often would wait around for Ian to finish work. 'Ian would carry him home back to his owners who then asked Ian to adopt George as they were emigrating. And the rest is history!' George sleeps in the train station where he has his own bed and plenty of refreshments overnight. The station's new employee, pictured, has become a local celebrity, with commuters looking out for him and a local tipple being named after him Ian plans on moving George to his home once he retires at the end of 2021. Simone added: 'Ian has worked for the services for over 50 years. 'George is loved by everyone who passes through the station and quite often people look out for him. 'George has his own badge as he has been appointed as the "senior mouse catcher". 'The staff are often greeted to presents in the ticket booking office from him.' Ian Tomlinson, 66, pictured, has formed a bond with George after the moggy's owners left him to the country and gave him to the station. Ian plans to take George home when he retires at the end of 2021 Popular George isn't the only one giving presents, because his large fanbase often bring him toys and treats. Ian said: 'Over the years, George has gained a lot of love. We set up a Twitter for him and people from all over the place follow him. 'He's received presents from Australia, Japan and even New Zealand. It's phenomenal. 'He has so many, we are going to donate some to charity.' And the feline's celebrity doesn't stop there, Ian revealed. 'A local brewhouse has even named a drink after him - it's called "George's Rail Ale". 'All profits are donated to cat charities.' The Prince of Wales tested out a hydrogen-powered car today when visiting the manufacturer behind the eco-friendly vehicle. Prince Charles, 72, toured Riversimple, a hydrogen-powered car manufacturer in Llandrindod Wells, Powys, as part of his week-long trip to Wales. The heir to the throne, who donned a protective face covering to combat the spread of the coronavirus, looked sharp in a grey suit with a purple tie for his visit. The Prince of Wales tested out a hydrogen-powered car today when visiting the manufacturer behind the eco-friendly vehicle (pictured) Prince Charles (pictured driving), 72, toured Riversimple, a hydrogen-powered car manufacturer in Llandrindod Wells, Powys, as part of his week-long trip to Wales On arrival at the company, Prince Charles visited the workshop where he saw a number of vehicles and discovered more about the production process. The royal spoke to engineers and technicians about the cars, before taking the wheel of a green-coloured Rasa model - which is a lightweight, two-seat electric vehicle powered by hydrogen. Taking it for a test-drive, Charles heard how the Rasa emits nothing but pure water vapour and is designed to minimise the particulates from tyres and brakes with its low weight, skinny tyres and high regenerative braking. It has a range of 300 miles and is billed as being light to handle, responsive and fun to drive with a nippy 0-60mph in 9.7 seconds. The prince, known for his green credentials, was pictured grinning as he emerged from the aerodynamic car after the opening of its sleek hi-tech butterfly doors. Prince Charles chats with Poet Laureate Simon Armitage at his Welsh House on July 6 in Myddfai, Wales The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall are on the second day of their annual visit to Wales. Pictured, with Poet Laureate Simon Armitage Prince Charles looked relaxed as he took a stroll around the gardens alongside Poet Laureate Simon Armitage Simon Armitage opted for a brown blazer, white shirt and navy tie for the occasion as he accompanied Prince Charles on a tour around the gardens The Princes of Wales looked in high spirits as he appeared to share a joke with Poet Laureate Simon Armitage at his Welsh House in Myddfai, Wales today The Prince of Wales could be seen pointing into the distance as he met with Poet Laureate Simon Armitage later this afternoon Keen gardener Prince Charles pointed out particular plants as he took Poet Laureate Simon Armitage on a tour of his gardens at his Welsh House at Myddfai, Wales The heir to the throne looked sharp in a grey suit with a purple tie as he met with the Poet Laureate Riversimple is building Rasas for trials with the general public, both in Monmouthshire, where they have installed a refueller in the town centre of Abergavenny, and in Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire. It is the first in a range of vehicles, including a light commercial van and a family vehicle, that the firm plans to offer to customers on a subscription basis. Later, the royal met with Poet Laureate Simon Armitage - who had previously written a poem to mark the death of Prince Philip - at his Welsh House in Myddfai, Wales. The poem, titled The Patriarchs An Elegy, was published for the first time on the day of the dukes funeral. Yesterday, Charles looked in high spirits as he visited Iceland Foods headquarters in north Wales. The Prince of Wales kick-started day one of his week-long visit to Wales with a visit to the supermarket's HQ in Deeside. The heir to the throne (pictured), who donned a protective face covering to combat the spread of the coronavirus, looked sharp in a grey suit with a purple tie for his visit On arrival at the company, Prince Charles (pictured) visited the workshop where he saw a number of vehicles and discovered more about the production process The royal spoke to engineers and technicians about the cars, before taking the wheel of a Rasa car - which is a lightweight, two-seat electric car powered by hydrogen It is the first of a range of vehicles that Riversimple plans to offer customers, and the only emission from these sustainable cars is water. Pictured, Prince Charles talks to staff during his visit During the visit, which marked the companys 50th anniversary, the royal took a tour of the site while learning about Icelands sustainability projects, community initiatives and reaction to the pandemic and panic-buying. The royal was welcomed by the Lord Lieutenant of Clwyd, Henry Fetherstonhaugh and introduced to founder and Executive Chairman, Sir Malcolm Walker, Chief Executive, Tarsem Dhaliwal, Managing Director, Richard Walker and Head of Commercial, Paul Dhaliwal. Prince Charles looked dapper in a grey checkered suit which he paired with a light purple and zebra-print tie. During the visit, the royal was seen sitting in a a forklift, before being shown how to operate the heavy piece of machinery by Malcolm Walker, Founder & Executive Chairman. It comes as the heir to the throne revealed his favourite songs, including tracks by The Three Degrees, as he took part in a special hospital radio broadcast. The Prince of Wales (left) is introduced to Welsh Secretary Simon Hart and Welsh Senedd member Fay Jones (right), who once worked for him at Clarence House, during his visit to hydrogen powered car manufacturer Riversimple Prince Charles speaks with staff members as he visits Riversimple today, in Llandrindod Wells The Prince of Wales test drives a Rasa hydrogen-powered car during a visit to Riversimple To celebrate the 73rd birthday of the NHS, Prince Charles, who will celebrate his own 73rd birthday in November, pre-recorded the programme in which he discussed songs which spark fond memories from his lifetime. One of his favourites is Givin Up, Givin In, which The Three Degrees performed at his 30th birthday. It is a song which, Charles said, used to provide me with an irresistible urge to get up and dance. He also chose Dont Rain On My Parade by Barbra Streisand, who he first met in 1974 when she performed for him on the set of her film Funny Girl. Other tracks included La Vie En Rose by Edith Piaf and Thou Who Gavest, by Arwel Hughes, who organised the music for Charless 1969 investiture as the Prince of Wales. The Music And Memories programme was broadcast in 180 hospitals at noon. The Prince of Wales and Poet Laureate Simon Armitage looked deep in conversation at the royal's Welsh House in Myddfai, Wales Poet Laureate Simon Armitage had previously written a poem to mark the death of Prince Philip. Pictured, with Prince Charles The poem, titled The Patriarchs An Elegy, was published for the first time on the day of the dukes funeral. Pictured, with Prince Charles George W. Bush kicked off his 75th birthday celebrations on the Today show on Tuesday, recalling how his family threw him a dance party at Camp David for his 60th and the 'poo-poo cushion' his daughter Jenna Bush Hager had bought him one year. The former President joined a video call from the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, to have a laugh-filled chat with Jenna, 39, and her co-host Hoda Kotb, 56, during the show's fourth hour. Bush joked that his birthdays aren't as celebrated as they were in the 'old days,' but he noted that his wife, Laura, and Jenna's twin sister, Barbara, had both wished him a happy birthday that morning. Big day: Former President George W. Bush celebrated his 75th birthday on the Today show on Tuesday, joining a video chat with his daughter Jenna Bush Hager and her co-host Hoda Kotb Memories: The former president recalled how Jenna, 39, bought him a 'poo-poo cushion' one year, and she corrected her dad, explaining that it was a 'whoopee cushion' When asked if he felt 75, he joked: 'Well, it just seemed like yesterday I felt like I was 74.' Jenna had mentioned previously in the segment that her dad was young at heart, and aside from some pain in his hip, he was feeling great, which he confirmed. 'No, its all in your mind, Jen,' he said of aging. 'Its all in your mind. I dont feel it. I dont feel five years shy of 80. Let me put it to you that way.' Hoda wanted to know if Jenna has given him any 'cool' gifts over the years, and the former president's response definitely surprised her. 'Well, one year she gave me a poo-poo cushion,' he said, prompting laughter. Looking back: Jenna shared how her family surprised him with a 'dance party' with a DJ at Camp David when he turned 60 in 2006 Major milestone: President Bush also celebrated his 60th birthday at the Chicago Firehouse restaurant with Mayer Richard Daley in 2006 (pictured) 'Dad, a poo-poo cushion is not the name of it,' Jenna corrected him. 'A whoopee cushion!' The former first daughter pointed out other ways they have celebrated her dad's birthday, recalling the dance party they threw him at Camp David in 2006 when he was president. 'Do you remember when we threw you a party?' she asked. 'I think it was maybe for your 65th or 60th? And we threw you a party. We surprised him at Camp David. 'His best friends from Midland were there, and then we had a DJ have a dance party. Remember the DJ came in during dinner and we had this really hilarious dance party.' When Jenna joked that her dad's dance moves are '75 years old,' he noted: 'I learned those 55 years ago.' Throwback: In honor of Bush's milestone birthday, the show shared photos of him as a child, including a baby photo of him with his parents, Barbara and George H.W. Bush Aww! Jenna and Hoda were particularly taken with a black and white photo of her father riding a horse as a kid Like twins! The show also shared side-by-side pictures of Jenna's 23-month-old son, Hal, (left) and his grandfather (right) to show their uncanny resemblance They then took a walk down memory lane, pulling up old photos of Bush when he was a child including side-by-side pictures of him and Jenna's 23-month-old son, Hal, to show how much the toddler takes after his grandpa. 'He's a little more handsome than I was in those days,' Bush said of his only grandson. 'Hal's a cute boy.' The Today show hosts also brought up Bush's artwork and the portrait he painted of Jenna, which she has made clear she is not a fan of. 'I like it! She doesn't,' Bush said. 'Well, can you just try to think out my face a little bit? Just a little bit please,' Jenna asked, prompting her dad to reply: 'Look, I can only paint it the way it is, hon.' Hilarious: When asked about his portrait of Jenna, which she isn't a fan of, Bush insisted that he likes it, telling his daughter: 'Look, I can only paint it the way it is, hon' Thoughts? 'Dad, too much texture. That's the issue. There's a lot of stuff going on here,' Jenna insisted, admitting she tried to give the painting to Hoda She's not the only one! Bush noted that his wife, Laura, was a tougher critic than Jenna when he painted her portrait, telling his daughter: 'You were a little kinder about it than your mother' 'Dad, too much texture. That's the issue. There's a lot of stuff going on here,' Jenna insisted, admitting she tried to give the painting to Hoda. Bush suggested Hoda put the painting in her guest bathroom. He went on to say that he has been painting a lot, mostly flowers and rocks. 'I'm surrounded by flowers, beautiful flowers, and magnificent coastline. It tends to be my subject matter,' he explained. Jenna pointed out that the 'good thing about flowers and rocks' is that 'they can't talk back if they don't like their portrait' unlike some people in their family. 'The two toughest painting subjects were you and your mother, but you were a little kinder about it than your mother when I painted her,' Bush admitted to his daughter. Precious: Earlier this year, Jenna shared the portraits her father painted of her son, Hal Resemblance: The former president perfectly captured his only grandson's likeness in the paintings, which he signed 43 Thoughtful: While the first painting shows Hal giving a toothy grin, the second is more serious Jenna noted that she thinks her mother's portrait is 'actually really good' and asked if he still had it because she wants to take it. 'Still got it, but I tried to make it better per her instructions,' Bush said. 'I'm not sure where it stands now, but it's at the ranch.' Jenna also has a lot of love for the portraits her father painted of her son Hal, which he gave her for Christmas last year. She shared photos of the paintings on Instagram at the time, writing: 'My favorite Christmas gift. My Hal painted by his Jefe. @georgewbush Love how you see our precious boy. These bring me joy.' The conversation ended with Bush thanking Jenna and Hoda for video chatting with him on his birthday, saying: 'It makes an old guy feel young.' The Duchess of Cornwall enjoyed an ice cream today as she met with local business owners in Wales to celebrate the Hay Festival. Camilla, 73, opted for an all blue outfit as she chatted with locals while on a tour of tour independent shops and local businesses. The royal's solo visit was part of Wales Week, which will see her travel across the country with her husband, The Prince of Wales. The Duchess of Cornwall enjoyed an ice cream today as she met with local business owners in Wales to celebrate the Hay Festival Camilla, 73, opted for an all blue outfit as she chatted with locals while on a tour of tour independent shops and local businesses Making the most of the British weather, Camilla today opted to go coatless, wearing a simple blue tunic-style dress which skimmed her at the knee. Proving she reigns high in the style stakes, the royal coordinated with a cream court shoe and matching bag, while her face mask perfectly complemented her dress. Elsewhere, she opted for a natural make-up look and sported her signature curled blow-dry. Her Majesty looked delighted to meet with schoolchildren during a visit to the Booths Bookshop, while elsewhere she held a handmade gift given to her by a wellwisher. Making the most of the British weather, Camilla today opted to go coatless, wearing a simple blue tunic-style dress which skimmed her at the knee. Camilla was without her husband Charles, who today tested out a hydrogen-powered car when visiting the manufacturer behind the eco-friendly vehicle. Camilla was without her husband Charles, who today tested out a hydrogen-powered car when visiting the manufacturer behind the eco-friendly vehicle. The Prince, 72, toured Riversimple, a hydrogen-powered car manufacturer in Llandrindod Wells, Powys, as part of his week-long trip to Wales. The heir to the throne, who donned a protective face covering to combat the spread of the coronavirus, looked sharp in a grey suit with a purple tie for his visit. The royal's solo visit was part of Wales Week, which will see her travel across the country with her husband, The Prince of Wales Proving she reigns high in the style stakes, the royal coordinated with a cream court shoe and matching bag, while her face mask perfectly complemented her dress. Flowers ma'am! The Duchess of Cornwall holds a tub of icecream during a visit to Hay-on-Wye, Powys, to meet with the organisers of the Hay Festival and tour independent shops and local businesses, as part of a week long tour of Wales for Wales Week. On arrival at the company, Prince Charles visited the workshop where he saw a number of vehicles and discovered more about the production process. The royal spoke to engineers and technicians about the cars, before taking the wheel of a green-coloured Rasa model - which is a lightweight, two-seat electric vehicle powered by hydrogen. Taking it for a test-drive, Charles heard how the Rasa emits nothing but pure water vapour and is designed to minimise the particulates from tyres and brakes with its low weight, skinny tyres and high regenerative braking. She opted for a natural make-up look and sported her signature curled blow-dry. It has a range of 300 miles and is billed as being light to handle, responsive and fun to drive with a nippy 0-60mph in 9.7 seconds. The prince, known for his green credentials, was pictured grinning as he emerged from the aerodynamic car after the opening of its sleek hi-tech butterfly doors. Yesterday, Charles looked in high spirits as he visited Iceland Foods headquarters in north Wales. Dozens of chefs have called for an end to the 'culture of abuse' in the hospitality industry after two members of staff at Tom Kitchin's restaurants were suspended following allegations former workers were 'punched and dragged by their collars, denied food, water or any breaks' during 'gruelling' 18-hour shifts. Since allegations were published by the Scottish Times on Saturday, chefs across the UK have spoken out at their 'lack of surprise' saying it's 'commonplace' and 'everyone in the industry knows what's going on'. Poppy O'Toole, who worked in kitchens for 10 years before getting made redundant in lockdown and becoming a social media sensation wrote on Instagram: 'I've worked in six kitchens over my career. | have had to leave one job after arguing to be paid the minimum wage. 'I have had to leave one job after a much older employer forced themselves on me and tried to kiss me.| have had to leave another job after a much older employer sexually harassed me on multiple occasions. | reached out to colleagues and was told to ignore it. Poppy O'Toole, who worked in kitchen's for 10 years before getting made redundant in lockdown and becoming a social media sensation wrote on Instagram: 'I've worked in six kitchens over my career. | have had to leave one job after arguing to be paid the minimum wage. Unichef, the chef's union, has said that allegations of bullying are 'too common' and asked its members to 'sign a petition aimed at stripping Michelin stars and rosettes from restaurants where abuse takes place'. Asma Khan, who runs Darjeeling Kitchen, added the 'buck stops with Michelin' and called on the Red Book to stop giving out stars to these kitchens. Instagram account Hospitality B*******, allows those working in the industry to anonymously reveal abusive practices, with recent allegations including top chefs burning staff with hot tongs, screaming at front of house employees and throwing punches. They say they've spoken to more than 40 former staff of The Kitchin. After Poppy shared her post many commented saying they'd experienced similar. Nitisha Patel, an award-winning chef added: 'Yes chef! Couldnt agree with you more. Reading this post brought back so many memories for me in my early years in the industry and looking back now, I cant actually believe that a) I actually just ignored and allowed so much s***, and b) this shit still happens today! Youre absolutely right, we do need to make noise!'. Chef Terry Henderson, who has worked in top kitchens in Canada and the UK, revealed 'nothing has changed' in his 50 years in the industry. He said he was working at a Mayfair Hotel in the seventies as part of his apprenticeship, and the head chef needed to cut their staff down from 10 to two. 'I was standing picking spinach one morning, the sous chef came and stood beside me with his left foot on top of my right, waiting for me to say something. On other occasions I was punched, jabbed with hot tongs, hot with a ladle and generally given just about every s*** job you can imagine. In a lenghty Instagram post, Poppy said: ''I have had to leave one job after a much older employer forced themselves on me and tried to kiss me.| have had to leave another job after a much older employer sexually harassed me on multiple occasions. | reached out to colleagues and was told to ignore it' Asma Khan, who runs Darjeeling Kitchen, also took to Instagram to 'boycott the bullies'. 'There is a practical solution, if the heat of the kitchen is too much- get out of the kitchen. Do not physically attack your colleagues. It is so simple,' she wrote. MasterChef winner Shelina Permalloo shared the post adding she was 'disgusted. Michelin-trained chef Tripti Khettry added: 'This is how things were run in kitchens everywhere. Times have changed and this doesnt work anymore. Behaviours such as this why, there is a shortage of chefs. Who would want to be abused five days a week for 60 - 70 hours a week?' The chefs comments follow reports that Tom Kitchin has suspended two senior staff members over allegations of abusive behaviour towards his employees by senior staff, including sexual harassment and the denial of food and water during 18-hour shifts. Asma Khan, who runs Darjeeling Kitchen, added the 'buck stops with Michelin' and called on the Red Book to stop giving out stars to these kitchens. The organisers of the campaign said in a statement calling for industry change that any 'appalling behaviour... in the profession is vile and degrading and has no place in a modern working environment. 'People within hospitality are well aware of all the issues but are reluctant to criticise but now we believe that all sponsorship and accolades awarded in a brand's name should be rescinded upon proven evidence of abuse and that companies like Michelin and the AA should 'call out' abuse in their name.' Mr Kitchin, 44, said the kitchens in his restaurants were high-pressure environments where emotions 'often run high'. He added that behaviour had to match the standards expected of the food and service. Asma Khan, who runs Darjeeling Kitchen, also took to Instagram to 'boycott the bullies'. 'There is a practical solution, if the heat of the kitchen is too much- get out of the kitchen. Do not physically attack your colleagues. It is so simple,' she wrote. He said he was 'immensely proud' of his colleagues and 'where we have fallen short, we will address and remedy it'. 'Top kitchens the world over can be high-pressure, frenetic and challenging environments, where emotions often run high,' he said. 'However, the exacting standards of our food and service must be matched by the standards of behaviour in our kitchens and wider operations. 'In the last few years, the feedback from our team members underlines the significant strides we've taken to improve what had often been a traditional culture in our kitchens, but we have more to do. 'I'm immensely proud of my colleagues at the Kitchin Group and where we have fallen short, we will address it and remedy it. That will be our clear priority in the weeks, months and years ahead.' Tom Kitchin (pictured), who was made Scotland's youngest Michelin star winner in 2006, opened The Kitchin in Edinburgh Peter Southcott, managing director of the Kitchin Group, said: 'Following allegations of unacceptable behaviour, two senior members of staff have been suspended whilst these claims are fully and independently investigated. 'We will not hesitate to take whatever action may be necessary.' Mr Kitchin, who opened his restaurant in Edinburgh 15 years ago, is a guest judge and mentor on MasterChef and appearances on Great British Menu. The allegations follow a difficult year for the Kitchin Group, with Mr Kitchin forced to close Castle Terrace amid the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, Southside Scran has been temporarily shuttered since last July and Mr Kitchin has been forced to make more than 100 redundancies, news he said he delivered 'personally' over the phone. Subway has unveiled its largest ever menu overhaul in a bid to boost its flagging sales - attempting to reclaim its iconic 'eat fresh' mantra by adding a host of premium ingredients to its offerings, including smashed avocado and fresh mozzarella. The move comes just six months after the sandwich chain found itself at the center of a bitter controversy over claims that its tuna is 'fake' and not actually made from real fish - an accusation that quickly went viral after being shared in a TikTok video posted by an unnamed employee. Subway's new menu will still feature the controversial tuna filling, which the chain maintains is made from '100 per cent wild-caught' fish, however it will be joined by several new offerings, including two new bread varieties and a selection of sliced deli-style meats. The 'eat fresh refresh' menu selection is intended to make up for a years-long lack of innovation on the part of the sandwich giant, according to its CEO. Updates: Subway has announced the largest ever overhaul of its menu, which will see a slew of new ingredients - included smashed avocado and fresh mozzarella - added to its offerings Eat fresh again? The newly-revamped menu is intended to try and revive the chain's flagging sales, which went into a sharp decline in 2020 Tasty treats: Subway is hoping that the addition of ingredients like avocado and mozzarella, as well as several new sandwich varieties, will help it to reclaim its 'eat fresh' motto However, retail experts are warning that even this drastic new attempt to lure in customers may not be enough to 'pull [the sandwich chain] out of this hole' after it experienced a dramatic decline in sales during the pandemic, following several years of steadily-decreasing figures. The chain has floundered since co-founder Fred DeLuca died in 2015, the same year its popular spokesman Jared Fogle pleaded guilty to child pornography charges, and as it faces stiff competition from major fast food chains like Chick-fil-A and Popeyes. Then, in January of this year, Subway was sued by two Bay Area college students over claims that it uses 'fake' tuna. Karen Dhanowa and Nilima Amin of Alameda County filed a lawsuit in San Francisco federal court last week accusing the fast food restaurant franchise of misrepresenting its tuna sandwich. The plaintiffs claimed that they performed independent lab tests of samples of tuna taken from several Subway locations in California. Shortly after their case was made public, a TikTok video resurfaced in which a Subway employee claimed to reveal how the chain's tuna was made - demonstrating how the sandwich filling is prepared by dunking a frozen block of the fish into a bowl and mixing it with mayonnaise. In the clip, the employee takes the tuna from vacuum-sealed packaging labeled as flaked light tuna in brine, with the ingredients on the packaging listed as: 'tuna, water, salt'. Controversy: The chain has said it will keep its controversial tuna filling - despite facing a lawsuit over claims that the ingredient is 'not made from real fish' Viral: In January, after it was announced that two Bay Area residents were suing the chain over its tuna, a video resurfaced on TikTok in which a Subway staffer revealed how its tuna is made The video sparked a frenzy online - with many people poking fun at the irony of the chain's 'eat fresh' motto in light of the clip's content. Now however, Subway is hoping to reclaim its status as a purveyor of 'fresh' dishes with the release of its new menu items. The revamped menu, which was made available on Tuesday, includes Cali Fresh Turkey and All American Club sandwiches, a slew of new ingredients, and two types of bread, It is intended to reinvigorate the chain's long-standing menu, which has gone years without any real updates, said Chief Executive Officer John Chidsey, who joined Subway in 2019. Some older items, including rotisserie chicken and roast beef, are also being added back after the chain removed them last year to streamline operations and speed up service amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The company's restaurants are also replacing 'outdated' items, such as swapping guacamole with smashed avocado, Subway executive Trevor Haynes said in an interview. In order to promote its new menu, Subway is throwing a huge amount of money behind advertising, boasting the second-largest ad budget among restaurants behind McDonald's Corp and renovation of restaurants, Chidsey said, without disclosing any numbers. Promises: The new menu is intended to reinvigorate the chain, which has gone years without any real updates, said Chief Executive Officer John Chidsey, who joined Subway in 2019 Subway had experienced a few years of 'malaise', Chidsey admitted in an interview, but hopes that the latest steps the chain has taken will help to reverse its poor fortunes, which have been blamed on a variety of factors - including changing tastes and a lack of drive-thru and delivery options during the pandemic. 'We just want to get back to what we consider our fair share of wallet and stomach,' he said. The chain's sales have been steadily declining since 2016, however they experienced a sharp drop in 2020. Between 2016 and 2019, Subway experienced a $1.3 billion decline spread out over four years, however last year, its annual sales plummeted from $10.2 billion to just $8.3 billion. However, despite the best efforts of its executive team, Subway, which boasts more than 22,000 locations across the country, may not be able to crawl its way out of the financial hole that it currently sits in, according to some retail experts. Speaking to Bloomberg, John Gordon, who is the principal at Pacific Management Consulting Group, warned that the new changes may well have come too little, too late. 'Subway has sat on its laurels for so long; its kind of difficult to pull out of this hole,' he said. 'The sales have fallen so much in the store.' Media reports have said Subway is tidying itself up for a sale, but the restaurant chain has denied it. A test that spots pancreatic cancer from a single drop of blood could improve survival rates. The first blood test for early diagnosis of the hard-to-spot disease, it could be available within months. Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate of the common cancers, with 7.3 per cent of patients alive five years after diagnosis, compared to 58.4 per cent of bowel cancer patients and 85 per cent of breast cancer patients. The disease is one of the hardest to diagnose early. This is partly because the pancreas a pear-shaped gland that makes digestive juices and hormones including insulin is hidden behind the stomach, making it difficult for tumours to be felt or seen on scans. The first blood test for early diagnosis of the hard-to-spot disease, it could be available within months It also doesnt usually cause symptoms in the early stages when they do occur, the signs, such as stomach or back pain, weight loss and indigestion, can be vague and easily confused with conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome. Treatments include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy but their effectiveness hinges on early diagnosis. Caught early, before the disease has spread to other organs, up to 25 per cent of patients will live for at least five years. If the disease has spread, average survival is two to six months. The new test, developed by Swedish biotech firm Immunovia and being trialled on 2,000 people at University College London Hospital, and 20 other centres in the U.S., Spain and Sweden, looks for signs of the disease in patients blood. These include different levels of around 30 proteins and other compounds identified by the Swedish scientists. They provide a distinct chemical fingerprint of the disease. The test picks out the compounds using antibodies that latch on to individual chemicals: sophisticated scanning equipment is then used to measure their levels. Previous research shows the test is 96 per cent accurate in spotting people with early-stage pancreatic cancers. Potential uses of the new test include screening groups of patients at high-risk of the disease, such as those newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes aged 50 and over, as well as picking up, or ruling out, the cancer in people with vague symptoms. Long-term studies have shown that type 2 diabetes is associated with a one-and-a-half to two-fold increase in the risk of the cancer. Its thought that this may be due to higher than normal levels of insulin and increased pressure on the pancreas to produce insulin. The test could also be adapted to diagnose other cancers, including lung cancer. Commenting on the trial, Alastair Young, who is a consultant pancreaticobiliary surgeon at St Jamess University Hospital, Leeds, said: Pancreatic cancer, more than most cancers, needs earlier diagnosis and appropriate treatment without delay. A test like this that has the potential to help us achieve earlier diagnosis and treatment would be very welcome. We await the results with great interest. Having your wisdom teeth removed might improve your sense of taste, according to the journal Chemical Senses. In a study of more than 1,200 patients, those who had their wisdom teeth extracted were better able to identify sweet, salty, sour and bitter tastes afterwards. The scientists from the University of Pennsylvania in the U.S. say the improvement of 3 to 10 per cent might be due to other nerves working harder to compensate for those damaged in the surgery. Doctors are now looking at another test to detect pancreatic cancer in its earliest stages, using stool samples. In a trial involving 30 people (some of whom have the disease), researchers at Columbia University in the U.S., will compare the chemical contents of the samples. DNA testing will be used to detect genetic mutations associated with the disease. Covid swabbing for your phone Testing smartphone surfaces for Covid-19 may be as accurate as nasal swabs, suggest researchers from University College London. They found that Covid-positive swabs taken from smartphone screens matched the findings from swabs of the phone user. The Phone Screen Testing (PoST) method offers a less invasive alternative to current lateral flow tests, say the researchers, and is also able to identify different Covid variants, which the lateral flow tests dont do, the journal eLife reports. Furthermore, results can be delivered via text message to minimise contact. A machine that can conduct this research is now being developed. Women who live within five miles of an abortion clinic are significantly more likely to have the procedure, a new study finds. Researchers from the University of California-San Francisco looked at county-level abortion data across the U.S. from 2015. They compared the abortion rate of each county to the distance of the closest abortion clinic, and noted the population of women over the age of 15 in each. One abortion took place for every 47 women who lived within five miles of an abortion clinic that year. Comparatively, one abortion took place for every 249 women who lived over 120 miles from a clinic, a five-fold difference. The research shows the staggering factor distance and ease of travel can have on whether or not someone has an abortion, and that laws that close abortion clinics are effective in preventing women from receiving the procedure. San Francisco based researchers found a clear correlation between the likelihood of a woman receiving an abortion, and the distance she resides from an abortion clinic Aggregate data from counties who report abortion data, separated by distance from nearest abortion clinic For the study, published in JAMA Network Open, the team gathered data from all 48 contiguous states over the course of 2015 from all counties that report abortion numbers. The population of women in counties that did report abortion numbers are approximately the same as those that do not, and there are equal shares of married women, women with a high school degree, and foreign born women, though, meaning data is likely similar. Nearly eight million women in counties that are a part of the study live within five miles of an abortion clinic. During the timeframe of the study, 167,520 abortions were recorded among those women, or one for every 47 women. For the 13.3 million women in the study who live between five and 15 miles from a clinic, one abortion occurred for every 83 of them. One abortion occurred for every 129 women who live between 15 and 30 miles from a clinic, and one for every 157 women who live from 30 to 60 miles from a clinic. Women who live the furthest from these clinics, 120 miles or more, were least likely to get an abortion, with one occurring for every 249 women. Researchers also published their findings of the abortion rate per every 1,000 women who live in each county, reporting higher abortion rated around some major cities, such as New York City, Seattle and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Counties with high abortion rates are concentrated around New York City, Seattle and Myrtle Beach The data shows a clear correlation between access to an abortion clinic and performing abortions. 'The declines in the median abortion rate by travel distance category are clinically meaningful and have meaningful consequences for peoples lives,' the researchers wrote. '[The study] estimates the unmet need for abortion services associated with large travel distances from facilities. 'As states continue to enact laws restricting abortion access, it is likely that the distance to care will grow for more U.S. women.' They also note a potential reverse causality, the abortion clinics are more likely to exist in communities that have a higher demand for abortion. Some communities with negative opinions on abortion are less likely to use the clinics, even is they were within a close distance. Abortion is a hot button issue in the United States, and Planned Parenthood's federal funding has become a key battleground. Pictured: a women participates in a pro-life protest outside of a Planned Parenthood office in St Louis, Missouri Abortions have been at the center of fierce debate before and ever since Roe v. Wade, the 1973 court case that ruled women in America have a constitutional right to an abortion. Gallup polling from earlier this year finds that 19 percent of Americans support an outright ban on abortion, and 32 percent only want it legalized in certain scenarios - such as rape or incest. Republican state-level legislators from around the country have pushed to regulate abortion clinics, some setting regulations so hard to keep up with that the clinics often close. A 2016 report found that 25 percent of American abortion clinics closed in the previous five years. Planned Parenthood, an American non-profit focused on women's reproductive health, including abortion, that receives federal funding, has been a specific target of Republicans in recent years. Former President Donald Trump, for example, removed the non-profit's Title X status, revoking some funding, because it performs abortions. Many abortion advocates also fear that a conservative Supreme Court may overturn Roe v. Wade. Genetic material from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna coronavirus vaccines cannot transfer through a mother's breast milk, a new study finds. Researchers at the University of California San Francisco tested breast milk samples from seven breastfeeding mothers within two days of their shots and found no presence of vaccine messenger RNA (mRNA). Many new mothers have put off getting vaccinated against COVID-19, worried about how the vaccines may impact their children. But the teams say that the findings of this study suggests that mothers can safely get vaccinated. Even though mRNA may not transfer through breast milk, other studies have shown that COVID-19 antibodies do, meaning the vaccines confer some immunity to newborns whose mothers get inoculated. Young mothers who get vaccinated do not need to worry about coronavirus mRNA transferring through their breast milk, a new study suggests mRNA was not detected in a single breast milk sample out of 13 taken from breastfeeding women who recently got vaccinated, the researchers found Pregnant people and young mothers are especially vulnerable for severe COVID-19. These women have faced higher rates of hospitalization and intensive care due to Covid, compared to other women in the same age range, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Yet pregnant women have been vaccinated at low rates. As of early May, just 16 percent of pregnant women had received their shots, a CDC study estimates. Many have avoided or delayed getting vaccinated due to limited data on the Covid vaccine's safety for pregnant and breastfeeding women. These women were not included in clinical trials for the vaccines, to avoid risking their health. But many scientists who examined how these vaccines worked hypothesized that they would pose little risk to pregnant and breastfeeding women. As a result, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for use in the U.S., the agency allowed pregnant and breastfeeding individuals to get vaccinated. The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine supported this move, saying the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines posed 'little plausible risk' for new mothers and their infants. 'During lactation, it is unlikely that the vaccine lipid would enter the bloodstream and reach breast tissue,' the Academy wrote in a December 2020 statement. 'If it does, it is even less likely that either the intact nanoparticle or mRNA transfer into milk.' Research following the vaccines' rollout in the U.S. has provided more information that backs up early promises of safety. The new study from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) specifically addresses many women's concerns about vaccine particles transferring to infants through breast milk. For the study - published Tuesday in JAMA Pediatrics - researchers recruited seven breastfeeding mothers, with children from one month to three years old. While genetic material from the vaccines does not transfer through breast milk, Covid antibodies might - giving some immunity to infants The volunteers were vaccinated between December 2020 and February 2021 - all with Pfizer or Moderna shots. Each patient collected samples of her breast milk, both prior to getting a shot and in the first two days after receiving a vaccine. The UCSF researchers used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to look for coronavirus genetic material, called mRNA, in the samples. Typically, this material is destroyed by the immune system within a few days. The researchers did not detect mRNA in any of the breast milk samples. This indicates that the genetic material worked in each mother's immune system as intended - activating her immune system to protect against Covid - but did not impact her breast milk in any way. Furthermore, the researchers write that any small amount of mRNA - undetected by a PCR test - that did make it into the breast milk would be destroyed when it progressed through the baby's digestive system. This study suggests that pregnant and breastfeeding women may get vaccinated without worrying that any coronavirus material will transfer to their children. More research is needed in this area, however, as this study used a small number of participants. Also, while mRNA may not transfer through breast milk, other studies have suggested that Covid antibodies are able to make this journey. In other words, a breastfeeding mother who gets vaccinated may be able to give some degree of immunity to her child. Such findings point to benefits for vaccination that outweigh the risks for young mothers. The Ohio COVID-19 vaccine lottery did not lead to increased vaccination rates, a new study finds. Boston University researchers compared adult vaccination rates before and after the Vax-a-Million lottery was introduced in Ohio and other states. They found that the lottery, which offered five million-dollar prizes and college scholarships, did not boost Ohio's vaccination rate in any significant way. This findings contradicts media reports at the time the lottery launched, which led other states to try similar programs. Those past reports failed to account for children ages 12 to 15 gaining vaccine access just two days before Ohio's lottery launched. The researchers say it's important to phase out lotteries and other unsuccessful vaccination initiatives so that resources can instead be directed to the programs that do actually help people get their shots. Ohio's Vax-a-Million lottery was lauded as a success, but a new study finds that it did not actually increase vaccination rates. Pictured: A Kent University student gets vaccinated in Kent, Ohio The researchers found similar vaccination declines in Ohio and other states without lotteries Ohio was the first state to introduce a vaccine lottery on May 12. Called Vax-a-Million, the lottery allowed vaccinated Ohio residents to enter to win one million dollars. Prizes were awarded once a week for five weeks. At the time, this lottery was heralded as a success. Andy Slavitt, former advisor on the White House COVID response team, said the state saw a 55 percent increase in vaccinations for young adults. He claimed the vaccination rate even doubled in some Ohio counties. As a result, the Biden administration encouraged other states to set up lotteries of their own - and allowed states to use federal funds for these programs. Many states followed Ohio's lead, including California, Maryland, and New York - New York offered prizes up to five million dollars. But there is little hard evidence suggesting that these lotteries actually boost vaccination rates in the long term. In fact, the new study, published in JAMA, suggests that the Ohio lottery itself did not have much impact on vaccination in the state. Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine compared vaccination rates in Ohio and other states before and after the Vax-a-Million lottery was announced. 'Prior evaluations of the Ohio vaccine incentive lottery did not account for other changes in COVID-19 vaccination rates in the United States,' said lead author Dr Allan Walkey in a statement. Notably, vaccine access was expanded to children between the ages of 12 and 15 just two days before Ohio announced its lottery. Past boasts of the lottery's success didn't account for this expansion, Walkey said. Walkey and his colleagues focused on vaccination rates for adults in their investigation as a result. The researchers used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to compare adult vaccination rates in Ohio to rates in other states that didn't yet have vaccine lotteries. Ohio's adult vaccination rate declined in May, despite the state's Vax-a-Million lottery They looked at vaccination rates for one month before the Ohio lottery started - April 15 to May 12 - and one month after it was announced - May 13 to June 9. In Ohio, the daily vaccination rate declined from April to June from 485 shots for every 100,000 adults in the state to 101 for every 100,000. In other U.S. states without lotteries, the rate also declined from 700 shots for every 100,000 adults to 97 for every 100,000. Ohio saw a slower decline in adult vaccinations compared to other states in May, after the vaccine lottery was announced. But not enough people got vaccinated to actually raise the state's vaccination rate, which had already been dropping in April. In other words, the researchers wrote that they 'did not find evidence' that Ohio's lottery increased vaccination rates. They suggested that any vaccination bumps during the lottery's early weeks were instead due to teenagers getting access to shots. 'Our results suggest that state-based lotteries are of limited value in increasing vaccine uptake,' Walkey said. 'Therefore, the resources devoted to vaccine lotteries may be more successfully invested in programs that target underlying reasons for vaccine hesitancy and low vaccine uptake.' Walkey suggested that, instead of expensive vaccine lotteries - giving out one million dollars at a time - states should focus on other strategies that may make better use of that cash. Some experts say that grassroots efforts and partnerships with community organizations may be key to getting more people vaccinated, especially among groups that distrust the U.S. healthcare system. 'It is important to rigorously evaluate strategies designed to increase vaccine uptake, rapidly deploy successful strategies, and phase out those that do not work,' Walkey said. American purchased hand sanitizer in droves early on in the COVID-19 pandemic. But doctors say overusing hand sanitizer can be dangerous, especially for children, because a toxic chemical is some hand sanitizers could be absorbed through the skin. Methanol is one of three types of alcohol used in hand sanitizer products, and consumption of it could cause blindness and death. While hand sanitizers manufactured in the U.S. are banned from using it - and instead contain safer alternatives like ethanol and isopropanol - many products manufactured in other countries still use the chemical. Some experts fear that the chemical could be absorbed through children's skin, causing long-term health issues. Doctors recommend only using hand sanitizer when really needed - instead of using every day - and only using small amounts when used. Some hand sanitizers manufactured abroad may contain methanol, a dangerous chemical that could cause blindness or death after exposure. Children may be especially endanger as it can transmit through their skin Hand sanitizer was akin to liquid gold early on in the COVID-19 pandemic. Americans rushed to purchase hand sanitizer, emptying shelves across the country stockpiling in an effort to protect themselves and their families. Early in the pandemic, many feared that COVID-19 would spread on surfaces that held virus particles. It has since been discovered that the virus does not live very long on surfaces and primarily travels through the air. Sales of hand sanitizer rose by 620 percent last year, according to the Boston Globe. Gojo Industries, owner of Purell - the nation's biggest hand sanitizer brand - expanded production capacity to meet demand. The second biggest producer, Vi-Jon Laboratories, saw its stock price grow 14 percent in only two weeks in late March. With the supply in local stores being quickly wiped out, many resorted to buying hand sanitizer online. Those that bought from international retailers may have unknowingly purchased a product with the dangerous chemical in it. 'Children can actually absorb enough methanol through their skin to be toxic,' said Dr Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases doctor at the Mayo Clinic, to the Globe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 15 cases of methanol poisoning associated with the use of hand sanitizer in Arizona and New Mexico last year. Four of the patients died, and three had permanent damage to their vision. Overuse of the 'safer' hand sanitizers can have negative effects as well. People overusing hand sanitizer in fear of COVID-19 could produce dangerous vapors that could cause irritate peoples skin and airways, Poland said. Consistent use of the hand sanitizer can also cause skin irritation because of the high alcohol content. Overuse of hand sanitizer can have some long-term negative effects, including the potential for some bacteria to build resistances to it 'The skin is like a brick wall,' Dr Abigail Waldman, a dermatologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, told the Globe. 'You have these bricks that protect it and the hand sanitizer does such a good job that often it will create holes in that brick wall.' Bacteria can also eventually develop resistances to hand sanitizer if they are overly exposed to it. 'You can actually get resistance to the hand sanitizer, meaning the flora or the typical bacteria or viruses that you run into will develop resistance against whatever you're using,' Waldman said. Poland does not recommend the use of hand sanitizer for people at home or in the bathroom. Soap and water are often more effective in those situations as soap can effectively break down mucus, or remove more solid particles with a thorough wash. He does recommend the use of hand sanitizer on the go, though, where using soap and water is either inconvenient or impossible. A small number of Californians who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 later tested positive for the virus. These so-called 'breakthrough' cases occur when people contract the disease 14 days or more after receiving their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson jab, and which officials say are not surprising. Out of 19.5 million people in California who completer their vaccine series, just 7,553 have gotten sick with the virus - meaning a breakthrough case rate of 0.039 percent. Among those 7,553 people, most had mild COVID-19 cases. Only 62 died from the virus. While these numbers reinforce how well the vaccines work, limited reporting on breakthrough cases leaves scientists with questions such as which variants are more likely to cause those breakthroughs. Out of almost 20 million Californians who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, under 8,000 have later gotten the disease. Pictured: A teenager receives her first shot at a Los Angeles high school, 13,May The Covid vaccines currently in use in the U.S. - Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson - are all extremely good at protecting people against the coronavirus. These vaccines have lived up to their promise from clinical trials, allowing millions of Americans to go mask-free, travel, and otherwise return to normal life. Still, in rare cases, people do get infected with the coronavirus after completing a vaccine regimen. These rare cases are called breakthrough cases. Scientists track these breakthroughs as a way to continuously examine how well the vaccines work. Recent data from California adds more evidence to that trend. As of June 30, the state has reported 7,553 breakthrough cases out of 19.5 California residents who are fully vaccinated. That amounts to one breakthrough case for every 2,583 vaccinated people, or a breakthrough case rate of 0.039 percent. 'The way we should think about these cases is that they're very rare,' Dr George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at the University of California, told CalMatters. Out of those 7,553 cases, 584 fully vaccinated Californians went to the hospital with a COVID-19 infection. The California Department of Public Health notes, however, that many of those people could have been hospitalized for reasons unrelated to Covid but were tested for Covid upon admission. Data on hospitalization are also missing for about half of California's breakthrough cases. Only 62 of those Californians with breakthrough cases died with Covid. But again, some of those deaths may have been from other primary causes. Only 62 Californians have died from Covid after being fully vaccinated. Pictured: A sign advertises a vaccination site in Union Station, Los Angeles, on June 10 Nationwide, fewer than 5,000 people have been hospitalized with or died from Covid after being fully vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report 4,427 breakthrough hospitalizations and 879 deaths, as of June 28. Between January 1 and April 30, the CDC reported 10,262 breakthrough cases - at a time when over 100 million Americans had been fully vaccinated. Starting in May, however, the agency has only investigated and reported those breakthrough cases that lead to hospitalization and death. The CDC made this decision in order to focus on investigating more severe breakthrough cases, as opposed to those that result in mild symptoms or no symptoms. But some experts have said it is still important to track mild breakthrough cases, in order to look for trends - and determine whether any new variants are causing the breakthroughs. 'Ferreting [breakthrough cases] out will help researchers confirm the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, detect coronavirus variants that could evade our immune defenses, and estimate when we might need our next round of shotsif we do at all,' Katherine J. Wu wrote in The Atlantic in May. Most state public health agencies have followed the CDC's lead and are not tracking breakthrough cases, according to a recent analysis by the Rockefeller Foundation. California's public health agency is tracking breakthroughs in its state by matching positive test records with vaccination records. The state has not released sequencing information on its cases, however. It's unknown how many of those 7,553 people may have been infected with the Indian 'Delta' variant. Studies thus far have shown that the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines all work well against the Delta variant. But without more information on the variants behind breakthrough cases - and with the Delta variant spreading rapidly across the U.S. - it is difficult for scientists to closely monitor the situation. Allergy seasons have been increasingly getting longer and worse for hay fever sufferers, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at allergen data collected in the San Francisco Bay area over the last two decades. They found that the local pollen and mold season has been extended by eight to nine weeks per year since 2002. The team, from Stanford University School of Medicine, in California, says that d climate change is to blame, with rising temperatures extending allergy seasons. A new study from Stanford University looked airborne pollen and mold spore data collected by a pollen counting station in Los Altos Hills, California, from 2002 to 2019 (file image) They found that the local pollen (trees, weeds, grasses) and mold season has been extended eight to nine weeks over the last 20 years (above) 'Climate change is really a problem for health, and we are living and breathing the effects of climate change now,' said senior author Dr Kari Nadeau, professor of medicine and of pediatrics at Stanford, in a press release. 'As an allergist, it is my duty to follow the pollen counts, and I was noticing that the start date of the tree pollen season was earlier every year. 'My patients were complaining, and I would say, 'This is such a tough year,' but then I thought, wait, I'm saying that every year.' Allergies occur when the body's immune system views a substance as harmful and overreacts to it. Reactions may be mildly annoying from sneezing and watery eyes to life-threatening such as anaphylactic shock, which is when blood pressure suddenly drops and airways narrow, preventing someone from breathing normally. Having a pollen allergy means you experience an allergic reaction to a powder found on flowering plants. WHAT IS HAY FEVER? Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, a fine powder which comes from plants. There is more pollen in the air in the spring and summer seasons, when plants are flowering. The reaction usually happens when pollen comes into contact with someone's eyes, nose, mouth or throat. Symptoms include: Coughing Sneezing Runny nose Itchy, red or watery eyes Headaches Tiredness People suffering from the allergy can put take over-the-counter medication, wash clothes regularly, and vacuum and dust indoors. Avoiding grass, cut flowers and smoke can help reduce symptoms, as can drying clothes indoors where pollen is less likely to stick to them. Source: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Advertisement Because pollen is microscopic in size - less than 0.007 inches - it can travel far distances and is easily inhaled, getting deep into the lungs. Grass and tree pollen typically is released between April and May while pollen from weeds, like ragweed, comes in June and July. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, about eight percent of U.S. adults aged 18 and over suffer from hay fever, which is the allergic reaction to pollen. For the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, the team looked at airborne pollen and mold spore data collected by a pollen counting station in Los Altos Hills. Researchers calculated the concentrations of pollen from grass, trees and weed - as well mold spores - from 2002 to 2019. Although allergens from more than 100 different species of plants and fungi were identified, the study just focused on the 20 most common. They found that local pollen and mold seasons have been lengthened by eight to nine weeks. This means allergy seasons that typically started in April, are now beginning as early as the first week of March or last week of February. Researchers also looked at environmental data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, on temperatures, precipitation and carbon dioxide levels. They found that tree pollen season was extended due to warmer temperatures in the winter spring while weed pollen season was linked to rising spring and summer temperature. Researchers say climate change is to blame with pollen seasons longer due to warmer temperatures and mold seasons due to rainfall followed by drought Grass pollen seasons were found to be longer due to heightened summer temperatures and higher mold counts were associated with rainfall followed by drought. Nadeau recommends that anyone experiencing particularly rough allergy speak to their doctors and adjust allergy treatment accordingly. 'It helps patients to know that the reason they're having more allergies is that pollen is in the air longer than in the past,' Nadeau said. 'Patients should follow local pollen counts and not just assume their allergies will start at the same time every year.' The strain of fighting private equity's 2019 raid on the Dorset-based aerospace pioneer bearing her family's name has taken its toll on Nadine Cobham. Some 18 months after the battle with Advent, she finds the whole affair painful especially when people seek to question her motives. As long-term investors stood on the sidelines and ministers refused to intervene, Lady Cobham, daughter-in-law of the celebrated aviator Sir Alan Cobham and widow of his son Sir Michael Cobham, recognised that in the hands of American vultures, the famous old company would never be safe. Brave: Lady Cobham is fighting to protect the aerospace firm bearing her name for the sake of Britain The loss of brilliant technology, some of it critical to Britain's national security, would be devastating. In the manner of a latter-day Boudica, she saw it as her sacred duty to defend the valuable aerospace and satellite skills for the sake of Britain. Lady Cobham was falsely accused by her critics in the financial community anxious to buy and break-up Cobham whatever the costs to UK plc of only being interested in aggrandising the family name. Nothing could be further from the truth. 'If this was another country, the deal would not have been allowed,' Lady Cobham says of the 4billion takeover. The company was founded in 1934 by her father-in-law, who was believed to be the inspiration for WE Johns's fictional pilot and adventurer, Biggles. 'I was criticised about playing on the name as if it is a thing for me personally, but it was named because of the famous Alan Cobham and his flying exploits,' she tells me. The home of some of Britain's leading-edge aerospace is being dismembered and disposed of by the US private equity group in rapid fire, and the jobs of 10,000 skilled workers compromised. Flimsy national security undertakings belatedly made by the private equity predators to then business secretary Angela Leadsom have failed miserably to protect jobs, intellectual property and vital technology. Within weeks of the takeover being approved, the company's headquarters at Wimborne in Dorset were eviscerated and since then it has been death by a thousand cuts. Pioneer: Sir Alan Cobham, who founded the company in 1934, was believed to be the inspiration for WE Johns's fictional pilot and adventurer, Biggles Lady Cobham tells me in a lockdown phone interview: 'These private equity companies just do it for feathering their own nest and their friends making huge sums of money. 'They don't care where the technology goes as long as they get their money from it.' In the short period of ownership by Advent International the break-up and sell-off of Cobham has been startlingly speedy. Most sadly, the very core of the enterprise the air-to-air flight refuelling engineering, which was a key factor in Britain's 1982 Falklands war victory and is deployed by air forces across the globe has ended up in American hands. The arm was sold in unseemly haste to the US power systems giant Eaton Group for 2bn in February this year under the cover of lockdown. Previously, the UK's leadership in this area of aerospace had been second to none and constantly updated down the decades through home-grown research and development (R&D). So far Advent has recovered 2.7billion and counting of the 4billion it paid for Cobham. Now in her 70s, elegant and articulate Nadine Cobham thinks she earned the right to speak out not just because of the dissipated family stake, but because she and her late husband Michael had spent more than 30 years of their lives building Cobham into an aerospace champion, and a good place to work, by looking after the interests of staff. 'He [Michael] was very keen on looking after employees,' she says. 'Staff all had share ownership and there was an amazing, very generous final salary pension scheme.' But Lady Cobham worries about the impact on the UK's national security, in particular the work being done for the Navy. Windfalls: Senior directors at Chobham including chief exec David Lockwood (pictured) are estimated to have reaped 10m from the disposal to Advent The biggest concern, raised in a highly redacted defence review, provided to Mrs Leadsom, was over a range of ground surveillance and communications equipment. 'Now of course all that technology resides in the US,' Nadine Cobham observes. The Government is taking note. A bill making its way through Parliament seeks to clamp down on foreign takeovers particularly those where there is a strong national security interest. But the wilful break-up of Cobham flies in the face of the principles on Advent International's website, which boasts of completing $54billion (39.4billion) of deals across 41 different territories as part of 'our hands-on approach to helping these businesses flourish'. At the time of the bid, Advent sought to divert Lady Cobham's opposition by meeting her, but she valiantly resisted and continued her campaign. 'I didn't respond because I just felt so cross about it all because I knew what private equity companies were and they couldn't persuade me otherwise,' she says. She holds Cobham's board in special contempt. It gave in to Advent's entreaties without putting up a serious defence. A criticism of boards of directors is that it is in their personal interest to sell, whatever the merits of the bid, because it offers an opportunity to dispose of their shares and cash in future bonus shares at a profit. She says: 'I thought it was disappointing that they gave in so easily without a fight.' Senior directors including chief executive David Lockwood and finance director David Mellors, who came in to run the company in 2017, are estimated to have reaped 10million from the disposal to Advent. Among her most telling observations is that even in bad times, companies such as Cobham have to provide regular trading updates to shareholders. But once they are in private equity ownership, public disclosure largely ends. She says: 'The problem with a private equity company, is that it's all hidden away. You can't see what's going on.' One thing is certain. The pioneers behind the firm, adventurer Alan and his entrepreneurial son Michael, would be proud of the battle waged by Lady Cobham against the sharks tearing to shreds Britain's aerospace heritage. Hipgnosis saw profits climb during lockdown as fans stuck at home streamed more music than ever. The London-listed company, which owns the rights to 65,000 songs by artists from Neil Young to Beyonce, almost doubled revenues in 2020 from 60million to 115million and increased profits from 30million to 32million. Hipgnosiss portfolio of 138 song catalogues is valued at 1.6billion, 10 per cent more than what they cost to buy. Money streams: Hipgnosis owns the rights to 65,000 songs by artists including Blondie (pictured) The company hailed a remarkable year which saw the business buy catalogues including music by Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Blondie and Barry Manilow. Hipgnosis, founded by music industry executive Merck Mercuriadis, is also rumoured to be talking with Oasiss Noel Gallagher about acquiring his back catalogue. Chief Exec Merck Mercuriadis said: 'Going forward this accelerated streaming will be enhanced as revenues from TikTok, Peloton, Triller, Roblox, and other rapidly emerging digital platforms start to be paid through,' . 'We are entering an era where now, for the first time ever, almost all consumption of music is paid for.' Morrisons must not be sold to private equity for the 'wrong reasons', the City's biggest fund manager warned yesterday. Legal and General Investment Management which has 1.3 trillion under management warned against loading the supermarket with debt and selling off its property assets on the cheap. Andrew Koch, senior fund manager at Legal & General Investment Management, said: 'It is important that the company isn't taken over for the wrong reasons. Takeover fears: Legal and General - which has 1.3 trillion under management - warned against loading Morrisons with debt and selling off its property assets on the cheap 'It should not come from buying its property portfolio too cheaply, levering the company up with debt, and potentially reducing the tax paid to the Exchequer.' The comments are the strongest yet from any of Morrisons top investors and show that shareholders will not roll over easily. Fears are mounting that a private equity takeover of Morrisons, led by chief executive David Potts, could result in heavy job cuts and the dismantling of one of the UK's oldest grocers. Legal & General's intervention comes as the grocer's board agreed over the weekend to a 6.3billion or 254p per share sale to a consortium of investors, led by New York-based private equity firm Fortress. It followed the rejection of a rival 230p offer from rival buyout firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in June, while yesterday a third firm, Apollo, revealed it could bid for Morrisons as well. Hopes of a bidding war sent the supermarket group's shares soaring by 11.6 per cent yesterday. Koch also said the bidding process for Morrisons had led to 'more questions than answers' so far. He accused the supermarket's board, led by chairman Andy Higginson, of disclosing 'little information' about the value of its assets, amid fears that these could be sold by a private equity buyer in a short-term bid to boost profits. Koch added: 'Given this is an agreed bid, it is likely that Fortress and their partners have had more information than others on this. Investors need to have the detailed figures to be able to make a considered decision regarding the right future for the company and their shareholdings.' Analysts said other potential bidders could be waiting in the wings as well, from rival private equity firm Lone Star to tech giant Amazon, which has an online delivery partnership with Morrisons. Sainsbury's is another potential bidder being touted by analysts as the grocer looks to grow its market share. Buyout firms have plundered British businesses during the pandemic as share prices remain depressed. Breakdown firm the AA, portable power company Aggreko and infrastructure giant John Laing are among listed firms to have succumbed to private equity takeovers. The economy is bouncing back at a record rate but the main problem facing businesses is a shortage of staff, experts have warned. Latest data showed the services part of the economy grew rapidly in June with PMI output coming in at 62.4, marginally below the 62.9 reading in May. Nevertheless, anything above 50 represents growth. The sector covers restaurants and bars as well as the financial industry and is the largest part of the British economy. Staff shortages: Latest data showed the services part of the UK economy, which covers restaurants, bars as well as the financial industry, grew rapidly in June Tim Moore, economics director at data gathering business IHS Markit, said: 'The service sector recovery remained in full swing during June as looser pandemic restrictions released pent-up demand for business and consumer services.' But a shortage of workers continues to plague the sector and as a result firms are struggling to meet demand. It is understood staff who used to work in the hospitality industry have moved away from big cities like London to save money during the pandemic, while many foreign workers returned home. Others used the pandemic to seek out other kinds of work and are reluctant to return to the 'brutal' culture of long hours and night work that can be the norm in the restaurant and bar sectors. Moore added: 'Capacity constraints and staff shortages meant that many service providers struggled to keep up with new orders. 'Backlogs of work increased at a faster pace than any other time since records began in July 1996. 'There were difficulties filling staff vacancies in all parts of the service economy during June, with hospitality and leisure experiencing the greatest squeeze,' he said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed he expects to lift the last remaining lockdown restrictions later this month with social distancing rules, mask laws and the work-from-home order set to go. His comments were welcomed by the hospitality sector, which cheered the prospect of Freedom Day on July 19, including drinkers being welcomed back to the bar. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, said: 'The announcement marks a major milestone in how England will come to live with Covid and will be celebrated by hospitality business owners and their staff. For the vast majority of hospitality businesses, July 19 will be the first time in 16 months that they have been able to realistically look to break even and move towards profitability.' She added: 'It will still be a long road back for businesses that have been forced to take on debt just to survive, especially with the reintroduction of business rates payments. 'Nevertheless, this is a critical move that will unleash a sector that is eager to play its part in the wider national recovery.' Many middle aged savers face a bleak old age on low incomes, new research suggests. Nearly one in three people aged 40-55, dubbed Generation X, are saving inadequate sums and will achieve only a minimum standard of living in retirement, while one in four will rely on the state pension or have no savings at all. Some 60 per cent of people in this age group with defined contribution pensions are running the risk of not reaching a modest income in retirement, according to research by the International Longevity Centre carried out for Standard Life. Planning ahead: One in three middle aged people face a struggle in retirement as their pensions fall short Middle aged savers missed out on auto enrolment in their early careers and have weathered two financial crises - when some will have faced periods of unemployment - in the middle of their working lives. Final salary pensions, which used to provide a relatively generous and guaranteed income in old age, have been replaced by stingier 'defined contribution' pensions where workers bear the investment risk. The state pension is currently worth 9,300 a year for those who have a full National Insurance record. >>>How to sort out your pension: Read more here and scroll down to the box below The ILC definitions of what savings are adequate to give people a minimum or higher standard of living are below. The current auto enrolment minimum going into pensions is 8 per cent of earnings between 6,240 and 50,270 a year - made up of worker and employer contributions and government top-ups. What are defined contribution and final salary pensions? Defined contribution pensions take contributions from both employer and employee and invest them to provide a pot of money at retirement. Unless you work in the public sector, they have now mostly replaced more generous gold-plated defined benefit - or final salary - pensions, which provide a guaranteed income after retirement until you die. Defined contribution pensions are stingier and savers bear the investment risk, rather than employers. The ILC found: - Some 44 per cent of people aged 40-55 with defined contribution pensions have gaps of at least 10 years in their contributions, rising to 48 per cent for women - More than a quarter, or 28 per cent, will mostly or solely rely on the state pension to fund their retirement, or dont have any pension savings at all - Only 7 per cent are saving enough - defined as 21.3 per cent of salary - for a moderate lifestyle in retirement. Meanwhile, some 23 per cent expect to have other sources of wealth to generate income in retirement. More than half of this group said they would have one of the following assets to lean on later in life. - 26 per cent have other savings and investments - 25 per cent expect an inheritance - 23 per cent plan to downsize or release equity from the property they live in - 14 per cent will have support from a partner or family member - 11 per cent have other property investments The ILC surveyed more than 6,000 people aged 40 to 55 last autumn, and the figures were weighted to be representative of all UK adults in this age group. The organisation suggested several ways to improve the outlook for middle aged people in retirement, aside from simply urging them to save more on their own. Want a comfortable retirement? Couples need 26k and single people 19k a year, says Which? Read more here. These include increasing minimum pension contributions via auto enrolment, and introducing some flexibility by allowing people to temporarily pay into their pensions at a lower rate if they are struggling financially. Workers could be encouraged to save more when they have paid off large debts like a mortgage or student loan, and their contributions could be automatically increased when they receive a pay rise or after a certain number of years of saving. The ILC also suggests the Government introduce a flat-rate of pension tax relief at 30 per cent, rather than base it on income tax rates. The Government is reportedly considering this again, but the idea is controversial because although it would boost the contributions of lower earners it would reduce top-ups to the better paid, and break the principle that everyone pays into a pension from untaxed income. How much do you need to save for a decent retirement? The following savings adequacy measures were used in the research by ILC. The percentages of full time earnings used include worker and employer contributions and government top-ups via pension tax relief. Minimum contributions under auto enrolment total 8 per cent. Minimum standard of living: This is enough to cover basic living costs but not enough for individuals to have financial security and the flexibility to do many of the things they might want to do. The contribution level estimated as necessary to achieve this is 8 per cent of average full-time earnings (likely a combination of employee and employer contributions). Modest standard of living: This is between a minimum and a moderate standard of living. The contribution level estimated necessary to achieve this is 16 per cent. Moderate standard of living: This provides some level of freedom and resilience to shocks. The contribution level estimated necessary to achieve this is 21.3 per cent. Sophia Dimitriadis, research fellow at ILC and author of the report 'Slipping between the cracks', says: 'Theres still time to support the retirement prospects of Generation X and alter their current trajectory. 'But with the oldest members of this generation retiring in just over a decade, we will need to act fast. 'The majority of people with DC pension savings are chronically under-saving, and with many Gen Xers too overwhelmed with other priorities like caring responsibilities and the additional pressures from the pandemic it is vital that the Government builds on the success of auto-enrolment to support people to reach an adequate retirement. 'With many Gen Xers facing often temporary financial pressures the most effective solutions will offer some flexibility and tap into moments when people have a bit more money. 'In the meantime, we urge Gen Xers to play their part by trying to capitalise on moments where they can afford to save more such as following a pay rise or a decrease in mortgage payments to increase their pension contributions.' Andy Curran, chief executive of Standard Life, says: 'Many Generation Xers dont have adequate pension savings in place, and sadly face financial vulnerability in retirement. 'Many entered the job market too late to take full advantage of final salary pensions, yet too early to enjoy the full benefits of initiatives like auto-enrolment, and their retirement income will be stretched as a result. 'To address this, we would encourage employers to consider mid-life MOTs, to help people take stock of their finances and support them with planning for later life. 'At the same time, wed also urge Gen Xers to regularly review their annual spending and engage with their finances as early as possible to gain a better understanding of what theyll need in the future.' At least 160,000 hip and knee replacement operations have been delayed because of Covid, researchers say. Bristol University academics fear it may take the NHS more than 10 years to clear the coronavirus-fuelled backlog. In order to get a grip on the crisis, they say special operating centres running seven days a week are needed. Health chiefs should also consider asking retired surgeons to help. Charities say patients have been left in agony from the delays, with scores ranking their pain to feel 'worse than death'. NHS hospitals were forced to cancel tens of thousands of routine operations during the first and second waves of the Covid pandemic. The controversial move affected patients waiting for elective surgery and even cancer operations. The new study lays bare the impact the coronavirus had on the most common NHS procedure. The graph shows how many hip, knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle replacements were conducted in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2019 compared to 2020 and the reduction in operations. The largest reduction was seen in knee replacements (52.6 per cent), followed by shoulder (50.1 per cent) and hip (44.7 per cent) replacements. Wales and Northern Ireland had the biggest drop in joint replacement surgeries, declining by 67.3 per cent and 63.9 per cent, while 47.4 per cent less operations were performed in England The graphs show the annual number of hip, knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle replacements performed across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each graph shows that the capacity for joint replacement operations has generally increased until 2020, when the number of surgeries dropped The graphs show the number of hip, knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle replacements performed across England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2019 and 2020. The 2020 graphs show the capacity for joint replacement operations has dropped in March 2020 and did not begin to pick up until later in the summer The graphs show the number of hip, knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle replacements performed across the three countries in 2020. The graphs show that England picked up the number of operations it was performing toward the end of the year to around 75 per cent of the country's capacity before the pandemic. But Wales and Northern Ireland struggled to return to pre-pandemic levels towards the end of 2020 NHS chief admits it's time hospitals 'learn to live with Covid' It is time for the NHS to 'learn to live with Covid', one of the health service's most senior doctors admitted yesterday as he backed Freedom Day going ahead on July 19. Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England's medical director, said that he anticipates Covid hospital admissions will start to rise when lockdown is lifted in a fortnight and as the country moves into winter. But he insisted that NHS trusts 'will manage' now that the vaccines have reduced Covid to a mild illness for the vast majority of people, claiming that hospitals were 'well used to coping' with winter pressures each year. Professor Powis, who has been a regular at the podium of No10's Covid press conferences through the pandemic, told BBC Breakfast: 'We will have to learn to live with Covid now and that is what the NHS is preparing to do.' He added: 'The NHS deals with pressures all the time and there is not doubt that as hospital numbers rise over the next few weeks that we will have to manage that pressure. 'A&Es are busy again as life gets back to normal but we're well used to coping with pressures, we do it every year and every winter. So we are prepared and, as you have seen over the last 18 months of the pandemic, the NHS will manage.' There has been some concern about the unlocking later this month because Covid cases are still climbing fast, with almost 25,000 tests coming back positive every day, 10 times the amount two months ago. But in a clear sign of the 'vaccine effect', there are only about 270 daily hospital admissions now compared to 2,800 in early February, the last time infections were this high. Advertisement Every year around 200,000 Britons get hip and knee replacements, which are made of plastic, metal or ceramic and usually last for at least 15 years. Joint replacements are normally given to people who have arthritis, a condition that affects 10million Britons and 54million Americans. Dr Adrian Sayers and colleagues trawled through medical records to work out how many procedures were carried out in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They looked at operations carried out on the NHS and in private hospitals but didn't examine procedures in Scotland, which are kept on a separate database. In 2019 before Covid began spreading in Britain, 219,143 joint replacements were performed across the three nations. But this fell by more than 106,000 in 2020, according to the study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed. The researchers insisted this nearly 50 per cent drop was not because of a sudden huge drop in patients needing care. Instead, it was because of the Covid-triggered disruption to routine healthcare. The team also fear their estimate is 'conservative' because more replacements would have been performed in 2020 than in 2019 under normal circumstances. Dr Sayers, a medical statistician, told MailOnline another 55,000 surgeries have been delayed in 2021 compared to before the pandemic so far. He told MailOnline: 'I'm sure this has been really difficult for patients who have been waiting for a really long time. 'Most joint replacement surgery is transformative and takes away patients' pain in the vast majority of cases and restores mobility. 'This data is really important as it represent all joint replacements across the NHS and private sector and the estimated deficit doesn't rely on estimates from waiting lists, which can be very misleading.' Experts said Covid's impact has 'not been uniform' across the three countries, with Wales and Northern Ireland hit the hardest. In both countries, shoulder, elbow and ankle replacements were 'effectively halted', the researchers wrote. The deficit in 2020 is equivalent to six months of normal activity, meaning waiting lists for the operations would be at least six months longer on the assumption that services were restored in 2021. A 'significant expansion' of joint replacement services compared to 2019 levels is 'urgently needed' to address the backlog, the scientists said. To tackle the backlog by 2031, the NHS could expand their pre-Covid services by 5 per cent. This would represent 10 new high volume treatment centres providing 500 hip and 500 knee joint replacements per year. But staffing these would be 'extremely challenging', so NHS bosses should consider asking senior doctors to delay their retirement or ask retired surgeons to return to work. A seven-day operating week may also be needed, the team said. The graph shows the number of years it would take to recover from the 2020 drop in joint replacement operations if the health services increased the number of operations it carried out compared to 2019. The researchers found that an immediate 5 per cent expansion in provision would eliminate the deficit within 10 years, while a 10 per cent expansion will address the deficit in five years The graph shows the number of years it would take to recover from the 2020 drop in joint replacement operations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The researchers found that it would take longer to recover from the backlog in Wales and Northern Ireland. If services were increased by 5 per cent in each country, England would take around 10 years to recover, but Wales and Northern Ireland would take around 15 years An NHS spokesperson said: 'The number of people coming forward for care fell significantly throughout the pandemic but the NHS was there for patients with all conditions, and the message remains people must continue to seek help if they need it. 'The NHS recently published a plan to accelerate the delivery of operations and other services backed by a 1billion fund, and every area of the country is being asked to maximise their capacity to provide care for as many urgent and non-urgent patients as possible.' Tracey Loftis, head of policy and public affairs at Versus Arthritis, said: 'This study illustrates the impact that the pandemic has had especially on people with arthritis who are bearing the brunt of this waiting times crisis as they wait for life-changing joint replacement surgery. 'For many this means living with symptoms that are impossible to ignore and which can have a devastating impact on many peoples' lives. 'Longer waits mean people are often living in unbearable pain; they can also lead to complications, reducing people's chances of future operations being successful. 'It's vitally important that steps are taken to address the backlog especially for joint replacements and why Versus Arthritis is calling for a six point support package to help ensure patients receive the holistic care and support they urgently need whilst waiting.' Bob Handley, president of the British Orthopaedic Association, said: 'Joint replacement surgery has been very severely affected by the reduction in elective operating over the last 16 months due to the pandemic. 'These figures underline not only the importance of fully restoring services as soon as possible, but ensuring there is a sustained focus on catching-up so that patients can get this much needed care in a reasonable time. 'To provide the necessary sustained effort to enable this surgical recovery, it is particularly important services are protected from further interruptions such as those from so-called winter pressures that have affected surgical services all too often in the past. 'It is hard to avoid significant concern on behalf of patients at the estimates in this study of how long it could take to return to the same waiting list as before the pandemic, even more concerning is that the waiting list was already at record levels, and further sustained effort will be needed to address that underlying problem.' Advertisement Chancellor Angela Merkel has performed a massive U-turn as Germany ditches its bid to ban British arrivals from entering the European Union as Berlin announces that double-vaccinated UK travellers can now enter the central European country without needing to quarantine. Germany's national disease control centre, the Robert Koch Institute, said late yesterday that Britain, Portugal, Russia, India and Nepal will be moved from the highest risk category of 'virus variant areas' into the second-highest category of 'high-incidence areas' from tomorrow. The UK had been in the top risk category since May 23, and was joined last Tuesday by Russia and Portugal, one of Germany's partners in the European Union. Chancellor Angela Merkel has performed a massive U-turn as Germany ditches its strict border controls for British arrivals while double-vaccinated UK arrivals can now enter the central European country without needing to quarantine Federal police officers check passengers arriving aboard a flight from Portugal, at Frankfurt airport, Germany, Tuesday June 29, 2021 Airlines and others are restricted largely to transporting German citizens and residents from 'virus variant areas', and those who arrive must spend 14 days in quarantine at home. People arriving from 'high incidence areas' can avoid quarantine if they can prove they are fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19. Others can cut short a mandatory 10-day quarantine by testing negative after five days. Transport is no longer restricted. Officials have said the listings would be reviewed as the proportion of infections caused by the Delta variant in Germany rises. Although overall case numbers are very low, more than half of new cases are now believed to be caused by Delta. Ms Merkel indicated during a visit to Britain on Friday that the restrictions on travel from the UK would soon be relaxed. Airlines and others are restricted largely to transporting German citizens and residents from 'virus variant areas', and those who arrive must spend 14 days in quarantine at home (stock image) As of Tuesday, Portugal is being considered a virus variant area, and people arriving in Germany must go into quarantine Eleven countries will remain on Germany's 'virus variant area' list for now: Botswana, Brazil, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Uruguay. Germany had previously called on EU member states to ban British tourists from entering the bloc regardless of whether they had been vaccinated or not, with Ms Merkel saying the UK should be classified as a 'country of concern' due to the spread of the so-called Delta variant. Ms Merkel had called for Brussels to establish a unified approach regarding the travel restrictions, announcing: 'I will lobby for a more coordinated approach, particularly with regard to entries from regions where virus variants abound.' However, the plan was reportedly not be supported by several southern European countries, such as Greece, Portugal, and Spain, which strongly depend on British travellers who contribute to the local economies. A startling graph has shown barely half of Australians between the ages of 60 and 69 have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday night praised the fact 8.25million doses of the jab had now been administered across Australia. But the bar chart he shared with the announcement showed only 50.8 per cent of women and 49.7 per cent of men between the age of 60 and 64 have received at least one dose since May 9. The vaccination rates during the bungled rollout were barely higher for those aged 65 to 69, with only 57.9 per cent of men and women partially vaccinated against the respiratory virus. Since the beginning of the rollout in February, more Australians in their 50s have received both doses - 7.5 per cent for ages 50 to 54 and 7.2 per cent for 55 to 59 - than Australians in their 60s. The latest data - which is updated up to July 4 - comes after months of government advice expressing doubt about the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine after the jab was linked to extremely rare incidents of blood clots. Barely half of Australians between the ages of 60 and 69 have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, new government figures for May-July showed on Monday night Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday night had lauded the fact 8.25million doses of the jab had now been administered across the country, but the latest vaccination figures show a troubling reality for Australians in their 60s The federal government in April first advised its citizens aged under 50 to get the Pfizer rather than the AstraZeneca vaccine. Last month, Scott Morrison announced anyone over the age of 18 could receive the AstraZeneca jab in a bid to accelerate Australia's fledgling vaccine rollout. But that revised strategy was undermined by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk then urging her state's citizens under the age of 60 to avoid the UK-developed vaccine. Figures for the entire rollout also showed more Australians between 40 and 49-years-old - 12.3 per cent for ages 40 to 44 and 14.1 per cent for 45 to 49 - had been fully vaccinated than any age group under 70. The data was released after it emerged a man working with vulnerable elderly residents at an aged care home is refusing to get vaccinated against Covid, despite a spike in cases in Sydney and a relentlessly-growing list of exposure sites spreading across the city. Jabs are being made mandatory for everyone working in aged care and hotel quarantine settings, with the majority of Australia's coronavirus deaths being in nursing homes. More Australians in their 50s have received both doses - 7.5 per cent for ages 50 to 54 and 7.2 per cent for 55 to 59 - than Australians in their 60s. Pictured is a registered nurse receiving a Covid-19 vaccine in Townsville, central Queensland in March A man working with vulnerable elderly residents at an aged care home is refusing to get vaccinated against Covid (pictured, healthcare workers transport a person into a patient transport vehicle at the Arcare Aged Care facility) Out of 35 new cases in New South Wales on Monday, two were residents at SummitCare aged care home in Baulkham Hills, taking the cluster to five. But one aged care worker, known only as Drew, said he and many others in the industry are fiercely opposed to the move, and says he feels 'coerced' by the federal government's new policy. Health chiefs have continuously explained that unless the vaccination rate picks up, particularly among those working with vulnerable Australians, continued lockdowns and border closures may be unavoidable. As Sydney's latest lockdown rolls into it 12th day, the city's growing Covid exposure list grew yet again to include multiple busy supermarkets and restaurants. 'I'm aware of many of my colleagues who are now fearful of getting the vaccine and feel coerced and pressured that if they don't, they will be unemployed,' the anonymous aged care worker told A Current Affair on Monday night. 'There are many, many people like that'. Drew has worked in the aged care industry for more than 30 years and is now worried he might lose his job, claiming he's 'not an anti-vaxxer' and has received the flu vaccine before. 'I'm certainly hesitant in relation to the Covid vaccine. The flu vaccine has been well-tested, well-researched,' he explained. 'I find it scary that we can develop a vaccine and say that it's going to be effective in such a short period of time without having a good study trial and reviewing the side effects people have had, including death.' When reporter Brady Halls explained to Drew that there have been numerous studies and trials to make sure the vaccines are safe, he replied by saying: 'I disagree'. The aged care worker known only as Drew (pictured) said he and many others are fiercely opposed to the federal government's move to mandate Covid vaccinations The Arcare Aged Care facility in Melbourne (pictured) was rocked by a Covid outbreak in 2020, with 75 per cent of all Australia's coronavirus deaths happening in nursing homes Poll SHOULD COVID VACCINES BE MANDATORY FOR AGED CARE WORKERS? Yes - it keeps residents safe No - it should be their choice SHOULD COVID VACCINES BE MANDATORY FOR AGED CARE WORKERS? Yes - it keeps residents safe 918 votes No - it should be their choice 659 votes Now share your opinion Since the coronavirus pandemic hit Australia's shores in the early part of 2020, there have been 685 deaths in aged care settings - making up 75 per cent of all the nation's Covid fatalities. The shocking revelations came as a distraught daughter revealed her 90-year-old mother still hasn't been vaccinated, in spite of their best efforts. But despite those worrying statistics, Drew says he shouldn't be forced to get the jab. 'Most residents in aged care have received the vaccine so if the vaccine is effective then they should be okay,' he said. 'I have the right to decide if I want to have medication or not and if I decide not to at this moment in time I should not be punished for that. 'I shouldn't be threatened. I shouldn't be coerced and I certainly shouldn't be told that I'm going to lose my job and my career.' But the Councils on the Ageing CEO Ian Yates says vaccinations are a 'no-brainer'. Only nine per cent of Australian adults have been double jabbed and while some aged care workers are refusing to get the vaccine, there are residents who are desperate for the jab but can't receive it (pictured, two health care workers) Pictured: Sydney's SummitCare Baulkham Hills aged care facility, where five residents have tested positive 'We are dealing with the most vulnerable section of our community. There is no reason if you are working with them that you should not be vaccinated,' he said. 'Asking people to have the flu and Covid vaccinations to work in aged care is a no-brainer.' But while some aged care workers are refusing to get the vaccine, there are residents who are desperate for the jab but can't receive it. Sue Halford's 90-year-old mother Barbara resides in a nursing home and is still yet to be vaccinated. 'She's waiting and I really think she needs to get her shot as a priority group 1A, 90-year-old in aged care, she really should have got her shot yesterday,' Ms Halford said. Sue Halford's 90-year-old mother Barbara resides in a nursing home and is still yet to be vaccinated (pictured together) Due to medical concerns, Barbara requires the Pfizer jab but with stock in short supply due to the federal government's bungled vaccine rollout, it meant she may have to wait until the final quarter of the year. 'I know it's supposed to be coming September 1, but there's still how long until then? So it needed to happen yesterday,' Ms Halford said. Four of the infected residents at SummitCare Baulkham Hills had been vaccinated and all five are reportedly asymptomatic but have been transferred to Westmead Hospital. Contact tracers suspect all the infections are linked to a single staff member, who was not fully vaccinated. NEW: USE DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA'S TRACKER TO FIND THE LATEST EXPOSURE SITES NEAR YOU Two brothers destroyed their family home to stop their sister getting a cut of the estate left by their parents after claiming she 'killed their mother'. Garry, 59, and Malcolm Taylor, 57, travelled from Hervey Bay in Queensland to Murtoa in regional Victoria to destroy the house left to them as inheritance the day before it went to auction in March, 2019. The destruction, which was filmed by the brothers much to their 'amusement', was to rob their sister Kerrie, 61, of any money made as a result of the sale. The Victoria County Court heard that the brothers were determined their sister 'wasn't going to get a cent' and that they would 'rather pull it down piece by piece' than share the money. According to court documents, Malcolm called the real estate agent handling the sale in November 2018 claiming Kerrie 'killed his mother' and that he would 'continue to take items from the house until there was nothing left'. Scroll down for video Two brothers destroyed their family home to stop their sister getting a cut of the estate left by their parents after claiming she 'killed their mother' Garry and Malcolm Taylor travelled from Hervey Bay to Murtoa in regional Victoria to destroy the house left to them as inheritance the day before it went to auction in March, 2019 The destruction, which was filmed by the brothers much to their 'amusement', was to rob their sister Kerrie, 61, of any money made as a result of the sale According to court documents, Malcolm called the real estate agent handling the sale in November 2018 claiming Kerrie 'killed his mother' The Taylor brothers' 'renovations' of the home were the result of a years-long and 'deep seated' battle with their sister, who was the executor of their parents' estate. Their mother Lois died in December 2013, leaving her estate in the hands of daughter Kerrie - a decision Garry and Malcolm challenged. The family war kicked off when Garry and Malcolm were told their children would receive $10,000 in trust payments as part of the estate. As a result the men went on a 30-minute 'tirade of destruction' using an excavator to destroy foundations of the home, rip down walls, smash through windows, and roll a water tank down the road. The house was sold on December 12, 2018, for $99,000, but intentional water damage saw the buyer cancel their purchase before the settlement date. It was then slated to go under the hammer on March 29, 2019, until Garry and Malcolm stepped in. 'I bet it don't look like that at 12 noon Friday,' Malcolm messaged Garry, as shown in court documents. Pictured: The Taylor's Murtoa house before Garry and Malcolm destroyed it using an excavator before it could go to auction in March 2019 The home after Garry and Malcolm destroyed it with an excavator (pictured Malcolm) The pair arrived at the mother's home on Thursday March 28 and began the destruction. Malcolm graffitied 'Lois was murdered here' on her bedroom wall and sprayed the outline of a body on the floor, according to court documents. He denied any knowledge of the graffiti in court. No legitimate basis for the allegation that Lois was murdered was mentioned in court documents and the Taylors' sister was never charged in connection with it. Malcolm then removed the water tank attached to the house and rolled it down the street while Garry filmed laughing. They then took turns demolishing the house with the rented excavator, with the other filming when not using the machine. At one stage Malcolm yells 'charge' as he rams the excavator into the wall of the home. Both brothers laughed maniacally in court-released footage as they tore down the property. Court documents alleged the brothers took selfies inside the destroyed home after they were finished. The men went on a 30-minute 'tirade of destruction' using an excavator to destroy foundations of the home, rip down walls, smash through windows, and roll a water tank down the road Malcolm then removed the water tank attached to the house and rolled it down the street while Garry filmed laughing The brothers took turns demolishing the house with the rented excavator, with the other filming when not using the machine A neighbour called police who attended the home, finding the brothers leaving the house on the morning of March 28. Garry told Leading Senior Constable Michael Baldock they 'had to make sure them (sic) renovations were right before tomorrow'. 'We are both tradesmen but we're f**king rough,' Garry said of the damage. Malcolm then sends a message to their sister saying: 'Renovations have begun'. Garry and Malcolm then drove to the MCG to watch an AFL match, posting a selfie from the ground with the caption 'few beers at the footy after a hard days renovating'. They were arrested the next morning before they could fly back to Queensland. Malcolm was found to be in possession of eight grams of marijuana, which he described as 'a little bit of dope, enough to roll a joint' that was used to help him sleep. Malcolm rips the gate off his mother's destroyed fence after driving the excavator through it At one stage Malcolm yells 'charge' as he rams the excavator into the wall of the home Both brothers were charged with damaging property and theft, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail. Malcolm was also charged with drug possession and an additional theft charge. They pleaded guilty to criminal damage charges. Judge Michael Cahill said in Victorian County Court the brothers' destruction was 'an entirely irrational response', according to the Herald Sun, given denying their sister $30,000 in the house's sale would see them lose a combined $60,000 as a result. 'Family disputes bring out the worst in people,' he said. The prosecution and defence agreed rather than jail time, the brothers should pay a fine. They will be sentenced on Friday. A musician who plays the electric guitar half-naked in his driveway every weekend has been arrested dramatically in his underwear. Savas Caruso is known in Adelaide's northern suburbs for blaring his original rock ballads through speakers out the front of his suburban Salisbury Downs home every Sunday afternoon. The 32-year-old, whose stage name is Subblet Hammer, says members of his 'beloved community' are in awe of his musical prowess and usually shower him with accolades after each 45-minute show. But on June 13, the self-dubbed 'rock star rebel' was arrested in nothing but underwear and Converse sneakers in the middle of a show for allegedly failing to comply with a noise complaint by frustrated neighbours. Pictured: Savas Caruso, 32, playing the guitar out the front of his suburban Salisbury Downs home Video footage of the arrest showed a handful of officers approach Caruso as he sang into the microphone on his makeshift stage. The man tried to continue the performance by playing his electric guitar around the police, until they pulled the plug and handcuffed him. Caruso's brother Antonio intervened and asked the five surrounding officers not to manhandle him, as onlookers shouted in the background. 'There's no reason to lay hands,' Antonio could be heard saying. Someone else yelled: 'This is criminal.' Savas Caruso is known for playing 45-minute performances in his driveway on Sundays During his dramatic arrest (pictured), the musician tried unsuccessfully to dodge police Standing handcuffed in the driveway in green and black underpants, the musician told police: 'Come on guys, you're here at my show - you're part of my show.' A spokeswoman from South Australia Police told Daily Mail Australia that Caruso was issued with an Environmental Protection Order on June 12 and allegedly directed not to perform for 72 hours. 'On Sunday 13 June, the man was allegedly arrested for failing to comply with an Environmental Protection Order,' she said. Following his arrest, Caruso set up a change.org petition titled 'Rock n' Roll vs the Police' and asked for 1500 signatures to 'seek justice'. 'An innocent member of the community was unlawfully arrested with unnecessary physical force, thrown in a cell and held against his will for three days,' he wrote on the page. Following his arrest, Caruso set up a change.org petition titled 'Rock n' Roll vs the Police' and asked for 1500 signatures to 'seek justice'. Pictured: The dramatic arrest The musician also said he has spent countless hours perfecting perfecting his craft over a 20-year period and has produced an album. Pictured: Caruso out the front of his Adelaide home He claimed police used intimidation tactics to 'suppress a man's rights to express himself using his music', and has garnered more than 1200 signatures. The musician also said he has spent countless hours perfecting perfecting his craft over a 20-year period and has produced an album. He believes his 'impressive skills' attract dozens of 'happy' community members and said his neighbours are supportive. Caruso appeared in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Tuesday June 15. He is on bail and will reappear in court on Tuesday. One of Melbourne's edgiest cocktail bars has been forced to close due to business lost during lockdowns devastating its owner and many loyal fans. Madame Brussels, a bar above 59 Bourke Street in the Melbourne famous for a 'naughty, edgy vibe' since opening in 2006, will close on July 25 due to patronage declining 80 per cent. Melbourne has endured four lockdowns in the past 12 months, costing the city's businesses billions of dollars. Madame Brussels, a bar above 59 Bourke Street in the Melbourne famous for a 'naughty, edgy vibe' since opening in 2006, will close on July 25 due to patronage declining 80 per cent Madame Brussels, an iconic Melbourne rooftop bar up a laneway off Bourke Street is set to close due to lost business during the city's four lockdowns, devastating loyal fans and its owners July 25 is the closing date for Madame Brussels, above 59 Bourke Street in Melbourne. The bar told patrons by saying 'Darlings, it's with heavy heart to bring you our news' Co-owner Paula Scholes, aka Miss Pearls, said she felt 'teary' talking about the decision to close, goodfood.com.au reported. 'This has been an iconic space, a jewel, a beautiful oasis that was truly magical. You'd walk in and feel like you were in a fantasy.' She plans to work at nearby private members bar, the Kelvin Club' and hopes to help Melbourne's nightlife recover. 'It's breaking my heart. I'll do everything possible to help bring it back to life.' Co-owner Paula Scholes said Madame Brussels, which is set to close on July 25, is 'a jewel, a beautiful oasis that was truly magical. You'd walk in and feel like you were in a fantasy'. A patron is pictured above Punters at Melbourne's Madame Brussels enjoy a beverage, sadly not for much longer Madame Brussels' other co-owner, Michael Anderson, said parts of Melbourne, such as the top end of Bourke Street, are a 'ghost towns' as the struggle to recover from four lockdowns. 'Darlings, it's with heavy heart to bring you our news,' the bar's social media post read. 'We will be honouring our current bookings up until the 25th but all other enquiries are walk-ins only. May the good times last that little bit longer.' Hundreds of customers on Facebook and Instagram voiced their disappointment at the news. Actor Rhonda Burchmore was one of the first to express her shock: 'Im so sorry - its such a fabulous venue.' 'Gutted. My Hen's party here, it was so fabulous,' one customer wrote on Madame Brussel's Facebook page. Paula Scholes, co-owner of Madame Brussels said Covid's impact on Melbourne's nightlife was 'breaking my heart. I'll do everything possible to help bring it back to life' Covid and the Victorian government's four related lockdowns have hammered Melbourne businesses 'The Melbourne bar scene won't ever be the same without you. I will have a jug of G&T for you!' another man wrote. 'Very sad to hear this, a Melbourne icon, thank you for the service and good times you've given so many people over the years. We always loved you. Please do something again when all this craziness is behind us,' said another follower. In late May, the Australian Industry Group said the snap seven day lockdown called at that time would cost employers up to $2.5billion. A rare New Zealand bird has taken off on a Trans-tasman flight after being spotted for the first time in Australia. Hunter Bird Observers Club member Michael Kearns discovered the endangered black-fronted tern flying in the skies over Newcastle in late June. During wild weather Michael had set about on a bird watching trip to Fort Scratchley with the hopes of spotting seabirds like albatross, when he unexpectedly came across the threatened species. The rare black-fronted tern endemic to New Zealand has been spotted for the first time in Australia The unusual sighting of the endangered bird endemic to New Zealand has sparked excitement within the NSW birdwatching community. 'It's a mind-blowing sighting that we're still trying to make sense of,' NSW Woodland Bird Program manager at Birdlife Australia, Mick Roderick told the ABC. 'This is a bird with a total population of only 5,000. 'This is an endangered and rare bird,' he said. The population of the black-fronted tern is steeply declining with wildlife conservationists at a loss of how to save the threatened species. According to New Zealand's Department of Conservation, black-fronted terns breed on braided river beds making them vulnerable to predators, habitat loss and human disturbance. It's the first time the bird has been sighted in Australia. Birdwatchers believe the feathered visitor was most likely blown off course by strong southerly winds during migration. Hundreds of Afghani aid workers who risked their lives to help Australian soldiers for two decades will be left to face the Taliban alone. Local workers and their family members have been rejected from a special visa program, despite their efforts in Australian-funded 'hearts and minds' projects. One aid worker was sent a letter on behalf of Foreign Minister Marise Payne that made clear he would not be receiving the Locally Engaged Employee Visa. Hundreds of Afghani aid workers who risked their lives to help Australian soldiers for two decades will be left to face the Taliban alone One aid worker received a letter on June 21 on behalf of Foreign Minister Marise Payne (pictured) that made clear he would not be receiving the Locally Engaged Employee Visa The letter obtained by The Australian made it clear the man - who is in hiding with his wife and five children - would not be considered because he was employed by a subcontractor. 'The Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has considered your application,' the letter reads. 'Unfortunately, you are not eligible for certification under this visa policy as you were not considered an employee of one of the Australian Government agencies identified in the legislative instrument.' The aid worker, who helped deliver a $6.7 million AusAID infrastructure project in Afghanistan, will now be forced to join the off-shore asylum seeker queue. The former Central Asia Development Group employee is among 50 Afghan aid workers who collaborated on the Children of Uruzgan flagship program delivered by Save the Children, who now face the same fate. They and their family members, plus 100 contracted security guards, will join the millions of Afghans desperately seeking safety on Australian shores. About 50 Afghan aid workers who collaborated on the Children of Uruzgan flagship program delivered by Save the Children, will be forced to join the millions of Afghans desperately seeking safety on Australian shores A letter (written in Pashto) was handed out to some interpreters making direct threats on their lives, including a father who worked with Australian troops in 2010 reading: 'Await your death very soon' About 200 Afghan interpreters who worked with Australian troops also await life-changing immigration rulings. Murderous Taliban operatives placed many of the interpreters on 'kill lists' for working with 'enemy infidel' over the past 20 years of war. A letter, obtained by the ABC, was handed out to some interpreters making direct threats on their lives, including a father who worked with Australian troops in 2010. 'We are honest in our words and we will get you, be it day or night, and you will be punished, and we will reach our goal,' the letter read. 'Await your death very soon.' The letter condemned one interpreter for his work 'for a long time with infidel enemies of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as an interpreter and a slave'. 'We have tried to kill you by hitting you with a vehicle, but unfortunately you did not die, only your leg was broken,' the letter continued. This chilling threat was a reference to a 2016 attack on the interpreter when he was out shopping. 'My leg is broken [in] three places, when I open my eyes, I was in hospital,' he said in a video filmed in his hospital bed at the time. The translator was in 2016 run down with a car by Taliban operatives while he was out shopping, breaking his leg in three places Retired Army Major Stuart McCarthy (pictured) described the aid worker's rejection letter from the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade as a 'death warrant' Incredibly, the translator's application for a humanitarian visa in 2013 was rejected by then-Immigration Minister in 2018 on 'character grounds' - despite his risky work for Australian troops in the field. The Federal Court finally overturned the decision last May, finding Mr Dutton didn't did not adequately consider the threat to the interpreter's life. The Taliban continues to retake parts of the country, with the Afghan National Army left to stand their ground after the departure of Western troops. The anonymous aid worker, who cited security risks if his identity is revealed, said his work on the Uruzgan Municipal Infrastructure Program from 2011 to 2015 made him a sitting duck for the Taliban. 'I put my life at risk. It's not just me, it is a risk for my family. If you were in my shoes what would you do? If I will die, the responsibility will be on the shoulders of the Foreign Minister,' he said in a recording from Afghanistan. 'I did honest work for Australia, I tried my best, and I always tried to spend the funds provided by the Australian government honestly, I did not give it to the mafia, or share the funds with the Taliban or terrorist groups. 'They asked me several times and I said no.' Retired Army Major Stuart McCarthy described the man's rejection letter from the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade as a 'death warrant'. 'What we are saying to the world is if you work for Australia in a conflict zone, you could be left behind when the going gets tough,' Mr McCarthy said (pictured) The categories for eligible applicants for the visas date back to 2012, with the government choosing not to include contracted workers in the program Mr McCarthy said the failure to evacuate Afghans who were 'vital' to Australia's counter-insurgency campaign would have long-term national security implications. 'What we are saying to the world is if you work for Australia in a conflict zone, you could be left behind when the going gets tough,' he said. The categories for eligible applicants for the visas date back to 2012, with the government choosing not to include contracted workers in the program. The Department of Foreign Affairs said locally-engaged staff who worked with Australia and had a legitimate case for a visa would be provided the opportunity to be resettled in the country. The Home Affairs Department said it was 'urgently processing' Afghan LEE visa applications and confirmed 230 Afghans were granted visas since April 15, including workers' family. Morrisons was at the heart of a bidding war last night as three US private equity firms jostled to buy the British supermarket. Investment giant Apollo became the third buyout predator circling the chain yesterday after revealing it was considering a 'possible offer'. It came just 48 hours after Fortress made a 6.3billion takeover bid beating the 5.5billion offered by rival Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R). Apollo's intervention prompted Morrisons shares to surge above the price Fortress was offering yesterday a sign that investors believe a bidding war will result in an even bigger sale price. Morrisons was at the heart of a bidding war as three US private equity firms jostled to buy the British supermarket, with investment giant Apollo becoming the third buyout predator The race to buy Morrisons began last month when it emerged that the firm had rejected CD&R's bid, which it said was too low. The supermarket's board members, led by chairman Andy Higginson, now back the Fortress bid. They said the price was 'fair' and claimed the private-equity firm and the consortium backing it would be 'good stewards' of the popular brand. Executives stand to make millions from the deal, including chief executive Dave Potts, who could receive 19million. But opposition was growing last night as a top shareholder warned that the supermarket should not be sold 'for the wrong reasons'. Legal & General, one of Britain's biggest investment groups, said profits should come from making Morrisons 'a better business... not buying its property portfolio too cheaply, levering the company up with debt, and potentially reducing tax paid to the Exchequer'. The race to buy Morrisons began last month when it emerged that the firm had rejected CD&R's bid, which it said was too low. Fortress have now made a 6.3billion takeover bid Russ Mould, investment director at the online stockbroker AJ Bell, said: 'Private-equity firms have been sitting on oodles of cash for a long time and they look intent on going on a spending spree. 'We've now got three parties interested and fear of missing out could attract further interest.' The frenzy over Morrisons has stoked concerns that the supermarket's customers, staff and suppliers could lose out, with buyout firms infamous for using ruthless tactics to extract returns from their purchases. NOW CHINA BUYS UP OUR MICROCHIP MAKER By Jim Norton, Technology Correspondent for the Daily Mail Britain's biggest microchip factory is to be sold to a Chinese-owned technology firm despite fears over national security. Nexperia said it had agreed to buy Newport Wafer Fab in a deal reportedly worth around 63million. The facility in South Wales manufactures crucial power components for cars. The parts have been in limited supply amid a global shortage of microchips. Ministers have been urged to intervene because Netherlands-based Nexperia is owned by Chinese electronics company Wingtech, whose shareholders include state-funded investors. The Government has new powers to review such sales on national security grounds but said it would not do so despite growing concern over China's intentions. Tom Tugendhat, Tory chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, urged ministers to review the deal under the National Security and Investment Act. He warned that the UK was 'turning a blind eye to Britain's largest semiconductor foundry falling into the hands of an entity from a country that has a track record of using technology to create geopolitical leverage'. Advertisement In the past, private-equity firms have stripped off and sold assets, slashed retirement payouts and laid off staff to wring out efficiencies from firms they take over. The Daily Mail is calling for more transparency in the sector and an end to sharp practices. The emergence of Apollo a firm once dubbed 'Wall Street's apex predator' as a potential buyer is likely to heighten concerns. Its founders have made billions of pounds by snapping up firms at bargain prices and imposing brutal cost-cutting measures before paying themselves handsome dividends and management fees. Until recently Apollo was led by co-founder Leon Black, a billionaire described by Bloomberg as 'the most feared man in the most aggressive realm of finance'. The 69-year-old hosts extravagant birthday parties attended by celebrities and politicians, with Sir Elton John said to have performed at his 60th. He stepped aside as chief executive of Apollo in March after details of his business relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein were made public and a rape allegation, which he denies, was made against him. Marc Rowan, one of Mr Black's lieutenants and a co-founder, has taken over as chief executive, while Jay Clayton, the former chairman of the US stock market regulator, is the investment firm's chairman. Apollo was previously in pole position to buy Asda before its rival TDR Capital and the Issa brothers successfully bid 6.8billion. Analysts say it may be keen to get a slice of the grocery market after missing out on Asda. But to do so it will have to outbid Fortress, an investment firm owned by the Japanese giant SoftBank. Richard Hunter, of the online service Interactive Investor, said it was 'perfectly feasible' that competition could emerge from the likes of Amazon, which has an online partnership with Morrisons and bought Hollywood studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for 6billion. He said supermarkets were 'cash-generating machines' whose relatively low share prices were attractive to private-equity firms. Morrisons' ownership of many of its stores as opposed to renting property is also a 'sweetener' - offering the prospect of selling the sites and leasing them back. Darren Jones, chairman of the Commons business committee, has called on the Competition and Markets Authority to clarify the powers it has to intervene in take-overs. Following the Asda deal, he said: 'There is concern that regulatory bodies have insufficient oversight or powers to intervene when new owners act irresponsibly.' RUTH SUNDERLAND: Do they really want to sell Morrisons to a firm whose ex-boss paid paedophile Jeffrey Epstein 114m? By Ruth Sunderland for the Daily Mail Bidding wars are usually greeted with great excitement in the City, but the battle that has broken out for control of supermarket group Morrisons should make our hearts sink. No fewer than three rival US private-equity groups are vying for control of the grocery chain and still more contenders might well muscle in. The Morrisons board gives every appearance of being giddy with the thrill of the auction room and the prospect of higher bids before the hammer falls. Morrisons' bidder Apollo's co-founder Leon Black stepped down as chairman after revelations he paid the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein (both pictured) 114million for personal tax advice In reality, all the offers lodged so far are low-ball attempts to grab one of our Big Four supermarkets on the cheap and ought to be rejected on that basis alone. That, though, is not the real point. Morrisons should not be sold to any member of this circling private-equity wolf pack at any price. The latest potential bidder, Apollo, looks particularly unsavoury. Its co-founder, Leon Black, 69, stepped down as chairman and chief executive in March following revelations that he paid the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein 114million for personal tax advice. Black, who received more than 134million in pay and dividends last year, was served with a lawsuit last month claiming he raped and sexually harassed a young Russian model. He insists the accusations are lies and says the pair had a 'wholly consensual relationship' for six years. Be that as it may, the late Sir Ken Morrison, who built the wholesome supermarket we know and love, would be choking on his cornflakes if he were still alive. He would also be snorting in disbelief at the glib promises to preserve his legacy made by rival investment group Fortress, whose bid shamefully has already been accepted by the Morrisons board. The supermarket is unique in the way it stocks its shelves and fridges with produce from its own farms, manufacturing facilities and fishing fleets. Prudently, the firm owns many of its own stores, rather than renting them. Investment giant Apollo (pictured: headquarters) became the third buyout predator circling the chain yesterday after revealing it was considering a 'possible offer' This, in the eyes of private equity, makes Morrisons ripe for plunder. The notion that private equity would have the remotest interest in sustaining Sir Ken's business model or his solid Yorkshire values is laughable. If they take control, his legacy is likely to be dismantled wholesale in an orgy of asset-stripping and debt. One wonders if we will ever learn, given there is a long list of such 'promises' made and then casually dishonoured by foreign buyers of UK firms. Alarmingly, these include so-called commitments made by the owner of Fortress, a Japanese outfit called SoftBank. It took over the Cambridge tech firm Arm Holdings five years ago and is now trying to flog it off to a US rival, despite painting itself as a long-term investor in the UK. 'Promises' such as these are no such thing just so much cynical hot air. Morrisons directors have a duty to follow the best course of action for shareholders, the business, the staff, the customers and the taxpayer. Given these bosses are in line for multi-million-pound jackpots in a takeover, though, it must be hard to set aside self-interest. Chief executive Dave Potts has put himself in line for a payout of 19million if the bid from Fortress succeeds, and possibly more if competitors up the ante. Tempting as it must be to take the money and run, it is also short-sighted. With its huge growth potential, Morrisons has no need to put itself at the mercy of private equity. Black was served with a lawsuit last month claiming he raped and sexually harassed a young Russian model. He insists the accusations are lies and says they had a 'consensual' relationship It could even be more rewarding for bosses to stick around and create long-term genuine growth. Such a strategy certainly worked well for Frenchman Pascal Soriot, the chief executive of AstraZeneca. When US giant Pfizer came banging on his door with a 69billion bid in 2014 he mounted a robust defence, which has paid off brilliantly. As an independent British firm, AstraZeneca has grown in value by tens of billions of pounds and has produced a life-saving Covid-19 vaccine. It is barely conceivable that the company would have achieved any such thing if it had allowed itself to be swallowed up by an American aggressor, and was then starved of investment and shorn of its research facilities. As for Soriot, he chose to forgo the quick bucks in 2014, but over his tenure he has earned a total of nearly 87million. Not bad. The contrast with Morrisons is telling. Chairman Andrew Higginson and his spineless board, who have already rolled over like whimpering poodles, should be ashamed of themselves. They need to show some backbone, mount a proper defence of Morrisons as an independent British company and show this disreputable bunch of bidders the door. The Internal Revenue Service is facing a backlog of 35 million unprocessed tax returns, according to a government watchdog, as the pandemic and economic relief efforts combined to overwhelm the agency and force some people to spend hours chasing their overdue refunds. The National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA) submits two reports to Congress each year: an Annual Report, delivered in January, and an Objectives Report, delivered in June. In its most recent report, the NTA states: 'It was perhaps the most challenging filing season taxpayers, tax professionals, and the IRS have ever experienced.' One of their most important phone lines - the 1040 customer support lines for individual tax returns - reported that only three per cent of the 85 million callers got through to a human being. The NTA published in June their most recent report, showing how the IRS is performing. The government watchdog found that the IRS had been confronted by a 'perfect storm' of pandemic problems, increased demands placed upon it, and budget cuts Erin Collins, the National Taxpayer Advocate, is seen in May speaking before a Congressional committee - the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee hearing on 'Internal Revenue Service: Narrowing the Tax Gap and Improving Taxpayer Services'. In her report she strongly criticized the IRS's current performance The NTA found that about 17 million paper tax returns are still waiting to be processed and approximately 16 million additional returns have been placed on hold because they require further review manually. Another 2.7 million amended tax returns have not been processed. Michelle Singletary, a Washington Post columnist, said the IRS was 'critically malfunctioning'. She said that she had been trying to resolve a problem since November. 'The agency is a hot mess. You are right to be mad as hell when you can't reach somebody to help explain why your filing or refund hasn't been processed,' she wrote. 'And, yes, I cussed, because the time to be polite and forgiving for the failures at the IRS is so over.' The IRS has been tasked with dolling out stimulus checks and overseeing new child benefit policies, plus coping with an increase in unemployment claims - all during a pandemic, and on a reduced budget The backlog is four times that of 2019, when the IRS had 7.4 million unprocessed returns. The authors noted, however, that the data was up until May, and so the backlog may have reduced since then. The delay means that millions of people are left waiting for their returns - 70 per cent of individual income tax returns included refunds, the NTA found, with an average of $2,800. 'Processing delays matter greatly because most taxpayers overpay their tax during the year via wage withholding or quarterly payments and are entitled to receive refunds,' said Erin Collins, the taxpayer advocate, in her report. The IRS on Wednesday took issue with the NTA's findings, saying it does 'not reflect the current situation at the IRS.' It said: 'Phone demand has been at historically high levels, never seen before. 'Our ability to answer phone calls reflects the amount of staffing available.' The statement also said some of the returns counted by the advocate 'does not necessarily reflect unprocessed tax returns,' citing as many as 2.1 million individual and business tax returns are related to identity theft cases. The IRS backlog, as of May, amounts to 35 million filings Charles P. Rettig, the IRS commissioner (pictured on June 8 in Congress) has defended the work of his organization IRS Commissioner Charles P. Rettig also told the Senate Finance Committee earlier this month that the agency had processed more than 137 million individual income returns and sent refunds totaling more than $281 billion. The overwhelming majority of the 35 million unprocessed returns are for the 2020 filing season that were filed in 2021. The IRS has been facing what the NTA described as 'a perfect storm'. Despite severe cuts over the last decade, the IRS had to issue a third round of economic relief payments, implement new rules affecting unemployment benefits, and new guidelines for eligibility around other tax credits. The IRS is also now responsible for new child benefits - despite, between 2010 and 2019, the IRS' budget falling 20 per cent, with the number of full-time employees dropping by a similar amount. John Koskinen, who served as IRS commissioner under Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, said the IRS did not have sufficient manpower or funding to do its job. 'It's a problem, but nobody should be surprised,' he told The Washington Post. John Koskinen, a former head of the IRS, is seen testifying before Congress in May 2016 'You can't keep loading more things on an agency without enough people and expect things to go smoothly. 'The problem is not with IRS employees who work very hard. It's with Republicans in Congress who have refused to provide adequate funding for 10 years.' Republicans led the cuts to the IRS budget, but Joe Biden has pushed to increase the agency's funding by as much as $80 billion to crack down on tax cheats. A bipartisan infrastructure deal reached with the White House earlier this month includes as much as $40 billion in additional funding for the agency, although it is unclear when that may pass. Advertisement The threat posed by terror groups such as al-Qaeda may increase after NATO troops withdraw from Afghanistan, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has warned as he admitted that Britain was forced to pull its forces out of the Middle Eastern country after the US decided to leave. The senior Cabinet minister, who has been forced to self-isolate after Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter tested positive for coronavirus, said the US decision to exit Afghanistan had left Britain and her NATO allies in a 'very difficult position to continue that mission'. Mr Wallace told MPs at the National Security Strategy Committee yesterday: 'We are in a position that we too are in that path of withdrawal, with all the risks that may leave in the future, in the next ten to twenty years.' The Defence Secretary also promised that Britain would continue to work with the US-backed Afghan government and 'focus on the threats that emanate from Afghanistan and may grow to emanate towards the UK and our allies'. Armed Forces Minister James Heappey raised the prospect of Britain using warplanes operating out of another country to conduct airstrikes in Afghanistan against any terrorist threat that emerges. Mr Wallace's remarks follow ex-MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger's unprecedented criticisms of the 20-year intervention in Afghanistan in his first-ever television interview. The career intelligence officer also warned Russia could seek to exploit the security crisis to hurt Britain and her allies. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is preparing to make a statement to Parliament on the British presence in Afghanistan after the nearly total withdrawal of NATO forces at the weekend, the Times newspaper reports. The British government is also considering whether to retain a small group of special forces soldiers to advise Afghan security forces. However, the resurgent Taliban warned that leaving behind any foreign soldiers or security contractors would break the withdrawal agreement and spark conflict. The last regular British troops leave Afghanistan today, ending a costly involvement in which 454 UK soldiers and civilians have died since the launch of the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom which began after al-Qaeda militants attacked New York and Washington DC in 2001. In April, President Joe Biden said it was 'time to end America's longest war', and on Friday the US handed over Bagram air base, a strategic stronghold, to the Afghan security forces. About 650 US troops are staying to protect its embassy. The terror threat posed by groups including al-Qaeda may increase after NATO troops withdraw from Afghanistan but Britain was forced to pull out after the US decided to leave, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has admitted in an extraordinary admission of the limits of British power An Afghan soldier stands guard on a security tower at Bagram airfield after US troops left A group of Afghan National Army soldiers gather around the guitar as they get used to life without the Americans at Bagram Airfield An Afghan soldier with a US-made machine gun stands guard at Bagram Airfield as Taliban once again starts to flourish in the provinces after NATO left On Sunday, the Taliban captured another area of southern Kandahar and announced further gains in Helmand, provinces where the blood of hundreds of US and British troops was spilled over the last two decades An Afghan soldier plays a guitar that was left behind when the Americans departed Bagram air base An Afghan man rests in his shop where he sells second hand American materials just outside Bagram air base Ex-MI6 chief warns terror threat to Britain posed by al-Qaeda and ISIS will grow if Western allies make 'enormous mistake' of turning backs on Afghanistan The former head of MI6 has warned that the threat to Britain from terror groups including al-Qaeda will grow if NATO powers turn their backs on Afghanistan. In his first-ever television interview, Sir Alex Younger said it would be an 'enormous mistake' to neglect the country and predicted that the most likely outcome for Afghanistan is civil war between a resurgent Taliban and the US-backed Afghan government. The ex-spy chief revealed that he was 'very worried' that Russia could exploit the crisis in Afghanistan to harm Britain and her allies, two decades after the US-led coalition invaded the country following the September 11, 2001 atrocities in New York and Washington DC. Sir Alex, who retired as chief of the Secret Intelligence Service in September last year, also said every goal set by the international community to rebuild the Afghan state was 'unrealistic' goal. And he lashed out at Donald Trump's decision to set an exit date for US troops rather than use the promise of withdrawal better as leverage over the Taliban regime. Speaking to Sky News, Sir Alex said the British intervention had put the so-called Islamic State and al-Qaeda 'on the back foot' - but warned that 'they have the capacity to regenerate'. Asked what the consequences would be if the West turned its back on the Middle Eastern country, he said: 'I think if terrorist groups are allowed to regenerate somewhere like Afghanistan, it will lead to more threat on the shores of our country and our allies. 'We are going to have to think very carefully in the absence of troops on the ground about how we deal with that. It's vital that we don't make the mistakes that we made last time around.' Advertisement The exodus of troops followed another weekend of fighting across much of the northern countryside where the Taliban have overrun dozens of districts, spurring fears that Afghan forces are in crisis. It comes amid concerns from a Tory MP that leaving Afghanistan is 'a major strategic mistake.' Tom Tugenhadt, who served in Helmand province, told the BBC on Saturday: 'What we're demonstrating very publicly, very clearly, to many different adversaries, and indeed sadly also to allies, is that the US and her allies won't stay. 'Now if you don't have the ability to persist you can forget about influencing others. Nobody will care what you think if you're not going to be there tomorrow. 'What you're doing by withdrawing is you're encouraging enemies and you're dissuading allies - that's dangerous.' However, British Special Forces will remain in the country with Boris Johnson expected to make a final decision today at a meeting of the National Security Council, according to The Telegraph. An SAS soldier who recently returned from the country told the paper that its role would be to 'provide training to Afghan units and deploy with them on the ground as advisers'. He added: 'It's not a pleasant place at the moment, people are scared and rightly so. 'The Taliban control the countryside and are just waiting for the coalition to leave. They are making it [clear] at every opportunity that their peace is with the coalition and not the Afghan government. The country will implode.' An MOD Spokesperson told MailOnline: 'As agreed by NATO Foreign and Defence Ministers, the withdrawal of Resolute Support Mission forces, including those of the UK under Op TORAL, will be complete within a few months. 'The UK is involved in ongoing discussions with US and international allies regarding the future of our support to Afghanistan.' On Sunday, the Taliban captured another area of southern Kandahar and announced further gains in Helmand, provinces where the blood of hundreds of US and British troops was spilled over the last two decades. In the north, Afghan forces fled across the border into Tajikistan as the Taliban advanced into several districts. More than 300 Afghan military personnel crossed from Afghanistan's Badakhshan province as Taliban fighters advanced toward the border, Tajikistan's State Committee for National Security said in a statement. The Afghan troops crossed over at about 6.30pm local time Saturday The Taliban now control roughly a third of all 421 districts and district centres in Afghanistan. The gains in northeastern Badakhshan province in recent days have mostly come to the insurgent movement without a fight, said Mohib-ul Rahman, a provincial council member. He blamed Taliban successes on the poor morale of troops who are mostly outnumbered and without resupplies. 'Unfortunately, the majority of the districts were left to Taliban without any fight,' said Rahman. In the last three days, 10 districts fell to Taliban, eight without a fight, he said. Two Afghan soldiers stand guard at Bagram air base after the American military left the country Vehicles parked at the Bagram airfield have been left by the US military when they left the base after 20 years Afghan Commandos arrive to reinforce the security forces in Faizabad the capital of Badakhshan province, after Taliban captured neighborhood districts of Badakhshan over the weekend Afghan soldiers pause on a road at the front line of fighting between Taliban and Security forces, near the city of Badakhshan, on Sunday Afghans carry the body of civilians killed during fighting between the Taliban and Security forces, during their funeral, in Badakhshan province, northern Afghanistan, Sunday In this handout photo released by Border Troops of the State Committee for National Security of the Republic of Tajikistan on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, Afghanistan's government soldiers sit at a bridge next to Tajikistan-Afghanistan border in Tajikistan. 134 servicemen of the government forces of Afghanistan were forced to retreat through of the Panj frontier detachment into the territory of the Republic of Tajikistan on Tuesday, June 22 Hundreds of Afghan army, police and intelligence troops surrendered their military outposts and fled to the Badakhshan provincial capital of Faizabad, said Rahman. Even as a security meeting was being held early Sunday to plot the strengthening of the perimeter around the capital, some senior provincial officials were leaving Faizabad for the capital Kabul, he said. In late June the Afghan government resurrected militias with a reputation of brutal violence to support the beleaguered Afghan forces but Rahman said many of the militias in the Badakhshan districts put up only a half-hearted fight. The areas under Taliban control in the north are increasingly strategic, running along Afghanistan's border with central Asian states. Last month the religious movement took control of Imam Sahib, a town in Kunduz province opposite Uzbekistan and gained control of a key trade route. The inroads in Badakhshan are particularly significant as it is the home province of former President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was killed by a suicide bomber in 2011. His son, Salahuddin Rabbani, is part of the current High Council for National Reconciliation. The slain former president also led Afghanistan's Jamiat-e-Islami, which was the party of famed anti-Taliban fighter Ahmad Shah Massoud, killed by a suicide bomber two days before the 9/11 attacks in America. The Interior Ministry issued a statement Saturday saying the defeats were temporary although it was not clear how they would regain control. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the fall of the districts and said most were without a fight. The Taliban in previous surrenders have shown video of Afghan soldiers taking transportation money and returning to their homes. Australians have questioned whether Scott Morrison cooked a curry he posted on social media as a chef claims the creation was poorly made. The prime minister proudly shared photos on Facebook of his preparation station and finished beef and potato Massaman curry on Saturday night, after returning home from quarantine following his UK G7 summit trip. 'After almost a month away its nice to get back home to Sydney with Jen and the girls and this little guy, Buddy,' he wrote, alongside a picture of him with his dog. 'Saturday night is curry night, so will be back in the kitchen this afternoon to make one of the girls' favourites.' Scott Morrison shared a photo of him alongside pet Buddy (pictured) on Facebook over the weekend, updating Australians about his family activities In the comments, he shared photos of his meal prep and finished beef and potato Massaman curry, sparking a debate over whether the cooking session was staged Mr Morrison later commented that his 'prep was done', sharing a photo of spices and ingredients laid out in bowls, followed hours later by an image of the completed dish and a link to the recipe. But eagle-eyed Australians quickly flocked online to accuse the nation's leader of staging the meal, claiming the ingredients and recipe did not match the end result. '#ScottyFromMarketing posts two photos. Prep & final dish. Anyone see the problem? There's not four cans of coconut milk in that curry. There's no potatoes in that curry. This is all staged and fake,' one Tweet read. 'Fake news! Another managed PR drop to cover up #MorrisonFailure. Dont think Scott Morrison cooked a curry like he stated he was going to,' another wrote. 'Person who selected photos from old ones has no idea what a Mussaman (sic) curry looks like.' 'And where did the spinach come from? Totally different curry than ingredients shown. Fake. Like him,' a third said. 'Doesn't look like the recipe does it?' someone else chimed. To resolve the debate, Crikey News reporter Cameron Wilson contacted one of Australia's top Thai cuisine chefs, David Thompson, to ask if the photos seemed genuine. In a video on TikTok detailing his investigation, Mr Wilson said the award-winning chef, who is behind the Long Chim restaurant enterprise, confirmed that Scomo could have made the meal using the ingredients and recipe. Crikey News reporter Cameron Wilson (pictured) contacted renowned Thai cuisine chef David Thompson to resolve the matter, sharing his investigation on TikTok Mr Thompson's team at Long Chim told Mr Wilson the ingredients did match the meal, however, the potatoes were overcooked 'The prep photo seems to have most of the ingredients listed in this particular recipe,' a representative from Long Chim told Mr Cameron in a statement. 'The dish in the ''after" photo doesn't immediately resemble a massaman, but could indeed be assembled from the prepped photos.' However, the restaurant's spokesperson said the prime minister appeared to overcook the potatoes, which Mr Wilson suggested translated into Mr Morrison being a bad cook. 'If we had to guess, the potatoes used may have been a floury variety, and have disintegrated into the curry due to overcooking,' the Long Chim spokesperson said. The saga left Mr Wilson's followers amused, with some labelling it 'CurryGate', in reference to former US president Richard Nixon's Watergate political scandal in the 1970s. Britain's biggest microchip factory is to be sold to a Chinese-owned technology firm despite fears over national security. Nexperia said it had agreed to buy Newport Wafer Fab in a deal reportedly worth around 63million. The facility in South Wales manufactures crucial power components for cars. The parts have been in limited supply amid a global shortage of microchips. Ministers have been urged to intervene because Netherlands-based Nexperia is owned by Chinese electronics company Wingtech, whose shareholders include state-funded investors. Nexperia said it had agreed to buy Britain's biggest microchip factory Newport Wafer Fab in a deal reportedly worth around 63million (stock image) The Government has new powers to review such sales on national security grounds but said it would not do so despite growing concern over China's intentions. Tom Tugendhat, Tory chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, urged ministers to review the deal under the National Security and Investment Act. He warned that the UK was 'turning a blind eye to Britain's largest semiconductor foundry falling into the hands of an entity from a country that has a track record of using technology to create geopolitical leverage'. Chips, which act as the brains of digital devices, are used in everything from cars to washing machines to toothbrushes - but there are not enough to keep up with the increasing demand. Ministers have been urged to intervene because Nexperia is owned by Chinese electronics company Wingtech, whose shareholders include state-funded investors (stock image) Analysts have warned the global shortage - which has affected the automotive industry the most - could last until 2023. It has put a spotlight on the supply chain as a result, with governments increasingly concerned about their reliance on foreign chip manufacturers. The deal will protect some 400 jobs at the factory - which produces 8,000 wafers, mass-produced sheets of microchips, each week - and help pay off several outstanding debts. The Welsh Government said it welcomed the takeover which would see it recover its own 18m investment, plus interest. It said: 'Issues of Chinese ownership are a matter for the UK Government.' The UK government spokesperson said it did 'not consider it appropriate to intervene at this time' but that it would 'continue to monitor the situation closely'. A woman has allegedly escaped hotel quarantine in Queensland by scaling balconies and breaking a door, as the state records one new local cases of Covid-19. Health authorities realised the 22-year-old Sydney woman was missing from Cairns Pacific International hotel on Monday, Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday. She had been at the facility since July 1, and was found later that evening at her mother's house and is currently in police custody. The Deputy Commissioner said the 'fairly motivated' woman who allegedly scaled two balconies and 'kicked a door in' is the first to successfully flee a quarantine facility in Queensland. 'Though many have tried,' he added. She has since tested negative for Covid-19 and faces a number of criminal charges. Pictured: People shopping Milton Markets in Brisbane, Sunday, July 4. The state recorded one new local infection on Tuesday Health authorities realised the 32-year-old Sydney woman was missing from Cairns Pacific International hotel (pictured) on Monday Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told reporters that the new infection is linked to a known cluster. The 29-year-old woman is a student nurse who was a close contact of a man from Sinnamon Park who tested positive after he travelled to Eumundi on the Sunshine Coast. She has been in quarantine since Monday but is A-symptomatic, which means health workers can't identify the start of her infectious period. 'I think it is unlikely that she was infectious back then but, to be absolutely sure, we have gone back that far,' Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state's total number of active cases is now at 49. 'In some more good news, we had 22,218 tests yesterday,' she said. 'Remember if you have any symptoms whatsoever, please come and get tested.' Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday morning that the infection is linked to a known cluster Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said Queensland would get an extra 200,000 extra doses of Pfizer in the coming weeks. 'We will be getting 64,350 Pfizer vaccines per week each week of July, that is the state allocation for our clinics,' Ms D'Ath said. 'This is 10,000 extra compared to what we were getting each week in June. For July, the state-run clinics will be getting an extra 40,000.' She urged people to books jabs though their GP, or through state-run clinics. Queensland health officials have been expecting more locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in coming days, but remain confident the outbreaks are under control as the number of exposure sites in the southeast grows. Pictured: A woman shopping at Milton Markets in Brisbane on July 4. Queensland recorded one new case of Covid on Tuesday More shops from two major shopping centres in Brisbane were listed as exposure sites late on Monday after positive cases attended both Indooroopilly Shopping Centre and Westfield Chermside. Ms Palaszczuk remained optimistic on Monday, highlighting the extensive work of contact tracing and the links to existing clusters. She also took solace in less dangerous Alpha variant spreading in the community, as opposed to the highly contagious Delta strain. But while Dr Young shared the premier's optimism, she said Queensland wasn't out of the woods yet. 'This cluster of the Alpha variant is all coming together and we're finding out where all the issues are,' Dr Young said. 'We need a bit longer to work through this, to manage all of the cases and I expect we will see a few more still come through.' In the midst of Queensland's latest outbreak, the government has ramped up its push for dedicated quarantine facilities in Brisbane and Toowoomba. Ms Palaszczuk affirmed the government's commitment to transitioning from hotels to purpose built quarantine facilities and stated Queensland was positioned for two, subject to Commonwealth approval. Pictured: People exercising in Southbank during the last few hours of a lockdown in Brisbane in July The government had agreed to progress the facility at Pinkenba next to Brisbane Airport, as well as its feasibility and planning work. 'We need the one at Toowoomba and the one at the Brisbane Airport. That is our position.' she said. 'We are going to keep working with the Commonwealth on both of those but we are having very productive discussions with them around the Brisbane Airport one. 'We have a detailed plan for a facility at Wellcamp (at Toowoomba). 'It has distinct advantages, not the least of which the planning is already done and ready to go.' But Federal health Minister Greg Hunt confirmed on Monday the federal government would stick with one purpose built facility in Queensland. He told reporters the Wellcamp facility was deemed an unsuitable facility. 'Indeed, I have spoken with the local member Garth Hamilton, who has reaffirmed the strong overwhelming view of the local community against it,' he told reporters in Melbourne. 'We're working very constructively with Queensland. The Pinkenba base is being considered. Queensland has stepped forward on that.' Carrie Johnson's charity will fly a herd of elephants from a Kent wildlife park to Kenya in a 'world first' rewilding project. The Aspinall Foundation announced it will transport a total of thirteen elephants - weighing 25 tonnes - more than 4,000 miles on a Boeing 747 to a secret location in Kenya in a 'ground-breaking step for this country and the conservation movement'. The herd of elephants, which includes three calves and a 34-year-old matriarch, currently live on an eight-acre enclosure at Howletts Wild Animal Park, near Canterbury, in Kent. But after months of organising, including purchasing purpose-made crates to transport the animals, the elephants will fly to Kenya where they will be part of a conservation project. They will spend six months being observed by conservationists before they are released back into the wild to roam free as part of a project that is being run with the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. The charity fronted by Carrie Johnson will fly 13 elephants from Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent to Kenya The Aspinall Foundation (chairman of the foundation Damian Aspinall with Carrie Johnson) announced it will transport the elephants to a secret location in Kenya in a 'ground-breaking step for this country and the conservation movement' Damian Aspinall, chairman of The Aspinall Foundation, told the Daily Telegraph: 'This is an incredibly exciting project and a genuine world-first. As with any conservation project of this magnitude, there are obviously big risks, but we consider them well worth it to get these magnificent beasts back into the wild where they belong. 'By supporting the project, members of the public will be part of conservation history, helping to restore an iconic species to its ancestral homeland. 'If this is successful, I would love to see elephants held in captivity all over the world be rewilded too.' During the 1980s, an attempt was made to transfer an African elephant from London Zoo to Whipsnade. However the London Zoo elephant was kept in its travelling enclosure for too long and collapsed and later died. The Aspinall Foundation, which was founded in 1984, now hope the 13 elephants will be able to start a new life in the wilds of Africa in 'an unprecedented project'. The charity believes no elephant should be held in captivity and aims to ensure all those in its parks are returned to their homelands. In a piece for The Sun, Ms Johnson and Mr Aspinall wrote: 'It will be a ground-breaking step for this country and for the conservation movement. The Aspinall Foundation is dedicated to protecting endangered species and returning captive animals to the wild. Pictured: Damian Aspinall with wife Victoria Fisher The herd of elephants currently live on an eight-acre enclosure at Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent. Pictured: Elephants at Howletts Wild Animal Park The elephants, which includes three calves and a 34-year-old matriarch, will spend six months being observed by conservationists before they are released back into the wild 'We strongly believe this is the right future for them, and other wildlife organisations are increasingly sharing our view. 'Life in Kent is pretty good for these elephants, all things considered. But Africa is where they belong.' Angela Sheldrick, CEO of the Sheldrick Trust, told The Guardian: 'Since the 1970s we have been helping elephants. 'Providing a wild future to more than 260 rescued orphans and operating extensive protection projects to ensure they, their wild-born babies and their wild kin are best protected throughout their lives. 'We look forward to offering that same opportunity to these 13 elephants when they step foot on African soil, home where they belong and able to live wild and free as nature intended.' Mrs Johnson's fondness for elephants was recently observed when she took her son Wilfred to see the wooden elephants in Green Park. The statues were put there to support charities for the giant animals abroad. Earlier this year, Ms Johnson, who is also a patron of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, was appointed head of communications for the Aspinall Foundation. The project by the Aspinall Foundation is also being run with the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Pictured: Elephants walking in their enclosure at Howletts Wild Animal Park Speaking of her appointment, Mr Aspinall said: 'Carrie takes up her role at an exciting time for the foundation and we are delighted to have someone of her calibre on the team. 'She is a passionate champion for wildlife and conservation, whose energy and expertise will be a huge asset to us.' The Aspinall Foundation is dedicated to protecting endangered species and reintroducing animals born in the UK or held in captivity abroad back to the wild. The charity also funds and manages animal protection projects in Congo, Gabon, Java and Madagascar, as well as supporting schemes in India and Cambodia. They have so far released eight black rhino, 135 primates, 11 European bison, and more than 70 western lowland gorillas back into the wild. A farmer faces losing access to a chunk of his land under plans by highways bosses to fill in an old railway bridge he uses for access. The scheme would split Iain Gows land in two leaving part of it with completely no access at all. Government-owned Highways England plans to fill in 69 old bridges it claims are unsafe over the next five years but has refused to reveal which are on its hit list. Iain Gow, a retired university lecturer and smallholder whose 11-acre farm is set to be split in half by Highways England's plans to fill in an old rail bridge The bridge, dating back to 1870, is also used by deer and badgers. The scheme would split Iain Gows land in two leaving part of it with completely no access at all MPs say the secrecy is preventing members of the public from making representations before the structures are lost. It comes after outrage when a 159-year-old bridge at Great Musgrave, Cumbria, was buried last month beneath tons of concrete costing taxpayers 124,000. Now it has emerged that a 150-year-old bridge used by Mr Gow to access two acres of his 11-acre farm stands to be lost, with Highways England offering no alternative arrangements. Despite raising concerns about the plans for the bridge in Kirtlebridge, Dumfries and Galloway, smallholder Mr Gow said the company had shown no interest in speaking to him and had offered no compromise. The retired university lecturer, 62, added that the stone bridge is used by badgers and deer whose movements would also be affected by its loss. Mr Gow said: Its not just access for myself and any tenants I let the fields out to, its also a pretty active wildlife corridor. He first became aware of the plans by Highways England which is responsible for old railway structures in England, Scotland and Wales almost exactly a year ago. Mr Gow said: It was almost by accident. A letter arrived addressed to my late mother, who had died the year before, asking to do a wildlife survey and informing us that they were planning to do some repairs. But the repairs turned out to be a complete infilling of the railway bridge. He has since complained to his local MP and is also speaking to his lawyers to see if there is any way to halt the work. Conservative Huw Merriman, chairman of the Commons transport committee, accused the company of routinely refusing to provide any information to members of the public He added: I hope it wont go to court and that something can be agreed. If they go ahead as planned, two acres of the farm are going to be landlocked with completely no access at all. Mr Gows criticism comes as MPs also questioned Highways Englands policy on bridge infills and demolition. In a letter last month, Conservative Huw Merriman, chairman of the Commons transport committee, accused the company of routinely refusing to provide any information to members of the public about demolition or infilling of old bridges. He added: We are concerned this may prevent community groups and other interested parties from making representations about structures of importance to them. Highways England can go ahead with works without planning permission under permitted development rights claiming the situation is an emergency. The company said it could not issue a list of threatened bridges because it changes all the time and that stakeholders, such as groups wishing to revive old railways, were informed. As the most successful newspaper appeal of all time, its already been honoured with a prestigious prize at the British Journalism Awards. Now its winning plaudits from the marketing world as well. MailForce the awe-inspiring campaign which has raised a staggering 25million in cash and equipment in less than a year has beaten household brands including John Lewis, Tesco Mobile, Aldi and Cadbury to scoop the award for best fundraising campaign at the Purpose Awards. Backed by leading titles PRWeek, Campaign and Third Sector, the influential awards recognise initiatives that successfully further positive causes. And what could be a more worthy winner than MailForce? The awe-inspiring campaign which has raised a staggering 25million in cash and equipment in less than a year Lisa Toal, Shantelle Thompson, Sarah Pacey, Emma Bailie, Katrina Morgan and Debbie Woodward from Youell Court Salvation Army Care Home, Coventry During a year in which so many charities struggled to raise funds, the Daily Mails dramatic intervention in the PPE crisis raised 12million in record time, securing 42million items of life-saving personal protective equipment for frontline health and care staff. And we didnt stop there. When it became clear that one in five underprivileged children were missing out on home schooling due to a lack of essential computer equipment, the Mail stepped up once again to raise 13million in cash and provide 26,000 laptops and a mountain of other kit to ensure poorer childrens life chances werent irreparably harmed. Thanks to the unbelievable generosity of our readers of whom a remarkable 100,000 donated MailForce is now the fastest growing charity in the UK and one of the countrys top fundraisers. Describing the appeal as pure gold and joining a chorus of acclaim from across the political spectrum judges said: No wonder it was the most successful newspaper appeal in history. When it became clear that one in five underprivileged children were missing out on home schooling due to a lack of essential computer equipment, the Mail stepped up once again to raise 13million in cash MailForce is now the fastest growing charity in the UK and one of the countrys top fundraisers This campaign changed lives and used the power of one of the most read newspapers for good. Rather than criticise the handling of an issue, the Daily Mail seeked to solve it. Britains biggest-selling paper. Britains best campaigns. And none of it possible without you Britains most kind-hearted and generous readers. Up to 70 per cent of fire-trap flats may not be covered by new powers to sue developers over building safety failures. A Bill extending the period during which building firms can face legal action over 'shoddy workmanship' from six to 15 years after construction is published today by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick. But a snap poll by the UK Cladding Action Group found 239 out of 330 buildings surveyed with fire safety defects are too old to qualify. A Bill extending the period that building firms can face legal action over 'shoddy workmanship' from six to 15 years after construction was published by Robert Jenrick (pictured) Leaseholders in 79 blocks said they could sue in principle because their homes were built after 2006 but few could afford it. Mr Jenrick had claimed the 'lion's share' of buildings with dangerous cladding would be covered by the new law. The Building Safety Bill will also introduce a new regulator to oversee the safety of high-rise flats. But leaseholders will not be protected from costs of up to 150,000 each to fix fire safety defects. But a snap poll found 239 out of 330 buildings surveyed with fire safety defects are too old to qualify. Pictured: Grenfell Tower in West London in 2019, in which 72 people lost their lives The legislation will enshrine the right of developers and building owners to hand bills to homeowners if they can show they first explored 'alternative ways to meet remediation costs'. Ritu Saha, of the UK Cladding Action Group, said it was 'shambolic' and 'outrageous'. Responding to the poll, the Government said: 'We don't recognise these unpublished figures. Our measures mark the biggest improvements to the regulation of building safety in 40 years.' The Government more than tripled its fund to fix unsafe cladding to 5.1billion after the Mail launched its End the Cladding Scandal campaign. But this is only for buildings 18m and higher, meaning those in medium-rise properties will be excluded. Airlines will keep masks mandatory despite Boris Johnson moving to scrap compulsory face coverings last night. Ryanair and easyJet were among those that confirmed fliers will still be required to wear face coverings beyond July 19. British Airways is expected to join them, with a spokesman saying: 'We keep our policies under constant review.' Airlines will keep masks mandatory despite Boris Johnson moving to scrap compulsory face coverings last night Tui and Virgin Atlantic also hinted that travellers could be required to wear face coverings after restrictions relax further. Ryanair said: 'In order to protect the health of our customers and crew, the use of face masks will still be mandatory across all Ryanair flights.' While an easyJet spokesman said: 'At present there are no changes to easyJet's on-board mask policy. 'We continue to be guided by our in-house medical adviser and a number of key industry governing bodies and at present their guidance around the wearing of masks on board remains unchanged.' Ryanair and easyJet were among those that confirmed fliers will still be required to wear face coverings beyond July 19 Tui said it would be following advice from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, which continues to advise for masks be worn. And Virgin Atlantic said it was 'reviewing' its policy following last night's announcement, adding: 'Currently all customers and our crew are required to wear their masks for the duration of the flight.' Jet2 said it would continue to make masks compulsory if the Civil Aviation Authority's advice to do so does not change. A group of echidnas have been captured on camera performing a very bizarre mating ritual. In what's known as the echidna train, as many as ten males follow around a female in one long line for up to six weeks with the last man standing becoming her new mating partner. The phenomenon is hard to come by but Kangaroo Island local Maren Norris, from South Australia, managed to film a group of the spiny creatures right outside her home. The adorable videos show five echidnas running through a culvert underneath the street and then back over and across the road multiple times with the female leading the pack. A group of echidnas have been filmed in a mating ritual known as the 'echidna train' in South Australia's Kangaroo Island As many as ten males follow a female echidna for several weeks until one last man is standing. The last male left becomes the female's mating partner 'The echidna train is usually seen in the winter time but I've never seen that many together,' Ms Norris told Daily Mail Australia. 'It's weird to see the train because echidnas are very shy but these were out in the open and totally unfazed by me.' Ms Norris who has lived on the South Australian island for the last ten years said she watched the train for about half an hour and saw two male echidnas eventually give up. 'Once they all give up the last one standing gets the lady,' she said. Maren Norris captured the rare phenomenon outside her house on Kangaroo Island The animals are seen running through a tunnel underneath the road with the female leading the pack While as many as 11 echidnas can be involved in the train at once, it's more common for around four to five to be trailing the female. Some trains can last for more than a month while others may only last a matter of days. The animals will walk nose to tail and will also rest and forage together during this time. The Kangaroo Island short-beaked echidna is currently listed as an endangered species. Mobile phones could be banned from schools in England as soon as January under plans being considered by the Government, it was revealed yesterday. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has launched a consultation on behaviour in schools, which will look at 'creating mobile phone-free' days. The overhaul could come into effect as early as the New Year or after the Easter holidays to help create 'calm classrooms'. Mr Williamson believes the handsets can be distracting and potentially 'damaging' when misused. Mobile phones could be banned from schools in England as soon as January under plans being considered by the Government, it was revealed yesterday (file image) The clampdown comes amid growing concerns that pupils are using phones to bully each other on social media or for sexual harassment. Teachers have spoken about the growing trend of 'upskirting' where boys take photos of female pupils and teachers without their knowledge. Many schools are attempting to ban smartphones in classrooms, but it can be a struggle when parents are not supportive. The Department for Education consultation will seek the view of families and teachers on how to manage behaviour. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has launched a consultation on behaviour in schools, which will look at 'creating mobile phone-free' days The Children's Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has supported the plan to formally exclude smartphones from schools. She told the i newspaper: 'The new move is helpful. I think it's generally a positive thing, it's something lots of us have been doing for a while and I think there is a general groundswell of support for it. 'If you look at France, they've had a mobile ban in place for three years and I think it's gone very well. It's a bit of a non-issue and I'm pretty sure that's how it will be for here.' She said that any ban in England would likely be along the same lines, with 'Wi-Fi connectable smartphones to be left at home, or not used or taken out of the bag during school hours'. Dame Rachel suggested that parents might want to buy children an old-fashioned 'brick phone' instead of smartphones in future. Banning phones in school would also 'take away the pressure a bit from parents, with younger and younger children having to be bought these handsets that are not cheap', she added. Some headteachers have objected to Mr Williamson's position as an infringement of their autonomy, while others have argued there is a role for phones in schools to enable staff to teach young people how to use them responsibly. Department of Education pledged to modify the plans to preserve the tree A pair of rare owls have singlehandedly slammed the brakes on plans for a multimillion-dollar redevelopment of a Sydney high school. Construction plans for a $153 million facelift of Chatswood High School in Sydney's lower North Shore were sent back to the drawing board after concerns were raised of the impact on two threatened owls. The Education Department pledged to preserve the large Angophora Costata tree, the chosen nesting ground of the 'powerful owls' - a breed of the nocturnal birds. A pair of rare 'Powerful Owls' have singlehandedly slammed the brakes on plans for a multimillion redevelopment of Chatswood High School (pictured) Construction plans for a $153million facelift of the high school in Sydney's lower North Shore have been modified after concerns were raised of the potential impact on the pair of owls On-site tradesmen spotted the endangered birds in the schoolyard tree and called in wildlife volunteers from the Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service to remove them before the tree was cut down. However, plans to remove the tree - in which the female owl was incubating her eggs - quickly caught the attention of local environmental groups. Concerned volunteers asked that tools be downed before plans to retain or protect the tree could be worked out. Willoughby Council, wildlife experts and environmental groups wrote to the Department of Education and the NSW Premier and local MP Gladys Berejkilian. A meeting between all parties was held last Thursday to discuss strategies to preserve the tree as well as various protection measures. Beth Mott, from Bird Life Australia and the Powerful Owl Project said the wildlife organisation was not expecting such a win. 'They've agreed to modify the build to retain the tree and the subsurface works have also been changed quite dramatically to make sure there aren't any impacts on it,' she told the Daily Telegraph. The pair of Powerful Owls have been returning to the school yard tree to breed since 2011 (stock image) Concerned volunteers from environmental groups and wildlife experts asked that tools be put down before plans to retain or protect the tree could be worked out The bird enthusiast said an exclusion zone and changes to the timing of the works so as not to disrupt the owls had also been promised in the meeting. 'It's the first time we've been able to have direct input into a project of this scale usually trees are removed before you can do anything so in this case it's a great outcome,' she said. Meredith Foley, a member of the Willoughby Environmental Protection Association, said she hoped it would be enough to keep the birds active on the school site. She said the loss of the tree could have a devastating impact on the owls. 'The sad reality is there aren't a lot of trees left for them and if they were moved it's likely they would have abandoned the eggs,' Ms Foley said. She explained powerful owls were extremely pedantic about the conditions under which they build their nests, needing large hollows in eucalyptus trees at least 150 years old. This particular pair of broody owls have been returning to the tree since 2011. 'The owls have been up there for a number of years in a playground setting so they're used to having a bit of noise so we're hoping they won't be too disturbed (during construction periods)', Ms Foley said. The Department of Education has pledged to modify the redevelopment plans in order to preserve a large Angophora Costata tree, the chosen nesting ground of the Powerful Owls The North Shore Times recently reported the owl's eggs have safely hatched, with sounds of the chicks' chirps heard around the tree last weekend The Education Department said temporary fencing was protecting the tree, with further consultations underway with the Willoughby Council and Birdlife Australia. 'The department acknowledges that Powerful Owls are a vulnerable species and maintaining habitat suitable for breeding is important to supporting an increase in population numbers,' it said. The Planning Department will also have a say on if the multimillion redevelopment plans are compliant with the conditions of approval. The $153 million facelift approved in January will include a new library, classrooms, two workshops and a hall with sport room facilities. The North Shore Times recently reported the owl's eggs safely hatched, with sounds of the chicks' chirps heard around the tree last weekend. A 16 year old boy (pictured) tried to rape a 91 year old woman after breaking into her home in the middle of the night, an Adelaide court has been told. A 16 year old boy tried to rape a 91 year old woman after breaking into her home in the middle of the night, an Adelaide court has been told. The teenager is alleged to have smashed his way into the single storey home in Adelaide's south-west around midnight last Thursday. He found the elderly lady asleep in bed and then forced himself on her, Adelaide Youth Court was told. When she woke up and started screaming, he fled through a broken window and left a trail of blood behind him, it was alleged. The teenager was arrested in Adelaides southern suburbs on Saturday afternoon by Special Crime Investigation detectives. The court heard the victim, from the city's Edwardstown suburb, is now said to be living in fear with family members after the attack. The teenager can't be named for legal reasons because of his age but the judge also banned the media from the hearing, said Seven News. His lawyer asked the magistrate to prohibit key details of the case being revealed which would cause undue embarrassment to the accuseds family, he said. Friends and relatives of the accused left the court with their faces obscured and refusing to talk to the media. A bid for the teen to be freed to return to live with his family in a small South Australian country town was blocked by the court because of the seriousness of the charges. Court documents revealed the teenager has a history of trespass offences. He was remanded in custody and is due back in court in two weeks. Australia's return to normal after Covid-19 depends on how quickly the nation gets vaccinated. However, a small but noisy group of anti-vaxxers is trying to hold the country back by spreading myths about the vaccines. They include concerns the jabs will alter DNA, cause infertility or even connect people to the internet. Some also claim the vaccines are still on trial until 2023 - but actually it is normal for them to be monitored for a few years after approval. Here Daily Mail Australia publishes official Department of Health advice to help you sift the fact from the fiction. Are Covid-19 vaccines still on trial until 2023? Both of Australia's vaccines currently in use - Pfizer and AstraZeneca - were approved by the country's regulator, the Theraputic Goods Administration, early this year after completing phase three trials. No part of the assessment process was rushed and there was no emergency authorisation granted, meaning experts made a complete assessment of all the available data. When a vaccine is approved and used in the population it is studied for a few years to monitor its effects. Australia's return to normal after Covid-19 depends on how quickly the nation gets vaccinated This stage is called 'Phase IV studies' and is different from the earlier trial stages which show the product meets the necessary efficacy and safety levels. These studies are expected to be complete in early 2023 for both vaccines. Oxford University's vaccine knowledge project says: 'After a vaccine is licenced it continues to be monitored as part of a post-licensure monitoring of vaccines. 'The manufacturer of the vaccine may continue to test for safety, efficacy, and other potential uses (called Phase IV Trials).' Regulators also continue to monitor the vaccine to detect any possible signals of adverse events. Can Covid-19 vaccines alter your DNA? No, Covid-19 vaccines do not alter your DNA. Sydney residents queue for the vaccine on Thursday The Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine uses a fragment of messenger RNA (mRNA) to instruct your body to make an immune response against Covid-19. There is a crucial difference between mRNA and DNA. DNA, which makes up our genetic code, is larger, double stranded and very long. The mRNA is a single stranded copy of a small part of the DNA, which is often released to send instructions to other parts of the cell. DNA is stored in the protected centre of our cells the nucleus. The mRNA is broken down quickly by the body. It never enters the nucleus, and cannot affect or combine with our DNA in any way to change our genetic code. Instead, Covid-19 mRNA vaccines teach the cell how to make a protein that triggers an immune response specific to Covid-19. The vaccines work with the bodys natural defences to develop immunity to disease. Source: Department of Health Can Covid-19 vaccines connect you to the internet? Covid-19 vaccines do not and cannot connect you to the internet. Some of the mRNA vaccines being developed include the use of a material called a hydrogel, which might help disperse the vaccine slowly into our cells. Bioengineers have used similar hydrogels for many years in different ways. For instance, they've used them to help stem cells survive after being put inside our bodies. Because of this, some people believe that hydrogels are needed for electronic implants, which can connect to the internet. The Pfizer mRNA vaccine does not use hydrogels as a component. The Pfizer mRNA vaccine contains a piece of mRNA which is coated in a lipid (fatty) droplet. The lipid helps the vaccine enter our cells, as the membrane holding our cells together is also made mostly of lipid. The vaccine and the membrane can fuse easily, depositing the mRNA inside the cell. Source: Department of Health The numbers of mystery cases and new cases not in isolation will determine whether Sydney can get out of lockdown as planned on Friday. Pictured: Rushcutters Bay Park on Sunday Do Covid-19 vaccines cause infertility? There is no scientific evidence to support this. The TGA will not approve a vaccine for use in Australia unless it is safe and effective. This includes impacts on fertility. The theory that Covid-19 vaccines cause infertility is based on the disproven idea that one of the spike proteins in Covid-19 and the Syncytin-1 protein (which help placenta development) are the same. They are not. The Covid-19 vaccine, like other vaccines, works by training our bodies to develop antibodies to fight against the virus that causes Covid-19, to prevent future illness. Security guards are seen at the Meriton Suites in Waterloo, Sydney. An illegal party at the luxury complex on June 26 has led to three cases There is currently no evidence that antibodies formed from Covid-19 vaccination cause any problems with pregnancy, including the development of the placenta. In addition, there is no evidence suggesting that fertility problems are a side effect of any vaccine. People who are trying to become pregnant now or who plan to try in the future may receive the Covid-19 vaccine when it becomes available to them. Source: Department of Health Can Covid-19 vaccines give you Covid-19? None of the approved vaccines in Australia contain the live virus. This means they cannot give you Covid-19. Some of the side effects from Covid-19 vaccinations, such as fever and fatigue can mimic the symptoms of Covid-19. These symptoms are normal and are a sign that the body is building protection against the virus that causes Covid-19. Source: Department of Health If the vaccine is safe, why can't kids have it? So far there are limited clinical trial results showing that the vaccines are effective and safe in children. There are plans for clinical trials with children underway. To date there is no evidence to indicate that in the future children should not be able to receive both of these vaccines. Source: Department of Health Police officers were out and about in Sydney on Monday to make sure residents follow the rules Do Covid-19 vaccines contain a microchip or any kind of tracking technology? None of the Covid-19 vaccines in development contain software or microchips. They cannot be used to track people. Source: Department of Health Is the vaccine rollout a cover to collect DNA? Covid-19 vaccines do not alter your DNA. Some of the new Covid-19 vaccines use a fragment of Messenger RNA (mRNA) to instruct your body to make an immune response against Covid-19. The mRNA does not do anything to your DNA. When you get a vaccine, the vaccine is given into your body. Covid-19 vaccines in Australia are given by injection. There is nothing taken from your body, including your DNA. There is no way anyone can collect your DNA by having a Covid-19 vaccination. Source: Department of Health The four-phase plan to return Australia to 'Covid normal' which will eventually see holidays resume On Friday Scott Morrison outlined a four-phase transition towards living with Covid and finally ending the cycle of lockdowns and border closures. The Prime Minister hailed a 'new deal for Australians' as he explained the stages titled vaccinate, prepare and pilot; post vaccination phase; consolidation phase; and final phase. Scott Morrison is pictured leaving quarantine after two weeks in his house in Canberra following the G7 summit The pace of the plan - which will eventually let the country manage Covid like flu - depends on the vaccine rollout, with lockdowns eliminated once a certain percentage of Aussies have been fully jabbed with two doses. 'I have made it very clear today what is on the other side. If we all get vaccinated then this all changes,' Mr Morrison said. 'The pathway we have agreed today gives all Australians encouragement and much needed hope in what has been a very difficult time.' The plan was announced after 12 million Australians were locked down last week due to several outbreaks across the nation. First responders left a 100-year-old Army veteran's naked dead body uncovered outside his Albuquerque, New Mexico home for three hours before coming to retrieve it. June Wilson said she called 911 two weeks ago to report the death of her husband of 15 years, Norman, but when members of Albuquerque Fire Rescue arrived they moved him to a walkway outside the home and stripped him nude in an attempt to revive him. Then, they left him there. Wilson, an Army veteran was 100 years old when he died, and his wife of 15 years, June was his primary caretaker First responders left the naked body of Norman Wilson outside his New Mexico home for three hours after his wife called 911 to report his death 'They cut his clothes off,' Wilson, who was her husband's primary caretaker, recounted to KRQE. 'He had a t-shirt on and a pair of jeans on and he was nude. Completely nude, from head to toe.' Firefighters left when a police officer arrived at the scene, she said, but her husband's body remained naked on the walkway for hours in full view of their neighbors. 'There was a cop here who said the chaplain was on his way but they let my husband sit there for two and a half hours nude and that was wrong,' Wilson told the station. 'That was a disgrace to him. It was a disgrace to me.' As she waited, she watched as ants crawled over her husband's body. June Wilson recounted the humiliating experience, saying she watched as ants started to crawl over her husband's body Firefighters had left Wilson's body on the walkway outside his home (pictured) for hours According to police records the body was lying there for three hours, but after around two and a half, Wilson said she covered him with a blanket. 'I mean, in front of my house on the concrete on the dirt,' she said of the scene. 'That, that's wrong, that's inhumane.' Police and fire officials defended their response, saying a high call volume that night resulted in delays to the chaplain and medical investigators arriving on the scene. Albuquerque fire and police officials defended their response, saying a high call volume that night resulted in delays to the chaplain and medical investigators arriving on the scene 'It can be quite complicated and family members are distraught because they witnessed their loved one passing away or discovered their loved one so, it is an extremely difficult scene to handle,' Albuquerque Fire Rescue spokesman Tom Ruiz told KRQE. Additionally, he said, when a person dies and the body is not found immediately, responders try to preserve as much evidence on the scene as they can for investigators. 'And sometimes that does require for that person to be left uncovered,' he said. Outside on the walkway, June placed flowers and a cross in remembrance of her husband. Two men from New York have been killed after the small plane in which they were traveling crashed east of Aspen, Colorado on Saturday afternoon. Officials confirmed on Sunday that the remains of Ruben Cohen and David Zara were found near Midway Pass, about nine miles east of Aspen near the Continental Divide. The pair had taken off in a Beechcraft B36 - also called a Beechcraft Bonanza - from Aspen Pitkin County Airport at around 4:30pm on Saturday afternoon, and were bound for Des Moines, Iowa. The 700-mile flight should have taken three to four hours. But by 10:30 on Sunday morning, a concerned friend called Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center to tell them that the single-engine aircraft had not arrived. She had tracked her friend's plane and noticed that the flight path ended about 30 miles east of Aspen. The Federal Aviation Association also issued an Alert Notice (ALNOT) around 10:15am Sunday advising local public safety agencies that a Beechcraft B36 was missing. A multi-agency investigation determined a search area near Midway Pass, an expansive area, topping out at 12,140 feet in the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness, which is part of the White River National Forest. The men's bodies were found on Sunday afternoon and airlifted with a helicopter from the Colorado Army National Guard. Officials confirmed on Sunday that the remains of Ruben Cohen and David Zara were found At 5:34 p.m. Sunday, officials confirmed they had found the remains of Ruben Cohen and David Zara, near Midway Pass, about 9 miles east of Aspen near the Continental Divide (pictured) The pair had taken off in a Beechcraft B36 - a small six-seater, single-engine aircraft (file image) The Beechcraft B36 plane is a small six-seater, single-engine aircraft with a range of around 900 miles and a top speed of around 200mph. The plane has been in production since 1947 - longer than any other aircraft in history. Zara, 58, was a professional pilot who had previously founded charter plane companies Zen Air and Tradewind Aviation. In 2015, Zara sued fashion designer Donna Karan's son-in-law, Gianpaolo de Felice, accusing him of fleecing him out of profits from Zen Air, which they had co-owned. Zara had not been involved in Tradewind for 'several years' according to the New York Post. It's not known what his relationship to Cohen was. 'Tradewind Aviation is devastated to hear of the loss of our friend and colleague David Zara this past Saturday,' the company said in a statement. 'David was incredibly charismatic, thoughtful, and had a passion for flying. He will be deeply missed. 'Our thoughts are with the Zara family and the many who were privileged to have called David a friend.' 'His kids were No. 1 for him,' said Bobby Reckovic, a doorman at his apartment building told the Daily News. 'He might not have been here all the time, but when he was here, he was always with his kids.' The doorman knew that Reckovic had sat exams for his pilot's license. A Pitkin County Sheriff's deputy began investigating the report with help from the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and State of Colorado's Division of Fire Prevention and Control. A search area (pictured) was eventually identified near Midway Pass On Sunday, Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center received a phone call from a person reporting that her friend and his aircraft were overdue in Des Moines, Iowa, after taking off at Aspen Pitkin County Airport (pictured) around 4:30 p.m on Saturday Midway Pass (pictured) is an expansive area, topping out at 12,140 feet in the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness, which is part of the White River National Forest 'He was a straightforward guy, he did everything by the book,' Reckovic said. 'He went back and redid all the tests for flying he went back to school to take the tests after COVID.' Cohen, who ran a practice on New York's Park Avenue would regularly offer his medical skills to those in need across the world, a relative told the Daily News. Cohen was also involved in September 11 rescue efforts at Ground Zero and after the 2010 Haiti earthquake working at the Israeli Defense Force Field Medical Hospital. 'He traveled the world helping children with cleft palates and facial deformities. He was involved in many local organizations that helped others with the same problems. He was an amazing husband, father and son. He leaves two children,' the relative said. 54-year-old Stacie Fang STACIE DAWN FANG Stacie Dawn Fang, 54, was with her son Jonah Handler, a teenager, when the building collapsed. They lived on the tenth floor. The boy's small hand waved through the wreckage as a man out walking his dog hurried to the site, climbed through a pile of glass and rebar and promised to get help right away. Rescuers helped the boy out from under a pile of cement and carried him away on a stretcher to a hospital. 'There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Stacie,' members of her family said in a statement. 'Many heartfelt words of encouragement and love have served as a much needed source of strength during this devastating time.' Asked about the boy's condition, a family friend, Lisa Mozloom told the AP 'He will be fine. He's a miracle.' MANUEL LAFONT Manuel LaFont, 54 Manuel LaFont, 54, was a proud father, a baseball fan and a business consultant who lived on the building's eighth floor. He had a 10-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter with his ex-wife Adriana LaFont, the Miami Herald reported. Adriana asked her friends on Facebook to pray the rosary for Manny before his body was found. 'So many memories inside the walls that are no more today, forever engraved experiences in the heart,' she wrote. LaFont, a Houston native, coached his son's baseball team, the Astros, at North Shore Park, just a mile away from the Champlain. He was a parishioner at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Miami Beach. The parish's school parents gathered Saturday afternoon to pray for LaFont and his neighbors who were still missing. An alumnus of Sharpstown High School in Houston, LaFont had worked across Latin America and the Caribbean for a manufacturing firm, leading a division focusing on roadway safety that built crash cushions and moveable barriers, the Herald reported. 'I got into this industry specifically because I don't want to sell widgets. I want to help people. I want to do something good in this world,' he said at an industry conference in 2016. 'When I die, I want to say that my life meant something.' ANTONIO AND GLADYS LOZANO Antonio and Gladys Lozano Antonio and Gladys Lozano lived on the ninth floor. The two had known each other over 60 years and would have celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary on July 21. Their sons told WPLG-TV that the couple had joked neither wanted to die before the other, because neither wanted to live without the other. Their one solace, the brothers said, was that they were together when they died. Authorities confirmed on Saturday that Antonio, 83, and Gladys, 79, were among the dead. Sergio Lozano said he had dinner with his parents hours before the collapse. He lived in one of the towers of the complex and could see his parents' apartment across the way from his. That night, he said the heard a loud noise they thought could be a storm. 'The building is not there,' he said he told his wife. 'My parents' apartment is not there. It's gone.' ANA ORTIZ, HER HUSBAND FRANK AND HER SON LUIZ Ana Ortiz, left, and her son Luis Bermudez and Leon Oliwkowicz and his wife Christina (right) Luis Bermudez, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, had battled with muscular dystrophy for years and used a wheelchair. The 26-year-old man lived with his mother Ana Ortiz on the seventh floor of the Champlain Towers South. His father, also named Luis Bermudez, texted the AP saying 'my son is a hero.' He also wrote on Facebook that he could not believe he's gone. 'Now rest in peace and without any obstacles in heaven,' he wrote. 'I will see you soon my Luiyo.' Ortiz, 46, had just gotten married with Frankie Kleiman. Alex Garcia, the couple's close friend, told The Miami Herald he had set them up on a blind date. Kleiman lived with his wife and stepson on the same floor as his brother Jay Kleiman, who was in town for a funeral, and their mother Nancy Kress Levin. The Kleimans and their mother are still missing. 50-year-old Frank Kleiman, left, was found on Monday. He was Ana's husband Ortiz was described as a woman who was committed to giving her son the best possible life. 'Shes a rock star. And gorgeous," Garcia told the Herald. "And on top of that a super mom. FRANK KLEIMAN Kleiman, 50, was the husband of Ana Ortiz, whose body was found alongside that of her disabled son, Luiz, over the weekend. LEON AND CHRISTINA OLIWKOWICZ Leon Oliwkowicz and his wife Christina were also identified as victims of the tower collapse on Sunday evening The couple lived on the 8th floor of the condo tower for several years, according to Venezuelan journalist Shirley Varnagy, a close friend of their family. They were among six Venezuelan natives caught in the building's collapse. Still missing Monday were Moises Rodan, 28; Andres Levine, 27; Luis Sadovnik, 28, and his wife, Nicole Langesfeld, Varnagy said. Varnagy said the Oliwkowicz's daughter had been outside the building waiting for some information about their fate. Her husband answered their phone and asked to be left alone. The couple's daughter, Mrs. Leah Fouhal, works as a secretary at a Jewish school in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, where the couple donated a Torah in 2019 in a procession that included a vintage fire truck, music and a giant velvet and gold crown, according to COLlive.com, an Orthodox Jewish news outlet that covers Chabad-Lubavitch communities around the world. Meanwhile, the parents of Rodan, Levine and Sadovnik live in Venezuela and traveled to the U.S. Friday. 'Some did not have a visa, others had an expired passport, but with diplomatic collaboration they were able to arrive,' Varnagy said. MICHAEL DAVID ALTMAN The body of 52-year-old Marcus Joseph Guara was recovered on Saturday HILDA NORIEGA Hilda Noriega (pictured) was named by her family Wednesday as the 12th confirmed victim of the tragedy Hilda Noriega, who lived in Apt. 602 in the 12-story tower, was the mother of North Bay Village Police Chief Carlos Noriega. She had only recently celebrated her 92nd birthday. Her body was discovered among the remains of the condo tower Tuesday. Her family paid tribute to the 'matriarch of the family' in a statement Wednesday. Noriega's son had traveled to the collapse site Thursday to look for his mother, who had only recently celebrated her 92nd birthday. Among the rubble, the police chief found a birthday card a relative had given to Noriega at a brunch, reported Local10. Emma Guara, 4, Lucia Guara, 10, Anaely Rodriguez, 42, and Marcus Guara, 52 THE GUARA FAMILY Miami-Dade police identified 10-year-old Lucia Guara and 4-year-old Emma Guara as victims in the condo collapse on Wednesday, June 30. The remains of their father, Marcus Guara, 52, were pulled from the rubble Saturday and identified Monday. The girls and their mother, Anaely Rodriguez, 42, were recovered Wednesday. The family lived on the eighth floor of the condo. DAVID AND BONNIE EPSTEIN Bonnie and David Epstein were on the ninth floor when the building gave way. Their son, Jonathan, who lives in New York City said he hasn't been able to contact them. 'I'm trying to be a little optimistic, but I just don't see it,' he told WJXT. 'It just doesn't seem real, you know? Why this building? It doesn't make sense. I don't know. I'm struggling to make sense of it.' Bonnie and David Epstein were on the ninth floor when the building gave way. Authorities identified David's body on Sunday. His wife was found days earlier On Sunday, Miami-Dade police identified David, 58, as one of the 24 people known to have perished in the fallen tower. His remains were recovered on Friday. Bonnie's body was recovered days earlier. She was 56 years old. The couple, who worked in real estate investments, moved to Florida to retire early so that they could pursue their love of water sports, according to a friend. Richard Oller, a friend of the couple, wrote on Facebook that David and Bonnie lived on the ninth floor of the building with their dog. GRACIELA CATTAROSSI AND STELLA CATTAROSSI Seven-year-old Stella Cattarossi's body was found alongside her mother Graciela, 48 A Miami firefighter was present when the body of his seven-year-old daughter was recovered from the rubble of the Surfside condo catastrophe in Florida. Officials said the body of Stella Cattarossi was found Tursday, seven days after the collapse of Champlain South Tower which has left 22 confirmed dead and 126 still missing. Friends posting online said the girl was found sleeping alongside her 48-year-old mother Graciela. Authorities later confirmed that both mother and daughter were found. They were staying with Graciella's elderly parents, Graciela and Gino Cattarossi, who have not been identified, but are also unaccounted for. Stella's father Enrique Arango - a ten-year veteran of the Miami Fire Rescue department - is a member of the rescue team who found the girl and was present when her body was recovered. He had been on the site with his brother. Gracielas sister Andrea, an architect based in Pilar, Argentina, was visiting at the time of the disaster. She is also still missing. GONZALO TORRE Gonzalo Torre, 81, whose remains were found on Saturday, lived at the condo. MARICOY OBIAS-BONNEFOY AND CLAUDIO BONNEFOY The bodies of Chilean national Claudio Bonnefo, 85, and his wife Maria 'Maricoy' Obias-Bonnefoy, 69, were identified by authorities. They were among at least 36 people from Latin American nations that are missing, according to the Miami Herald. The couple were reported missing from Unit #1001. Maricoy Obias-Bonnefoy, born in the Philippines, reportedly called her niece Irene Obias-Sanchez on the evening of the building collapse to discuss a family get-together planned for that coming Sunday. The bodies of Chilean national Claudio Bonnefo, 85, and his wife Maria 'Maricoy' Obias-Bonnefoy, 69, were identified by authorities It would have been one their first family gatherings since the pandemic as the Bonnefoys were strict about following lockdown restrictions. 'I could have just texted her back like I often did, but last night it felt different. I knew she wanted to talk about a get-together we were planning on Sunday with my sisters. She was so excited to finally be able to socialize with family after everyone was vaccinated,' Obias-Sanchez said. Obias-Bonnefoy had immigrated to the US in the 1970s and worked at the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C. before moving to retiring and moving to Surfside about 10 years ago, the Miami Herald reported. ANDREAS GIANNITSOPOULOS Andreas Giannitsopoulos, 21, of Houston was about to start his senior year at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Miami-Dade Police identified him as one of the victims of the June 24 condo collapse in Surfside. Giannitsopoulos was in Surfside to visit his godfather and his father's best friend, Manuel 'Manny' LaFont. Andreas Giannitsopoulos, 21, of Houston was about to start his senior year at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Miami-Dade Police identified him as one of the victims of the June 24 condo collapse in Surfside The 54-year-old, a coach and business consultant, was also identified as one of the victims. 'My brother was honestly like my other half,' 19-year-old Athanasia Giannitsopoulos told The Tennessean. 'He was my best friend as well as my older brother, so he always protected me and he was always there for me no matter what. 'He was the most selfless person I have ever met in my life.' TZVI AINSWORTH AND INGRID AINSWORTH Tzvi Ainsworth, 68, and his wife, Ingrid Ainsworth, 66, were confirmed to have been killed in the condo collapse on Monday. The couple, who moved to Miami from Melbourne, Australia, had an apartment on the 11th floor. The Ainsworths, who were well known among Melbourne's small Jewish community, split their time between Florida and Australia. The Ainsworths lived in Australia for nearly two decades before returning to South Florida to be near their children. The couple had seven children and many live in South Florida, including a daughter who lives just blocks away. Tzvi (pictured far left) and Ingrid (pictured far right) Ainsworth, members of the Jewish community from Melbourne, lived in an apartment on the 11th floor of the building. Their remains were identified on Monday, July 5 'Every person she encountered, ever in her life, became her friend. Everyone was treated as equals,' Chana Wasserman wrote in a Mothers Day blog post to her mother Itty last year. 'The guy at the laundromat, the guy working at the fruit market... Ingrid struggled with chronic pain issues, but didnt let that darken her mood. She tried to focus on the positive, a sunny day, a long car ride that would seem tedious to many she reframed as a chance to talk and catch up, her daughter wrote. NANCY LEVIN AND JAY KLEIMAN Nancy Levin, 76, and her son Jay Kleiman, 52, were among the three victims of the Surfside condo collapsed identified on July 6. Levin fled the Cuban Revolution with her first husband in 1959, and first settled in Puerto Rico. Then in the 1980s she moved as a single mother with her two boys to Surfside. Nancy Levin, 76, along with her son Jay Kleiman, 52, were among the three victims of the Surfside condo collapsed identified on Tuesday There, they lived in the then-new condo building popular with Hispanic Jews who had come mostly from Cuba. In Surfside, she became a beloved member of the Shul Jewish community, and was known there as a doting 'abuela,' according to Chabad.org. She was one of the seven volunteers who served on the condo association board, tasked with with organizing repairs for the building, and she was the only one that perished in the collapse. Her son, Jay Kleiman moved back to Puerto Rico to work with his father in the garment industry. He was used to hard times; the business suffered with the financial crisis in the Caribbean territory and Hurricane Maria in 2017. But they pulled through. He had been visiting his mother in recent weeks for the funeral of an old high school friend who died of the coronavirus. FRANICS FERNANDEZ PLACENSIA Francis Fernandez Plasencia was a 67-year-old a mother of three. Plasencia, originally from Cuba, was the mother of three children, Erika, Pablo and Christina, and was spending the night visiting friends Maggie Vazquez-Bello and Rosa Saez, who are still missing. Francis Fernandez Placensia, 67, was also one of the three victims identified on July 6 Placensia left behind three children Pablo (from left) Erika and Christina, whom she was close with She was a parishioner of Coral Gables' Church of the Little Flower, and in her social media presence she appeared to remain close with her children, often celebrating holidays and eating dinner together. A Gofundme has been set up to assist her family. SIMON SEGAL Simon Segal, a structural engineer who devoted his life to ensuring the integrity of buildings, was reported missing from Unit 1203 after the collapse of Champlain Tower South on June 24. His body was recovered on Tuesday and his identity confirmed on Wednesday. The body of engineer Simon Segal, who lived in the Champlain Towers unit 1203, has been identified Segal, 80, was shown in a social media post by his niece, Melissa Goldstein Grosfeld, which reads: 'Our Uncle Simon Segal In the Champlain Towers unit 1203 is missing after the collapse- Prayers for all the families in this horrific tragedy.' Miami-Dade Police announced that Segals remains were positively identified. Segal worked as a product control reviewer for the State of Florida. GINO AND GRACIELA CATTAROSSI Miami-Dade Police announced that they had identified the remains of Graciela Cattarossi, 86, and her husband, Gino Cattarossi, 89. Their bodies were recovered on Tuesday, July 6. Graciela worked for the United Nations back in the 1960s, where she represented her home country of Uruguay. Miami-Dade Police announced that they had identified the remains of Graciela Cattarossi, 86, and her husband, Gino Cattarossi, 89. Their bodies were recovered on July 6 The couple lived in Apartment 501 with their 48-year-old daughter, an independent lifestyle photographer also named Graciela Cattarossi, and their 7-year-old granddaughter, Estella. All four were missing after the condo collapsed, along with Cattarossis sister, Andrea, an architect in Pilar, Argentina, who was visiting All four were missing after the condo collapsed, along with Cattarossis sister, Andrea (above), an architect in Pilar, Argentina, who was visiting The couple lived in Apartment 501 with their 48-year-old daughter, an independent lifestyle photographer also named Graciela Cattarossi, and their 7-year-old granddaughter, Estella. All four were missing after the condo collapsed, along with Cattarossis sister, Andrea, an architect in Pilar, Argentina, who was visiting. Mariela Porras, a family friend, said Andrea was visiting from South America to help the family as her father was set to undergo surgery. Advertisement A white man who hurled racial abuse at a black neighbor - shoving him with his chest and telling him he was 'from Africa' before spitting on him - has been arrested and charged with harassment and assault. Edward Cagney Mathews, 45, was arrested on Monday evening after a crowd of around 150 protesters gathered outside of his Mount Laurel home for hours. Police could be seen marching Mathews out of his home at Essex Place Condominiums after a new charge was filed, through a crowd and into a police cruiser while wearing handcuffs. After Mathews was taken from his home, protesters smashed his condo's windows and police in riot gear pushed them away from the area, NJ.com reported. Now, more neighbors are coming forward, claiming that Mathews allegedly harassed them in the past. Scroll down for video Police escort Edward Cagney Mathews through a crowd of people who had gathered outside his Mount Laurel, N.J., home on Monday, July 5, 2021 Protesters gather for an hours-long demonstration outside the Mount Laurel home of bias-crimes suspect Edward Cagney Mathews The windows of Mathews' condo were smashed and garbage was strewn on his lawn Edward Cagney Mathews, 45 (left), was arrested on Monday evening Jazmyn Suszynski and her mother Aliya Robinson were at the protest and claimed to be victimized by Mathews in the past, without getting specific. 'I tried. We have tried to get justice, and if we got justice, this wouldn't be happening now,' Robinson said to WPVI. Her comments followed up on previous allegations made against Mathews. 'The guy is off his rocker and they need to get him out. He cannot be racially harassing and assaulting people, spitting on people, busting down doors, breaking windows and writing white lives matter on stuff,' Robinson told FOX 29 Philadelphia. Her daughter added, 'When we first moved [to another complex], I guess he didnt think minorities should live there, so he kicked my door in with my children there.' Another neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, claims her home was vandalized before Friday night's latest incident. 'Sad because it should not be that many times,' the neighbor said. 'If the justice system had done their work earlier... he would not be here at this point.' A woman, who said she is a co-owner of the home and ex-wife of Edward Mathews, retrieves documents and valuables from the house on Tuesday Trash is piled up at the entrance to the boarded up home of Edward Mathews on Tuesday afternoon To prevent their use as potential weapons, a Mount Laurel police officer removes a crow bar, sledge hammer and baseball bat from the front porch of Edward Mathews' home A young girl draws with chalk near the home of Edward Mathews on Tuesday BLM is written in chalk outside the boarded up home of Edward Mathews Neighbors also allege that Mathews wrote a racial slur on the fence of a board member of his homeowners' association. Mathews has claimed his anger was the result of a housing dispute he's been having with the homeowners' association. The Mount Laurel Police Department has said they are familiar with Mathews from previous complaints, but that in past cases a lot of the evidence was circumstantial. DailyMail.com has reached out the Mount Laurel PD to learn more of previous encounters with Mathews. He will face an additional charge after the prosecutor's office reviewed additional footage from the incident and determined Mathews spat on the victim, said Mount Laurel Police Spokesman Kyle Gardner. Aliya Robinson was at the protest and claimed to be victimized by Mathews in the past Neighbors believe Mathews is also responsible for an alleged racial slur scratched on a fence On Monday evening, prosecutors said at a press conference that they were bringing new charges against Mathews based on additional video footage. Protesters were enraged at new footage that emerged on social media showing him confronting his neighbors, using the N-word and calling them monkeys. They could be heard yelling 'We want Edward' outside his home on Monday after he challenged protestors to come to his home, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. There was additional damage in the protests to adjoining homes and Mount Laurel Police Chief Stephen Riedener says 10 to 15 officers were hit with bottles or pepper spray. 'In large part the protesters that were here were peaceful and they were actually working with us and we spoke to many of them to try to get them to cooperate with us so that we could keep everyone safe,' Riedener said. He added that police would review body camera footage to see who committed property damaged or attacked officers. Mathews is expected to remain in jail until his first court date - which hasn't been scheduled - making it uncertain if protesters will return on Tuesday. Footage posted online showed Mathews, 45, squaring up to a neighbor - spitting on him, calling him the n-word and a 'monkey', and saying he was 'from Africa'. The local prosecutor commended the black man for his restraint during the confrontation Mathews had reportedly been a source of concern in the community for several years Mathews was arrested on Monday evening after footage of the confrontation went viral When the police were called to the incident that sparked the protests, Mathews refused to go home and stood yelling abuse at his neighbor from the sidewalk, even as the officer told him: 'Cagney, cut it out, man - let me talk to them.' In the footage showing the confrontation on Friday, Mathews gives his address several times before finally walking away saying: 'Come f****** see me.' A large crowd of around 150 people accepted his invitation, and gathered at his home on Monday. 'Now, what I did was not acceptable,' said Mathews, in footage captured by protesters on Monday night. 'It's completely wrong.' Earlier, he told The Philadelphia Inquirer he had been drunk and lost his temper. It's not clear if the man Mathews was targeting is somehow involved in the ongoing dispute with the HOA, the details of which have not been revealed publicly. 'I certainly wasnt expecting an encounter like that and certainly wasnt expecting to disrespect anybody,' Mathews said. 'Let me be clear: That is no excuse for what I said, but I lost my temper.' 'Anybody that knows me know that I just talk like this,' he said. Edward Cagney Mathews really thought pic.twitter.com/iBOkcpKq8P (@_jpmoney17) July 6, 2021 At least 150 people gathered outside Mathews' home on Monday evening calling for his arrest At 7:30pm police moved to arrest Mathews, as the crowd yelled and jeered Angry demonstrators gathered outside Mathews' home demanding he be arrested Some protesters then attacked Mathews' home, leading the riot police to move in In a statement posted online on Monday morning, the Mount Laurel police department said Mathews was charged with harassment and biased intimidation but was initially issued a summons and was not arrested. Mount Laurel is located 19 miles east of Philadelphia. Scott Coffina, Burlington County prosecutor, commended the victim who was targeted by Mathews in the video. 'He showed incredible restraint with someone spewing awful, vile things in his face and assaulting him,' Coffina said. 'He didn't deserve that. None of the residents deserve that. No one should ever feel unsafe in their home.' On Monday evening police officers stood at the door of Mathews' home while protesters gathered outside. When police moved to arrest Mathews around 7:30pm, footage posted by a reporter shows protesters throwing objects towards officers and Mathews as they walk to a police car and then at the car as it drove away. There was additional damage in the protests to adjoining homes and Mount Laurel Police Chief Stephen Riedener says 10 to 15 officers were hit with bottles or pepper spray Police are seen guiding Mathews through the crowd and into a police cruiser Bottles were allegedly thrown by some protesters, though others urged the perpetrators to stop. Additionally, mace was allegedly tossed by someone in the crowd, leading to two arrests. 'He said to pull up. We pulled up,' Robinson, 43, a real estate agent said. 'Were not going to tolerate this anymore.' Police say they are investigating other incidents involving Mathews. He denies being involved in any past vandalism or harassment. Marcus Sibley, president of the Southern Burlington NAACP, said Mathews has been harassing black residents in the neighborhood for at least three years and police had been notified in the past. 'The main thing that makes you shake your head is how in the world has this gone unaddressed,' Sibley said. 'We're looking for reform. When we say that we feel intimidated, we feel like we're being hurt and harmed, we would love for the response to be: "This is wrong. This is inhumane. This is disrespectful, and we are going to prosecute at the fullest extent of the law, so other people learn this isn't how you treat people."' Protesters were enraged at new footage emerged on social media showing him confronting his neighbors, using the N-word and calling them monkeys Nuss Construction Company is distancing themselves from their former employee One neighbor claims the problems began two years ago and says Mathews has 'been harassing ever since.' Another neighbor told CBS Philly: 'He used a BB gun to shoot their windows out, he smeared dog feces all over their car.' The township's mayor and council released a statement Monday denouncing Mathew's racism and 'acts of hate like it.' 'To say that we are appalled by the disturbing and vicious act of hate which was caught on camera would be an understatement,' the statement read. 'This man's actions do not reflect who we are as a community nor out values. 'Nobody should be made to feel unsafe or unwelcome in their own neighborhood let alone in their hometown.' Protesters on Monday hold a Black Lives Matter flag in front of officers standing outside the Mount Laurel home of Mathews Protesters express grievances to a police officer during an anti-racism demonstration In an interview with NBC10 on Monday, Mathews claimed that he was not a racist. 'I've never been a racist,' Mathews stated. 'I've made mistakes. Said racial slurs out of anger or being drunk. I may not be able to relate to communities of color but I am not a racist and I have the upmost respect for us as a community.' 'It was a lapse of judgment at a moment at my weakest point and my anger got the best of me,' he added. Nevertheless, one former employer is distancing themselves from Mathews. 'To anyone that has seen the video that has gone viral. Cagney Matthews does not and has not worked for Nuss Construction for almost 5 years now,' Nuss Construction Company posted to Facebook on Monday. 'We are a small family owned and operated business and we are very devastated to see all the attacks on us. We have zero tolerance for any form of racism!' Mathews is currently in the Burlington County Jail. He doesn't have a court date scheduled yet, but should have one within the next three days. Dalassa Rittia Diane Pau (pictured) scaled two balconies and kicked in a door to escape hotel quarantine A young woman who scaled two balconies from the fourth floor and kicked a door open to escape hotel quarantine has been slapped with a $2500 fine and thrown back in isolation. Dalassa Rittia Diane Pau was placed in a room at the Cairns Pacific International hotel in northern Queensland on Friday after she returned from a trip to Covid-addled Sydney. Police noticed she was missing on Monday afternoon, and later found her at her mother's apartment. The 22-year-old appeared in Cairns Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning and pleaded guilty to fail to comply with Covid-19 public health direction, unregulated high risk activities and wilful damage. Police alleged that she was staying on the fourth floor of the hotel complex when she made her dramatic escape. Far North Acting Assistant Commissioner Chris Hodgman said outside court that her actions were 'dangerous (and) foolhardy',' the Cairns Post reported. 'This is the second time in a couple of weeks where people have put their lives at risk to come out of the Pacific Hotel,' he said. 'For two persons to have done it is insurmountable, it beggars belief.' He added that Pau cooperated with police and told them exactly how she made her escape, and said it was only to visit her mother. Officers deemed her a low risk to the community, but the escape left health officials fuming. She was thrown back in quarantine after her court appearance. The Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday morning that the 22-year-old was 'fairly motivated' to escape the facility, and is the first to successfully flee a quarantine facility in Queensland. 'Though many have tried,' he added. She tested negative for Covid-19. Pictured: People shopping Milton Markets in Brisbane, Sunday, July 4. The state recorded one new local infection on Tuesday Health authorities realised the 32-year-old Sydney woman was missing from Cairns Pacific International hotel (pictured) on Monday Meanwhile, Queensland reported one new local case of Covid-19 on Tuesday, which is linked to a known cluster. The 29-year-old woman is a student nurse who was a close contact of a man from Sinnamon Park who tested positive after he travelled to Eumundi on the Sunshine Coast. She has been in quarantine since Monday but is A-symptomatic, which means health workers can't identify the start of her infectious period. 'I think it is unlikely that she was infectious back then but, to be absolutely sure, we have gone back that far,' Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state's total number of active cases is now at 49. 'In some more good news, we had 22,218 tests yesterday,' she said. 'Remember if you have any symptoms whatsoever, please come and get tested.' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday the United States will keep its embassy in Kabul open despite a surge of Taliban victories in north Afghanistan as American troops leave the war-torn nation. Her comments came after a series of Taliban wins caused some countries to close their consulates in the region, while across the border in Tajikistan, reservists are being called up to reinforce the southern border, according to officials and reports. 'We have every intention of continuing an ongoing presence in Kabul, which is continuing even after we bring our military, those who are serving at home, by the end of August, but we will also continue to be partners to the Afghan government,' Psaki said at the daily White House press briefing. 'We are working to address any threats that we face, that will continue and we intend to have a presence on the ground in our embassy there in Kabul,' she added. In the countryside, districts are falling to the Taliban in rapid succession. America's warlord allies are re-arming their militias, which have a violent history, raising the specter of another civil war once the U.S. withdrawal is finished, expected in August. A U.S. Embassy spokesperson told The Associated Press that security assessments are frequent these days. Speaking on condition of anonymity in line with briefing rules, she said the embassy is currently down to 1,400 U.S. citizens and about 4,000 staff working inside the compound the size of a small town. The embassy lies inside Kabul's Green Zone, where entire neighborhoods have been closed off and giant blast walls line streets closed to outside traffic. Afghan security forces guard the barricades into the district, which also houses the Presidential Palace, other embassies and senior government officials. The Taliban surge came as U.S. Central Command in a statement Tuesday said 90% of the withdrawal of U.S. troops and equipment is complete. The U.S. says the last troops will be gone by August. Last week, all US and NATO forces left Bagram Air Base near Kabul -- the command centre for anti-Taliban operations -- effectively wrapping up their exit after 20 years of military involvement that began in the wake of the September 11 attacks. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the United States will keep its embassy in Kabul open despite a surge of Taliban victories in north Afghanistan Meanwhile, a statement from the Tajik government said President Emomali Rakhmon ordered the mobilization of 20,000 military reservists to strengthen its border with Afghanistan. The Afghan military exodus comes as the Taliban have overrun most districts in northeastern Badakhshan province. Many fell without a fight but along the province's northern border with Tajikistan, hundreds of Afghan forces crossed over, seeking safety in Tajikistan. The consulates of Turkey and Russia have reportedly closed in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province, and Afghanistan's fourth-largest city. Iran said it has restricted activities at its consulate in the city. There has been fighting in Balkh province, but the provincial capital has been relatively peaceful. The consulates of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, India and Pakistan have reduced their services, Balkh provincial governor's spokesman Munir Farhad said Tuesday. He said Turkey and Russia had closed their consulates and their diplomats had left the city. However, a Turkish official said the consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif was open and was 'carrying on accepting visa applications and other consular requests.' The official, who was not identified by name in line with briefing rules, said Ankara was monitoring the security situation and was taking 'required measures' for the safety of Turkish missions and personnel. He did not elaborate and the conflicting reports on the Turkish Consulate could not be immediately reconciled. The consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif could not be reached by phone. The Tajik government said Afghan troops were being allowed to cross on humanitarian grounds but the border posts on the Tajik side were in control of Tajik forces and there was no fighting with Taliban from the Tajik side. The Taliban march gains momentum only days after the United States vacated Bagram Airfield, just an hour's drive north of the capital, Kabul, - a sure sign that the majority of American troops have left Afghanistan. The U.S. withdrew from what had been the epicenter of the U.S.-led coalition's nearly 20-year war in Afghanistan by s hutting off the electricity and slipping away in the night, without notifying the bases new Afghan commander, Afghan military officials said. Tuesday's CENTCOM statement said the U.S. has handed over seven bases to Afghanistan's Defense Ministry. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was 'heightened concern' over the fighting but that Russia has no plans to send troops to assist Tajikistan, once a part of the Soviet Union. 'We have repeatedly said many times that after the withdrawal of the Americans and their allies from Afghanistan, the development of the situation in this country is a matter of our heightened concern,' Peskov said. 'Were monitoring it very closely and are noting that destabilization (of the situation) is taking place, unfortunately.' The US embassy is currently down to 1,400 U.S. citizens and about 4,000 staff working inside the compound - above a protest in front of the US Embassy in Kabul last week Taliban fighters seen in Afghanistan last year - they've had a series of victories in the norther part of the country in recent days Meanwhile, Tajikistans state news agency Khovar said 1,037 Afghan military personnel had entered Tajikistan while fleeing for their lives. The report said Monday they used seven of the crossings along the two countries' shared 910-kilometer (565-mile) border. The Taliban have made relentless territorial wins since mid-April, when President Joe Biden announced the last 2,500-3,500 U.S. soldiers and 7,000 allied NATO soldiers would leave Afghanistan. Most have left quietly already, well before the announced deadline in September. The full withdrawal is not expected to be completed until the end of August - and not before an agreement on how to protect Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport is reached. Months-old peace talks being held in Qatar between Taliban and a fractious Afghan government have all but stopped, even as both sides say they want a negotiated end to the decades-long conflict. With their victories in northern and southern Afghanistan, the Taliban are putting pressure on provincial cities and gaining control of key transportation routes. The Afghan government has resurrected militias mostly loyal to Kabul-allied warlords but with a history of brutal violence that has raised the specter of civil war, similar to the fighting that devastated Kabul in the early 1990s. Taliban wins in northern Afghanistan are particularly significant because that part of the country is the traditional stronghold of U.S.-allied warlords and the scene of the Taliban's initial widespread losses in 2001 when the U.S.-led coalition launched its battle to unseat the religious movement. A desperate search is underway for a 13-year-old girl with a medical condition who hasn't been heard from in more than 24 hours. The young girl was last seen in Strathpine, a suburb in the Moreton Bay Region of south-east Queensland, about 11am on Monday. She is described as an Aboriginal standing 145cm tall with brown hair with blonde ends and brown eyes. Queensland Police have launched a desperate search for a missing 13-year-old girl (pictured) who hasn't been heard from in over 24 hours The missing teenager was last seen wearing a black jumper with silver writing on the front. Queensland Police hold concerns for the young girl's welfare as she suffers from a medical condition. An urgent appeal for public assistance has been made to locate the 13-year-old. Anyone with information on the young girl's whereabouts has been urged to make contact with police. A five-year-old girl who became infected with Covid-19 has been rushed to an Adelaide hospital. SA health confirmed the young girl was taken for assessment at the Women's and Children's Hospital on Tuesday returning to Tom's Court quarantine hotel later that day. The five-year-old girl had also been taken to the hospital on Sunday. SA health confirmed the young girl was taken for assessment at the Women's and Children's Hospital on Tuesday returning to Tom's Court quarantine hotel later that day 'My understanding is that (the infant's hospital visit) was for some fairly routine observations and not for treatment,' Adelaide's Premier Steve Marshall told reporters. The girl is the daughter of a recently returned miner who tested positive for the highly infectious Delta-strain earlier this week. Adam Ryan returned to South Australia in late June after working at the Northern Territory Tanami mine, which had been exposed to other Covid-19 cases. All members of the family have tested positive including the couple's baby, who is aged less than 12 months old The miner initially tested negative for the virus, however he later returned a positive Covid-19 result. All confirmed positive cases are required to complete 14 days quarantine at Tom Court medi-hotel in Adelaide's CBD. Following the man's positive result his wife Kristen and their four children, all aged under 10 years old, tested positive to the virus. The Tom Court medi-hotel in Adelaide's CBD where covid-19 positive cases are completing a 14 day quarantine Their youngest child, who is less than 12 months old, was the last member of the family to become infected with the virus, after returning a positive result on July 2. Mr Ryan's positive Covid-19 result sparked a three-day lockdown of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, as contact tracers rushed to contain any potential spread of the virus. Almost 500 contacts were quarantined, with 344 considered close contacts and 134 considered secondary. The miner had then attended a KFC drive-thru in Torrensville while on his way home from the airport, forcing 14 staff members to be tested as a precaution. All of the contacts have since been tested and returned a negative result, with authorities confident they have traced and notified everyone. The Ryan's family have said they are overwhelmed with support received from the South Australian community while they undergo quarantine at the Tom Court hotel. Adam (right) and his wife Kristen (left) have spoken out about how overwhelmed they were with the support they have received from the community while in quarantine As of yesterday South Australia reported 16 active cases of Covid-19, while announcing eased restrictions across the state. Adelaide Oval is now allowed a capacity of 50,000 seated spectators for Thursday night's Port Adelaide clash with Melbourne. Hospitality venues are now able to increase to a three people per four square metre rule, house gatherings are reverted to a 200 capacity limit with dancing, singing and drinking while standing up permitted again. A large black truck with a not-so-subtle sign has appeared next to a popular Covid-19 testing clinic in Sydney. The truck, which was pulled up alongside the car park of the Bondi Beach pop up testing clinic, was advertising the online sex toy brand NORMAL and featured a poster with a very cheeky discount code 'CumOnBondi'. 'Bondi, improve your lockdown,' the poster read with a bizarre photo of a sex toy parachuting with a surgical face mask. The truck is likely to turn heads down at the world famous eastern suburbs beach with thousands of residents queueing up to get a Covid swab each day. The truck which sat in the carpark of the Bondi Beach pop up testing clinic was advertising the online sex toy brand Normal and featured a poster with a very cheeky discount code 'CumOnBondi' Lucy Wark, the founder of NORMAL told Daily Mail Australia the truck had been there since early Tuesday morning and drew the attention of many waiting to get a test. 'We all know lockdown can be lonely, boring and generally low on endorphin-creating activities - and people in Bondi are dealing with the worst of it,' she said. 'It's been awesome seeing the response to the truck's presence around the streets of Bondi, and I guess selling out so quickly of one of our most popular toys means people are taking the next steps and investing in some self-care as well! 'As a brand we're all about normalising conversations around sexuality, and a big truck driving around Bondi while we're all stuck at home is a great way to help people start the conversation!'. Sydney is in the midst of a 14-day lockdown after coronavirus cases surged in the city. The lockdown is due to end at midnight on Friday but there are fears the stay at home orders may now be extended. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said a decision would be made on Wednesday as to whether or not Sydneysiders would remain confined to their homes over the weekend. Eighteen new infections were recorded on Tuesday and 11 were in isolation for the entire time they were infectious, but two were infectious while out in the community. Ms Berejiklian said another five were self-isolating for part of their infectious period while six people are now in ICU. The premier said government officials would look at 'every last bit of advice' before deciding whether to end Greater Sydney's strict stay-at-home restrictions. The truck is likely to turn heads down at the eastern suburbs beach with thousands of residents queueing up to get a swab each day at Bondi's testing clinic The lockdown was imposed on June 26 for two weeks to stem the spread of the highly-contagious Delta strain of the virus, which is thought to be about twice as transmissible as previous variants. 'We have been having various discussions with health experts and others in the last few days and that will continue throughout today and into the early evening,' she said. 'I hope to be able to communicate to the community tomorrow on what next week looks like.' Health officials have admitted that giving 163 students at one of Australia's most elite private schools the Pfizer Covid vaccine ahead of vulnerable groups was a mistake. St Joseph's College at Sydney's affluent Hunter's Hill confirmed to Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday that the Year 12 students were vaccinated last month, as millions of other less fortunate Aussies are forced to wait until the final quarter of this year. With community outrage surging over why students at the $50,000-a-year boarding school were given their first shot of the Pfizer vaccine despite the jab not yet being available to under 40s, health bosses blamed an 'error'. Dr Teresa Anderson, Chief Executive of Sydney Local Health District which falls under NSW Health, said the jabs had been intended to vaccinate only Aboriginal students at the school. Under eligibility guidelines, Indigenous Australians aged 16 to 49 are eligible for the jab which is in short supply nationwide. 'It was agreed that the Aboriginal students would be vaccinated through the state health system at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital's vaccination hub,' Dr Anderson said in a statement. 'Through an error, the wider group of boarders in Year 12, a total of 163 students, were also vaccinated. Sydney Local Health District apologises for this error.' St Joseph's College at Hunter's Hill, Australia's largest boarding school for boys, confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that 160 of its Year 12 students received the vaccine in May - despite the vaccine not being officially available to under-40s The school's headmaster Ross Tarlinton confirmed the school approached health authorities to enquire about vaccination for students. 'We have a large number of boys who live in a residential community, which includes boys from rural, remote and indigenous communities,' he said in a statement. The revelation comes after the desperate family of a 90-year-old woman in a nursing home said they had tried and failed to get their mum the jab. Sue Halford's 90-year-old mother Barbara resides in a nursing home and is still yet to be vaccinated, after being told she may have to wait until September. 'She's waiting and I really think she needs to get her shot as a priority group 1A, 90-year-old in aged care, she really should have got her shot yesterday,' Ms Halford told A Current Affair. Sue Halford's 90-year-old mother Barbara resides in a nursing home and is still yet to be vaccinated (pictured together) due to a shortage of Pfizer jabs Due to medical concerns, Barbara requires the Pfizer jab but with stock in short supply due to the federal government's bungled vaccine rollout, it meant she may have to wait until the final quarter of the year. 'I know it's supposed to be coming September 1, but there's still how long until then? So it needed to happen yesterday,' Ms Halford said. Despite the apparent shortage, NSW Health and Sydney Local Area Health District responded to the school's request and arranged vaccinations at an approved site. Mr Tarlinton pointed out the school, which charges $35,800 for day students, and $50,000 for boarders, does not decide who gets what vaccine. 'Acknowledging that the college does not determine vaccination priority, it welcomed the opportunity to offer the vaccine for students given the approvals provided and for the reasons listed above,' the statement read. Mr Tarlinton said he and the college would 'continue to encourage and support members of its community to receive the appropriate vaccine as the opportunity arises'. Australians have been waiting in long queues to receive Covid vaccines, but the Year 12 students from an elite Sydney boys' school was bussed to a NSW Health venue to receive Pfizer jabs nearly two months ago Because Pfizer is in short supply in Australia, it is not yet available to people under 40. Instead, younger Australians can only get the abundant AstraZeneca vaccine via their GPs because the government is prioritising Pfizer jabs for people aged 40 to 60. Young Australians are not expected to be able to choose their vaccine until at least September. Almost 8,000 younger people have received their first AstraZeneca dose since Prime Minister Scott Morrison highlighted it as an option last week. AstraZeneca, which is only recommended for people over 60 because of extremely rare but serious blood clots, has a 12-week gap between doses, while Pfizer has a three-week space. Covid-19 vaccine task force head John Frewen was quizzed about September or October being realistic markers for Pfizer to be expanded to under-40s. 'On the current supply forecasts that we have then I think that's when we're getting closer to having greater choice,' he told reporters in Canberra. 'But I won't tie myself to specific dates at this stage.' In a major change in the vaccine rollout strategy, Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week suggested people under 60 could discuss getting Astra Zeneca with their doctor - although it is not advised by medical authorities because of a low risk of blood clotting Lieutenant General Frewen said ample supplies of locally made AstraZeneca vaccines and limited imports of Pfizer meant age group priorities would stay in place. But he said as soon as supplies of Pfizer and the yet-to-be approved Moderna jab were available other options would be on the table. State and federal health officials met on Tuesday to discuss potential problems with the rollout, including possible staff shortages. Some officials are concerned there may not be enough workers available to roll out vaccines quickly and easily when tens of millions of Pfizer and Moderna doses arrive later this year. They are considering options including drafting in trainee paramedics or final year medical students. 'We're looking for every opportunity we can to accelerate the rollout,' Lt Gen Frewen said. Mobile mass vaccination hubs will also be considered. Jane Halton, who chairs the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, said Australia needed to be prepared for glitches in vaccine delivery. Younger Australians can only get the abundant AstraZeneca vaccine via their GPs because the government is prioritising Pfizer jabs for people aged 40 to 60. Young Australians are not expected to be able to choose their vaccine until at least September 'This is not something that you can just stick on general practice across the country and then get that huge number of people through,' she told ABC radio. 'The federal government is starting to sit in a really co-operative way, not just with the states, but working with industry, who are really desperate to help their workforces get vaccinated as well.' State governments are jostling to get their hands on the doses, with NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard likening the rollout to The Hunger Games. Mr Hazzard concedes a global contest for vaccine supplies is providing to be a major problem. 'This is a war and the federal government is doing their best to try and get vaccines,' he told ABC radio. Almost 9.5 per cent of Australians aged over 16 have been fully vaccinated. Labor leader Anthony Albanese said the government had gone from being complacent last year when it claimed to be at the front of the vaccine queue to being incompetent. 'Australia is last in the developed world when it comes to fully vaccinating our population,' he told reporters in Brisbane. Daily Mail Australia approached NSW Health for comment. A female prison guard has been charged with assault after being accused of choking an inmate at Sydney's Silverwater jail. Detectives began investigating after a referral from the Silverwater Correctional Complex about the alleged assault of the female prisoner. The 55-year-old senior corrections officer - who has been suspended from work - was arrested at her home in Mascot on Tuesday. She was charged with common assault and choking a person without consent and granted conditional bail to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on July 26. Australians under 40 are expected to be offered Pfizer vaccines from September when more supply arrives from overseas. Lieutenant General John Frewen, head of the Covid-19 taskforce, said young people will be able to chose which jab they get later this year. Currently, Aussies under 40 can only get the abundant AstraZeneca vaccine via their GPs because the government is prioritising scare Pfizer jabs for people aged 40 to 60. Australians under 40 are expected to be offered Pfizer vaccines from September when more supply arrives from overseas. Pictured: Vaccine queues in Sydney on Thursday Expected doses per week of each vaccine arriving in Australia July-August 2021 AstraZeneca ~ 2.2m 2.6m Pfizer ~ 650k 750k Moderna ~ 0 September 2021 AstraZeneca ~ 880k 1.2m Pfizer ~ 930k 1.3m Moderna ~ 87k 125k Oct-Dec 2021 AstraZeneca Subject to request Pfizer ~ 1.7m 2.3m Moderna ~ 430k 615k Source: Department of Health Advertisement 'I think when we get to September and October, if we've got the amounts of supply that we are forecast to have at those stages, that's around about the time we may be able to look at bringing more choice into the program,' Mr Frewen said. 'But we can't put a hard time on that just yet. 'Because of supply issues, we're prioritising Pfizer for certain age groups. 'For those below 40, if they wish to take up AstraZeneca now, they can under informed consent. 'When we have supplies of both we offer choice to individuals,' he added. Australia expects to receive up to 750,000 Pfizer doses a week in July and August, up to 1.3million in September and up to 2.3million from October. The country is also due to receive up to 125,000 Moderna doses per week in September and up to 615,000 after that. Almost 8,000 under 40s have received their first AstraZeneca dose since Prime Minister Scott Morrison highlighted it as an option last week. AstraZeneca, which is only recommended for Australians over 60 because of extremely rare but serious blood clots, has a 12-week gap between doses, while Pfizer has a three-week space. Lieutenant General John Frewen (right) speaks alongside Colonel Spencer Norris (left) during a zoom meeting with state premiers and chief ministers at Scarborough House on July 6 in Canberra State and federal health officials met on Tuesday to discuss potential problems with the rollout, including possible staff shortages. Some officials are concerned there may not be enough workers available to roll out vaccines quickly and easily when tens of millions of Pfizer and Moderna doses arrive later this year. They are considering options including drafting in trainee paramedics or final year medical students. 'We're looking for every opportunity we can to accelerate the rollout,' Mr Frewen said. Mobile mass vaccination hubs will also be considered. Jane Halton, who chairs the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, said Australia needed to be prepared for glitches in vaccine delivery. 'This is not something that you can just stick on general practice across the country and then get that huge number of people through,' she told ABC radio. 'The federal government is starting to sit in a really co-operative way, not just with the states, but working with industry, who are really desperate to help their workforces get vaccinated as well.' A young maths whiz has calculating the probability notoriously late WA Premier Mark McGowan will start his Covid press conferences on time. Angus, a PhD student from Perth, created an infographic painstakingly analysing all 39 of Mr McGowan's press conferences during the past seven months. He described his study as 'a data driven approach to figuring out when the hell Mark McGowan will actually arrive at his press conferences' in a Reddit post. A young maths whiz has calculating the probability notoriously late WA Premier Mark McGowan will start his Covid press conferences on time Angus, a PhD student from Perth, created an infographic painstakingly analysing all 39 of Mr McGowan's press conferences during the past seven months The mathematician calculated how late the premier was to press conferences from December 1, 2020 to July 3, 2021. Comparing the 'number of press conferences' with the 'minutes late' on a graph, he showed the premier had his latest start on April 28 this year, keeping Western Australians waiting 32.4 minutes. Another display on the infographic calculated the estimated probability of a press conference starting, by the minutes passed after the scheduled time. By using 'probability Mark has begun' and 'minutes late' as his two indicators, he found there was roughly a 10 per cent chance the premier would start on time. The probability of Mr McGowan starting nine minutes after the scheduled time was about 50/50. The maths whiz also calculated that by 22 to 23 minutes past the scheduled start time, there was more than a 90 per cent chance the premier had begun. Comparing the 'number of press conferences' with the 'minutes late' , he found the premier had his latest start on April 28 this year, keeping West Australians waiting 32.4 minutes By using 'probability Mark has begun' and 'minutes late' as his two indicators, he found there was roughly a 10 per cent chance the premier would start his press conferences on time Angus said the data used to construct his graphs was based on 39 press conferences, sourced from ABC News, YouTube and Facebook livestreams. Overall, he found Mr McGowan's median lateness to his scheduled pressers during the coronavirus pandemic was about nine minutes. Angus was quick to explain to entertained Reddit users he wasn't 'trashing' the WA premier, but was simply having some fun. 'WA's response to Covid-19 has been amazing and I genuinely don't care if he's not on time to his pressers', the PhD student said. 'If anything, being a perpetually late person myself this data was quite validating to me, although I'm sure Mark has better reasons to be late than I do.' Many Reddit users were quick to tell the maths whiz the WA premier himself had posted the infographic to Facebook, receiving 22,000 likes in under 24 hours Mr McGowan got wind of the maths project and used the results to roast himself on his Facebook page. 'Data from around the world has given us so many crucial insights throughout this pandemic. Understanding data helps you to understand the world,' he wrote. 'In my duties as premier and as treasurer, I know this as well as anyone: we can learn so much from health data, economic data, jobs data, housing data, geographic data, social data and more.' While the premier proved he wasn't afraid to poke fun at his infamous tardiness, he wrote he wouldn't be adding the data work to his daily updates anytime soon. Tickled West Australian's shared their thoughts in the comments, many agreeing the premier's sense of humour was critical in difficult times Millions of Perth and Peel residents will enjoy a second phase of transitional restrictions from 12:01am on Tuesday, with face masks no longer required outdoors Tickled Western Australians shared their thoughts in the comments, many agreeing the premier's sense of humour was critical in difficult times. Millions of Perth and Peel residents will enjoy a second phase of transitional restrictions from 12.01am on Tuesday, with face masks no longer required outdoors. Hospitality venues will return to a two-square metre capacity and a limit of 150 patrons with the Optus Stadium and RAC Arena can operate at 50 per cent capacity. The restrictions are due to expire next Monday, when Perth and Peel are slated to return to pre-lockdown life. The troublesome Lambda Covid variant has now been spotted in 31 countries after Australia became the latest nation to detect it. The mutant strain caught the attention of World Health Organization bosses after it was spotted in the UK, US and Germany. Thought to have originated in Peru last summer, it quickly spiralled and now makes up almost 81 per cent of the South American country's cases. Doctors monitoring its growth fear it spreads easier than other strains, including the Indian version that has caused havoc across the world. But coronavirus-tracking scientists are puzzled about the true transmissibility of the variant, given it was first spotted in Britain and February and has yet to take off. They have yet to uncover any proof the variant is actually any more contagious than existing strains, including Delta or 'Delta Plus'. Others also insist there is no evidence to suggest it is deadlier, despite some doctors linking its spread to Peru having the world's worst Covid mortality rate. And in a glimmer of hope, scientists have found both the Pfizer and Moderna's jabs are effective at cutting the risk of severe illness caused by the strain. Australia became the latest country to detect Lambda, it was revealed today. But the case also dates back several months. The variant was detected in a traveller stuck in hotel quarantine in New South Wales in April, according to the national genomics database AusTrakka. Medical personnel remove the corpse of a Covid-19 victim from Honorio Delgado Hospital in Arequipa, Peru where the Lambda variant accounts for almost 81 per cent of the country's cases since April The strain was marked as a 'variant of interest' by the World Health Organisation on June 14 due to its high transmissibility (pictured, a woman getting the Pfizer vaccine in Sydney) The Lambda variant was first was detected in a traveller undergoing hotel quarantine in New South Wales in April The Lambda variant: Is it REALLY the world's most transmissible strain? Name: Lambda or C.37 Where was it first spotted? The strain was first sequenced in Peru in August 2020. How many cases have there been in the UK? Britain has sequenced seven cases of the variant. Only one has been spotted in the last four weeks, with the strain making up less than 0.1 per cent of infections during the period. Where else has it been spotted? The variant has been spotted in 30 other countries, including the US, Australia and Germany. What mutations does it have? It has two concerning mutations on its spike protein known as L452Q and F490S. The mutations are feared play a role in making it more infectious and able to dodge some immunity. Is it more infectious? Scientists in Peru have claimed the mutation is more infectious because of its rapid spread in the country. But there is no significant proof the virus is actually any more contagious than existing strains, including Delta. Is it more deadly? Experts insist there is no evidence to suggest it is deadlier, despite some doctors linking its spread to Peru having the world's worst Covid mortality rate. Advertisement The strain, also known to scientists as C.37, was marked as a 'variant of interest' by the WHO last month because of its high transmissibility. There is no evidence to suggest the strain has started to spread among the community in Australia. Professor Christina Pagel, a mathematician at University College London, told MailOnline: 'I think Lambda is definitely a variant that we should be tracking. 'But I won't be worried about it until it starts growing week-on-week and at the moment it's too early to say.' Professor Pablo Tsukayama, of Cayetano Heredia University in Lima, said the strain has 'exploded' in Peru, with the new variant responsible for 82 per cent of current cases. He told the Financial Times that it made up just one in every 200 samples back in December, when it was first spotted. 'That would suggest its rate of transmission is higher than any other variant,' Professor Tsukayama said. But other experts have sought to dial down concerns over the variant, saying there is no evidence it is more of a threat than other variants. Jairo Mendez Rico, an adviser on emerging viral diseases at the Pan-American Health Organisation, told the FT: 'At the moment there is no evidence to suggest it's more aggressive than other variants. 'It's possible that it has a higher rate of contagion but more work needs to be done on it.' The director of Britain's largest centre for sequencing Covid genomes, Dr Jeffrey Barrett, said it was difficult to 'make sense' of the threat from the variant. 'One reason why it is hard to make sense of the threat from Lambda, using computational or lab data, is that it has rather an unusual set of mutations compared with other variants.' The mutant strain carries the mutation L452Q, which scientists say makes it more transmissible. Fears about its severity were first raised by the Malaysian Health Ministry. It reportedly tweeted yesterday: 'The Lambda strain was reported to have originated from Peru, the country with the highest mortality rate in the world.' It noted that researchers are worried that this variant may be 'more infectious than the Delta variant', Malaysian news websites claimed. Public Health England made Lambda a 'variant under investigation' in June after six cases were detected in returned travellers. Two new cases have since been detected in the UK. Chilean scientists who studied blood samples taken form health workers originally found the Lambda variant had the L452Q mutation. The mutation is similar to the L452R mutation in the Delta and Epsilon variants which researchers believe make it more infectious. Sequencing in the Peru and neighbouring Chile, where the most cases of the strain have been recorded, is poor compared to the UK and US. The strain only accounts for 0.3 per cent of infections in the US and less than 0.1 per cent in Britain. University of Queensland virologist Kirsty Short said more research was needed before classifying Lambda as more infectious than the Delta variant. 'It's very preliminary,' said Dr Short told the ABC. 'It's a good starting point, but I certainly wouldn't infer anything from that into the clinic.' It comes after a study by New York University Grossman School of Medicine suggested Pfizer's and Moderna's vaccines are effective against the strain. The research, published in a preprint on BioRxiv, showed while the variant 'showed a partial resistance' to the antibodies created by the vaccines, the resistance 'is not likely 120 to cause a significant loss of protection against infection'. The authors wrote: 'The results suggest that the vaccines in current use will remain protective against the lambda variant and that monoclonal antibody therapy will remain effective. 'The findings highlight the importance of wide-spread adoption of vaccination which will protect individuals from disease, decrease virus spread and slow the emergence of novel variants.' A retired senior police officer is being investigated by a watchdog after he said he 'got away' with not following procedure on the night of the Manchester Arena bombing. Chief Inspector Dale Sexton, of Greater Manchester Police, was the force duty officer in the control room on the night of the blast in May 2017 which killed 22 people and injured hundreds. Giving evidence in May, he told the inquiry he made a deliberate decision to not alert the ambulance and fire services that he had declared Operation Plato, a planned response to a marauding armed terrorist, as he thought it would leave casualties unattended at the explosion site. However, he admitted he made no mention of going against protocol and keeping the declaration secret from partner services when interviewed in 2018 as part of the Kerslake Report, an independent review into the emergency response commissioned by mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham. He told the inquiry: 'I didn't want for that decision almost to be known. I don't know why, but it was certainly something which wasn't mentioned to Kerslake. 'I don't know why I didn't mention it. But I certainly wouldn't have wanted to - as I had seen it, for me I'd almost got away with it on the night, as in I'd achieved to keep people at the scene providing medical treatment, and then after that, I suppose knowing that it was such a significant deviation, I really didn't want to draw light to it.' Chief Inspector Dale Sexton, of Greater Manchester Police, was the force duty officer in the control room on the night of the Manchester Arena bombing The scene close to the Manchester Arena after the terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert He denied he had lied to the Kerslake review and described it as an 'omission'. On Monday, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it had received a voluntary conduct referral from Greater Manchester Police in relation to oral evidence provided by an officer to the inquiry. The watchdog added it also received a referral from the force of a complaint submitted on behalf of families of the victims in relation to the same individual. IOPC regional director Amanda Rowe said: 'The Manchester Arena bombing was a tragedy that had a profound impact right across Greater Manchester and beyond. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this horrific act of violence. 'The events of that night are subject to an ongoing public inquiry and our work will not seek to replicate that. Our investigation, which is at an early stage, will focus on the actions of the officer, specifically in relation to the concerns raised by Greater Manchester Police and the families of the victims. 'It is vital for public confidence in policing that such matters are subject to thorough and independent scrutiny, which is what we will provide.' Sexton told the inquiry he made a deliberate decision to not alert the ambulance and fire services that he had declared Operation Plato, a planned response to a marauding armed terrorist Salman Abedi (pictured) hid for nearly an hour on the upstairs level of the foyer at Manchester Arena before he detonated his home-made explosives in May 2017 It comes after an ambulance service commander agreed in June that 'no leadership' was provided by him on the night of the Manchester Arena terror attack. Deputy director at North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) Neil Barnes was the on-call Gold commander, the most senior NWAS officer, on the night suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated explosives at an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017. The suicide bomber hid for nearly an hour on the upstairs level of the foyer out of sight of CCTV cameras before he detonated his Karrimor rucksack filled with explosives - killing 22 people and inuring 119. Mr Barnes, who had overall responsibility for 'command, response and recovery' in the event of a major incident, chose to stay at home and await more information after taking the first call about an 'incident' at the arena, the inquiry heard. He denied the fact that being on annual leave the next day and him being due to catch a flight out of the country had anything to do with the decision. A keen fisherman has risked his life for a barramundi after casting a line while waist deep in croc-infested waters. Photos captured in Rapid Creek, a northern suburb of Darwin in the Northern Territory, show the man fishing in the murky waters at about 6.30pm on July 4. The angler placed himself into the hunting ground of Australia's apex predators, with dirty grey water being the perfect camouflage for crocodiles looking for their next meal. The photo captured (above) shows a Rapid Creek fisherman waist deep in croc-infested waters, putting himself in grave danger while trying to catch barramundi The person who captured the picture told NT News that the fisherman didn't even manage to catch anything, as other people out of the water successfully reeled in barramundi. 'I thought he was risking his life and was very stupid for doing what he was doing, he was in the water for about 30 mins, he was the only one out in the water,' the unnamed person said. A common misconception that crocodiles aren't around in the dry season has given Darwin residents a false sense of confidence, experts say. Senior Wildlife Ranger with the Crocodile Management Team, Tom Nichols said that anyone who goes near water in the Northern Territory's top end should not forget that crocodile's inhabit the area. 'People are making the most of the beautiful weather, however you must always assume a large and potentially dangerous crocodile could be living in any body of water in the Top End. Crocodiles (pictured) hide in the Northern Territory water bodies, as the murky water provides the perfect hiding place as they stalk their prey Rapid Creek, a northern suburb of Darwin, has many bodies of water (pictured above) which authorities are warning swimmers and fisherman to assume are home to crocodiles 'We live and play in croc country and there is no room for complacency. Just because you haven't seen a crocodile in an area before does not mean one hasn't moved in.' This image emerged after two other Darwin fishermen captured the moment a crocodile lurking near their boat completely vanished. Neal Fischer and Brychan Hawker were using their drone to film the Cox Peninsula, west of Darwin, during a fishing trip on Saturday when they saw the giant reptile swimming in a rip on June 6. Scrap those plans for a dip! NT beauty and terror Our coastal waters look pretty inviting, until you take a closer look. Brychan spotted this large croc while beach fishing at Cox Peninsula on Saturday Each time the drone got close the croc would dive down. IG @bryk_fish Posted by ABC Darwin on Saturday, June 5, 2021 Every time the pair moved the drone closer to the crocodile, it would plunge down into the water and out of sight. When the footage was shared on Facebook by the ABC, users to flocked to the comments section to share their horror. 'It just disappears,' one shocked viewer wrote. 'It's not stupid. Sitting there to the side of the rip, just waiting for something to be pulled past it,' another added. The foster brother of murdered 12-year-old girl Tiahleigh Palmer is facing a new legal battle, just three years after serving time behind bars for incest. Queensland Police allege Trent Thorburn, 24, broke into a camping store with two teenage boys at Parkinson in Brisbanes south, stealing a vehicle load of outdoor goods. The convicted sex predator, who was 18 when he abused his 12-year-old foster sister, has been charged with burglary, while the two 17-year-olds will be dealt with under the Youth Justice Act. If convicted, Thorburn could be sent back to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence for incest after being allowed to walk free just 16 months into his four year sentence. Queensland Police allege Trent Thorburn, 24 (pictured), broke into a camping store with two teenage boys at Parkinson in Brisbanes south, stealing a vehicle load of outdoor goods Thorburn confessed to his mother that he'd had sex with the schoolgirl (pictured) and feared the stomach pains were a sign she was pregnant It is alleged the trio drove a white Nissan Patrol onto the outdoor supply business on June 25 at about 8pm where they broke in and loaded tents, a swag and gazebo into the 4WD, the Courier Mail reported. Thorburn is set to face the Beenleigh Magistrates Court at the end of July. His father Rick is currently serving a life sentence for the horrific killing of his foster child Tiahleigh in 2015. Her badly decomposed body - naked except for underpants - was found by fishermen six days after she was strangled on the banks of the Pimpama River, in a crime that shocked the nation. Although her foster father pleaded guilty to her murder, he claims he accidentally suffocated her. In the hours before Tiahleigh died, she had been to a hip-hop dance class where she complained of stomach pains. The 12-year-old's (pictured) foster father Rick Thorburn is currently serving a life sentence for her horrific killing in 2015 Tiahleigh's family are pictured outside court before a two-day inquest into her death That day, Thorburn confessed to his mother that he'd had sex with the schoolgirl and feared the stomach pains were a sign she was pregnant. From 8pm that night, Tiahleigh was home alone with her foster father for two hours. She was never seen alive again. Convicted sex offender Rick Thorburn is serving a life sentence for the murder of Tiahleigh on October 29, 2015 Trent and brother Joshua Thorburn told the inquest they understood Tiahleigh was killed because of the sexual encounter. Thorburn was sentenced to four years in prison for incest, perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice. A large amount of his sentence was served in solitary confinement, after he was subjected to vicious assaults by other inmates. Thorburn was allowed to walk free in 2018 after just 16 months behind bars. Another conviction could see him sent straight back to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence. Asked whether it was fair to say his father killed the girl because he feared his son would go to jail, Thorburn told a recent coroner's inquest that he didn't remember his father saying that, but 'that has just been my overall guess'. 'He's my father and I believe that he would do anything to protect his family,' Thorburn added. Julene Thorburn told the inquest her husband never discussed how he killed Tiahleigh. 'All he ever said to me was... 'what you aren't told, you can't repeat', so he never told me anything around the circumstances of anything on the night,' she said. Advertisement Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has admitted that the government is not in a rush to stop people working from home because empty offices will help it meet its 'housing objectives'. The admission comes amid mounting fury from business leaders who called for 'urgent' clarity on the Prime Minister's vague and half-baked guidance to get millions of Britons back into the office from July 19, as lawyers told MailOnline that workers who refuse to return could be sacked. Now, in a startling admission, the Housing Secretary has said that it is unlikely that office working would return to exactly how it was prior to the pandemic, but claimed that the change could be beneficial in other areas. He said today: 'It will help us to do office-to-residential conversion, and meet our housing objectives on brownfield sites. It will also help us with levelling up, because people being able to work remotely will make it more viable for people to live in more rural communities in smaller towns and commute less regularly than they used to do.' Mr Johnson announced last night that people in England will no longer have to work from home as of July 19 but the lack of detail on workplace safety, test and trace and international travel was slammed by industry bosses who warned it will cause a 'huge headache' for firms and could 'undermine the confidence' of many workers heading into the office for the first time in 18 months. Both the British Chambers of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses have expressed their dissatisfaction at the lack of detail, especially on the use of masks, testing, temperature taking and social distancing on the office floor, in lifts and corridors. Health Secretary Sajid Javid triggered further fury today as he revealed the requirement for the double-jabbed to self-isolate will not be dropped until August 16 - leaving businesses on the brink of disaster at the prospect of 'massive' staff absence with millions forced to self-isolate. The remarks drew more criticism, with Jane Gratton, Head of People Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, telling MailOnline: 'Government needs to ensure there is the right balance of land for jobs as well as homes. Although many businesses may use physical premises differently, it doesn't necessarily mean they will need less space. 'In many local economies across the country, firms are already struggling to find quality land and premises for their growth needs. Simply converting vacant business space to residential, without planning for employment, will store up big problems for the future, jeopardising jobs and private sector investment.' Despite increasing pressure from businesses, No 10 said today there is still no 'specific date' for when their full working safely guidance will be published, saying it will be published 'in due course', as a study revealed that 2.5million workers say they'll never feel comfortable returning to the office. Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said businesses of all sizes were still lacking the 'full picture they desperately need to plan for unlocking'. She said: 'Much remains in the balance, firms do not yet know the future of self-isolation rules, if testing will remain free for them, or when international travel will open up effectively. 'Without clear guidance for businesses around the new proposals, there could be real uncertainty on how they should operate going forward and what they should be doing to keep staff and their customers safe.' One advertising boss, Chris Hirst, from Havas Creative, said that he believes that he must now accept that his 1,800 staff will only be in the office 'two or three days a week' because he can't force them to return. The Bank of England meanwhile announced it only wants staff to work in the office one day a week from September. Mr Johnson announced last night that people in England will no longer have to work from home - but there will be no rush to get people back to the office and no Government campaign encouraging them do so. And unions have now ramped up the pressure to cement the shift towards working from home, demanding that ministers must now bring in a new right to flexible working for every worker, in every job, in the UK. But lawyers have told MailOnline that from July 19 businesses could sack staff who refuse to come back to work - and potentially force them to wear masks - but employees could sue if they fall ill with Covid after their bosses had not properly protected them or they were discriminated against. Steven Mather, consultant solicitor for Nexa Law, said: 'It would be reasonable for an employer to require staff to go into the office and, if the employee refused, they could potentially be dismissed. 'The employee would need to be able to show that the requirement to attend the office was a danger, which they wouldn't be able to do as the government guidance on it is that it is fine, and therefore unless there was an element of discrimination involved there would be no claim, in my opinion, that an employee could bring. The employer, by the way, would need to follow a fair and proper procedure before disciplining anyone'. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick admitted today that people working from home could help the government meet housing objectives The Government's guidance on returning to work is only around 100 words - with large swathes of questions unanswered including over social distancing, masks and health checks such as temperature taking and testing Chris Hirst, from Havas Creative, said today that he believes that he must no accept that his 1,800 staff will only be in the office 'two or three days a week' because he couldn't now force them to return. Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said businesses of all sizes were still lacking the 'full picture they desperately need to plan for unlocking' Boris Johnson has been accused of not giving businesses much of the guidance they need to keep staff safe and get their offices open again There was further confusion today as Mr Jenrick insisted businesses now have the backing of a 'strong Government message' when it comes to encouraging their staff back to offices - but Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng then said ministers shouldn't be telling people where to work. Speaking on a visit to Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port car plant in Cheshire, Mr Kwarteng said: 'There's always a balance here. I think we have to reach a point where a degree of commons sense and proportion has to be used. 'And I think that employees, employers, can come to their own arrangements, they understand their workforce, they understand the environment in which they are working and I would expect them to come to sensible arrangements and I think that's where we're heading'. Health Secretary Sajid Javid gave more mixed messages by confirming that masks will not be mandatory in a fortnight's time before adding he will be carrying one with him at all times away from home and will wear them in crowded and confined spaces. So what WILL office rules be when WFH order ends? Hand-sanitiser and avoiding 'unnecessary contact' - what workers can expect and what STILL isn't clear about return to desks Boris Johnson's new guidance on returning to the office amounts to around 100 words - and around three paragraphs. It says that businesses welcoming people back to the office should: Ensure workers who feel ill or self-isolating cannot be forced into the office; A focus on hand hygiene, such as hand sanitser, and regular cleaning of desks and common areas Businesses should still find ways to avoid 'unnecessary contact' - but no clarity on social distancing, one way systems or gaps between work stations; Ensure good ventilation and use CO2 monitors to monitor it; Use outside space 'where practical'; And what is not clear from the guidance.... Can my boss force me to wear a mask? Probably, yes. Lawyers believe a reasonable request for a worker to wear a mask is hard for a worker to reject, and they could be disciplined or sacked if they do. Many pubs are expected to ask staff in the kitchen and front of house to wear masks - as will some hairdresser and beauticians. The Working Safely guidance (applicable in England) recommends that face coverings should be worn in certain workplaces, such as the care sector or in the NHS. Previous guidance for offices says it may be appropriate to wear face coverings in some office settings - but there is no diktat. However, legal experts believe if an employer makes a reasonable request then an employee is unlikely to be able to say no, unless they have a medical exemption. Steven Mather, consultant solicitor for Nexa Law, said: 'I can envisage a situation where some shops and in particular hospitality, continue to require their staff to wear masks for customers protection. If that were to happen, then my view would be that the employer's mandate to its employees would override the Government's more laisse faire approach. 'If an employee refused to wear a mask 'because it wasn't law', then they could still be reasonably sanctioned by their employer (including being dismissed) because it was a reasonable instruction from their employer. Provided there was no discrimination taking place, the employer would be able to force staff to wear a mask'. Can I be forced to work in the office? Yes. The government guidance to work from home where possible will go on July 19. Previously companies were warned they may potentially find themselves at risk of prosecution for encouraging their employees to commit an offence by coming in. This threat will now disappear in a fortnight. What if an employee refuses? If they are not being put in danger, then anyone can be disciplined and eventually sacked. Steven Mather, consultant solicitor for Nexa Law, said: 'It would be reasonable for an employer to require staff to go into the office and, if the employee refused, they could potentially be dismissed. 'The employee would need to be able to show that the requirement to attend the office was a danger, which they wouldn't be able to do as the government guidance on it is that it is fine, and therefore unless there was an element of discrimination involved there would be no claim, in my opinion, that an employee could bring. The employer, by the way, would need to follow a fair and proper procedure before disciplining anyone'. What if I think my office is unsafe? Staff who believe that their office fails to meet certain safety standards may try argue that they should stay at home. The Government's guidance is light on detail, but does talk about hand hygiene and enhanced cleaning. A worker who finds their officer is not regularly cleaned and disinfected, and that hand sanitiser is not provided, could argue they may stay at home until basic standard are met, lawyers say. Can I sue my employer if I get covid? Yes. For an employee to sue the employer they must prove that some form of negligence occurred on the employers' part. Firstly the employee will still have to demonstrate that they actually caught coronavirus in the workplace, and show they complied with all workplace rules as it is possible that the employee caught coronavirus whilst travelling on public transport, from a family member or a friend whom they've had close contact with. An employer can be found negligent if they don't implement all appropriate Covid-Secure measures, ask staff to work in a potentially dangerous way or fail to ensure that staff follow the rules. But that doesn't mean the employee is on to a winner, it will be very challenging to prove they got covid at work - especially with a commute. What Covid measures is my company required to follow? Will I be tested in the office? The Government's guidance doesn't contain any diktats on measures for the office. Many offices may choose to check the temperature of staff when they arrive for work. While some bosses have set up testing for staff, this is expensive and may not continue. How much notice should I get to return to the office? There is no concrete rule - but a business should give a minimum of 48 hours' notice. What if I have to self-isolate after July 19? The guidance is is very clear for those with coronavirus symptoms: stay at home. You cannot be dismissed, as this would amount to unfair dismissal under the Employment Rights Act 1996. You can expect to be paid statutory sick pay (SSP) from the first day you are off sick until you recover. If you are not ill - but asked to self isolating, you may be expected to work from home on full pay. I'm scared to return to work? Is that allowed? Refusing to return to work because you are worried about the commute, for example, is not likely to be considered reasonable. People would need to be signed off by their doctor and provide the necessary documents to their employer, who would deal with it as a health matter. Advertisement Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said businesses of all sizes were still lacking the 'full picture they desperately need to plan for unlocking'. She said: 'Much remains in the balance, firms do not yet know the future of self-isolation rules, if testing will remain free for them, or when international travel will open up effectively. 'Without clear guidance for businesses around the new proposals, there could be real uncertainty on how they should operate going forward and what they should be doing to keep staff and their customers safe. 'This could lead to a fractured, patchwork approach with very different positions being taken by many businesses, across many locations. That, in turn, could severely undermine the public's trust in reopening. 'All of this means the huge logistical headache firms face around reopening hasn't disappeared and there remains a real risk of damage to business confidence.' Kate Allen, owner at luxury holiday lettings company, Salcombe Finest warned that some businesses might be destroyed by the delay to the end of isolation for the double-jabbed. 'We may have Freedom Day this month, but until August 16 comes, for many small businesses it's like being on day release with an electronic tag,' she said. 'By mid-August, you're at the tail end of the holiday season and not scrapping the rules sooner is causing a logistical nightmare for businesses like mine. 'Housekeeping teams cannot continue to service holiday homes if they simply don't have the numbers to do so because of self-isolation rules. 'We are expecting many toys to be thrown out of multi-million pound prams for those unable to check-in to their luxury holiday homes.' Matt Kilcoyne, deputy director of the Adam Smith Institute think tank, told MailOnline that the numbers of people being forced to self-isolate was 'scary'. 'What's unforgivable is that the government knows the risks, and the potential to ratchet up exponentially as cases climb, and is delaying a change it knows is necessary to fit some pre-ordained date rather than amending the policy to fit the data. 'When Boris announced that double dosed individuals will not have to isolate after coming into contact with a covid case from July 19th we all missed something truly important. 'Either this policy is good to go now, or it's not good to be implemented then. Keeping the app as is risks killing the economic recovery and passes the cost wholesale onto businesses, banks and families. 'There is no shade of grey in this issue, either it is right to do and now or wrong to do. The strange wait-and-see attitude leaves the government on the wrong side of the science and our economy exposed.' Claire Walker, Co-Executive Director of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: 'We are already seeing issues for businesses related to staff having to self-isolate and some members are even struggling to stay open as a result. 'As instances of self-isolation are only likely to continue to rise between July 19th and the change to the requirements on August 16th, firms need to know how they are expected to cope in the intervening period. Businesses need to understand the rationale behind the decisions being made and need clear guidance on how they are expected to operate as these changes take effect.' Businesses now have the backing of a 'strong Government message' when it comes to encouraging their staff back to offices, the Housing Secretary has said. Robert Jenrick acknowledged that the work-from-home guidance had been tough for England's towns and city centres because of a lack of footfall from the usual office workers and commuters. Questioned on how councils could encourage firms to bring back their staff to offices in an effort to support high streets, Mr Jenrick said: 'We have given quite clear signals to businesses now that they can encourage their workforce to return to the office if they wish to do so. 'It will be a judgment for those businesses, we are not going to demand that they do so. Businesses will come to different conclusions. The Housing Secretary said that it was unlikely that office working would return to exactly how it was prior to the pandemic, but said this change could be beneficial in other areas. He explained: 'It will help us to do office-to-residential conversion, and meet our housing objectives on brownfield sites. 'It will also help us with levelling up, because people being able to work remotely will make it more viable for people to live in more rural communities in smaller towns and commute less regularly than they used to do'. But thousands of businesses are in the dark about how best to prepare for July 19. The uncertainty about the return to offices, it also emerged today: Self-isolation will not be dropped for the double-jabbed and children who are 'pinged' until AUGUST 16 as Sajid Javid says 'wall of protection' from vaccines means government can 'look afresh' at rules; But Mr Javid admitted coronavirus cases could top 100,000 a day by the summer as the government pushes ahead with the unlocking; Leave voters are more likely to ditch face coverings when laws are axed as top Sage expert says shops should be allowed to bar people who refuse to cover up; Chris Whitty says it's better to get big bang of cases out of the way in summer when hospitals are less busy after SAGE modelling showed July was the 'sweet spot' for unlocking; The PM's new guidance contains just three paragraphs for businesses, and refers them to Health and Safety Executive pandemic advice not updated since earlier this year. It has left businesses of all types, who have collectively spent millions on in-house testing, temperature machines, one-way systems and enhanced cleaning to get offices open, still unsure about what is required with just a fortnight until 'Freedom Day' on July 19. There are also legal concerns about whether they can force people back to work - and whether staff who fall ill with Covid on the way to the office, or in the workplace, will have a case to sue their employer. Others said clarity is urgently needed with a fortnight to go. Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation Of Small Businesses, added: 'Any celebrations will be on hold until we know what new operating rules will look like - we urgently need clarity. 'Small firms have a host of questions they need answering in the next 14 days, among them: is this intervention confirmation enough to buy stock and get staff in place for the 19th? 'What do I say to staff worried about the safety of public transport? Where do I stand if I lift all restrictions at my business and someone contracts COVID-19 on site? Do I tell staff the office is safe to reopen? 'How will the rules around schooling and childcare change? What police protection will there be for me if I ask customers to follow safety procedures and they refuse? What infrastructure, like testing, will be kept in place for businesses?' The Government has said it will expand on its guidance soon. The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said: 'I don't have a specific date. Obviously we have been in regular contact with stakeholders about working safely guidance and update in due course'. At the moment the Government is limited to a few paragraphs, and much of it is aimed at hospitality rather than businesses. It says: 'Businesses must not require a self-isolating worker to come to work, and should make sure that workers and customers who feel unwell do not attend the setting. 'Businesses will be encouraged to ask staff and customers to clean their hands regularly and clean surfaces that people touch regularly. The Government will provide guidance on how businesses can reduce unnecessary contact in the workplace, where it is practical. 'Operators will still be encouraged to use outside space where practical, and to consider the supply of fresh air to indoor spaces. 'Carbon dioxide (CO2) monitors could be used to help identify where a space is poorly ventilated with businesses encouraged to take steps to improve ventilation if CO2 readings are consistently'. Experts have predicted that the lack of detail could see businesses delay bringing staff back to the office to the Autumn or even next year. Professor Denis Kinane, Immunologist and Chief Medical Officer of Cignpost Diagnostics said:'While the government has provided detailed guidance for how weddings, night clubs and sporting events can restart, there has been nothing for the vast majority of office-based organisations, other than the recommendation that working from home will continue for another two weeks. 'Employers have a duty of care to protect employees. These measures can be considered in light of the vaccination status of employees and the level of infection in the community. 'While many businesses will delay the return of employees until robust guidance is outlined, we can look to the experience of the organisations that have already begun to return critical workers to the office as the best way to understand the options available. Twice-weekly PCR testing regimes have been introduced effectively across many organisations as a practical and sensible way to give staff and their families continuous protection. It is also the best way to return to normality and end social distancing. As the vaccine rollout continues apace, and the level of infection in the community changes, we should adapt our testing process accordingly.' Businesses have said they will no move to hybrid working going forward - with many telling staff they can work wherever they want. Advertising chief Chris Hirst, from Havas Creative, says he expects all his 1,800 staff to work a mix. He said: 'I will expect and hope that we will get to a place, and I think this is September at the earliest by the way, that we will have all of the people some of the time. 'My personal position has changed on this, if I'm being honest. If you asked me last April I would've said: 'Our business will survive but we need to get everybody back into the office as quickly as we can'. 'I don't think that's the case anymore and I genuinely think there's the possibility of a win-win. I do believe we will move to a hybrid working model and I think that would be to the benefit of employers and employees'. He said that he will bring in 'rules' that ensure staff are in '2 to 3 days per week', adding: 'Our position is we are going to suck it and see because at the moment we are right in the middle of the pandemic. 'We still are, even though the government is lifting restrictions, so we're going to encourage people back to work with the view that we will expect the majority of our people to be in the office 2 or 3 days a week from September. 'But we reserve the right to change our mind on that in consultation with our employees because I don't expect the way we work in September 2021 to be the same as September 2022 but I hesitate to try and predict what the future is going to be'. Billionaire Apprentice host Lord Sugar wrote on Twitter: 'Boris says it's no longer necessary to work from home. So city people get back to the offices, let's kick start the local economy for shops, cafes who suffered badly. 'Some people may have become complacent liking this new style of working. Well those folk will never work for me.' High street banks Lloyds, Barclays and HSBC have already said they will offer hybrid working, as have call centre operator Capita and British Gas owner Centrica. A trade union boss urged Ministers to give all workers the same right to flexible working, or risk creating a new class divide. TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: 'As the work from home guidance ends, employers must acknowledge that one size does not fit all. 'No one should miss out on flexible working. Ministers must bring in a new right to flexible working for every worker, in every job. 'Otherwise there will be a new class divide between those who can work flexibly from home, and those who can't.' One prominent businessman said he would not employ anyone who enjoyed the more relaxed lifestyle of working from home.'. Millions of people who have worked from home since March 2020 are expected to return to the workplace Self-isolation will not be dropped for the double-jabbed and children who are 'pinged' until AUGUST 16 Self-isolation will not be dropped for the double-jabbed who are 'pinged' for coming into contact with an infected person until August 16, Sajid Javid announced today. The Health Secretary said the 'protective wall' thrown up by the vaccine drive meant that ministers can 'look afresh' at the contact tracing rules. From the middle of next month people who have received two doses - with the second administered at least two weeks previously - can take PCR tests rather than self-isolating. Under-18s will also not be subject to the restrictions from the same date. But the timetable is far slower than many had hoped, and potentially means huge numbers of people will still be caught after 'Freedom Day' on July 19. Earlier, Mr Javid admitted coronavirus cases could top 100,000 a day by the summer as the government pushes ahead with the unlocking. He gave the grim figure as he insisted Boris Johnson is right to continue with the dramatic endpoint on July 19, saying the hospitalisations and deaths were what mattered. Advertisement Boris Johnson announced yesterday that the requirement for employees to work from home wherever possible is set to be scrapped on July 19. The guidance has been in force since the first lockdown in March 2020, leaving town and city centres ghost towns for more than a year and devastating trade in shops and cafes. The Prime Minister told the Downing Street briefing: 'It will no longer be necessary for Government to instruct people to work from home. So employers will be able to start planning a safe return to the workplace.' A government review of social-distancing measures published at the same time claimed that the 'WFH' guidance had reduced the risk of Covid infection because it meant far fewer people using public transport or having face-to-face meetings. It had created 'positive impacts' for commuters who saved time and money, while some companies benefited from a 'happier workforce' and spending less on office space. Yet others suffered from 'inadequate working conditions at home' while bosses complained that the requirement to work from home was 'stifling creativity'. The report said it was now time to end the guidance as the rest of society was reopening, and noted that only 23 per cent of employees are now permanently working from home, down from 37 per cent in February. However a Business Minister told MPs that the Government would not tell employers when they should make their workforces return to their old desks. Paul Scully told the local government select committee: 'There is so much to be gained in a workplace to be able to work alongside other people, especially for young people. I've seen people in my own offices propping a laptop on the end of their own bed when they haven't got the homes and the resources to be able to work from home.' He went on: 'We want flexible working to become a default option wherever possible, but nonetheless flexible working isn't the same as permanently working from home. That's just living at work, frankly. 'It's not for us to mandate businesses to rush back to the workplace and say you've got to come back on this date.' The John Lewis Partnership, which runs Waitrose as well as the department store chain, yesterday became the latest major employer to say that its head office employees will be allowed to decide where they spend their days. Andrew Murphy, executive director of operations, said after the PM's announcement: 'If restrictions are lifted on July 19 we won't tell our head office partners where to work. The pandemic has forced us all to rethink the norm of five days in an office.' Shops that keep mandatory masks rules CAN legally turn away customers who refuse, say lawyers as bosses are left in fear of compensation claims from staff who get Covid at work What do the biggest businesses say about masks? Shops Sainsbury's: Chief Executive Simon Roberts said: 'I think in the end it will come down to the choices that individual customers and colleagues want to make. It is going to be driven by customer and by colleague choice.' He added: 'We're clearly going to follow the Government advice, we'll continue to listen to our customers and colleagues and we'll respect and support the individual choices the customers and colleagues want to make.' Chief Executive Simon Roberts said: 'I think in the end it will come down to the choices that individual customers and colleagues want to make. It is going to be driven by customer and by colleague choice.' He added: 'We're clearly going to follow the Government advice, we'll continue to listen to our customers and colleagues and we'll respect and support the individual choices the customers and colleagues want to make.' Westfield: Jacinta Rowsell, general manager at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said: 'At the moment we actively ensure our guests are wearing masks when they're visiting the centre, and with the changes post July 19 we will continue to encourage guests to wear masks when they're coming into the centre.' Jacinta Rowsell, general manager at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said: 'At the moment we actively ensure our guests are wearing masks when they're visiting the centre, and with the changes post July 19 we will continue to encourage guests to wear masks when they're coming into the centre.' Asda: Asda says it is waiting for the government guidance to change before announcing its role. Airlines British Airways: BA is expected to keep masks, with a spokesman saying: 'We keep our policies under constant review.' BA is expected to keep masks, with a spokesman saying: 'We keep our policies under constant review.' Tui: The firm hinted travellers could be required to wear face coverings after restrictions relax further. The firm hinted travellers could be required to wear face coverings after restrictions relax further. Ryanair: A spokesman said: 'In order to protect the health of our customers and crew, the use of face masks will still be mandatory across all Ryanair flights.' A spokesman said: 'In order to protect the health of our customers and crew, the use of face masks will still be mandatory across all Ryanair flights.' easyJet: A spokesman said: 'At present there are no changes to easyJet's on-board mask policy. We continue to be guided by our in-house medical adviser and a number of key industry governing bodies and at present their guidance around the wearing of masks on board remains unchanged.' A spokesman said: 'At present there are no changes to easyJet's on-board mask policy. We continue to be guided by our in-house medical adviser and a number of key industry governing bodies and at present their guidance around the wearing of masks on board remains unchanged.' Virgin Atlantic: The firm hinted travellers could be required to wear face coverings after restrictions relax further. Pubs City Pub Group: Chief Executive Clive Watson said staff will be asked to wear masks with customers encouraged to do the same. Advertisement Shops, pubs and airlines that continue mandatory mask rules after July 19 have a legal right to turn away customers who refuse to wear a face covering, lawyers revealed today. Legal experts warned owners can enforce them regardless of the government's rules as long as they are not guilty of discrimination under the Equality Act. Stores would be in breach of the law if they are prejudicial against someone if they cannot wear a mask because of a medical condition, but otherwise private firms are free to set their own rules. It comes as leading retailers suggested they will encourage shoppers to wear a covering when entering their stores after July 19 - when lockdown is scheduled to be relaxed. Westfield is among the stores which has already said it will 'encourage' customers to wear coverings after 'Freedom Day' but will not insist on it. But Sainsbury's adopted a more relaxed approach saying it will 'respect and support the individual choices the customers and colleagues want to make'. Popular airlines such as British Airways, Ryanair and easyJet said they will also keep coverings mandatory after the date. And train workers' unions are pushing for the mask measures to remain compulsory after restrictions are eased. Meanwhile a major pub chain said it will still encourage coverings, social distancing and table service to 'avoid a scrum at the bar'. One lawyer pointed out businesses could insist staff wear them after July 19 for fear of a worker taking them to a tribunal under health and safety legislation if an outbreak leads to serious illness such as long Covid or death. Adam Wagner, a human rights lawyer at Doughty Street Chambers, said bosses have a legal duty to protect the health of their staff and the burden of safety has grown amid the pandemic. And Steven Mather, consultant solicitor for Nexa Law, noted employers would be able to sack staff who refuse to wear a mask because it is a 'a reasonable instruction' and this would overrule the government's slackened rules. Boris Johnson last night triggered a row over face coverings as he ditched the legal diktat on their use but urged people to continue wearing them. From July 19 they will no longer be required by law anywhere in England. But at a Downing Street press conference last night, the Prime Minister suggested they should still be worn in crowded indoor places. His top medical advisers Prof Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance went further, saying they would continue to wear them in a variety of situations. Legal experts warned owners can enforce mask wearing regardless of the government's rules as long as they are not guilty of discrimination under the Equality Act (file photo) Do face masks work? Studies find coverings reduce spread of Covid and chance of inhaling infected droplets Most scientific studies conducted to date suggest face masks do reduce the spread of coronavirus in enclosed indoor settings. A number of studies have concluded that face coverings reduce the spread of airborne droplets that carry covid bacteria between people. The latest data, from the Lancet, studies in China and Thailand as well as on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, suggests a mask stops up to 80 per cent of droplets from being released into the air by a person wearing a mask, and they also block around 50 per cent of them being inhaled by a potential victim. Covid-19 is spread through these airborne droplets when people cough, sneeze or talk - and standing in close proximity can assist transmission. The US Centers for Disease Control found in one real-world data experiment the coverings were useful. Two hair stylists who had Covid symptoms worked on 139 customers in eight days. Everyone involved wore masks and no one out of the 67 who volunteered to be tested came back positive. Another experiment in China looked at 124 houses where there had been a case of the virus. It found transmission was reduced by 79 per cent by wearing a face covering. And an example also came from the USS Theodore Roosevelt - a cramped vessel with tight living quarters and makes social distancing hard. But the study found when using face coverings there was a 70 per cent reduced risk of infection. Meanwhile in Thailand a retrospective case-control study discovered out of 1,000 spoken to during a contact tracing probe, those who said they wore a covering had a 70 per cent reduced chance of catching Covid. And the Lancet in its report looked at 172 studies from 16 countries and concluded wearing a mask gives a person just a three per cent chance of getting the virus. Edinburgh University looked into the different types of masks people can wear and found homemade ones can be effective. Researchers tested seven types, including surgical masks, respirators, lightweight and heavy-duty face shields and handmade masks. All of them - except ones with a valve - reduced the distance droplets could get by at least 90 per cent. The CDC says: 'Experimental and epidemiological data support community masking to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2. The prevention benefit of masking is derived from the combination of source control and wearer protection for the mask wearer. 'The relationship between source control and wearer protection is likely complementary and possibly synergistic, so that individual benefit increases with increasing community mask use,' the agency added. The WHO says: 'Masks should be used as part of a comprehensive strategy of measures to suppress transmission and save lives; the use of a mask alone is not sufficient to provide an adequate level of protection against COVID-19. 'If COVID-19 is spreading in your community, stay safe by taking some simple precautions, such as physical distancing, wearing a mask, keeping rooms well ventilated, avoiding crowds, cleaning your hands, and coughing into a bent elbow or tissue. Check local advice where you live and work. Do it all!' Advertisement Hours after the PM's address, lawyers warned July 19 may not be the end of wearing face coverings in shops if owners want them on. Mr Mather, a consultant solicitor for Nexa Law, told MailOnline as long as a business is not being discriminatory they can enforce the rule in their stores. He said: 'If a shop keeper or other premises owner wanted to continue to require customers to wear masks, they would be entitled to do so provided that they did not discriminate on certain grounds set out in the Equality Act.' He continued: 'Ultimately, a shop is private property and so I would suggest that the owner could do what they wanted on masks. 'A shop can refuse entry to any one on any grounds - except discrimination - and so the same would apply to a non-mask wearer they could refuse them entry.' He added: 'The handing back to the public of this moral responsibility actually causes more problems than the legislation did. 'Wear a mask or don't wear a mask will become one's own decision, and therefore it is difficult to see shops and public places having the same mandatory rules. 'It would be better for shops just to say that we ''support the government guidance and recommend mask wearing in store'' but then not enforce it and leave people to make their own mind up.' Maria Chadwick, partner in the employment and discrimination department at Stephensons, said: 'The easing of the face mask requirements, as the position is understood, will do away with any legal requirement to wear a face covering in public spaces and as such, will limit further the power of businesses and service providers to attempt to enforce it in accordance with any government issued guidance. 'However, as the guidance will no longer be in place, it could give more scope for businesses to implement their own policies, theoretically giving them more freedom to do so on their own terms. 'However, if their policies incorporated a blanket requirement for the wearing of face coverings on their premises with no provision for medical exemption the same risks as are run in respect of potential discrimination claims being brought against them by way of failure to make reasonable adjustments for their disabled customers.' Luke Gittos, a partner at Murrays Partnership, added: 'There is no legal right to be served in a shop. These are private enterprises who can, in theory, refuse to serve whoever they choose. 'They could, in theory, get into trouble if they refuse to serve someone because of a 'protected characteristic' under the Equality Act for example, if they were not wearing a mask because of a disability. 'But in general there is nothing illegal in a shop refusing service to someone who refuses to wear a mask. We can only hope that after the 19th of July, shop owners will appreciate that people have their own view on mask wearing which should be respected.' Toby Young, editor of Lockdown Sceptics, pointed out it is going to be difficult for stores to force people to wear masks. He said: 'It's going to be very difficult for shops to insist people wear masks. At the moment, people can simply announce that they're mask exempt and shops aren't legally allowed to ask for proof and if they refuse someone entry on the grounds that they're unmasked they could be in breach of anti-discrimination law. 'After July 19th it's going to become even harder, because many people will simply refuse to wear masks, whether they have a disability or not. 'And if some shops don't insist on masks, which they won't, any shop insisting on a mask will be at a competitive disadvantage. The easiest thing will be for all shops to drop the insistence.' Leading retailers this morning came out and suggested they would continue to want face coverings on shoppers, but would not enforce it. Jacinta Rowsell, general manager at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, told Today: 'At the moment we actively ensure our guests are wearing masks when they're visiting the centre, and with the changes post July 19 we will continue to encourage guests to wear masks when they're coming into the centre. 'We have a number of Covid secure measure that we take and again we will continue to offer these in the form of ticketless. We are very aware and very focused on the fact that guests coming to the centre want to feel safe. 'They are our priority as are our retailers and our staff, where possible we would be encouraging the wearing of masks when people are coming into the centre.' Jacinta Rowsell, general manager at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, told Today: 'I think it's safe to say we've adapted so many times over the last 18 months' (file photo) The rules that are set to change after July 19 Boris Johnson last night firmed up plans for unlocking England on July 19. The PM used a press conference to confirm a bonfire of virus rules and restrictions from the so-called Freedom Day, saying individuals will again be able to judge the risks of coronavirus for themselves. However, he did not have any decisive announcements in key areas, with no date for quarantine requirements to be waived for double-jabbed Brits travelling to 'amber list' countries. There was also no confirmation that self-isolation can be replaced with testing for the fully-vaccinated. And although there was a clear intention for bubble rules in schools to be axed, it is not expected to happen until September when the new term starts. WHAT THE PM ANNOUNCED: Pubs and restaurants Hospitality venues in England will no longer be required to collect track and trace data from July 19. Businesses won't have to ask customers to scan a QR code using the NHS phone app on entry or to hand over their contact details, although they will have the option of continuing to do so if they wish. Mandatory table service rules will also be scrapped, meaning drinkers will be able to order at the bar again in pubs. Masks Wearing masks will become voluntary everywhere apart from hospitals and other health facilities from July 19 in England. Public transport passengers, shoppers and those visiting pubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres will no longer be required by law to cover up. However, people may still be encouraged to wear masks in some enclosed places where they come into close contact with each other, for example on London Tube trains. Work from home The official guidance telling people to 'work from home if you can' will be scrapped on July 19 in England. But it will be left up to employers and their staff to decide whether they have to go back to their desks. Ministers will not launch a campaign encouraging staff back to the office and are resigned to there not being a mass return to workplaces this summer. AND WHAT THE PM DIDN'T ANNOUNCE Holidays Ministers have been working on a system to open up holiday destinations for double-jabbed Britons. People who have had both vaccine doses could no longer have to quarantine for ten days after visiting amber list countries, such as Spain, France and Greece. However, there is not set to be any definitive news on the rules tonight and Government sources have cautioned the July 19 date is 'ambitious'. TEST AND TRACE Pressure has been growing for people who have received both coronavirus vaccine doses to be spared isolating at home for ten days if they have come into contact with someone who tested positive. They could be offered lateral flow tests to do themselves at home instead. However, ministers have not come to a conclusion on whether to go ahead, and it is understood a new system is very unlikely to be in place for July 19. SCHOOLS The bubbles system that has seen whole classes or year groups sent home if just one pupil tests positive for coronavirus will be scrapped in England. Ministers are planning to announce a new way of handling outbreaks. Instead of sending children home en masse, those who have come into contact with a positive case are likely to be given daily tests. Few expect the arrangements to start until the new school year in September, although Sajid Javid sparked confusion by telling MPs tonight that it could happen on July 19. Advertisement She added: 'Each of the retailers may implement their own policies, and that's something we're working on with them, but it's something that we'll be waiting for feedback from them on.' Customers will no longer need to wear masks in Sainsbury's stores from July 19, the supermarket's chief executive suggested today. Simon Roberts said he would consult with staff on their views but said the decision to wear one would be down to individual choice. He said: 'We're all absorbing the latest news last night and thinking through our response. 'There are two very distinct points of view. One is customers and colleagues who can't wait for the restrictions to lift and not to have to wear a mask for example, and others who are keen to continue to do that. 'I think in the end it will come down to the choices that individual customers and colleagues want to make. It is going to be driven by customer and by colleague choice.' He added: 'We're clearly going to follow the Government advice, we'll continue to listen to our customers and colleagues and we'll respect and support the individual choices the customers and colleagues want to make.' However Prof Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said 'there's no reason' why businesses should not be able to refuse to serve customers without face masks after July 19. He told Times Radio: 'There's no reason why businesses which have made their own assessments cannot say actually ''If you come in here we still want you to wear a mask''. 'They can't mandate it, but neither are businesses mandated to have to serve you, so if you run a nail bar and you want the clients to wear a face mask, you simply say ''You have to wear a face mask if you want to get your nails done''. 'That's a good example of some direct, personal, face-to-face contact for a good 40 minutes where you don't want your staff breathing in what Joe Public is breathing on to you. 'There's no reason why many businesses can't actually just say ''Hang on a minute, in this setting we want you to wear a face mask''. I don't see why public transport companies couldn't make the same assessment.' Mr Wagner, the human rights lawyer from Doughty Street Chambers, has been publishing guidance on the practical effects of regulations during the pandemic. He suggested businesses are likely to retain mask mandates and social distancing measures in the workplace indefinitely. He told MailOnline bosses have a legal duty to protect the health of their staff and the burden of safety has grown amid Covid. Mr Wagner pointed out businesses could insist staff wear masks after July 19 for fear of a worker taking them to tribunal if an outbreak leads to serious illness or death. He said: 'Absolutely firms will want to keep some kind of social distancing in place, whether the virus is surging or not and regardless of whether or not there are government coronavirus regulations after July 19. 'I suspect that many businesses will be consulting legal advice on insisting that staff continue to wear masks and keep their distance in the office. 'They will be looking at the health and safety executives and they will also be following the government guidance which comes out on keeping the workplace Covid-secure. 'Businesses will probably be risk-averse, because no one will want to be the first to tell its staff that they don't have to cover their faces or keep to social distancing restrictions. And why should they? 'Covid is extremely disruptive and we're about to enter a period where there are fewer restrictions, meaning the virus is going to surge. 'Yes people are vaccinated against Covid, and yes the link between infection and hospitalisation let alone death appears to have been broken by the roll-out. 'But we're wading into uncertain waters here and firms will be wanting to play their cards safe. And if you look at where easing has taken place, so far it's been mostly indoor venues - like cinemas, theatres, pubs and so on. 'We're experimenting with mass outdoor gatherings, and we don't really know the real-world consequences of thousands of people all mingling together.' Meanwhile popular airlines including British Airways, Ryanair and easyJet are planning to keep the measure in place. Ryanair and easyJet were among those that confirmed fliers will still be required to wear face coverings beyond July 19. Meanwhile popular airlines including British Airways, Ryanair and easyJet are planning to keep the measure in place (file (photo) The Brexit mask divide: Leave voters are more likely to ditch face coverings Britain has a new Brexit divide with Leave voters more willing than Remainers to ditch their masks when the laws demanding their use are scrapped. More Brexiteers said they planned to stop wearing a face covering after July 19 than said they would continue to voluntarily cover up, by 46 to 41 per cent, YouGov found. By contrast, some 59 per cent of Remainers said they planned to continue to wear masks to lower the risk that they would spread disease to others. However, the pollsters also found that there was a significant majority among both Leave and Remain voters for keeping rules demanding masks be worn on public transport. Advertisement BA is expected to join them, with a spokesman saying: 'We keep our policies under constant review.' Tui and Virgin Atlantic also hinted travellers could be required to wear face coverings after restrictions relax further. Ryanair said: 'In order to protect the health of our customers and crew, the use of face masks will still be mandatory across all Ryanair flights.' An easyJet spokesman said: 'At present there are no changes to easyJet's on-board mask policy. 'We continue to be guided by our in-house medical adviser and a number of key industry governing bodies and at present their guidance around the wearing of masks on board remains unchanged.' Tui said it would be following advice from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, which continues to advise for masks be worn. Virgin Atlantic said it was 'reviewing' its policy, adding: 'Currently all customers and our crew are required to wear their masks for the duration of the flight.' Jet2 said it would continue to make masks compulsory if the Civil Aviation Authority's advice to do so does not change. Mr Mather from Nexa Law said: 'If an airline says everyone still has to wear masks on board then, except if you're exempt or have a disability, they could enforce that rule because its their planes and a private contract between the airline and customer.' Meanwhile on the trains bosses have suggested they will keep measures after July 19 as they slammed the government's 'on the hoof' Covid policy. General secretary of the RMT union Mick Lynch said: 'Yet again there's a real danger of the government making up policy on the hoof on critical issues and that is reflected in the comments of the minister this morning. 'Back in the real world discussions are ongoing at industry-wide level but all parties are having to second-guess what the government will say later today and that is not good enough. 'All the indications are that the government are going for a free-for-all, whereas common sense and medical advice seems to indicate that some level of control should remain in place in the public realm. 'RMT's priority will be the safety of our members and the travelling public.' A Southeastern Railway spokesman said: 'We've yet to receive full guidance for the easing of restrictions after 19 July, but in the meantime we'd remind our passengers that it remains a legal requirement to wear a face covering when travelling on our trains.' And a spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group added: 'As in society generally, the chance of catching coronavirus on a train is low, especially as train operators are helping people travel with confidence by continuing extra cleaning and ensuring the air in carriages is refreshed at least every 10 minutes.' 'It's Freedom Day, NOT free-for-all day': Pub chain boss says he doesn't want a 'scrum at the bar' and will urge punters to continue ordering from tables, encourage social-distancing and wear masks after July 19 changes come into force A major UK pub chain will still encourage masks, social distancing and table service to 'avoid a scrum at the bar' with its boss declaring today: 'July 19 has been dubbed 'Freedom Day' but it really shouldn't be free for all day'. Boris Johnson announced yesterday that it will no longer be a legal requirement for pubs to require customers to order drinks at their tables But several pub businesses will continue this meaning people will still not be able to go to the bar if an individual pub bans it - and keep many of the rules imposed since the pandemic began in March 2020 to protect staff and customers from Covid-19. Clive Watson, chief executive of the City Pub Group, who run 45 pubs across England and Wales, said: 'July 19 has been dubbed 'Freedom Day' but it really shouldn't be free for all day'. He says staff will be asked to wear masks with customers encouraged to do the same, and if they approach the bar to order they will be initially urged to do it at the table. While the boss of Punch Taverns, Clive Chesser, is demanding the Government scrap its current blanket self-isolation policy for a more 'pragmatic' test and release system to stop the crippling staff problems the NHS app is causing at his 1,300 pubs. Clive Watson, chief executive of the City Pub Group, who run 45 pubs across England and Wales, said: 'July 19 has been dubbed 'Freedom Day' but it really shouldn't be free for all day'. While the boss of Punch Taverns, Clive Chesser, is demanding the Government scrap its current blanket self-isolation policy for a more 'pragmatic' test and release system Pubs and other venues will not have to collect customer details and will again be able to serve drinks at the bar - but some chains plan to keep some of the rules such as wearing masks At a Downing Street press conference, a bullish Mr Johnson also confirmed that nightclubs will be allowed to reopen for the first time since the first shutdown was imposed in March last year as he urged the public to use common sense and gauge risk for themselves. But Mr Watson from City Pub Group has said his businesses will keep many of the rules that remain in place now. He told the BBC's Today programme: 'I think that staff should be encouraged or instructed to wear masks, I think that's very important, and I also think from a customer's point of view we will still try to offer as much service as possible at the table. 'What we don't want is a free for all scrum at the bar, with lots of people queuing up. Nearly 50% of our customers order their food and drink via the app, we want to continue that, with the rest ordering at table. We want to continue that as well. 'It's not like flicking a switch back to February 2020. We're not going to say you cannot order at the bar - but we're going to make it as easy as possible to order from the table. We're not going to militant about it - but we're not going to encourage people to order at the bar. 'Staff will be encouraged to tell people: 'No order at the table, that way you'll get quicker service, easier service and safer service'. 'And I think a lot of customers and staff will welcome that. It might not work for all. It's about making customers and staff safe. 'It's easier to tell staff that it is best practice to wear masks. Customers will be more difficult but then they should be encouraged to wear masks and we will also have masks behind the bar. 'Again we won't be militant about but I think a lot of staff and customers will welcome people continuing with those safe practices that we've had over the past 18 months'. Hospitality chiefs who have warned of the devastation wreaked to their industry by successive lockdowns during the pandemic are praising the end of compulsory mask wearing and table service in two weeks as declared by the Prime Minister. Clive Chesser, Punch Pubs & Co CEO, said: 'We very much welcome the move towards self-responsibility when going about our everyday lives, and we will of course continue to keep our teams and guests safe within our businesses. 'At the same time, we are concerned by the lack of clarity on how the Test and Trace system will be adapted to provide a more pragmatic and risk-based system, moving to a 'test to remain' framework to reduce disproportionate interruptions to people's working lives and to support business continuity. This is an urgent requirement, given the current level of disruption, and we remain keen to work with the Government on helping to find a more practical solution.' UKHospitality said the announcement 'marks a major milestone in how England will come to live with Covid and will be celebrated by hospitality business owners' - but warned 'it will still be a long road back for businesses that have been forced to take on debt just to survive'. Chief executive Kate Nicholls said: 'The Prime Minister's announcement marks a major milestone in how England will come to live with Covid and will be celebrated by hospitality business owners and their staff across the country. 'For the vast majority of hospitality businesses, 19th July - if confirmed next week - will be the first time in 16 months that they have been able to realistically look to break even and move towards profitability. 'It will still be a long road back for businesses that have been forced to take on debt just to survive, especially with the reintroduction of business rates payments. Nevertheless, this is a critical move that will unleash a sector that is eager to play its part in the wider national recovery, to repay the support afforded it by the Government.' Boris Johnson pushed the button on a 'big bang' Freedom Day unlocking with social distancing rules, mask laws and the work from home order set to go Track and trace QR codes are displayed outside a pub, in Manchester, north west England. These will also go - but the PM is being urged to get rid of the current self-isolation rules The new normal! Face masks, distancing, socialising and isolation... everything you need to know about our post-lockdown rules as we begin to emerge from Covid pandemic What's being axed? RULE OF SIX There will be no legal limits on social contact, meaning groups will not have to limit themselves to six people or two households if they are mixing indoors. Groups outdoors can be as large as people want them to be. WEDDING AND FUNERAL CAP The limits on attendance at weddings, funerals and other major life events are being scrapped. Limits on attendance at weddings, funerals and other major life events will be scrapped under the new plans. (Stock image) ART AND SPORT VENUE LIMITS There will be no more restrictions on the size of an audience at a concert or a show, or a crowd at a sports fixture, which means theatres and stadiums can run at full capacity. NIGHTCLUBS All other legal requirements for venues to close will be lifted, allowing night-time industries including nightclubs to reopen for the first time since the pandemic began. SINGING CURBS No restrictions on singing, or even guidance to restrict it. It means singing by church choirs can continue as can karaoke nights. What's guidance not law? FACE MASKS Legal rules mandating the wearing of face masks will be axed. However, guidance will state that people should wear them in hospitals and care homes as well as in 'crowded public spaces'. It will also suggest that people should wear masks in places where cases are rising. Transport services such as the London Underground may decide to make wearing masks a condition of travel. Private companies will be allowed to make them a requirement for entry, as Ryanair has already announced on its flights. Legal rules mandating the wearing of face masks will be axed but guidance will state that people should wear them in hospitals and care homes as well as in 'crowded public spaces'. (Stock image) GOING TO PUBS It will no longer be a legal requirement to scan a QR code on entry to a venue as part of the test and trace system. However, venues will be allowed to make use of the codes a requirement for entry if they choose. It will also no longer be a legal requirement for pubs to require customers to order drinks at their tables. However, some pub chains may continue this meaning that people will still not be able to go to the bar if an individual pub bans it. ONE-METRE RULE The one-metre rule will be scrapped in law meaning fewer Perspex screens in offices. It also means hospitality businesses like pubs and restaurants won't have to limit customers to ensure they are spaced apart. However, the one-metre rule will continue to be enforced at borders, such as in airports, amid concern over people coming into the country with variants. WORKING FROM HOME The Government's 'work from home' message will end and employers will be able to start to plan a return to the workplace. But it will still be up to individual employers. Some may decide to continue with working from home for the foreseeable future. And although guidance to employers will be slimmed down, it will still encourage them to ensure rooms are properly ventilated to minimise risk. The Government's 'work from home' message will end and employers will be able to start to plan a return to the workplace. (Stock image) CAP ON CARE HOME VISITS The current restriction that people can only be seen by five named visitors will be scrapped. But strict infection-control measures such as the wearing of PPE and regular cleaning will continue, with more detail to be announced later. JAB PASSPORTS Covid status certification so-called vaccine passports will not be legally required in domestic settings. It is being left up to individual venues to decide themselves whether to demand Covid status certification through the NHS App as a condition of entry. Still waiting for details? FOREIGN TRAVEL A new system to allow double-jabbed people to avoid quarantine after returning from amber-list countries does not yet have a start date. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is working with the travel industry to introduce the scheme, with more details due later this week. It could begin on July 19 but possibly not until August 2. A new system to allow double-jabbed people to avoid quarantine after returning from amber-list countries does not yet have a start date. Pictured: Passengers arrive to Heathrow Airport SELF-ISOLATION Ministers want to scrap the need for double-jabbed people to self-isolate if they are contacted by test and trace, or 'pinged' by the NHS app. A decision will be announced later this week, although it is not clear when such a system might come into effect. The rules could also be changed for children. CLASS BUBBLES The Government wants to scrap the requirement to send a whole class home if one pupil tests positive and to replace the 'bubbles' system with testing. Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, will announce details today. Schools are not expected to be asked to bring in a new system until next term. The Government wants to scrap the requirement to send a whole class home if one pupil tests positive. (Stock image) HOWEVER... A final decision on whether all the above changes will be implemented is not expected to be announced until next Monday, July 12. They will only go ahead if the Government deems the country has met its 'four tests'. Boris Johnson said yesterday he would do 'everything possible' to stop restrictions being re-imposed in the future. ALSO: ROLLOUT OF VACCINES The gap between first and second vaccines for the under-40s will be shortened from 12 weeks to eight to help ensure that everyone can be doubled jabbed by September. What's staying? CONTACT TRACING Contact tracing will not be stood down because the Prime Minister believes it will be essential to help manage future Covid outbreaks. (Stock image) The system will not be stood down because the Prime Minister believes it will be essential to help manage Covid outbreaks in future. Keeping the system means people can still be contacted if they have been in proximity to a Covid sufferer. Guidance will back venues scanning customers in to help support contact tracing. A 16-year-old boy who was stabbed to death last night has been named as fears the tally of violent teen deaths could reach record heights this year. The teenager, named locally as Keane Harling, was one of two teens stabbed to death last night. A 15-year-old boy was killed in Woolwich, southeast London just after 5pm in front of horrified onlookers in broad daylight. According to witnesses, he tried to use an umbrella to fight off his attackers but died at the scene, the Evening Standard reports. Hours later, Keane died just before midnight after reportedly being stabbed outside his mother's home in Oval Place, south London. His family were 'in tears' as they visited the scene to lay flowers this morning. The total number of teenagers murdered in the capital this year now stands at 21, with three dying in the last five days alone. Pictured: Teenager Kean Harling, 16, has been named as one of three teens stabbed to death in the last five days as police fear violent teen deaths in the capital could reach record levels Earlier this year, senior police officers expressed concern that violence may rise over the summer months as it did last year when lockdown measures were eased. The surge in 2020 was put down partly to feuds being played out on social media during coronavirus restrictions, and then spilling out on to the streets. But this year the number of violent teenage deaths looks set to be far higher than 2020, and potentially the highest in nearly a decade. According to figures from City Hall, in 2012 there were nine teenage homicides, 12 in 2013, 13 in 2014, 19 in 2015 and 13 in 2016. In 2017 the figure peaked at 27, then there were 24 such deaths in 2018, 26 in 2019 and 14 in 2020 - although the country was in lockdown for large chunks of that year. In April this year, police forces across the UK staged a national crackdown on knife crime, deploying knife arches and sniffer dogs in busy areas and encouraging the public to hand in weapons. WOOLWICH: Emergency services set up a cordon at the scene after a teenage boy was stabbed to death in a horrific broad daylight attack in south east London yesterday afternoon LAMBETH: Medics rushed to the scene after reports a 16-year-old boy had been stabbed but he was pronounced dead at the scene in Oval Place. Pictured: police on scene this morning The 15-year-old was killed in front of horrified onlookers in the daylight attack yesterday. Pictures from the scene showed a large police cordon with multiple police and ambulance vehicles and it is understood the air ambulance was also called to the scene. Images from the scene also appeared to show members of the public holding up sheets to cover the victim from view as paramedics desperately tried to save his life but, despite their best efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. A 15-year-old was arrested on suspicion of the Woolwich murder after presenting at a south London hospital with a non life-threatening stab wound. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'Detectives have launched a murder investigation following a stabbing on Woolwich New Road, SE18. 'Police were called at 5.23pm on Monday to reports of a stabbing. Police officers stand outside a nearby Tesco branch after it was evacuated yesterday evening Forensic teams carry out their investigations after a teenage boy was stabbed in Woolwich 'Officers attended and found a 15-year-old boy suffering from a stab injury. They immediately provided first aid prior to the arrival of the London Ambulance Service. Fears teen knife crime victims could reach record levels this year With the total already eclipsing last year's figure, the number of teens killed as a result of knife crime this year looks set to be far higher than 2020, and potentially the highest in nearly a decade. Below are the figures for teens killed as a result of violent crime in London: 2012: 9 2013: 12 2014: 13 2015: 19 2016: 13 2017: 27 2018: 24 2019: 26 2020: 14 In April this year, police forces across the UK staged a national crackdown on knife crime, deploying knife arches and sniffer dogs in busy areas and encouraging the public to hand in weapons. Advertisement 'Despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene at 6.08pm. His next of kin has been informed. Formal identification has not taken place. 'A post-mortem examination will be held in due course. 'Police were subsequently called to a south London hospital after a 15-year-old boy [A] self-presented with a stab wound; his injury is not believed to be life-threatening. 'He has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Homicide detectives from the Specialist Crime Command are leading the investigation.' Following the attack, a local Tesco branch was evacuated before armed police barred the entrance and raided the store 'in search of the suspect', My London reported. Det Ch Insp Perry Benton, of the Met's Specialist Crime Command, said: 'We know that there were a lot of people around at the time who may have witnessed the events leading up to this incident. 'I'm sure people will have mobile phone footage from the scene and, if they believe it could assist our investigation, I would urge them to pass it on to us. 'One arrest has been made, but our enquiries are still at an early stage so I would ask anyone who knows anything about the motive for this attack, or who was responsible, to contact us immediately.' Supt Petra Lazar, of South East BCU, said: 'It is shocking and extremely saddening that a teenage boy has lost his life as the result of knife crime. 'My thoughts at this time are with the family of the boy who has died. 'This incident will understandably cause worry and concern to local residents and I would like to reassure them my officers are supporting the murder detectives in every way we can. Increased patrols will be carried out in the area over the next few days.' An investigation has been launched following the fatal stabbing of a teenager in Lambeth 'A crime scene is in place and officers remain in the area. Enquiries continue.' A section 60 Order has been authorised from 7pm last night until 10am this morning for Woolwich Common, Woolwich Riverside and Glyndon wards. The second murder happened just over six hours later when police were called at around 11.45pm last night to reports that a teenager had been stabbed in Oval Place, SW8. A Scotland Yard spokesman: 'Officers attended along with London Ambulance Service. The 16-year-old male was pronounced dead at the scene. 'The boy's next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specialist officers. Formal identification and a post-mortem examination will be arranged in due course. 'There has been no arrest at this early stage.' The fatal stabbing has left the community in Lambeth shocked. Pictured: flowers at the scene Flowers left near to the scene in Lambeth where a 16-year-old boy died after being stabbed The latest killing has left the community shaken. A tarpaulin sheet covered a stairwell at Elworth House, a block of flats just off the main Clapham Road. Two teens charged with murder after fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Pictured: Camron Smith Two people have been charged with murder over the stabbing death of a 16-year-old boy in south London last week, police said. Metropolitan Police officers were called just before 1am on Thursday to reports of a disturbance at a residential address on Bracken Avenue in Shrublands in Croydon. A 16-year-old male was found inside the address suffering from stab wounds and despite the efforts of emergency services, he was pronounced dead just after 1.30am. The victim has been identified as Cameron Smith from Shrublands. Police on Monday charged two males, an unnamed 15-year-old who was arrested in Brighton, East Sussex, and 18-year-old Romain La Pierre of Amber Grove, Cricklewood, with Camron's murder and an additional charge of robbery. Both have been remanded in police custody and will appear at Bromley Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Monday, 5 July. He has been taken to a police station in north London and remains in police custody. Police said investigations are ongoing and have urged anyone with information to call the incident room on 0208 721 4961, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Advertisement Members of the public arrived looking visibly distraught and placed flowers with personal messages. A resident of Elworth House, in Oval, where a teenager was stabbed on Monday night described the incident as 'shocking' but 'not uncommon.' 'You always have issues here... it's really bad,' he said. 'Unfortunately, as shocking as it is it's not uncommon. 'It's really sad.' Another 25-year-old resident of the estate where the teenager was stabbed in Oval said: 'I watched that little boy grow up. 'He was a good boy... he had his own mindset, you know. Bless him.' A family friend of a teenager who was fatally stabbed in Oval, south-west London, described the boy as 'nice, friendly, bubbly... a nice character,' and said she had known him all his life. A group of around 10 people, including family members, gathered near Oval Place looking visibly upset. Multiple floral tributes and messages were left tied to the railings outside, addressed to 'Keane', and signed by aunts and uncles. 'I'm so sorry you're gone. We love you so much, rest in perfect peace,' read one, while another said 'love you with all my heart baby boy, we love you millions.' 'Keano, taken too soon. Sleep tight with the angels,' said another. A close friend of a teenager described him as 'the nicest guy.' Laura, 18, who lives nearby, was tearful as she laid flowers near to the scene of his death in Oval Place, Oval. 'We were very close, I used to text him all the time. I live nearby and used to see him chilling on the balcony,' she said. 'He was so friendly and humble. You could go to him without judgment. 'He was the nicest guy.' Other tributes addressed to 'Keane' read: 'I will always remember your cheeky smile.' Reacting to news of the two stabbings, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: 'I am heartbroken and appalled by the deaths of two teenagers in our city. 'Every loss of life leaves a family and a community devastated. 'My thoughts remain with the victims' family and friends at this extremely difficult time. 'I am determined to do everything in my power to support the police and our communities to put an end to these horrendous crimes and keep our young people safe. This violence has no place in our city. It must stop. 'I am in close contact with the Met Commissioner, and the police are doing everything possible to bring those responsible to justice.' In response to the latest killing yesterday, Matthew Pennycook, the Labour MP for Greenwich and Woolwich, wrote on Twitter: 'Woolwich is grieving the senseless murder of yet another young man on our streets this evening. Another family devastated. Police near to the scene in Lambeth where a 16-year-old boy was killed on Monday evening Tributes and flowers have been left at the scene of a fatal stabbing in Oval Place, Lambeth 'The promise of another life extinguished. I urge anyone with any information to come forward to the police.' And Greenwich council leader Dan Thorpe said the 'senseless murder' had 'devastated a family'. He said: 'The thoughts and prayers of everyone in @RoyalGreenwich tonight are with the family of the young person whose life has been lost in Woolwich. 'This senseless murder has devastated a family and our community holds them in our thoughts and prayers tonight. 'We are working closely with MPS Greenwich to find those responsible and bring them to justice as quickly as possible. If you know anything at all please get in touch with them. Please do not share on social media.' Witnesses who are yet to speak with police regarding the Oval murder or anyone with information are asked to call 101 ref 8532/05jul. To remain anonymous please contact Crimestoppers. Advertisement What do the biggest businesses say about masks? Shops Sainsbury's: Chief Executive Simon Roberts said: 'I think in the end it will come down to the choices that individual customers and colleagues want to make. It is going to be driven by customer and by colleague choice.' He added: 'We're clearly going to follow the Government advice, we'll continue to listen to our customers and colleagues and we'll respect and support the individual choices the customers and colleagues want to make.' Chief Executive Simon Roberts said: 'I think in the end it will come down to the choices that individual customers and colleagues want to make. It is going to be driven by customer and by colleague choice.' He added: 'We're clearly going to follow the Government advice, we'll continue to listen to our customers and colleagues and we'll respect and support the individual choices the customers and colleagues want to make.' Westfield: Jacinta Rowsell, general manager at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said: 'At the moment we actively ensure our guests are wearing masks when they're visiting the centre, and with the changes post July 19 we will continue to encourage guests to wear masks when they're coming into the centre.' Jacinta Rowsell, general manager at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said: 'At the moment we actively ensure our guests are wearing masks when they're visiting the centre, and with the changes post July 19 we will continue to encourage guests to wear masks when they're coming into the centre.' Asda: Asda says it is waiting for the government guidance to change before announcing its role. Airlines British Airways: BA is expected to keep masks, with a spokesman saying: 'We keep our policies under constant review.' BA is expected to keep masks, with a spokesman saying: 'We keep our policies under constant review.' Tui: The firm hinted travellers could be required to wear face coverings after restrictions relax further. The firm hinted travellers could be required to wear face coverings after restrictions relax further. Ryanair: A spokesman said: 'In order to protect the health of our customers and crew, the use of face masks will still be mandatory across all Ryanair flights.' A spokesman said: 'In order to protect the health of our customers and crew, the use of face masks will still be mandatory across all Ryanair flights.' easyJet: A spokesman said: 'At present there are no changes to easyJet's on-board mask policy. We continue to be guided by our in-house medical adviser and a number of key industry governing bodies and at present their guidance around the wearing of masks on board remains unchanged.' A spokesman said: 'At present there are no changes to easyJet's on-board mask policy. We continue to be guided by our in-house medical adviser and a number of key industry governing bodies and at present their guidance around the wearing of masks on board remains unchanged.' Virgin Atlantic: The firm hinted travellers could be required to wear face coverings after restrictions relax further. Pubs City Pub Group: Chief Executive Clive Watson said staff will be asked to wear masks with customers encouraged to do the same. Advertisement Shops, pubs and airlines that continue mandatory mask rules after July 19 have a legal right to turn away customers who refuse to wear a face covering, lawyers revealed today. Legal experts warned owners can enforce them regardless of the government's rules as long as they are not guilty of discrimination under the Equality Act. Stores would be in breach of the law if they are prejudicial against someone who cannot wear a mask because of a medical condition or disability, but otherwise private firms are free to set their own rules. It comes as leading retailers suggested they will encourage shoppers to wear a covering when entering their stores after July 19 - when lockdown is scheduled to be relaxed. Westfield is among the stores which has already said it will 'encourage' customers to wear coverings after 'Freedom Day' but will not insist on it. But Sainsbury's has adopted a more relaxed approach saying it will 'respect and support the individual choices the customers and colleagues want to make'. Airlines including British Airways, Ryanair and easyJet said they will also keep coverings mandatory after the date. And train workers' unions are pushing for the mask measures to remain compulsory after restrictions are eased. Meanwhile a major pub chain said it will still encourage coverings, social distancing and table service to 'avoid a scrum at the bar'. One lawyer pointed out businesses could insist staff wear them after July 19 for fear of a worker taking them to a tribunal under health and safety legislation if an outbreak leads to serious illness such as long Covid or death. Adam Wagner, a human rights lawyer at Doughty Street Chambers, said bosses have a legal duty to protect the health of their staff and the burden of safety has grown amid the pandemic. Retail and transport worker unions also insist that making mask wearing mandatory is essential for their members' health and 'is not merely a personal choice' because shop workers have no choice but to come into contact with the public. Nevertheless Steven Mather, consultant solicitor for Nexa Law, noted employers would be able to sack staff who refuse to wear a mask because it is a 'a reasonable instruction' and this would overrule the government's slackened rules. Boris Johnson last night triggered a row over face coverings as he ditched the legal diktat on their use but urged people to continue wearing them. From July 19 they will no longer be required by law anywhere in England. But at a Downing Street press conference last night, the Prime Minister suggested they should still be worn in crowded indoor places. His top medical advisers Prof Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance went further, saying they would continue to wear them in a variety of situations. Legal experts warned owners can enforce mask wearing regardless of the government's rules as long as they are not guilty of discrimination under the Equality Act (file photo) Do face masks work? Studies find coverings reduce spread of Covid and chance of inhaling infected droplets Most scientific studies conducted to date suggest face masks do reduce the spread of coronavirus in enclosed indoor settings. A number of studies have concluded that face coverings reduce the spread of airborne droplets that carry covid bacteria between people. The latest data, from the Lancet, studies in China and Thailand as well as on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, suggests a mask stops up to 80 per cent of droplets from being released into the air by a person wearing a mask, and they also block around 50 per cent of them being inhaled by a potential victim. Covid-19 is spread through these airborne droplets when people cough, sneeze or talk - and standing in close proximity can assist transmission. The US Centers for Disease Control found in one real-world data experiment the coverings were useful. Two hair stylists who had Covid symptoms worked on 139 customers in eight days. Everyone involved wore masks and no one out of the 67 who volunteered to be tested came back positive. Another experiment in China looked at 124 houses where there had been a case of the virus. It found transmission was reduced by 79 per cent by wearing a face covering. And an example also came from the USS Theodore Roosevelt - a cramped vessel with tight living quarters and makes social distancing hard. But the study found when using face coverings there was a 70 per cent reduced risk of infection. Meanwhile in Thailand a retrospective case-control study discovered out of 1,000 spoken to during a contact tracing probe, those who said they wore a covering had a 70 per cent reduced chance of catching Covid. And the Lancet in its report looked at 172 studies from 16 countries and concluded wearing a mask gives a person just a three per cent chance of getting the virus. Edinburgh University looked into the different types of masks people can wear and found homemade ones can be effective. Researchers tested seven types, including surgical masks, respirators, lightweight and heavy-duty face shields and handmade masks. All of them - except ones with a valve - reduced the distance droplets could get by at least 90 per cent. The CDC says: 'Experimental and epidemiological data support community masking to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2. The prevention benefit of masking is derived from the combination of source control and wearer protection for the mask wearer. 'The relationship between source control and wearer protection is likely complementary and possibly synergistic, so that individual benefit increases with increasing community mask use,' the agency added. The WHO says: 'Masks should be used as part of a comprehensive strategy of measures to suppress transmission and save lives; the use of a mask alone is not sufficient to provide an adequate level of protection against COVID-19. 'If COVID-19 is spreading in your community, stay safe by taking some simple precautions, such as physical distancing, wearing a mask, keeping rooms well ventilated, avoiding crowds, cleaning your hands, and coughing into a bent elbow or tissue. Check local advice where you live and work. Do it all!' Advertisement Hours after the PM's address, lawyers warned July 19 may not be the end of wearing face coverings in shops if owners want them on. Mr Mather, a consultant solicitor for Nexa Law, told MailOnline as long as a business is not being discriminatory they can enforce the rule in their stores. He said: 'If a shop keeper or other premises owner wanted to continue to require customers to wear masks, they would be entitled to do so provided that they did not discriminate on certain grounds set out in the Equality Act.' He continued: 'Ultimately, a shop is private property and so I would suggest that the owner could do what they wanted on masks. 'A shop can refuse entry to any one on any grounds - except discrimination - and so the same would apply to a non-mask wearer they could refuse them entry.' He added: 'The handing back to the public of this moral responsibility actually causes more problems than the legislation did. 'Wear a mask or don't wear a mask will become one's own decision, and therefore it is difficult to see shops and public places having the same mandatory rules. 'It would be better for shops just to say that we ''support the government guidance and recommend mask wearing in store'' but then not enforce it and leave people to make their own mind up.' Maria Chadwick, partner in the employment and discrimination department at Stephensons, said: 'The easing of the face mask requirements, as the position is understood, will do away with any legal requirement to wear a face covering in public spaces and as such, will limit further the power of businesses and service providers to attempt to enforce it in accordance with any government issued guidance. 'However, as the guidance will no longer be in place, it could give more scope for businesses to implement their own policies, theoretically giving them more freedom to do so on their own terms. 'However, if their policies incorporated a blanket requirement for the wearing of face coverings on their premises with no provision for medical exemption the same risks as are run in respect of potential discrimination claims being brought against them by way of failure to make reasonable adjustments for their disabled customers.' Luke Gittos, a partner at Murrays Partnership, added: 'There is no legal right to be served in a shop. These are private enterprises who can, in theory, refuse to serve whoever they choose. 'They could, in theory, get into trouble if they refuse to serve someone because of a 'protected characteristic' under the Equality Act for example, if they were not wearing a mask because of a disability. 'But in general there is nothing illegal in a shop refusing service to someone who refuses to wear a mask. We can only hope that after the 19th of July, shop owners will appreciate that people have their own view on mask wearing which should be respected.' Toby Young, editor of Lockdown Sceptics, pointed out it is going to be difficult for stores to force people to wear masks. He said: 'It's going to be very difficult for shops to insist people wear masks. At the moment, people can simply announce that they're mask exempt and shops aren't legally allowed to ask for proof and if they refuse someone entry on the grounds that they're unmasked they could be in breach of anti-discrimination law. 'After July 19th it's going to become even harder, because many people will simply refuse to wear masks, whether they have a disability or not. 'And if some shops don't insist on masks, which they won't, any shop insisting on a mask will be at a competitive disadvantage. The easiest thing will be for all shops to drop the insistence.' Leading retailers this morning came out and suggested they would continue to want face coverings on shoppers, but would not enforce it. Jacinta Rowsell, general manager at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, told Today: 'At the moment we actively ensure our guests are wearing masks when they're visiting the centre, and with the changes post July 19 we will continue to encourage guests to wear masks when they're coming into the centre. 'We have a number of Covid secure measure that we take and again we will continue to offer these in the form of ticketless. We are very aware and very focused on the fact that guests coming to the centre want to feel safe. 'They are our priority as are our retailers and our staff, where possible we would be encouraging the wearing of masks when people are coming into the centre.' Jacinta Rowsell, general manager at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, told Today: 'I think it's safe to say we've adapted so many times over the last 18 months' (file photo) The rules that are set to change after July 19 Boris Johnson last night firmed up plans for unlocking England on July 19. The PM used a press conference to confirm a bonfire of virus rules and restrictions from the so-called Freedom Day, saying individuals will again be able to judge the risks of coronavirus for themselves. However, he did not have any decisive announcements in key areas, with no date for quarantine requirements to be waived for double-jabbed Brits travelling to 'amber list' countries. There was also no confirmation that self-isolation can be replaced with testing for the fully-vaccinated. And although there was a clear intention for bubble rules in schools to be axed, it is not expected to happen until September when the new term starts. WHAT THE PM ANNOUNCED: Pubs and restaurants Hospitality venues in England will no longer be required to collect track and trace data from July 19. Businesses won't have to ask customers to scan a QR code using the NHS phone app on entry or to hand over their contact details, although they will have the option of continuing to do so if they wish. Mandatory table service rules will also be scrapped, meaning drinkers will be able to order at the bar again in pubs. Masks Wearing masks will become voluntary everywhere apart from hospitals and other health facilities from July 19 in England. Public transport passengers, shoppers and those visiting pubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres will no longer be required by law to cover up. However, people may still be encouraged to wear masks in some enclosed places where they come into close contact with each other, for example on London Tube trains. Work from home The official guidance telling people to 'work from home if you can' will be scrapped on July 19 in England. But it will be left up to employers and their staff to decide whether they have to go back to their desks. Ministers will not launch a campaign encouraging staff back to the office and are resigned to there not being a mass return to workplaces this summer. AND WHAT THE PM DIDN'T ANNOUNCE Holidays Ministers have been working on a system to open up holiday destinations for double-jabbed Britons. People who have had both vaccine doses could no longer have to quarantine for ten days after visiting amber list countries, such as Spain, France and Greece. However, there is not set to be any definitive news on the rules tonight and Government sources have cautioned the July 19 date is 'ambitious'. TEST AND TRACE Pressure has been growing for people who have received both coronavirus vaccine doses to be spared isolating at home for ten days if they have come into contact with someone who tested positive. They could be offered lateral flow tests to do themselves at home instead. However, ministers have not come to a conclusion on whether to go ahead, and it is understood a new system is very unlikely to be in place for July 19. SCHOOLS The bubbles system that has seen whole classes or year groups sent home if just one pupil tests positive for coronavirus will be scrapped in England. Ministers are planning to announce a new way of handling outbreaks. Instead of sending children home en masse, those who have come into contact with a positive case are likely to be given daily tests. Few expect the arrangements to start until the new school year in September, although Sajid Javid sparked confusion by telling MPs tonight that it could happen on July 19. Advertisement She added: 'Each of the retailers may implement their own policies, and that's something we're working on with them, but it's something that we'll be waiting for feedback from them on.' Customers will no longer need to wear masks in Sainsbury's stores from July 19, the supermarket's chief executive suggested today. Simon Roberts said he would consult with staff on their views but said the decision to wear one would be down to individual choice. He said: 'We're all absorbing the latest news last night and thinking through our response. 'There are two very distinct points of view. One is customers and colleagues who can't wait for the restrictions to lift and not to have to wear a mask for example, and others who are keen to continue to do that. 'I think in the end it will come down to the choices that individual customers and colleagues want to make. It is going to be driven by customer and by colleague choice.' He added: 'We're clearly going to follow the Government advice, we'll continue to listen to our customers and colleagues and we'll respect and support the individual choices the customers and colleagues want to make.' But General Secretary of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers Paddy Lillis slammed any change in the rules. He said: 'Wearing a face covering in crowded public areas like shops is not merely a personal choice, it is an important measure to help protect workers who have no option but to interact with large numbers of people as a part of their job. The main purpose of face coverings is to protect others and the Government must send out a clear message on this. 'Usdaw is urging the shopping public to continue to wear face coverings, along with necessary hand sanitisation and maintaining social distancing to help make shops safer and limit the spread of Covid-19. We also continue to call on employers to maintain appropriate safety measures and ensure that they are being followed consistently.' Prof Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said 'there's no reason' why businesses should not be able to refuse to serve customers without face masks after July 19. He told Times Radio: 'There's no reason why businesses which have made their own assessments cannot say actually ''If you come in here we still want you to wear a mask''. 'They can't mandate it, but neither are businesses mandated to have to serve you, so if you run a nail bar and you want the clients to wear a face mask, you simply say ''You have to wear a face mask if you want to get your nails done''. 'That's a good example of some direct, personal, face-to-face contact for a good 40 minutes where you don't want your staff breathing in what Joe Public is breathing on to you. 'There's no reason why many businesses can't actually just say ''Hang on a minute, in this setting we want you to wear a face mask''. I don't see why public transport companies couldn't make the same assessment.' Mr Wagner, the human rights lawyer from Doughty Street Chambers, has been publishing guidance on the practical effects of regulations during the pandemic. He suggested businesses are likely to retain mask mandates and social distancing measures in the workplace indefinitely. He told MailOnline bosses have a legal duty to protect the health of their staff and the burden of safety has grown amid Covid. Mr Wagner pointed out businesses could insist staff wear masks after July 19 for fear of a worker taking them to tribunal if an outbreak leads to serious illness or death. He said: 'Absolutely firms will want to keep some kind of social distancing in place, whether the virus is surging or not and regardless of whether or not there are government coronavirus regulations after July 19. 'I suspect that many businesses will be consulting legal advice on insisting that staff continue to wear masks and keep their distance in the office. 'They will be looking at the health and safety executives and they will also be following the government guidance which comes out on keeping the workplace Covid-secure. 'Businesses will probably be risk-averse, because no one will want to be the first to tell its staff that they don't have to cover their faces or keep to social distancing restrictions. And why should they? 'Covid is extremely disruptive and we're about to enter a period where there are fewer restrictions, meaning the virus is going to surge. 'Yes people are vaccinated against Covid, and yes the link between infection and hospitalisation let alone death appears to have been broken by the roll-out. 'But we're wading into uncertain waters here and firms will be wanting to play their cards safe. And if you look at where easing has taken place, so far it's been mostly indoor venues - like cinemas, theatres, pubs and so on. 'We're experimenting with mass outdoor gatherings, and we don't really know the real-world consequences of thousands of people all mingling together.' Meanwhile popular airlines including British Airways, Ryanair and easyJet are planning to keep the measure in place. Ryanair and easyJet were among those that confirmed fliers will still be required to wear face coverings beyond July 19. Meanwhile popular airlines including British Airways, Ryanair and easyJet are planning to keep the measure in place (file (photo) The Brexit mask divide: Leave voters are more likely to ditch face coverings Britain has a new Brexit divide with Leave voters more willing than Remainers to ditch their masks when the laws demanding their use are scrapped. More Brexiteers said they planned to stop wearing a face covering after July 19 than said they would continue to voluntarily cover up, by 46 to 41 per cent, YouGov found. By contrast, some 59 per cent of Remainers said they planned to continue to wear masks to lower the risk that they would spread disease to others. However, the pollsters also found that there was a significant majority among both Leave and Remain voters for keeping rules demanding masks be worn on public transport. Advertisement BA is expected to join them, with a spokesman saying: 'We keep our policies under constant review.' Tui and Virgin Atlantic also hinted travellers could be required to wear face coverings after restrictions relax further. Ryanair said: 'In order to protect the health of our customers and crew, the use of face masks will still be mandatory across all Ryanair flights.' An easyJet spokesman said: 'At present there are no changes to easyJet's on-board mask policy. 'We continue to be guided by our in-house medical adviser and a number of key industry governing bodies and at present their guidance around the wearing of masks on board remains unchanged.' Tui said it would be following advice from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, which continues to advise for masks be worn. Virgin Atlantic said it was 'reviewing' its policy, adding: 'Currently all customers and our crew are required to wear their masks for the duration of the flight.' Jet2 said it would continue to make masks compulsory if the Civil Aviation Authority's advice to do so does not change. Mr Mather from Nexa Law said: 'If an airline says everyone still has to wear masks on board then, except if you're exempt or have a disability, they could enforce that rule because its their planes and a private contract between the airline and customer.' Meanwhile on the trains bosses have suggested they will keep measures after July 19 as they slammed the government's 'on the hoof' Covid policy. General secretary of the RMT union Mick Lynch said: 'Yet again there's a real danger of the government making up policy on the hoof on critical issues and that is reflected in the comments of the minister this morning. 'Back in the real world discussions are ongoing at industry-wide level but all parties are having to second-guess what the government will say later today and that is not good enough. 'All the indications are that the government are going for a free-for-all, whereas common sense and medical advice seems to indicate that some level of control should remain in place in the public realm. 'RMT's priority will be the safety of our members and the travelling public.' A Southeastern Railway spokesman said: 'We've yet to receive full guidance for the easing of restrictions after 19 July, but in the meantime we'd remind our passengers that it remains a legal requirement to wear a face covering when travelling on our trains.' And a spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group added: 'As in society generally, the chance of catching coronavirus on a train is low, especially as train operators are helping people travel with confidence by continuing extra cleaning and ensuring the air in carriages is refreshed at least every 10 minutes.' A major pub chain also said it will still encourage masks, social distancing and table service to 'avoid a scrum at the bar'. Clive Watson, chief executive of the City Pub Group, who run 45 pubs across England and Wales, said: 'July 19 has been dubbed 'Freedom Day' but it really shouldn't be free for all day'. Clive Watson, chief executive of the City Pub Group, who run 45 pubs across England and Wales, said: 'July 19 has been dubbed 'Freedom Day' but it really shouldn't be free for all day'. While the boss of Punch Taverns, Clive Chesser, is demanding the Government scrap its current blanket self-isolation policy for a more 'pragmatic' test and release system Boris says self isolation for double-jabbed crippling firms, pubs and restaurants must stay for now but hints they will go later People who are pinged by the test and trace app will continue to have to self isolate even if they have been fully vaccinated, Boris Johnson confirmed tonight. In a blow to businesses, especially pubs and restaurants, the Prime Minister said that while he intends to lift the requirement for those who've received both jabs, it will not happen on July 19. Business leaders have called for the rule to be axed, with many hospitality venues being crippled by a shortage of staff because when one is forced to isolate many others are who worked in close proximity with them. Speaking to the nation tonight Mr Johnson said: 'We will continue from Step Four to manage the virus with a test trace and isolate system that is proportionate to the pandemic. 'You will have to self isolate if you test positive or are told to do so by NHS test and trace. But we are looking to move to a different regime for fully vaccinated contacts of those testing positive and also for children.' Pubs and restaurants already hit by severe labour shortages are being forced to close and thousands of staff sent home due to the NHS Covid app repeatedly telling them to self-isolate amid soaring case numbers - with bosses demanding a 'test and release' scheme instead. Employees must stay at home for up to ten days after coming into contact with a positive case even if they test negative for Covid. Hospitality chiefs want this changed so that anyone who receives a negative result can go back to work. A single Wetherspoons in Weston-super-Mare this week had 75 members of staff forced to stay at home after coming into contact with positive cases, while Hawksmoor steakhouse in London received 25 test and trace notifications within four weeks of reopening. The one-metre plus decree and advice to work from home where possible will be dropped, with mask wearing no longer mandatory - while pubs and other venues will not have to collect customer details and will again be able to serve drinks at the bar. Even if plans to free the double-jabbed has been revealed tonight, a testing regime to replace self-isolation for the double-vaccinated was very unlikely to be ready for July 19. The Prime Minister's spokesman said that ministers intended to maintain a 'proportionate test, trace and isolate system', saying it would be 'vital for continuing to manage the virus'. 'It will remain a legal requirement to self isolate if you test positive or are asked to do so by NHS test and trace,' he said. 'The Prime Minister will also signal his intention to allow double-vaccinated individuals identified as contacts to be exempt from isolation requirements. Further details will follow in due course.' Mr Johnson said the pandemic is 'far from over' and will not be over by July 19, with a potential 50,000 cases detected a day by that date. He told the Downing Street press conference: 'We're seeing rising hospital admissions and we must reconcile ourselves sadly to more deaths from Covid. 'In these circumstances we must take a careful and a balanced decision. And there's only one reason why we can contemplate going ahead to step four in circumstances where we'd normally be locking down further, and that's because of the continuing effectiveness of the vaccine rollout.' He said the expectation remains that by July 19 every adult in the UK will have had the offer of a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine and two-thirds will have had a second dose. Advertisement He said staff will be asked to wear masks with customers encouraged to do the same, and if they approach the bar to order they will be initially urged to do it at the table. Punch Taverns boss Clive Chesser is demanding the Government scrap its current self-isolation policy for a more 'pragmatic' test and release system to stop the crippling staff problems the NHS app is causing at his 1,300 pubs. Mr Watson from City Pub Group said that his businesses will still keep many of the rules that remain in place before July 19. He told Today: 'I think that staff should be encouraged or instructed to wear masks, I think that's very important, and I also think from a customer's point of view we will still try to offer as much service as possible at the table. 'What we don't want is a free for all scrum at the bar, with lots of people queuing up. Nearly 50 per cent of our customers order their food and drink via the app, we want to continue that, with the rest ordering at table. We want to continue that as well.' Masks have been mandatory on public transport since last June and in shops since last July, with fines of up to 6,400. The British Medical Association (BMA) said scrapping the fines 'made no sense' and union leaders suggested ministers would have blood on their hands. Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham, the Labour mayors of London and Greater Manchester, also criticised the move. But others, including Tory MPs, said ministers should have gone further and claimed masks were unnecessary. Mr Johnson insisted it was time to 'trust' members of the public to use their own 'good judgment' He added: 'What we're trying to do is move from universal government diktat to relying on people's personal responsibility. 'Clearly there's a big difference between travelling on a crowded Tube train and sitting late at night in a virtually empty carriage on the main railway line. 'So what we want to do is for people to exercise their personal responsibility, but to remember the value of face coverings both in protecting themselves, and others.' The Prime Minister said he would 'obviously wear a mask in crowded places where you are meeting people that you don't know ... to protect others and as a matter of simple courtesy'. Prof Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, said he would continue to wear a face covering when in a crowded situation indoors, when required to by an authority and if someone was uncomfortable with him not wearing one. Legal restrictions on wearing masks will be lifted completely, although places including hospitals and care homes may still decide to ask visitors to use them. And it will be down to individual shops, hospitality venues and transport providers whether they request they are worn. Huw Merriman, Tory chairman of the Commons transport committee, suggested it was 'confusing' for ministers to recommend the use of masks in some settings while making them no longer compulsory. He said: 'I just feel we have to be braver now and the vaccine allows us to be that brave.' Unite, which represents tens of thousands of public transport workers, accused the Government of 'gross negligence'. Spokesman Bobby Morton told the World at One: 'The rate of infection will go even higher again. Unfortunately, as we move into the winter, you will see more deaths because of this it is an intolerable situation. 'It is far too early as far as I am concerned.' He suggested the decision to scrap the law on wearing masks was being driven by money. 'All I would like to say is when they get that money, there might be blood on it,' he added. Usdaw, which represents shop workers, called for masks to remain mandatory in supermarkets. Mr Khan and Mr Burnham urged Mr Johnson to rethink his decision. But they signalled they would not bring in their own local requirements for travellers to wear face masks on public transport. 'If the Government comes up with a national ruling I just don't see how we would be able to enforce it at our level,' Mr Burnham said. The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies, backed the relaxation of the rules. 'Travelling by train is low-risk and carriages are well ventilated with air regularly refreshed either by air conditioning systems or by doors and windows being opened,' it said in a statement. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the BMA, said: 'We believe that it makes no sense to stop wearing face masks in enclosed public settings such as public transport. We know that face masks are proven to reduce the spread of this infection. 'At a time where we have exceptional high levels of cases we can't understand why we would knowingly want people to become infected. 'Face masks do not protect the wearer they protect people around you. Many people will be forced to go to work. 'If they need to travel on public transport, why should they be exposed to the virus when it's so simple that they can be protected by themselves and others around them wearing masks?' But Robert Dingwall, a sociology professor at Nottingham Trent University, said: 'The benefits of masks have always been uncertain because the quality of the evidence in both directions is so weak. 'Any benefit has probably been quite small or it would have been obvious even from weak studies.' A poll by YouGov last night suggested 71 per cent believe masks should continue to be mandatory on public transport once other coronavirus restrictions are lifted. The survey also found that the mask debate is divided down Brexiteer versus Remainer lines in the House of Commons, with the former being anti-covering and the latter being in favour of them. When asked a week ago if they would continue to wear face coverings after the rule is dropped, 59 per cent of Remainers said they would but just 41 per cent of Brexiteers did. And just 27 per cent of those in favour of membership of the EU said they would not wear one, while 46 per cent of Leavers did. Other countries differ on their guidance or rules on the wearing of face coverings, with the US not enforcing it, Australia keeping them as well as Germany and France at least in part. Chief Medical Adviser to the US President Dr Anthony Fauci landed himself in hot water on Sunday when he flip-flopped on the issue of mask-wearing. He said fully-vaccinated people living in areas with low vaccination rates should 'go the extra step' and cover their face. Fauci made the comment during an appearance on NBC's 'Meet the Press' when anchor Chuck Todd asked if Fauci - who's fully vaccinated - would wear a mask in a city like Biloxi, Mississippi. The state of Mississippi has the lowest vaccination rate in the country with 34.3 percent of the population receiving only one dose. 'I think there would be good reason to do that,' Fauci said. 'I mean, because as we've said so often, that vaccines are not, even as good as they are and highly effective, nothing is 100 per cent. 'And if you put yourself in an environment in which you have a high level of viral dynamics and a very low level of vaccine, you might want to go the extra step.' It came just two days after Fauci told a White House press briefing that masks are not necessary at all for fully vaccinated people. Dr Fauci's mask-wearing and vaccine comments come after a recent debate about face coverings after CDC and the World Health Organization issued conflicting guidelines about the 'Indian' delta variant. The WHO said at the end of June fully vaccinated people should wear their masks and practice social distancing to protect themselves against the highly transmissible delta variant, but the CDC has not followed suit from May. In Australia some experts are even claiming face masks could be required on public transport and at busy indoor venues for years to come even after everyone is vaccinated. Infectious disease specialists said on Sunday the jab is the key to keeping the virus under control once the nation opens its borders to countries with vastly different health strategies. But they also said Covid-19 will be in the community for years, and face coverings will still be required to to keep potential outbreaks at bay. Melbourne University epidemiologist Tony Blakely told the Herald Sun vaccination alone may not be enough to containing infections. 'We won't be throwing away masks, we will still be wearing them on public transport, for example,' he said. 'We will be wearing them indoors when there is a community outbreak.' Burnet Institute director Brendan Crabb said the virus was not about to disappear and Australians have to prepare for tightened measures to reduce the chance of widespread illness and more deaths. He said: 'It won't just be vaccines for the next few years or so. The more that we all buy into that governments and individuals then the earlier we can open.' Yet in Germany some provinces are starting to ease measures on wearing face coverings on public transport and in public places. Last month Baden-Wurttemberg relaxed the use in schools in districts with low Covid infections. But the southern state of Bavaria said it does not have plans to stop mask wearing. And Berlin has slackened some of its mask-wearing measures, with them not having to be worn on the pavement in shopping streets and busy squares. A Sainsbury's worker who was sacked from her job of 28-years after picking up a cuddly toy and saying 'Black Lives Matter' has been awarded compensation. Marian Cunnington, 52, picked up a 'Bing' toy - from the leading BBC children's cartoon of the same name - while making price changes at the store in Bridgnorth, Shropshire. While holding it she made the comment 'should we really be selling this toy? Black Lives Matter' in June last year, the tribunal heard. Price controller Ms Cunnington was suspended that same day and - despite explaining to bosses that she was 'standing up for BLM' - the mother-of-one was fired for gross misconduct on July 2. Marian Cunnington, 52, (pictured) picked up a 'Bing' toy - from the leading BBC children's cartoon of the same name - while making price changes at the store in Bridgnorth, Shropshire Price controller Ms Cunnington was suspended that same day and - despite explaining to bosses that she was 'standing up for BLM' - the mother-of-one was fired for gross misconduct on July 2. Pictured: A cartoon rabbit 'Bing' toy But a judge ruled Ms Cunnington was unfairly dismissed after the manager who fired her could not justify why the words she said were offensive. Judge Richardson told the Birmingham Employment Tribunal that 'sensitivities were heightened' at the time, as Ms Cunnington's comments were made days after the death of George Floyd in the US. Ms Cunnington told the Mirror: 'I'm not a racist and I'm a really good worker. 'When you have worked for a company for that long, to have it all ripped away and leave under such circumstances.' Price controller Ms Cunnington (pictured) was suspended that same day and - despite explaining to bosses that she was 'standing up for BLM' - the mother-of-one was fired for gross misconduct on July 2 Ms Cunnington - who has won awards for her work at the Sainsbury's store - said she felt the toy could be offensive to black people, just as the Robertson's jam mascot was. The co-worker who made the complaint against Ms Cunnington thought she heard her say: 'I'm offended Black Lives Matter?'. She lodged an initial appeal after being fired on July 2, but this was unsuccessful. Following the tribunal's ruling, Ms Cunnington will receive an undisclosed payout from Sainsbury's. MailOnline has approached Sainsbury's for comment. A young mum has died after slipping on a plastic bucket and falling head first into a charity bin while rummaging for clothes, with police saying she was discovered hanging 'half-in-half-out'. The horrifying details emerged as police reviewed CCTV footage, which showed Alarrah Lawrence, 33, driving into Stockland Baldivis shopping centre in Rockingham at 1.40am on Tuesday morning, before approaching the bin. The mother-of-one then stood on a plastic bucket peering through the slot in the Good Sammys charity bin, the West Australian reported. Alarrah Lawrence, 33 (pictured), was found dead hanging 'half-in-half-out' of a donation bin Details of the beloved mother's horrifying death (pictured with her 15-month-old son) have been revealed by WA Police It is believed Ms Lawrence then slipped off the bucket leaving her upper body stuck in the hinged opening and her feet dangling off the ground. It wasn't until after 5am that a member of the public made the grim discovery. Ms Lawrence's devastated boyfriend shared a heartfelt tribute on social media after learning of her death. 'This is a cruel world. Can't believe you're gone. I'm devastated and words can't explain. I'm going to miss you and I just wish I could tell you I love you one more time my soulmate,' he wrote on Facebook. Rockingham Detective-Senior Sergeant Andrew Elliott told reporters her death was a 'tragic accident'. 'Through our investigation so far it seems to be a non-suspicious death where a person has tragically died through very unfortunate circumstances,' he said. 'It seems she became trapped and unable to remove herself from the bin.' The charity bin where the woman was found was located in the grounds of the Stockland Baldivis shopping centre, off Norseman Approach, in Perth's southern suburbs It is believed Ms Lawrence (left and right) slipped off a bucket leaving her upper body stuck in the hinged opening and her feet dangling off the ground Ms Lawrence's (pictured with her son) devastated boyfriend shared a heartfelt tribute on social media after learning of the bizarre death He said that analysis suggested the woman died from asphyxiation. An assortment of clothes she had previously plucked from the bin were also found under her feet. Detective-Senior Sergeant Elliott added encountering the scene would have been 'very, very confronting' for the person who found her. Friends and family left flowers at the scene to pay tribute to the 'pocket rocket' they described as a 'breath of fresh air' who was a devoted mother to her 15-month-old son. Nearby residents said it's not uncommon to see people digging through the charity bins in the middle of the night. Nearby residents said it's not uncommon to see people digging through the charity bins in the middle of the night 'There's always clothes scattered around those bins,' one woman said. 'That's why they've recently installed a CCTV camera and a light in the car park.' Melanie Kiely, the CEO of Good Sammys said in a statement the charity group is assisting police with their investigation and are deeply saddened by the tragic incident. 'We are shocked and saddened to hear the news this morning,' she said. 'Our immediate thoughts are for the friends and family of the woman involved.' The tragic death mirrors an almost identical incident that took place in Queensland in April, in which a woman also died after becoming stuck in another charity bin. Police have arrested 14 people in India after they uncovered a fake Coronavirus vaccine programme that injected its victims with sea water. At least 12 fake vaccination programmes were carried out in an around the country's financial hub in Mumbai between May and June, with the organisers charging their victims for the shots. Over 2500 people were swindled by the scam organised by doctors and medical staff, who allegedly used their hospital access to create fake certificates and syringes. Charges faced by the detainees include manslaughter, criminal conspiracy and fraud. The coronavirus crisis in India has been devastating, with the country reaching the grim milestone of over 400,000 deaths last week (there is no implication that any of the health workers pictured are involved in the scam) Indian authorities reported this morning 34,703 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, according to health ministry data, with active cases at 464,357 (there is no implication that any of the health workers pictured are involved in the scam) Mumbai police department official Vishal Thakur said: '[The doctors] were using saline water and injecting it. 'Every fake vaccination camp that they held, they were doing this. 'We have arrested doctors - they were using a hospital which was producing the fake certificates, vials, syringes.' India's Covid deaths relative to infections hit a record high in June, as a second wave of the virus ravaged the country's health services and resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. According to India's health ministry as of this morning, there have been 30.62 million infections and 403,281 deaths due to Covid. But some experts believe the actual case and fatality numbers to be far higher and are putting pressure on the authorities to report the numbers accurately. According to Murad Banaji, a mathematician at Middlesex University, India's true coronavirus death toll could be closer to 2 million, while scientists at the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation say India could only be detecting between 3 and 5 per cent of cases due to insufficient testing. The second wave of coronavirus in India peaked between April and June and resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, but experts believe the real death toll is far higher than the figures given by the country's health authorities The number of daily cases and deaths began to slow down from June as India's vaccine roll out got underway, but progress is destined to be painfully slow. Less than 5% of the country's population of over 1 billion has been fully vaccinated so far Indias vaccination programme is now underway, but the sheer size of the population - well over 1 billion - means that progress is destined to be painfully slow. Less than 5% of the country's population has been fully vaccinated according to data from John Hopkins University, and it will be some time before the vaccines are successfully distributed throughout India's smaller cities and rural regions. In the case of the fake vaccination scam in Mumbai, Thakur said the police are conducting further investigations into the medical staff behind them, and expected that more arrests would be made. Police began investigating the scheme when victims of the scam grew suspicious of the legitimacy of their certificates and reported it to the authorities. Mumbai lawyer Siddharth Chandrashekhar has initiated legal action against the doctors after authorities confirmed last month they had already confirmed 2,000 victims of the scams. The Bombay High Court said the allegations were 'really shocking' and urged local authorities to remain vigilant 'so that innocent individuals are not duped in future.' However, the Indian government has thus far denied that there is widespread underreporting of Covid deaths, and does not plan to amend its official death toll or total number of cases. The second wave of coronavirus in India infected millions and killed hundreds of thousands of people between April and June alone as health authorities struggled to support the sheer number of people requiring medical attention and oxygen An experimental drug may cure long Covid, medics believe after a 59-year-old man given the medicine saw his symptoms fade within hours. Doctors at a hospital in Germany gave the drug originally designed to fight heart failure to treat the patient's glaucoma. The team thought the way the medication works could also help to combat the eye disease, which can eventually lead to blindness. They then realised the BC 007 drug could also be of use in fighting off long Covid because it neutralises auto-antibodies, which attack the body and are common in coronavirus survivors plagued with persistent symptoms. The unidentified man's lasting symptoms fatigue, loss of taste and concentration problems all improved rapidly. Doctors in Bavaria who treated him said: 'Even within a few hours an improvement became apparent.' Scientists who made the discovery will now trial the drug to determine if its success at curing long-Covid symptoms can be repeated. BC 007 - the drug that cured a man's long-Covid symptoms - is administered through a single-dose infusion. A price for the treatment has not yet been determined, as it is in clinical trials. The drug was developed by Berlin Cures to neutralise auto-antibodies in people with heart failure LONG COVID: WHAT IS IT AND COULD IT BE FOUR DIFFERENT SYNDROMES? Covid-19 is described as a short-term illness caused by infection with the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Public health officials tend to say people will recover within two weeks or so. However it's become increasingly clear that this is not the case for everyone, and that the two-week period is only the 'acute illness' phase. The North Bristol NHS Trust's Discover project, which is studying the longer-term effects of coronavirus, found that out of a total of 110 patients given a three-month check up, most (74 per cent) had at least one persistent symptom after twelve weeks. The most common were: Excessive fatigue: 39% Breathlessness: 39% Insomnia: 24% Muscle pain: 23% Chest pain: 13% Cough: 12% Loss of smell: 12% Headache, fever, joint pain and diarrhoea: Each less than 10% Other long term symptoms that have been reported by Covid-19 survivors, both suspected and confirmed, anecdotally, include hearing problems, 'brain fog', memory loss, lack of concentration, mental health problems and hair loss. The impact of Long Covid on people who had mild illness have not been studied in depth yet. Data from the King's College London symptom tracking app shows that up to 500,000 people in the UK are currently suffering from the long-term effects of Covid-19. In October, scientists claimed Long Covid could actually be split into four different syndromes. Academics at the National Institute for Health Research headed up by Professor Chris Whitty were asked to review the limited evidence on long Covid to help both patients and doctors understand the 'phenomenon'. Their findings warned that even children can suffer and it can't be assumed that people who are at lower risk of severe illness and death from Covid-19 are also at low risk of lasting side effects. Doctors cautioned some mental health problems such as anxiety and depression in 'long-haulers', as they are known, could be down to lockdowns, as opposed to the virus itself. The experts also claimed that the symptoms could be grouped into four different groups: Post intensive care syndrome (PICS) Post viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS) Permanent organ damage (POD) Long term Covid syndrome (LTCS) Advertisement Little is known about long-Covid an umbrella term encompassing symptoms that persist for more than a month. Different studies have estimated that between 10 and 75 per cent of Covid patients suffer from the condition including up to 2million Britons. Scientists have found that sufferers have higher numbers of auto-antibodies, which are proteins produced by the immune system that attack organs. These are different from antibodies, which are stored by the immune system to fight off diseases such as coronavirus. German firm Berlin Cures developed BC 007 to clear up auto-antibodies in patients with heart failure. The drug is currently in the second phase of clinical trials and has yet to be brought to market, so how much it will cost remains a mystery. It works by sticking to the auto-antibodies and destroying them, preventing them from attacking organs in the body, according to Berlin Cures. The doctors said this process would make it possible to render the auto-antibodies harmless and could possibly improve blood circulation. For this reason, Dr Bettina Hohberger, from the Erlangen Eye Clinic, planned to use BC 007 on her glaucoma patients, who also have high levels of auto-antibodies, which reduce blood flow in the eye. Glaucoma is a condition where the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged by a fluid build-up in the front part of the eye. The condition which is most common in people in their 70s and 80s can lead to blindness if not treated early. Dr Hohberger said: 'We already know one of these autoantibodies from glaucoma and know it has a bad effect on the blood circulation in the eye.' Previous studies had already identified long-Covid sufferers have auto-antibodies in their system. Dr Hohberger gave BC 007 to a 59-year-old man, who was suffering with long-term glaucoma and long-Covid symptoms, through a single dose infusion. He stayed at the Erlangen University Hospital for three days. The patient's sense of taste and difficulty concentrating 'disappeared', his auto-antibody levels dropped and the blood flow to his eyes 'improved significantly', the doctors said. The experts said they will now use the drug in wider trials to determine its effectiveness. Dr Christian Mardin, who is in charge of the eye clinic, revealed they can't treat more people with the drug 'because it has not yet passed all approval studies'. Blood flow problems are thought to be at the root of the long-Covid conundrum, with researchers at the the Max Planck Center for Physics and Medicine in Germany identifying changes to the shape of blood cells in people who have the condition. They released findings last week that claimed the virus changes the size and stiffness of red and white blood cells, which make it harder to get oxygen and nutrients around the body. They believe the disruption to oxygen flow is the root of the common symptoms which plague long Covid patients breathing issues, tiredness and headaches. A father who claimed he needed a wheelchair but was secretly filmed unloading a furniture van has been jailed and 'financially ruined' over his 1.5million compensation scam against the NHS. In antics reminiscent of Little Britain character Andy Pipkin, Darren Dommett, 49, was caught lugging heavy flatpack furniture from a delivery van to his Grimsby home, despite claiming he could barely walk due to medical blunders. Dommett claimed NHS doctors' delay in treating a nerve condition in his back had left him severely disabled, requiring a wheelchair or walking frame to get around, and totally dependent on others' care. But similar to sketch-show character Andy, who famously leaps up from his wheelchair whenever his carer's back is turned, Dommett was proved to be a liar as by the time of the filming he had 'absolutely no need for a wheelchair.' He admitted contempt of court and was jailed for 29 weeks by Judge Nigel Lickley QC at the High Court, after faking symptoms to fuel a massive damages claim against the NHS. He will also have to pay the NHS at least 85,000 in costs and repayment of wrongly paid compensation, with much more to come if he has to pay lawyers' bills of the contempt of court case too. Darren Dommett, 49, (pictured) exaggerated his disability in a claim over delays in treatment for a back problem he had in 2013, as he tried to seek 1.5million in damaged from the NHS Dommett was caught moving flat pack furniture unaided and sharing holiday snaps without a wheelchair on social media after NHS investigators grew suspicious about the size of his claim His barrister, Andrew Locke, told the judge the case had left Dommett, a father-of-two and fanatical Arsenal supporter, 'ruined both financially and personally'. The court heard Dommett had suffered a genuine compressed nerve condition in his back, called cauda equina syndrome, in 2013 and went to doctors. But A&E medics at the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, in Grimsby, failed to immediately spot the symptoms and it was days later that he was diagnosed and treated for the condition, which can leave sufferers paralysed if not treated quickly. The Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust admitted liability for the delay, but were suspicious of the size of Dommett's claim, which was put at more than 1.5million, and potentially over 2million. The father claimed his disability meant he could barely walk and needed a wheelchair or a walking frame to get around but was later filmed moving flat pack furniture from a van Dommett claimed he had been left unable to walk far without a walking frame or wheelchair and was largely confined to a sedentary life in front of the TV. In a filmed examination at his home, Dommett struggled to stand unaided and appeared to have great trouble walking or getting up stairs. But NHS barrister James Todd QC told the judge the NHS had launched covert surveillance of the father on several days in 2017. The footage shows him unloading three packs of flatpack furniture from a delivery van, getting in an out of his Land Rover and going shopping with his wife. 'For most of this period of surveillance, the defendant is either walking or standing...there is no sign of fatigue or a change in the defendant's gait. 'The defendant is seen on his driveway taking delivery of some cardboard packages that appear to be the components of a flatpack furniture set which includes a glass-top table. 'The defendant carries three of the packages, one by one, from the rear of a van into his house. He carries what appears to be the heaviest of the parcels.' Evidence from social media also showed he had exaggerated his disability, the barrister added, with photos from a family holiday in Spain with no wheelchair or walking frame in sight. Mr Todd said that, in actual fact, Mr Dommett had made a 'good recovery' and by 2017 was 'grossly exaggerating' or 'fabricating' symptoms to boost his claim. Dommett did not immediately admit his lies, but eventually pleaded guilty to contempt of court in making false statements to experts about his level of disability. 'When he made those statements and representations, he was not suffering from significant pain and disability,' said Mr Todd. The court heard Dommett had made a good recovery from his condition by 2017 despite his claims that he was left permanently disabled. Pictured: Dommett moving furniture from a van 'He had made a very good recovery from his cauda equina syndrome. 'He could sit, stand, walk and move freely, normally and for long periods - and without the need for support or the use of a walking stick. 'He had absolutely no need for a wheelchair.' Mitigating on Dommett's behalf, Mr Locke said the compensation bid was genuine to start with, that he had suffered some disability, and that he had been plagued with other medical problems. Although by 2017 there was no 'medical need' for it, he had genuinely used a wheelchair for a time after his cauda equina syndrome. 'It is common ground that Mr Dommett's claim was initially a genuine one with genuine and very distressing injuries,' he told the judge. A high court judge jailed Dommett for 29 weeks after he admitted making false statements 'The element of fabrication came later. Although there was a deliberate effort to mislead the experts and the courts, it was not sophisticated.' He was a proud working class man and the genuine effects of the nerve condition on his ability to do physical work had been hard on him, said the barrister. Sentencing, Judge Lickley ruled that only an immediate term of imprisonment could be justified for the serious false statements made by Dommett in his claim. He sentenced him to 29 weeks' imprisonment. He will also have to pay the NHS' 65,000 costs of defending the original claim, and repay 20,000 in wrongly paid out compensation. He may also have to stump up to cover the NHS' five-figure costs of having him jailed, but the judge will rule on that issue at a later date. A metal detectorist said he cried tears of joy after uncovering a 17th century gold posy ring - which he claims could have been thrown away after a 'lovers' tiff'. Robin Potter, 50, found the 400-year-old ring in a farmer's field near his home in Argyll and Bute and is now waiting to hear if the rare piece of jewellery will be claimed by the National Museum of Scotland. Posy rings were given as tokens of love between the 16th and 18th centuries. On the inside of the ring would be a short poem, intended only for the eyes of the two lovers. The woman's or girl's ring found by Mr Potter features an engraving inside which reads: 'Gife parted hearts in paine'. The word 'hearts' has been replaced with two overlapping heart symbols. A metal detectorist said he cried tears of joy after uncovering a 17th century gold posy ring - which he claims could have been thrown away after a 'lovers' tiff'. Robin Potter, 50, found the 400-year-old ring in a farmer's field near his home in Argyll and Bute The ring found by Mr Potter features an engraving inside which reads: 'Gife parted hearts in paine'. The word 'hearts' has been replaced with two overlapping heart symbols Keen metal detectorist Mr Potter, from Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, believes the tiny gold ring could have been discarded after a lovers' tiff or lost 'in the heat of passion'. He said the gold find makes up for all the 'rubbish' he's found metal detecting the last four years. Mr Potter, from Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute Full-time carer Mr Potter said: 'When I found it I was so happy I cried. 'It really is a thing of beauty, and it is the first piece of gold that I have found since I started metal detecting around four years ago. 'When you find something like this you go through a range of emotions from shock to pure joy. 'Before detecting any field I check with the owner which field I can detect so I am not disturbing the animals while they are lambing or calving. 'It just happened that that field was empty that day. 'It is tiny with a diameter of 15mm and was either a woman's or girl's ring. 'A lot of them are plain on the outside so mine being engraved on the outer with flowers and a crisscrossed pattern with entwined hearts on the ends even more special. Mr Potter found the ring in a farmer's field near his home in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute Mr Potter was legally required to report the ring, which he found in June, to the Treasure Trove Scotland, because it's more than 300 years old Posy rings were given as tokens of love from the 16th century, before falling out of fashion in the 18th. The name posy derives from the French word for poem Mr Potter added: 'Honestly, it's impossible to say how it was lost. 'It could have fallen off on a cold day, it could have been thrown after a lovers tiff or it could have been lost in the 'heat of passion', who knows'. Above: A ruler showing the size of the ring 'There are also traces of blue enamel in the criss-cross pattern which again makes it rarer. What are 'Posy' rings? Posy rings pre-date the custom of proposing with an engagement ring, but essentially served the same purpose. Men and women exchanged the items - also known as 'betrothal' rings - from the 1500s ownwards to symbolise their future commitment to each other. The rings, which were often swapped at betrothals and weddings, were typically gold with a short inscription on their inner surface. The quotations were often from contemporary courtship stories or 'chapbooks'. The rings derive their name from the French word 'poesie' (poem) - because of the short, romantic sayings which were engraved on them. Whilst the name is no longer used for modern rings, couples still often opt to have an inscription on the inside. The notion of an 'engagement' ring can be traced as far back as ancient Rome Back then, Roman brides-to-be were given two rings: a gold one to wear in public and one made of iron to wear at home while attending to household duties. Diamonds were too rare and expensive for most people to afford in a ring until the discovery of African diamond mines in the 1870s. Even then, they were for a long time seen as the domain of the nobility and aristocracy, with many favouring simpler engagement bands. Advertisement 'Honestly, it's impossible to say how it was lost. 'It could have fallen off on a cold day, it could have been thrown after a lovers tiff or it could have been lost in the 'heat of passion', who knows. The name posy derives from the French word for poem. Mr Potter was legally required to report the ring, which he found in June, to the Treasure Trove Scotland, because it's more than 300 years old. It will be returned to Robin if it is not claimed by the museum, and he plans to sell it and split any profits with the landowner of the farm in Helensburgh where he found it. He said: 'The day started off pretty normal. 'I had dug several signals which turned out to be random bits of iron and then on about the fifth signal I wasn't going to dig it as it wasn't that strong but I went ahead anyway. 'I started to pull the soil apart and there it was, I could just see the side of the ring but I knew instantly it was gold. 'I slowly pulled the remaining soil away and could see the extent of the outer engraving and then looked inside the band to see the inscription. 'Because I live in Scotland and the ring is older than 300 years I am legally bound to report it to what is known as the Treasure Trove. 'From there it will go through a legal process where they will decide whether they wish to "claim" it for National Museums Scotland. 'If they don't "claim" it then they will return it to me and it is likely I will sell it and again split the profit with the farmer. 'I have been detecting for about four years now. 'I actually love the variety of items that can be found as well as being out in the beautiful countryside. 'Metal detecting has its plusses and minuses, the biggest minus is the amount of rubbish like tin cans and ring pulls that you find. 'But things like this make up for all of the rubbish.' A distraught mother whose daughter committed suicide after suffering years of online abuse has spoken of the trauma she endured while watching her only girl get bullied to death. Jackie Fox, 52, said she struggled to find the strength to carry on after discovering daughter Nicole hanged at her home in Dublin in January 2018 at the age of 21. The suicide came following four years of cyber and physical bullying at the hands of a group of girls who Nicole considered to be her friends. Jackie recalls how her daughter - known affectionately as 'Coco' - was burned with cigarettes and hair curlers, pushed, hit, and mocked in a cruel WhatsApp group that included taunting her after a failed suicide attempt in 2015. Recalling the moment she turned Nicole's life support machine off after her second suicide attempt, Jackie said: 'I got on the bed with her, kissed her, held her hand and told her that nobody would be able to hurt her again.' Jackie Fox has re-lived the trauma of losing daughter Nicole (together left and right) to suicide in 2018 after four years of vile online and in-person abuse Jackie, a teaching assistant, said Nicole had grown up as 'the funniest, bubbliest and cheekiest little girl' and had never suffered with health problems or anxiety. But that all changed aged 17 when a group of girls began targeting her following a row over a boy. 'She was about to turn 18 and wanted to go to her first club,' Jackie recalled. 'She went with a male friend and there was a girl there who liked the friend. 'She realised a way to get close to him was to become friendly with Nicole but when she realised it wasn't going to happen, she turned on her. 'They attacked her in a club a few times. They put cigarettes out on her body, they dragged her down some stairs by her hair and one night, someone pushed her so hard that she dislocated her hip. 'They would dance next to her and put an elbow in her face or swipe her drink off the table.' 'One night, a girl who had befriended her came round to the house, started curling her hair and burnt Nicole with the curlers.' Jackie said she contacted the police but officers told her that, since Nicole was over 18 at that point, she would have to come in and make a complaint herself. Nicole refused, fearing what the bullies would do to her if they found out she had attempted to get them in trouble. Then, in 2015, Nicole attempted to kill herself by taking an overdose - landing herself in hospital for four days. Afterwards, she was referred to mental health services but Jackie says they brushed her off, saying it was just a phase she was going through. That left Jackie to pick up the pieces herself. 'Trying to pick her up after that was so hard and she spent a lot of time in her room. 'I would lay in bed with her and we'd talk then when I went to bed I would hear her crying. She would wake up so sad. 'One day she said she didn't want to be here anymore and the only reason she was still here was because she didn't want to leave me heartbroken. Jackie said Nicole was burned with cigarettes, pushed and hit by a group of girls she thought of as friends - before they turned to cyberbullying following a failed suicide attempt in 2015 'That was what she was like, thinking about other people. I tried to bring her up, I'd take her out and take her shopping.' But any hopes that Nicole's suicide attempt would convince the bullies to quit turned out to be in vain - in fact, the harassment intensified. 'She was still going out with a smile on her face and they didn't like that,' Jackie said. 'After she'd overdosed, they were bragging that they were the ones who'd caused it. 'Then they made a WhatsApp group where they just said nasty things. 'Nicole found out about it and more and more people were in it. 'They were saying she should kill herself and that they were going to put her on life support. 'At the time, there were no laws against online abuse so they were destroying her and getting away with it.' Despite the continued harassment, Jackie says Nicole seemed to be showing signs of improvement and hit a high point at Christmas in 2017 - just days before she took her own life. She recalled: 'Nicole loved Christmas, it was her favourite time of year. 'We'd all gone round to my mum's house and she seemed so much better. 'She looked happy and like she was turning around. 'I didn't notice but she had gone around each individual family member getting a photo with them. 'Then she'd gone out for New Year and had the best night ever, she couldn't stop talking about it. 'I dropped my guard and the guilt kills me.' Recalling the day of Nicole's suicide, Jackie said she left her daughter alone to go to the chip shop to get dinner - and found her hanged when she arrived home alongside one of her two sons. Jackie performed CPR and called an ambulance, with medics managing to restart Nicole's her heart on the journey. She was placed on life support in hospital, but doctors broke the news to Jackie that her daughter had suffered irreparable brain damage and could not be saved. After two days, Jackie made the heart-breaking decision to turn off Nicole's life support. It was 5am, on January 20. Nicole hanged herself at home in Dublin in 2018, and last year Jackie saw anti-bullying laws passed alongside a memorial to her daughter that was written into Ireland's statute book Recalling the moment before she died, Jackie said: 'I got on the bed with her, kissed her, held her hand and told her that nobody would be able to hurt her again. 'She died on a Thursday and she was going to go out that weekend. 'She had plans to get her eyebrows done, she'd gone and bought a beautiful red dress that I still have with the tags on.' After Nicole's death, Jackie began to fight to make online bullying a criminal offence in Ireland and in 2020, Coco's law was passed in honour of Nicole. Jackie said: 'When I was told that the bullying wasn't a criminal offence, I was in shock. I slept in Nicole's bed and I was ready to go with her. 'I was torn between my two boys and being with Nicole. I just wanted to see her smile again. 'Then I thought, either be with Nicole or do something, so I chose to do something. 'Fighting to change the law was me in survival mode, it gave me a reason to get up in the morning. 'It took me two years and ten months and now it'll be in the statute book for longer than I'll be around. 'I wanted to make sure Nicole would never be forgotten and this is her legacy. 'People always say you must be so proud but it's too late for me and Nicole, this should have been a criminal offence a long time ago so it's really bitter sweet. 'I'll never see her smile again or hug her or hear her say she loves me.' Jackie and her sons were forced to move out of Dublin out of fear they would bump into the people responsible for Nicole's death and Jackie has given up her job to give talks at local schools and colleges about Coco's law. She said: 'Nicole was my only little girl. Growing up, she was the funniest, bubbliest and cheekiest little girl. 'She had a great childhood and she never suffered with her mental health or anxiety. 'We had a mobile home next to the sea, it was our happy place, we used to go crab fishing and jumping off the pier and that's where I've moved to. 'Nicole wanted to be an accountant because she was a wizard at maths. She wanted to travel as well but she never got to do that. She never got to do a lot of things she wanted to do.' For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details. This is the moment a curious big cat strutted into a camper's tent and stole his belongings while he camped in a wildlife park in Africa. Robert Hofmeyr, 43, and his brother-in-law Andy Caldwell, 39, were planning on filming the sunrise in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Botswana when they were rudely interrupted by a lion. The startled pair quickly hopped into their car to watch on from afar as the predator explored the inside of their tent at around 6am on Thursday, 1 July. As it rummages around their shelter, the pair's fruitless attempts to clear him off include beeping their horn and trying to block him from the tent. After having a poke around inside, the cheeky lion is seen clutching Andy's blue pillow in its jaws before disappearing into the darkness. Sizing up his prey: The curious big cat investigates the tent belonging to Robert Hofmeyr, 43, and his brother-in-law Andy Caldwell, 39 in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Botswana Startled, Robert and Andy retreated to the safety of their car as they shot the three-minute clip The young male lion struts into the campers' tent and leaves with its prize: A blue pillow Robert and Andy were up early, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sunrise from inside the sprawling African nature reserve. But upon returning from brushing their teeth at the crack of dawn, they were shocked to find a young male lion prowling outside their tent. Wildlife cameraman Robert captured the footage from the safety of his car, and remarked on the 'curious' nature of the big cat. Andy Caldwell, 39, (left) lost his blue pillow after the lion entered the pair's tent in Botswana. The curious big cat disappeared into the darkness with his next meal, a camping chair (right) The lion certainly left his mark, as proven by the holes in Robert's bag (above) and the lining of the tent The aftermath: Inside the tent, the lion left its slobber all over Andy's remaining pillow He said: 'The interesting thing was that he did not pause for a second - he just walked calmly into our camp. 'The lion wasn't aggressive at all. He was just curious. He showed no fear of humans or vehicles.' In the three-minute clip, viewers can see the curious big cat leaving the tent with its prize: A blue pillow. Commentating over the development, Robert says: 'We have a bit of a problem now because the lion is eating Andy's pillow and we can't get out the car.' After snacking on the blue pillow, the lion then opts for a chewier proposition, Robert's camping chair Flipping the camera to the inside of their vehicle, the nervous pair are watching on in anticipation. The lion shows no fear as he brazenly steals a handful of Robert and Andy's possessions The 'curious' lion refused to leave the pair's campsite, scuppering any chance they had of watching the early morning sunrise The lion continues to circle the tent before Andy moves the car closer to the entrance, hoping to block the lion off from stealing any more of their belongings. Robert added: 'The lion decided to taste my sleeping bag, which was less amusing to me at any rate, than Andy's pillow, so we started the car and drove towards the tent which caused him to drop the sleeping bag and move off a bit.' 'Once the lion realised he was blocked from entering the tent, he went and grabbed my camping chair and ran off into the bushes and chewed that for a while.' 'Eventually, the lion got bored of playing with our things and moved off into the darkness.' Advertisement Afghan troops have been filmed laying down their arms to the Taliban as the terror group shows off the American-made weapons it has seized after US and Nato troops beat a hasty retreat. The Afghan army is collapsing across the country and the Taliban appear to be winning the propaganda war with videos to prove that they will welcome surrendering soldiers - as long as they hand over their state-of-the-art weapons and Humvee armoured cars. The US left Bagram Airfield last week - its fortress in the country for nearly 20 years - by slipping away in the night without telling the base's new Afghan commander who discovered they had gone the next morning. However, General Austin Scott Miller, commander of US and Nato troops in Afghanistan, said he was shocked by how quickly the Afghan National Army had surrendered to the Taliban. 'I don't like leaving friends in need,' he told ABC on Monday. 'We should be concerned. The loss of terrain and the rapidity of that loss of terrain has to be concerning. You look at the security situation, it's not good. 'The Taliban are on the move. War is physical, but it's also got a psychological or moral component, and hope actually matters. What you don't want to have happen is that the people lose hope.' More than a thousand Afghan National Army soldiers fled into Tajikistan from the northern province of Badkhshan following clashes with the Taliban on Sunday. Tajikistan said that the Afghans were allowed to enter on the principle of 'good neighbourliness' but called up 20,000 reservists to bolster its border guard and prevent further flooding of the frontier. Taliban fighters survey armoured trucks and cars seized from an Afghan army base after they surrendered A line of US-made Humvee armoured cars which have fallen into the hands of the Taliban The terror group showed off piles of guns and rocket launchers which they seized from the Afghan army base The Taliban uploaded footage which purports to show Afghan National Army troops laying down their US-made arms and surrendering The Taliban are on the move across the country, most notably in the northern province of Badakhshan which borders Tajikistan, sending Afghan troops fleeing over the border. Meanwhile in Kandahar province to the south the jihadists are encircling their former capital city Afghan soldiers purportedly surrendering to Taliban warlords in footage uploaded by the terror group A Taliban fighter shows off a US standard issue M4A1 assault rifle seized from the Afghan base Machine guns and boxes of ammunition seized by the Taliban from the vanquished Afghan forces Taliban war chiefs show off US made weapons and ammunition seized from the Afghan National Army's Sultan Khil military base to the west of Kabul The Taliban showed off brand new and unopened boxes of ammunition and grenades, most of which appeared to be from America, which they had seized from the surrendering Afghan troops A Taliban chieftain welcomes Afghan National Army troops - the terror group are keen to show that they will welcome surrendering forces with open arms, taking their valuable weapons and 'forgiving' them for their 'weakness' in fighting with the US-led coalition The Taliban appear to be winning the propaganda war with videos online purporting to show the surrender of Afghan National Army soldiers Kabul militia surrendering with their weapons to the Taliban in Parwan Province on 16th June. pic.twitter.com/K1tp4VIlFn Death Symphony (@photo_military) June 19, 2021 All over Afghanistan, thousands of Afghan army troops are surrendering, with their weapons and equipment, to the Afghan Taliban. About 1000 troops have crossed over into Tajikistan and Uzbekistan seeking asylum. The battle for Kabul will soon begin. Hedge your bets wisely... pic.twitter.com/saVHp2Ox3s Zaid Hamid (@ZaidZamanHamid) July 5, 2021 As #Taliban took control of nine districts in #Badakhshan the corrupt elites and high ranked officials are rushing to escape in @BakhtarAirlines . pic.twitter.com/GHTFw5qPDC Rahim (@RahimLaghmani) July 3, 2021 Taliban seizes 900 guns, 30 Humvees, 20 army pickups and 15 military trucks from surrendering Afghan troops Stacks of US assault rifles seized by the Taliban from surrendering Afghan troops The Taliban have seized more than 900 guns from surrendering Afghan soldiers in the hinterland surrounding Kabul as they continue their resurgence in the wake the US and Nato retreat. The jihadists have been posting videos online showing how they are happy to welcome their former adversaries as long as they lay down their arms. The propaganda appears to be working. A Sky News report showed the Taliban proudly displaying US-made guns along with stacks of brand new ammunition and grenades still unopened in their boxes. The commander, based in Wardak province west of Kabul, told the broadcaster his men had retrieved 70 sniper rifles, 900 guns, 30 Humvees, 20 army pickups and 15 articulated military trucks. They also had satellite phones, grenades, mortars, bullets, many with labels on the front saying 'Property of USA Government'. They have captured Sultan Khil military base, a key strategic site in the region formerly held by Afghan troops. A box of rockets which the Taliban seized from the Afghan National Army Advertisement In the capital of Badakhshan, Faizabad, video emerged which purported to show Afghan officials attempting to flee on a commercial jet as the Taliban surrounded the town of around 30,000 people. Some civilians are trying to escape by road but many have accepted the return of the Taliban as a fact of life. 'The Taliban have cut off all gates out of the city, and there are checkpoints on all the roads, searching for government officials. Those who can have abandoned the city, by air of course,' one local resident called Abdul told The Times. 'Most districts in Badakhshan are falling without any fighting. Many believe that officials have done a secret deal with the Taliban. People are afraid of what comes next.' Ahmad Zaman, another Faizabad resident, told the paper: 'The situation is really bad. Everyone is in fear and panic. The Taliban are gaining control without fighting. The insurgents are sending messages to Afghan forces to surrender without fighting.' President Ashraf Ghani has promised a counter-attack and sources said that commandos had been deployed to defend the town. The assaults across the country, from Helmand in the south to Badakhshan in the north, come just days after the bulk of US and British troops left Afghanistan. Last week, all US and NATO forces left Bagram Air Base near Kabul - the command centre of anti-Taliban operations - effectively wrapping up their exit after a two-decade campaign that began in the wake of 9/11. According to the Afghan army, the Americans slipped out in the night by turning off the power and leaving without telling the base's new commander - who discovered they had gone the next morning. 'We (heard) some rumor that the Americans had left Bagram ... and finally by seven o'clock in the morning, we understood that it was confirmed that they had already left Bagram,' Gen. Mir Asadullah Kohistani, Bagram's new commander said. Before the Afghan army could take control of the airfield about an hour's drive from the Afghan capital Kabul, it was invaded by a small army of looters, who ransacked barrack after barrack and rummaged through giant storage tents before being evicted, according to Afghan military officials. 'At first we thought maybe they were Taliban,' said Abdul Raouf, a soldier of 10 years. He said the the U.S. called from the Kabul airport and said 'we are here at the airport in Kabul.' Kohistani insisted the Afghan National Security and Defense Force could hold on to the heavily fortified base despite a string of Taliban wins on the battlefield. The airfield also includes a prison with about 5,000 prisoners, many of them allegedly Taliban. Afghan soldiers who wandered Monday throughout the base that had once seen as many as 100,000 U.S. troops were deeply critical of how the U.S. left Bagram, leaving in the night without telling the Afghan soldiers tasked with patrolling the perimeter. 'In one night, they lost all the goodwill of 20 years by leaving the way they did, in the night, without telling the Afghan soldiers who were outside patrolling the area,' said Afghan soldier Naematullah, who asked that only his one name be used. Within 20 minutes of the U.S.'s silent departure on Friday, the electricity was shut down and the base was plunged into darkness, said Raouf, the soldier of 10 years who has also served in Taliban strongholds of Helmand and Kandahar provinces. The sudden darkness was like a signal to the looters, he said. They entered from the north, smashing through the first barrier, ransacking buildings, loading anything that was not nailed down into trucks. On Monday, three days after the U.S. departure, Afghan soldiers were still collecting piles of garbage that included empty water bottles, cans and empty energy drinks left behind by the looters. An Afghan soldier stands guard on a security tower at Bagram airfield after US troops left An Afghan soldier plays a guitar that was left behind when the Americans departed Bagram air base On Sunday, the Taliban captured another area of southern Kandahar and announced further gains in Helmand, provinces where the blood of hundreds of US and British troops was spilled over the last two decades US slipped out of Bagram base in the night without telling new Afghan commander they were off The U.S. left Afghanistan's Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years by shutting off the electricity and slipping away in the night without notifying the base's new Afghan commander, who discovered the Americans' departure the next day, Afghan military officials said. 'We (heard) some rumor that the Americans had left Bagram ... and finally by seven o'clock in the morning, we understood that it was confirmed that they had already left Bagram,' Gen. Mir Asadullah Kohistani, Bagram's new commander said. U.S. military spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett did not address the specific complaints of many Afghan soldiers who inherited the abandoned airfield, instead referring to a statement last week. The statement said the handover of the many bases had been in the process soon after President Joe Biden's mid-April announcement that America was withdrawing the last of its forces. Leggett said in the statement that they had coordinated their departures with Afghanistan's leaders. Before the Afghan army could take control of the airfield about an hour's drive from the Afghan capital Kabul, it was invaded by a small army of looters, who ransacked barrack after barrack and rummaged through giant storage tents before being evicted, according to Afghan military officials. 'At first we thought maybe they were Taliban,' said Abdul Raouf, a soldier of 10 years. He said the the U.S. called from the Kabul airport and said 'we are here at the airport in Kabul.' Kohistani insisted the Afghan National Security and Defense Force could hold on to the heavily fortified base despite a string of Taliban wins on the battlefield. The airfield also includes a prison with about 5,000 prisoners, many of them allegedly Taliban. Advertisement Kohistani, meanwhile, said the nearly 20 years of U.S. and NATO involvement in Afghanistan was appreciated but now it was time for Afghans to step up. 'We have to solve our problem. We have to secure our country and once again build our country with our own hands,' he said. A small number of troops have remained to advise the Afghan National Army who still hold all of the major towns and cities. The US have said they will retain a 1,000-strong force to protect foreign diplomatic missions and Kabul international Airport. British special forces sources said that a small contingent of SAS troops might also remain, with Downing Street still in talks with the top brass over the precarious situation. There are mounting fears that the Taliban could soon march on major urban centres such as Kandahar. Fierce clashes in Kandhar province at the weekend resulted in yet more victory for the jihadists, who overran the district of Panjwai, formerly the home of its supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, it's just over 20 miles from the provincial capital. The district could provide a platform for the capture of Kandahar, a city of 600,000, which acted as the Taliban's capital during the 1990s. Afghan authorities on Tuesday deployed hundreds of commandos and pro-government militiamen to counter the Taliban's blistering offensive in the north. 'We are planning to launch a big offensive to retake the lost territories from the enemy,' Fawad Aman, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence told AFP. 'Our forces are being organised on the ground for this operation.' Hundreds of troops and pro-government militiamen were deployed in the northern provinces of Takhar and Badakshan where the Taliban have captured swathes of territory, often without any fighting. Afghan defence officials have said they intend to focus on securing major cities, roads and border towns in the face of the onslaught. The speed and ease of the Taliban's effective takeover of swathes of areas in Takhar and Badakhshan represent a massive psychological blow to the Afghan government. 'Afghan forces have lost their morale,' said analyst Atta Noori in Kabul. 'It is an emergency situation for the Afghan government. They need to step up their counteroffensive as soon as possible.' Afghan commander General Mirassadullah Kohistani, who is now in charge of Bagram Air Base put on a brave front when asked about the insurgents rapid gains. 'We are trying to do the best and as much as possible secure and serve all the people,' he said. Warlords, jihadists and Islamic republics: the key players in Afghanistan With US and international troops all but gone from Afghanistan and the Taliban making rapid gains, a number of players are positioning themselves for the next phase of the conflict. Here is a rundown of what these powers, from the government in Kabul and local militias to regional nations, seek to gain or lose in Afghanistan as fighting intensifies for control of the war-weary country: - Afghan security forces - Thinly stretched with supply lines strained, the Afghan security forces have come under immense pressure in the final stages of the US military withdrawal. Afghan troops are facing blistering attacks from the Taliban, including onslaughts on positions in the militants' southern strongholds and a lightning offensive in the north. But government forces continue to maintain control over the country's cities, with most territorial losses in the sparsely populated rural areas. 'Many of the districts that have fallen were low-hanging fruit - remotely positioned and difficult to resupply or reinforce, with little strategic military value,' said Andrew Watkins, a senior analyst on Afghanistan for the International Crisis Group. The Afghan military's ability to weather the remaining months of the summer fighting season will likely be crucial to their long-term staying power. Crucially, the US withdrawal means Afghan forces have lost vital American air support. 'Essentially, this year the war will be the war over districts and highways,' said Tamim Asey, the executive chair of the Kabul-based Institute of War and Peace Studies. 'Next year, we could potentially see that the Afghan Taliban might focus on provincial capitals and major urban centres.' - The Taliban - Never has the jihadist movement appeared so strong since being toppled by US forces two decades ago. The group has executed a successful string of offensives across Afghanistan, capturing fully or partially about 100 out of more than 400 districts at a dizzying rate since early May. The international community blames the Taliban for stalling landmark peace talks with the Afghan government in Doha. Instead of a political settlement, the insurgents seem focused on positioning their troops for a military takeover. 'Strategically, it makes sense that they would test the Afghan security forces in the absence of US support to see how far they can get,' said Jonathan Schroden, director of the military think tank CNA's Countering Threats and Challenges Program. The Taliban appear to be united, operating under an effective chain of command, despite perennial rumours of splits among the group's leadership. - President Ashraf Ghani - Known for his academic disposition and infamous temper, Ghani is said to be increasingly isolated at a moment when he is in desperate need of allies. He has remained defiant despite mounting pressure on his government in the face of territorial losses. 'He was the creature, the man of the Americans, but he is now considered to be uncontrollable and an obstacle to the peace process,' a Western diplomat in Kabul said. A recent shakeup of the country's defence and interior ministries pulled his supporters closer, and may prove pivotal to his future political survival along with continued backing from Washington. However, many of his team, who have spent years living abroad, are accused of being out of touch with the complex fabric of Afghan society. Still, a recent trip to the White House saw Ghani secure promises of billions of dollars in security and humanitarian assistance. - The warlords - Afghanistan's warlords may be waiting to make a comeback as the country's security forces increasingly look to militia groups to bolster their depleted ranks. As the Taliban battered their way through the north in June, a call for national mobilisation was sounded, with thousands taking up arms in scenes reminiscent of the 1990s civil war. 'The recent calls for such mobilisation will also likely increase fragmentation on the republic side and undermine command and control, putting civilians at increased risk,' said Patricia Gossman, the associate Asia director for Human Rights Watch. Militia leaders may attempt to leverage their past contacts with foreign intelligence agencies to secure cash and weapons in exchange for on the ground reconnaissance. New strongmen among Afghanistan's ethnic minorities have also begun arming and training recruits, which may further inflame the country's deep ethnic and sectarian divisions. - Regional countries - A new front in the region's great game is opening with neighbouring countries looking to influence momentum on the ground in Afghanistan while also courting the conflict's likely winners. Pakistan has backed the Taliban for decades and may finally be able to cash its chips in a future government the insurgents either participate in or lead. Islamabad's major goal will focus on preventing arch-rival India from establishing any influence and posing a threat to its western border. Iran is also hedging its bets. After nearly going to war with the Taliban in the 1990s, Tehran has engineered considerable clout over at least one major faction within the group. It also retains links with warlords who fought the Taliban during the country's civil war. 'Some in Iran and Pakistan might certainly wish their favourites to get a bigger portion of the pie,' said Asad Durrani, the former head of Pakistan's formidable spy agency. 'I doubt if the Taliban will let them have their way.' Advertisement Weekly coronavirus deaths in care homes have fallen to their lowest levels since the pandemic began, according to official data. Latest Office for National Statistics figures showed 10 residents died from the virus in England and Wales in the week ending June 25. For comparison, the lowest figure until now was 12 in the final week of May. At the peak of the initial outbreak, more than 3,000 care home residents were dying from the virus every week at the end of April last year. Levels only dropped to double-digits during the summer, when the country enjoyed a lull in the spread of the virus. But they spiked again to more than 2,000 a week at the peak of the second wave in winter when the Kent 'Alpha' variant burned through the population. Experts hope Britain's hugely successful vaccination roll-out, which prioritised care home residents when it began in December, will prevent the sector from being hit hard by Covid once again as cases continue to soar. Boris Johnson yesterday announced he would tear up the limit on how many visitors care home residents are allowed on Freedom Day in two weeks time. But stringent requirements to wear face masks and other PPE when visiting relatives are set to remain in place throughout the summer. More than 42,500 care home residents have died from coronavirus in England and Wales since the pandemic began. There were ten Covid deaths recorded among care home residents last week (right), the lowest number since the pandemic began. They are illustrated in the graph throughout the pandemic Just one per cent of fatalities were also linked to Covid across the country. The Office for National Statistics said 99 out of 8,690 fatalities involved the virus What are the rules for visiting care homes? Care homes have several rules in place for visiting, which came into force after the latest lockdown easing in May. Visitors are required to take a lateral flow test for the virus upon arrival which take up to 30 minutes to give results. They are also asked to wear PPE such as aprons, gloves and face masks. Care home residents are allowed up to five named visitors, with up to two visits from different members of this group a day. They are also permitted to leave the homes for overnight stays and to go to hospital, but must isolate for two weeks upon their return. Advertisement The ONS report said fewer than one in 100 deaths among care home residents were sparked by Covid last week. They recorded 1,839 fatalities among residents from all causes, and only 10 of these were linked to the virus. Overall, coronavirus deaths last week were down by more than half on the 21 recorded in the previous seven-day period. Deaths from all causes were 20 per cent below the five-year average for the number of deaths expected at this time of year. Experts said this was to be expected because Covid had killed many people earlier than they otherwise would have died without catching the virus. Broken down, there were two deaths in care homes in both the North West of England and West Midlands. Five English regions the North East, Yorkshire, East Midlands, London, South West and East of England all registered just one care home Covid death. There were none recorded in the South East and Wales. Mr Johnson announced yesterday the limit on the number of visitors would be abandoned in the final step of the lockdown-ending roadmap on July 19. But he said other rules including PPE would remain in place. The Department of Health said that care homes would follow a more 'step by step' approach to easing lockdown because residents are significantly more vulnerable to Covid than everyone else. Current restrictions allow residents to have up to five named family members or friends visit, and up to two visits a day. They are also permitted to leave their homes for overnight stays elsewhere, although they will be asked to isolate for two weeks upon their return. Family members and friends are required to get a negative lateral flow test result on the day of their visit to the home, and wear PPE while in the homes. Boris Johnson said yesterday visiting rules will be ditched in a fortnight, if scientific advisers say it is safe for ministers to press ahead with Freedom Day (The PM is pictured at the Downing Street press conference where he made the announcement) Care minister Helen Whately said yesterday ahead of the announcement that face masks would still be required in homes after Freedom Day. Asked how care home visits will change on Freedom Day, Ms Whately told Sky News: 'I dont think visiting will completely go back to normal. 'There will still have to be some precautions. 'Its step by step, getting things as close to normal as we can, while still protecting people who are at greater risk from Covid.' Speaking on Times Radio later, she added visitors and staff would likely still be required to wear face masks. She said: 'Ill be looking at the guidance, Ill be making a judgement, but Im not keen to wear one when I dont need one personally, its not something I enjoy doing. 'But Im also really aware that there will be circumstances, Im expecting to continue in health and social care clearly, where people will need to continue to wear PPE, which includes masks.' Care homes have been effectively in lockdown since, with family members banned from seeing and hugging their loved ones for months. Ministers were accused of 'throwing care homes to the wolves' during the initial outbreak last spring. Tens of thousands of hospital patients were discharged into the homes without being tested for the virus. Royal Mail has refused to fire its poster girl after she shared a TikTok video bragging about only waiting two seconds for people to answer the door before leaving. Welsh postwoman Laura Orgill, 26, posted the video showing herself shoving a 'we missed you' leaflet through someone's letterbox just seconds after knocking on her rounds in south Wales. The video - captioned 'when a customer takes longer than two seconds to answer the door' - sees uniform-clad Ms Orgill laugh as she drops off the slip, which tells a customer to collect their parcel at their local delivery office. Royal Mail said it has spoken to Ms Orgill over the video and has 'reminded her of the need to always uphold the highest standards'. Ms Orgill, the self-proclaimed 'TikTok postie', has become an online star after posting videos in south Wales' Rhondda valley, where she lives with her girlfriend. They account is her own but she appears to have the backing of bosses, who put her in a video for Royal Mail's official careers page on Facebook. Welsh postwoman Laura Orgill, 26, sparked backlash with a TikTok video bragging about only waiting two seconds for people to answer the door before leaving The video - captioned 'when a customer takes longer than two seconds to answer the door' - sees uniform-clad Ms Orgill laugh as she drops off the slip, which tells a customer to collect their parcel at their local delivery office She shares videos about her work with Royal Mail to the platform, on which she has 745,000 followers. Ms Orgill has also featured as a poster girl for the delivery service in a Cosmopolitan article about the 'unlikely celebrities of TikTok'. The postwoman was inundated with angry comments from customers fed up of having to chase their packages after her 'we missed you' leaflet video was shared. One said: 'Sacked tomorrow.' Another said: 'It's been 24 hours since you posted, have you still got your job?' One viewer said: 'Joke's on you, I've sent this to your employer.' Another speculated: 'I know it's a joke but it doesn't look good on the company, I'd never post in uniform, wouldn't surprise me if disciplinary.' And another said: 'This actually really bugs me. I get to the door fast and they've lit got to the bottom of the drive. Ms Orgill has appeared in a video for Royal Mail's official careers page on Facebook (pictured) Ms Orgill (pictured), the self-proclaimed 'TikTok postie', has become an online star after posting videos in south Wales' Rhondda valley, where she lives with her girlfriend Royal Mail's fails: Flag bans, suspensions and compensation A shocking video of a Welsh postwoman bragging about only waiting two seconds for people to answer the door before leaving is not the first time Royal Mail has sparked controversy. Earlier this year, postman Thomas McCafferty was suspended by Royal Mail for refusing to assist Patricia Stewart, 72, when she lost her footing and fell down her icy front steps as she tried to collect a parcel he left for her. Mr McCafferty, 51, responded to her appeals for help by telling her 'I can't help, I'm too knackered' and then walked away. Calling over his shoulder, McCafferty told Mrs Stewart to put on her slippers as he walked off, which had come loose during her fall. The incident in the village of Bainford, Falkirk, took place during the coldest February since 1955. It came to light after footage from a neighbour's doorbell camera was posted on social media and gained traction worldwide. Meanwhile, Roo Rawal was sacked after he was filmed by a member of the public urinating in a lay-by while on duty. He later won almost 40,000 for unfair dismissal after a tribunal heard 'there is not a person alive' who hadn't at some point been forced to do the same thing. Last month, Royal Mail banned 100,000 posties from flying England flags during Euro 2020 - as patriotic postmen blasted bosses for their 'woke attitude.' All flags - of England and other countries - are barred from the firm's 45,000 vans and lorries. Royal Mail bosses did not deny posties' claims that mini St George's flags and stickers are not allowed on walking postmen and women's letter trolleys. They blamed safety reasons, stating it has a general policy in place at all times preventing drivers attaching items to vehicles in case they blow off and become 'hazards' to road users. The organisation declined to confirm if staff could display flags inside depots. Advertisement 'What if someone's old. Give people a chance.' Another said: 'When you are wheelchair bound and can't rush to the door and they force you to collect the package three miles away.' Posting a second video after followers queried if she'd been sacked, Ms Orgill said: 'My new tactic this week is no comment, so just no comment.' Ms Orgill posted another video addressing the reaction she received. She said: 'Comments like this really upset me. 'All I do is try to upload silly videos day in day out to cheer people up because I know how much they do in these uncertain times and people like this have the audacity to try and bring me down. 'I'm one of the only full-time workers during the pandemic - when parcels went through the roof - which was so hard. 'All I do while working, doing a hard day's graft, is try and find some time to make some videos as I know how much it cheers people up. 'People think I make loads and have six figures in the bank, that's not the case at all. 'Please be mindful of what you're commenting because it can really really affect people.' Responding to Ms Orgill's video, a Royal Mail spokesperson said: 'Royal Mail always strives to give customers the highest levels of service. 'Our postmen and postwomen always go the extra mile to get customers their mail as quickly and as conveniently as possible. 'We have discussed this with the employee concerned, and reminded her of the need to always uphold the highest standards.' Ms Orgill's TikTok isn't the first time a postie has raised eyebrows. Earlier this year, postman Thomas McCafferty was suspended by Royal Mail for refusing to assist Patricia Stewart, 72, when she lost her footing and fell down her icy front steps as she tried to collect a parcel he left for her. Mr McCafferty, 51, responded to her appeals for help by telling her 'I can't help, I'm too knackered' and then walked away. Calling over his shoulder, McCafferty told Mrs Stewart to put on her slippers as he walked off, which had come loose during her fall. The incident in the village of Bainford, Falkirk, took place during the coldest February since 1955. It came to light after footage from a neighbour's doorbell camera was posted on social media and gained traction worldwide. Meanwhile, Roo Rawal was sacked after he was filmed by a member of the public urinating in a lay-by while on duty. He later won almost 40,000 for unfair dismissal after a tribunal heard 'there is not a person alive' who hadn't at some point been forced to do the same thing. Pictured: Thomas McCafferty is identified as the Royal Mail postal worker who left Patricia Stewart, 72, in the snow after she fell while collecting a parcel because he was 'too knackered' Last month, Royal Mail banned 100,000 posties from flying England flags during Euro 2020 - as patriotic postmen blasted bosses for their 'woke attitude.' All flags - of England and other countries - are barred from the firm's 45,000 vans and lorries. Royal Mail bosses did not deny posties' claims that mini St George's flags and stickers are not allowed on walking postmen and women's letter trolleys. They blamed safety reasons, stating it has a general policy in place at all times preventing drivers attaching items to vehicles in case they blow off and become 'hazards' to road users. The organisation declined to confirm if staff could display flags inside depots. Advertisement England and Wales recorded more deaths last year during the coronavirus pandemic than at anytime since the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918, official data shows. Separate Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showed there were also more deaths than births in Britain in 2020 for the first time since the 1970s. There were a total of 607,922 deaths in England and Wales last year, of which 72,950 (12 per cent) were caused by Covid. More may have died indirectly from the virus, including tens of thousands who may have struggled to get healthcare in lockdown. It is the highest death toll since 1918 when 611,861 people died, including 228,000 directly from the H1N1 flu strain that sparked the last global pandemic. Even the darkest year of World War Two saw fewer deaths than the year of Covid. Population growth means the death rate in 2020 was only at its highest since 2003 but statisticians said there was a 14.5 per cent jump in mortality compared to 2019, something which hasn't happened since the Blitz. Professor Kevin McConway, emeritus professor in applied statistics at the Open University, told MailOnline: 'The jump in the number of registered deaths in 2020 compared to 2019 is quite remarkable. This isnt the highest year-on-year increase in deaths ever, but its very high. Thats really exceptional. 'Since the start of the last century, there have only been three previous years when deaths in England and Wales were more than 10 per cent higher than the year before 1918, because of the influenza pandemic, with deaths 22 per cent up on 1917, 1929 when there was another fairly major flu epidemic and also, probably increases in deaths because of the great economic depression and 1940, at least to some extent due to deaths in the Blitz, with deaths 16 per cent up on 1939. 'You might expect greater increase in the time of world wars, but these counts dont include deaths of armed forces overseas.' Meanwhile, ONS released an interactive map laying bare how badly Covid affected death rates across England and Wales, showing the areas that were worst-hit. Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures released today showed there were more deaths than births in the UK in 2020 for the first time since 1976. It was only the second time this happened since the start of the 20th century England and Wales recorded more deaths last year than anytime since the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 because of Covid, the ONS said Covid death rates highest in the North West in 2020, official data shows The North West recording the most fatalities caused by Covid, ONS data shows Office for National Statistics (ONS) data released today showed Covid death rates were highest in the North West last year. Some 178 per 100,000 people died with Covid in the region. It was followed by London (167), the North East (167) and Yorkshire and the Humber (155). The South West recorded the lowest rate of Covid deaths, with the disease causing 59 per 100,000 people to die. Advertisement Overall death rates last year were highest in the North East, which saw 1,399 per 100,000 men die and 1,045 per 100,000 women die over the year. They were followed by the North West (1,392 and 1,024), Yorkshire and the Humber (1,358 and 968) and East Midlands (1,277 and 921). Rates were lowest in the South West (1,098 and 791), South East (1,106 and 807) and London (1,171 and 812). But the death rates for Covid varied significantly, with the North West recording the most fatalities caused by the disease. Some 178 per 100,000 people died with Covid in the region. It was followed by London (167), the North East (167) and Yorkshire and the Humber (155). The South West recorded the lowest rate of Covid deaths, with the disease causing 59 per 100,000 people to die. People aged 90 or over were most likely to die with the disease, with those in the age group recording a death rate of 2,918 per 100,000 23 times the rate for people of all ages (127 per 100,000). Those aged 85 to 89 had the second highest rate (1,611 per 100,000), followed by 80- to 84-year-olds (912) and 75- to 79-year-olds (470). Most Covid deaths occurred in hospitals, with 14,417 of the 73,559 victims dying while being treated 19.1 per cent. Care homes saw the second highest number, with 13.4 per cent of all Covid deaths occurring there. Death rates, which offer a more balanced view of deaths than raw numbers alone because they account for changes in population, increased to 1,018 their highest level since 2003, when they were 1,019. Death rates have generally fallen over time, but the jump last year marked a change to the general pattern. Britain was under Covid lockdown for the majority of the year, which reduced the number of potential Covid deaths, as well as those caused by other respiratory disease including flu. Boris Johnson first introduced lockdown on March 23 last year, with restrictions briefly lifted during summer before being reintroduced on a regional basis in the Autumn. A national lockdown was reimposed in November for four weeks, before strict regional measures were brought back in December. The trio of ONS statistical reports released today showed the scale of the pandemic's effect on people dying in Britain last year. Statisticians said Covid's impact meant that more deaths were registered in the UK in 2020 than in any year since the First World War, which ended in 1918. The increase in deaths, combined with decreasing numbers of births, caused the rate of natural change to be negative. The 683,191 babies born during 2020 made up the lowest total for eight years meaning there were 6,438 more deaths than births. But it does not mean the total population size of the UK declined in 2020, as migration may have led to an overall growth in numbers, thanks to more people moving into the country than leaving it, the ONS said. The latest ONS estimate for the size of the UK population is 67.1million as of mid-2020, up by 284,000 or 0.4 per cent from 66.8million in mid-2019. Covid mortality rates in 2020 were highest in April for both England and Wales, Office for National Statistics data shows Death rates increased to 1,018 their highest level since 2003, when they were 1,019. Death rates have generally fallen over time, but the jump last year marked a change to the general pattern People aged 90 or over were most likely to die with Covid, with those in the age group recording a death rate of 2,918 per 100,000 23 times the rate for people of all ages (127 per 100,000) Britain has a new Brexit divide with Leave voters more willing than Remainers to ditch their masks when the laws demanding their use are scrapped. More Brexiteers said they planned to stop wearing a face covering after July 19 than said they would continue to voluntarily cover up, by 46 to 41 per cent, YouGov found. By contrast, some 59 per cent of Remainers said they planned to continue to wear masks to lower the risk that they would spread disease to others. However, the pollsters also found that there was a significant majority among both Leave and Remain voters for keeping rules demanding masks be worn on public transport. It came as Boris Johnson was embroiled in a huge row over his decision to axe all facemask laws and make them optional in all but some medical situations. A senior scientist from the Government's Sage advisory group said today that shops and other businesses should be allowed to bar people who refuse to cover up if asked. Professor Calum Semple told Times Radio: 'There's no reason why businesses which have made their own assessments cannot say actually ''If you come in here we still want you to wear a mask''. 'They can't mandate it, but neither are businesses mandated to have to serve you, so if you run a nail bar and you want the clients to wear a face mask, you simply say ''You have to wear a face mask if you want to get your nails done''. Professor Calum Semple told Times Radio: 'There's no reason why businesses which have made their own assessments cannot say actually ''If you come in here we still want you to wear a mask''. The public as a whole overwhelmingly backs keeping masks mandatory on public transport Shops that keep mandatory masks rules CAN legally turn away customers who refuse, say lawyers as bosses are left in fear of compensation claims from staff who get Covid at work Shops, pubs and airlines that continue mandatory mask rules after July 19 have a legal right to turn away customers who refuse to wear a face covering, lawyers revealed today. Legal experts warned owners can enforce face coverings regardless of the government's rules as long as they are not guilty of discrimination under the Equality Act. Stores would be in breach of the law if they are prejudicial against someone if they cannot wear a mask because of a medical condition, but otherwise private firms are free to set their own rules. It comes as leading retailers suggested they will encourage shoppers to wear a covering when entering their stores after July 19 - when lockdown is scheduled to be relaxed. Westfield and Asda are among those who have already said they will 'encourage' customers to wear coverings after 'Freedom Day' but will not insist on it. But Sainsbury's has adopted a more relaxed approach saying it will 'respect and support the individual choices the customers and colleagues want to make'. Popular airlines such as British Airways, Ryanair and easyJet said they will also keep coverings mandatory after the date. And train bosses on some lines suggested they will keep the mask measures after restrictions are eased. Meanwhile a major pub chain said it will still encourage coverings, social distancing and table service to 'avoid a scrum at the bar'. One top lawyer pointed out businesses could insist staff wear them after July 19 for fear of a worker taking them to a tribunal under health and safety legislation if an outbreak leads to serious illness such as long Covid or death. Advertisement 'That's a good example of some direct, personal, face-to-face contact for a good 40 minutes where you don't want your staff breathing in what Joe Public is breathing on to you. 'There's no reason why many businesses can't actually just say 'Hang on a minute, in this setting we want you to wear a face mask'. 'I don't see why public transport companies couldn't make the same assessment.' It came as Sajid Javid today admitted coronavirus cases could top 100,000 a day by August as the government pushes ahead with 'Freedom Day' - but insisted the 'wall of protection' from vaccines can hold. The Health Secretary gave the grim figure as he insisted Boris Johnson is right to continue with the dramatic unlocking on July 19, saying the hospitalisations and deaths were what mattered. Mr Javid said he would continue to wear a face covering in a crowded space or if he was with someone who felt uncomfortable about one not being worn, once restrictions are eased. He told Sky News: 'For the foreseeable future I will be carrying a face mask with me, I think that's a very responsible thing for anyone to do. 'As I have said, the pandemic is not over. 'If I'm in a crowded or enclosed space, I will wear a face mask. In fact I will wear one if I was next to someone or near someone that felt uncomfortable with others not wearing face masks. 'And that's what I mean by personality responsibility.' The PM was also given a boost this morning as 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson said he is 'optimistic' the 'gamble' of releasing restrictions will work - although he cautioned that cases could hit 200,000 a day and they might need to be reimposed if vaccines are slightly less effective than hoped and deaths surge. As well as the threat of severe illness, that scale of infections could cause chaos as people are 'pinged' by test and trace and forced to self-isolate. However, in a round of interviews, Mr Javid revealed that he will be unveiling plans today to allow people who are double-jabbed to sidestep the isolation rules and do daily tests instead. Government insiders have raised doubts about whether the system can be in place for July 19. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is also due to set out proposals for scrapping school 'bubble' rules that have been causing huge numbers to stay away from classes. Mr Javid said that by 'Freedom Day' he expects daily cases to reach 50,000 - nearly double the current level. 'As we ease and go into the summer we expect them to rise significantly and they could go as high as 100,000 case numbers,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'We want to be very straightforward about this... but what matters more than anything is hospitalisation and death numbers. That is where the link has been severely weakened.' Boris Johnson was embroiled in a huge row over his decision to axe all facemask laws and make them optional in all but some medical situations Labour has criticised the Government's plan as 'reckless' and called for ministers to maintain protections such as mask wearing. Shuttered business welcomed the opportunity to reopen but medics raised concerns of rising hospital admissions and charities representing the clinically vulnerable also warned of their heightened risk. A decision will be taken on Monday on whether to proceed with the proposals on July 19, but Mr Johnson has strongly signalled it would go ahead as planned. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: 'To throw off all protections at the same time when the infection rate is still going up is reckless. 'We need a balanced approach, we need to keep key protections in place, including masks, including ventilation and crucially... proper payments to those who need to self isolate.' British Medical Association council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul said it was 'incredibly concerning' for Mr Johnson to 'decide to go full steam' despite warnings over rising hospitalisations and deaths. He urged ministers to ensure the wearing of masks is compulsory 'until the rampant spread of infection has been brought under control and more of the population are fully vaccinated'. 'There is a clear disconnect with the actions the Government are planning to take and the data and views of the scientific community and medical profession,' Dr Nagpaul said. Professor Stephen Reicher, who advises the Government as part of the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours (Spi-B), warned there is a 'very real risk prospect' that by the end of July there could be nearly a million cases per week. 'I really do fear that if we were to get up to those high numbers of infections there is a risk of causing huge damage primarily to young people because they're the ones that aren't vaccinated,' he told Channel 4 News. 'I think that's a very big risk indeed, it's not a risk I would take and I earnestly, I genuinely hope that I am wrong and it doesn't happen but I wouldn't be taking the risk.' Shops that keep mandatory masks rules CAN legally turn away customers who refuse, say lawyers as bosses are left in fear of compensation claims from staff who get Covid at work Legal experts said owners have the right to enforce mask wearing regardless of the government's measures They said businesses can refuse a customer entry on any grounds providing they are not acting with prejudice It comes as leading retailers suggested they will encourage shoppers to wear a covering when entering stores Westfield and Asda are those who have already said they will try to keep the draconian rule but not enforce it What do top UK firms say about masks? Shops Asda: Asda is encouraging shoppers to keep wearing masks after July 19, but will not enforce them. Asda is encouraging shoppers to keep wearing masks after July 19, but will not enforce them. Sainsbury's: Chief Executive Simon Roberts said: 'I think in the end it will come down to the choices that individual customers and colleagues want to make. It is going to be driven by customer and by colleague choice.' He added: 'We're clearly going to follow the Government advice, we'll continue to listen to our customers and colleagues and we'll respect and support the individual choices the customers and colleagues want to make.' Chief Executive Simon Roberts said: 'I think in the end it will come down to the choices that individual customers and colleagues want to make. It is going to be driven by customer and by colleague choice.' He added: 'We're clearly going to follow the Government advice, we'll continue to listen to our customers and colleagues and we'll respect and support the individual choices the customers and colleagues want to make.' Westfield: Jacinta Rowsell, general manager at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said: 'At the moment we actively ensure our guests are wearing masks when they're visiting the centre, and with the changes post July 19 we will continue to encourage guests to wear masks when they're coming into the centre.' Airlines British Airways: BA is expected to keep masks, with a spokesman saying: 'We keep our policies under constant review.' BA is expected to keep masks, with a spokesman saying: 'We keep our policies under constant review.' Tui: The firm hinted travellers could be required to wear face coverings after restrictions relax further. The firm hinted travellers could be required to wear face coverings after restrictions relax further. Ryanair: A spokesman said: 'In order to protect the health of our customers and crew, the use of face masks will still be mandatory across all Ryanair flights.' A spokesman said: 'In order to protect the health of our customers and crew, the use of face masks will still be mandatory across all Ryanair flights.' easyJet: A spokesman said: 'At present there are no changes to easyJet's on-board mask policy. We continue to be guided by our in-house medical adviser and a number of key industry governing bodies and at present their guidance around the wearing of masks on board remains unchanged.' A spokesman said: 'At present there are no changes to easyJet's on-board mask policy. We continue to be guided by our in-house medical adviser and a number of key industry governing bodies and at present their guidance around the wearing of masks on board remains unchanged.' Virgin Atlantic: The firm hinted travellers could be required to wear face coverings after restrictions relax further. Pubs City Pub Group: Chief Executive Clive Watson said staff will be asked to wear masks with customers encouraged to do the same. Advertisement Shops, pubs and airlines that continue mandatory mask rules after July 19 have a legal right to turn away customers who refuse to wear a face covering, lawyers revealed today. Legal experts warned owners can enforce face coverings regardless of the government's rules as long as they are not guilty of discrimination under the Equality Act. Stores would be in breach of the law if they are prejudicial against someone if they cannot wear a mask because of a medical condition, but otherwise private firms are free to set their own rules. It comes as leading retailers suggested they will encourage shoppers to wear a covering when entering their stores after July 19 - when lockdown is scheduled to be relaxed. Westfield and Asda are among those who have already said they will 'encourage' customers to wear coverings after 'Freedom Day' but will not insist on it. But Sainsbury's has adopted a more relaxed approach saying it will 'respect and support the individual choices the customers and colleagues want to make'. Popular airlines such as British Airways, Ryanair and easyJet said they will also keep coverings mandatory after the date. And train bosses on some lines suggested they will keep the mask measures after restrictions are eased. Meanwhile a major pub chain said it will still encourage coverings, social distancing and table service to 'avoid a scrum at the bar'. One top lawyer pointed out businesses could insist staff wear them after July 19 for fear of a worker taking them to a tribunal under health and safety legislation if an outbreak leads to serious illness such as long Covid or death. Adam Wagner, a human rights lawyer at Doughty Street Chambers, said bosses have a legal duty to protect the health of their staff and the burden of safety has grown amid the pandemic. And Steven Mather, consultant solicitor for Nexa Law, noted employers would be able to sack staff who refuse to wear a mask because it is a 'a reasonable instruction' and this would overrule the government's slackened rules. Boris Johnson last night triggered a row over face coverings as he ditched the legal diktat on their use but urged people to continue wearing them. From July 19 they will no longer be required by law anywhere in England. But at a Downing Street press conference last night, the Prime Minister suggested they should still be worn in crowded indoor places. His top medical advisers Prof Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance went further, saying they would continue to wear them in a variety of situations. Legal experts warned owners can enforce mask wearing regardless of the government's rules as long as they are not guilty of discrimination under the Equality Act (file photo) Do face masks work? Studies find coverings reduce spread of Covid and chance of inhaling infected droplets Most scientific studies conducted to date suggest face masks do reduce the spread of coronavirus in enclosed indoor settings. A number of studies have concluded that face coverings reduce the spread of airborne droplets that carry covid bacteria between people. The latest data, from the Lancet, studies in China and Thailand as well as on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, suggests a mask stops up to 80 per cent of droplets from being released into the air by a person wearing a mask, and they also block around 50 per cent of them being inhaled by a potential victim. Covid-19 is spread through these airborne droplets when people cough, sneeze or talk - and standing in close proximity can assist transmission. The US Centers for Disease Control found in one real-world data experiment the coverings were useful. Two hair stylists who had Covid symptoms worked on 139 customers in eight days. Everyone involved wore masks and no one out of the 67 who volunteered to be tested came back positive. Another experiment in China looked at 124 houses where there had been a case of the virus. It found transmission was reduced by 79 per cent by wearing a face covering. And an example also came from the USS Theodore Roosevelt - a cramped vessel with tight living quarters and makes social distancing hard. But the study found when using face coverings there was a 70 per cent reduced risk of infection. Meanwhile in Thailand a retrospective case-control study discovered out of 1,000 spoken to during a contact tracing probe, those who said they wore a covering had a 70 per cent reduced chance of catching Covid. And the Lancet in its report looked at 172 studies from 16 countries and concluded wearing a mask gives a person just a three per cent chance of getting the virus. Edinburgh University looked into the different types of masks people can wear and found homemade ones can be effective. Researchers tested seven types, including surgical masks, respirators, lightweight and heavy-duty face shields and handmade masks. All of them - except ones with a valve - reduced the distance droplets could get by at least 90 per cent. The CDC says: 'Experimental and epidemiological data support community masking to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2. The prevention benefit of masking is derived from the combination of source control and wearer protection for the mask wearer. 'The relationship between source control and wearer protection is likely complementary and possibly synergistic, so that individual benefit increases with increasing community mask use,' the agency added. The WHO says: 'Masks should be used as part of a comprehensive strategy of measures to suppress transmission and save lives; the use of a mask alone is not sufficient to provide an adequate level of protection against COVID-19. 'If COVID-19 is spreading in your community, stay safe by taking some simple precautions, such as physical distancing, wearing a mask, keeping rooms well ventilated, avoiding crowds, cleaning your hands, and coughing into a bent elbow or tissue. Check local advice where you live and work. Do it all!' Advertisement Hours after the PM's address, lawyers warned July 19 may not be the end of wearing face coverings in shops if owners want them on. Mr Mather, a consultant solicitor for Nexa Law, told MailOnline as long as a business is not being discriminatory they can enforce the rule in their stores. He said: 'If a shop keeper or other premises owner wanted to continue to require customers to wear masks, they would be entitled to do so provided that they did not discriminate on certain grounds set out in the Equality Act.' He continued: 'Ultimately, a shop is private property and so I would suggest that the owner could do what they wanted on masks. 'A shop can refuse entry to any one on any grounds - except discrimination - and so the same would apply to a non-mask wearer they could refuse them entry.' He added: 'The handing back to the public of this moral responsibility actually causes more problems than the legislation did. 'Wear a mask or don't wear a mask will become one's own decision, and therefore it is difficult to see shops and public places having the same mandatory rules. 'It would be better for shops just to say that we ''support the government guidance and recommend mask wearing in store'' but then not enforce it and leave people to make their own mind up.' Maria Chadwick, partner in the employment and discrimination department at Stephensons, said: 'The easing of the face mask requirements, as the position is understood, will do away with any legal requirement to wear a face covering in public spaces and as such, will limit further the power of businesses and service providers to attempt to enforce it in accordance with any government issued guidance. 'However, as the guidance will no longer be in place, it could give more scope for businesses to implement their own policies, theoretically giving them more freedom to do so on their own terms. 'However, if their policies incorporated a blanket requirement for the wearing of face coverings on their premises with no provision for medical exemption the same risks as are run in respect of potential discrimination claims being brought against them by way of failure to make reasonable adjustments for their disabled customers.' Luke Gittos, a partner at Murrays Partnership, added: 'There is no legal right to be served in a shop. These are private enterprises who can, in theory, refuse to serve whoever they choose. 'They could, in theory, get into trouble if they refuse to serve someone because of a 'protected characteristic' under the Equality Act for example, if they were not wearing a mask because of a disability. 'But in general there is nothing illegal in a shop refusing service to someone who refuses to wear a mask. We can only hope that after the 19th of July, shop owners will appreciate that people have their own view on mask wearing which should be respected.' Toby Young, editor of Lockdown Sceptics, pointed out it is going to be difficult for stores to force people to wear masks. He said: 'It's going to be very difficult for shops to insist people wear masks. At the moment, people can simply announce that they're mask exempt and shops aren't legally allowed to ask for proof and if they refuse someone entry on the grounds that they're unmasked they could be in breach of anti-discrimination law. 'After July 19th it's going to become even harder, because many people will simply refuse to wear masks, whether they have a disability or not. 'And if some shops don't insist on masks, which they won't, any shop insisting on a mask will be at a competitive disadvantage. The easiest thing will be for all shops to drop the insistence.' Leading retailers this morning came out and suggested they would continue to want face coverings on shoppers, but would not enforce it. Jacinta Rowsell, general manager at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, told Today: 'At the moment we actively ensure our guests are wearing masks when they're visiting the centre, and with the changes post July 19 we will continue to encourage guests to wear masks when they're coming into the centre. 'We have a number of Covid secure measure that we take and again we will continue to offer these in the form of ticketless. We are very aware and very focused on the fact that guests coming to the centre want to feel safe. 'They are our priority as are our retailers and our staff, where possible we would be encouraging the wearing of masks when people are coming into the centre.' The rules that are set to change after July 19 Boris Johnson last night firmed up plans for unlocking England on July 19. The PM used a press conference to confirm a bonfire of virus rules and restrictions from the so-called Freedom Day, saying individuals will again be able to judge the risks of coronavirus for themselves. However, he did not have any decisive announcements in key areas, with no date for quarantine requirements to be waived for double-jabbed Brits travelling to 'amber list' countries. There was also no confirmation that self-isolation can be replaced with testing for the fully-vaccinated. And although there was a clear intention for bubble rules in schools to be axed, it is not expected to happen until September when the new term starts. WHAT THE PM ANNOUNCED: Pubs and restaurants Hospitality venues in England will no longer be required to collect track and trace data from July 19. Businesses won't have to ask customers to scan a QR code using the NHS phone app on entry or to hand over their contact details, although they will have the option of continuing to do so if they wish. Mandatory table service rules will also be scrapped, meaning drinkers will be able to order at the bar again in pubs. Masks Wearing masks will become voluntary everywhere apart from hospitals and other health facilities from July 19 in England. Public transport passengers, shoppers and those visiting pubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres will no longer be required by law to cover up. However, people may still be encouraged to wear masks in some enclosed places where they come into close contact with each other, for example on London Tube trains. Work from home The official guidance telling people to 'work from home if you can' will be scrapped on July 19 in England. But it will be left up to employers and their staff to decide whether they have to go back to their desks. Ministers will not launch a campaign encouraging staff back to the office and are resigned to there not being a mass return to workplaces this summer. AND WHAT THE PM DIDN'T ANNOUNCE Holidays Ministers have been working on a system to open up holiday destinations for double-jabbed Britons. People who have had both vaccine doses could no longer have to quarantine for ten days after visiting amber list countries, such as Spain, France and Greece. However, there is not set to be any definitive news on the rules tonight and Government sources have cautioned the July 19 date is 'ambitious'. TEST AND TRACE Pressure has been growing for people who have received both coronavirus vaccine doses to be spared isolating at home for ten days if they have come into contact with someone who tested positive. They could be offered lateral flow tests to do themselves at home instead. However, ministers have not come to a conclusion on whether to go ahead, and it is understood a new system is very unlikely to be in place for July 19. SCHOOLS The bubbles system that has seen whole classes or year groups sent home if just one pupil tests positive for coronavirus will be scrapped in England. Ministers are planning to announce a new way of handling outbreaks. Instead of sending children home en masse, those who have come into contact with a positive case are likely to be given daily tests. Few expect the arrangements to start until the new school year in September, although Sajid Javid sparked confusion by telling MPs tonight that it could happen on July 19. Advertisement She added: 'Each of the retailers may implement their own policies, and that's something we're working on with them, but it's something that we'll be waiting for feedback from them on.' Supermarket chain Asda is understood to be encouraging shoppers to keep wearing masks after July 19, but will not enforce them. Yet customers will no longer need to wear masks in Sainsbury's stores from July 19, the supermarket's chief executive suggested today. Simon Roberts said he would consult with staff on their views but said the decision to wear one would be down to individual choice. He said: 'We're all absorbing the latest news last night and thinking through our response. 'There are two very distinct points of view. One is customers and colleagues who can't wait for the restrictions to lift and not to have to wear a mask for example, and others who are keen to continue to do that. 'I think in the end it will come down to the choices that individual customers and colleagues want to make. It is going to be driven by customer and by colleague choice.' He added: 'We're clearly going to follow the Government advice, we'll continue to listen to our customers and colleagues and we'll respect and support the individual choices the customers and colleagues want to make.' However Prof Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said 'there's no reason' why businesses should not be able to refuse to serve customers without face masks after July 19. He told Times Radio: 'There's no reason why businesses which have made their own assessments cannot say actually ''If you come in here we still want you to wear a mask''. 'They can't mandate it, but neither are businesses mandated to have to serve you, so if you run a nail bar and you want the clients to wear a face mask, you simply say ''You have to wear a face mask if you want to get your nails done''. 'That's a good example of some direct, personal, face-to-face contact for a good 40 minutes where you don't want your staff breathing in what Joe Public is breathing on to you. 'There's no reason why many businesses can't actually just say ''Hang on a minute, in this setting we want you to wear a face mask''. I don't see why public transport companies couldn't make the same assessment.' Mr Wagner, the human rights lawyer from Doughty Street Chambers, has been publishing guidance on the practical effects of regulations during the pandemic. He suggested businesses are likely to retain mask mandates and social distancing measures in the workplace indefinitely. He told MailOnline bosses have a legal duty to protect the health of their staff and the burden of safety has grown amid Covid. Mr Wagner pointed out businesses could insist staff wear masks after July 19 for fear of a worker taking them to tribunal if an outbreak leads to serious illness or death. He said: 'Absolutely firms will want to keep some kind of social distancing in place, whether the virus is surging or not and regardless of whether or not there are government coronavirus regulations after July 19. 'I suspect that many businesses will be consulting legal advice on insisting that staff continue to wear masks and keep their distance in the office. 'They will be looking at the health and safety executives and they will also be following the government guidance which comes out on keeping the workplace Covid-secure. 'Businesses will probably be risk-averse, because no one will want to be the first to tell its staff that they don't have to cover their faces or keep to social distancing restrictions. And why should they? 'Covid is extremely disruptive and we're about to enter a period where there are fewer restrictions, meaning the virus is going to surge. 'Yes people are vaccinated against Covid, and yes the link between infection and hospitalisation let alone death appears to have been broken by the roll-out. 'But we're wading into uncertain waters here and firms will be wanting to play their cards safe. And if you look at where easing has taken place, so far it's been mostly indoor venues - like cinemas, theatres, pubs and so on. 'We're experimenting with mass outdoor gatherings, and we don't really know the real-world consequences of thousands of people all mingling together.' Meanwhile popular airlines including British Airways, Ryanair and easyJet are planning to keep the measure in place. Ryanair and easyJet were among those that confirmed fliers will still be required to wear face coverings beyond July 19. BA is expected to join them, with a spokesman saying: 'We keep our policies under constant review.' Tui and Virgin Atlantic also hinted travellers could be required to wear face coverings after restrictions relax further. Ryanair said: 'In order to protect the health of our customers and crew, the use of face masks will still be mandatory across all Ryanair flights.' An easyJet spokesman said: 'At present there are no changes to easyJet's on-board mask policy. 'We continue to be guided by our in-house medical adviser and a number of key industry governing bodies and at present their guidance around the wearing of masks on board remains unchanged.' Tui said it would be following advice from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, which continues to advise for masks be worn. Virgin Atlantic said it was 'reviewing' its policy, adding: 'Currently all customers and our crew are required to wear their masks for the duration of the flight.' Jet2 said it would continue to make masks compulsory if the Civil Aviation Authority's advice to do so does not change. Mr Mather from Nexa Law said: 'If an airline says everyone still has to wear masks on board then, except if you're exempt or have a disability, they could enforce that rule because its their planes and a private contract between the airline and customer.' Meanwhile on the trains bosses have suggested they will keep measures after July 19 as they slammed the government's 'on the hoof' Covid policy. General secretary of the RMT union Mick Lynch said: 'Yet again there's a real danger of the government making up policy on the hoof on critical issues and that is reflected in the comments of the minister this morning. 'Back in the real world discussions are ongoing at industry-wide level but all parties are having to second-guess what the government will say later today and that is not good enough. 'All the indications are that the government are going for a free-for-all, whereas common sense and medical advice seems to indicate that some level of control should remain in place in the public realm. 'RMT's priority will be the safety of our members and the travelling public.' A Southeastern Railway spokesman said: 'We've yet to receive full guidance for the easing of restrictions after 19 July, but in the meantime we'd remind our passengers that it remains a legal requirement to wear a face covering when travelling on our trains.' And a spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group added: 'As in society generally, the chance of catching coronavirus on a train is low, especially as train operators are helping people travel with confidence by continuing extra cleaning and ensuring the air in carriages is refreshed at least every 10 minutes.' A major pub chain also said it will still encourage masks, social distancing and table service to 'avoid a scrum at the bar'. Clive Watson, chief executive of the City Pub Group, who run 45 pubs across England and Wales, said: 'July 19 has been dubbed 'Freedom Day' but it really shouldn't be free for all day'. Clive Watson, chief executive of the City Pub Group, who run 45 pubs across England and Wales, said: 'July 19 has been dubbed 'Freedom Day' but it really shouldn't be free for all day'. While the boss of Punch Taverns, Clive Chesser, is demanding the Government scrap its current blanket self-isolation policy for a more 'pragmatic' test and release system Boris says self isolation for double-jabbed crippling firms, pubs and restaurants must stay for now but hints they will go later People who are pinged by the test and trace app will continue to have to self isolate even if they have been fully vaccinated, Boris Johnson confirmed tonight. In a blow to businesses, especially pubs and restaurants, the Prime Minister said that while he intends to lift the requirement for those who've received both jabs, it will not happen on July 19. Business leaders have called for the rule to be axed, with many hospitality venues being crippled by a shortage of staff because when one is forced to isolate many others are who worked in close proximity with them. Speaking to the nation tonight Mr Johnson said: 'We will continue from Step Four to manage the virus with a test trace and isolate system that is proportionate to the pandemic. 'You will have to self isolate if you test positive or are told to do so by NHS test and trace. But we are looking to move to a different regime for fully vaccinated contacts of those testing positive and also for children.' Pubs and restaurants already hit by severe labour shortages are being forced to close and thousands of staff sent home due to the NHS Covid app repeatedly telling them to self-isolate amid soaring case numbers - with bosses demanding a 'test and release' scheme instead. Employees must stay at home for up to ten days after coming into contact with a positive case even if they test negative for Covid. Hospitality chiefs want this changed so that anyone who receives a negative result can go back to work. A single Wetherspoons in Weston-super-Mare this week had 75 members of staff forced to stay at home after coming into contact with positive cases, while Hawksmoor steakhouse in London received 25 test and trace notifications within four weeks of reopening. The one-metre plus decree and advice to work from home where possible will be dropped, with mask wearing no longer mandatory - while pubs and other venues will not have to collect customer details and will again be able to serve drinks at the bar. Even if plans to free the double-jabbed has been revealed tonight, a testing regime to replace self-isolation for the double-vaccinated was very unlikely to be ready for July 19. The Prime Minister's spokesman said that ministers intended to maintain a 'proportionate test, trace and isolate system', saying it would be 'vital for continuing to manage the virus'. 'It will remain a legal requirement to self isolate if you test positive or are asked to do so by NHS test and trace,' he said. 'The Prime Minister will also signal his intention to allow double-vaccinated individuals identified as contacts to be exempt from isolation requirements. Further details will follow in due course.' Mr Johnson said the pandemic is 'far from over' and will not be over by July 19, with a potential 50,000 cases detected a day by that date. He told the Downing Street press conference: 'We're seeing rising hospital admissions and we must reconcile ourselves sadly to more deaths from Covid. 'In these circumstances we must take a careful and a balanced decision. And there's only one reason why we can contemplate going ahead to step four in circumstances where we'd normally be locking down further, and that's because of the continuing effectiveness of the vaccine rollout.' He said the expectation remains that by July 19 every adult in the UK will have had the offer of a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine and two-thirds will have had a second dose. Advertisement He said staff will be asked to wear masks with customers encouraged to do the same, and if they approach the bar to order they will be initially urged to do it at the table. Punch Taverns boss Clive Chesser is demanding the Government scrap its current self-isolation policy for a more 'pragmatic' test and release system to stop the crippling staff problems the NHS app is causing at his 1,300 pubs. Mr Watson from City Pub Group said that his businesses will still keep many of the rules that remain in place before July 19. He told Today: 'I think that staff should be encouraged or instructed to wear masks, I think that's very important, and I also think from a customer's point of view we will still try to offer as much service as possible at the table. 'What we don't want is a free for all scrum at the bar, with lots of people queuing up. Nearly 50 per cent of our customers order their food and drink via the app, we want to continue that, with the rest ordering at table. We want to continue that as well.' Masks have been mandatory on public transport since last June and in shops since last July, with fines of up to 6,400. The British Medical Association (BMA) said scrapping the fines 'made no sense' and union leaders suggested ministers would have blood on their hands. Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham, the Labour mayors of London and Greater Manchester, also criticised the move. But others, including Tory MPs, said ministers should have gone further and claimed masks were unnecessary. Mr Johnson insisted it was time to 'trust' members of the public to use their own 'good judgment' He added: 'What we're trying to do is move from universal government diktat to relying on people's personal responsibility. 'Clearly there's a big difference between travelling on a crowded Tube train and sitting late at night in a virtually empty carriage on the main railway line. 'So what we want to do is for people to exercise their personal responsibility, but to remember the value of face coverings both in protecting themselves, and others.' The Prime Minister said he would 'obviously wear a mask in crowded places where you are meeting people that you don't know ... to protect others and as a matter of simple courtesy'. Prof Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, said he would continue to wear a face covering when in a crowded situation indoors, when required to by an authority and if someone was uncomfortable with him not wearing one. Legal restrictions on wearing masks will be lifted completely, although places including hospitals and care homes may still decide to ask visitors to use them. And it will be down to individual shops, hospitality venues and transport providers whether they request they are worn. Huw Merriman, Tory chairman of the Commons transport committee, suggested it was 'confusing' for ministers to recommend the use of masks in some settings while making them no longer compulsory. He said: 'I just feel we have to be braver now and the vaccine allows us to be that brave.' Unite, which represents tens of thousands of public transport workers, accused the Government of 'gross negligence'. Spokesman Bobby Morton told the World at One: 'The rate of infection will go even higher again. Unfortunately, as we move into the winter, you will see more deaths because of this it is an intolerable situation. 'It is far too early as far as I am concerned.' He suggested the decision to scrap the law on wearing masks was being driven by money. 'All I would like to say is when they get that money, there might be blood on it,' he added. Usdaw, which represents shop workers, called for masks to remain mandatory in supermarkets. Mr Khan and Mr Burnham urged Mr Johnson to rethink his decision. But they signalled they would not bring in their own local requirements for travellers to wear face masks on public transport. 'If the Government comes up with a national ruling I just don't see how we would be able to enforce it at our level,' Mr Burnham said. The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies, backed the relaxation of the rules. 'Travelling by train is low-risk and carriages are well ventilated with air regularly refreshed either by air conditioning systems or by doors and windows being opened,' it said in a statement. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the BMA, said: 'We believe that it makes no sense to stop wearing face masks in enclosed public settings such as public transport. We know that face masks are proven to reduce the spread of this infection. 'At a time where we have exceptional high levels of cases we can't understand why we would knowingly want people to become infected. 'Face masks do not protect the wearer they protect people around you. Many people will be forced to go to work. 'If they need to travel on public transport, why should they be exposed to the virus when it's so simple that they can be protected by themselves and others around them wearing masks?' But Robert Dingwall, a sociology professor at Nottingham Trent University, said: 'The benefits of masks have always been uncertain because the quality of the evidence in both directions is so weak. 'Any benefit has probably been quite small or it would have been obvious even from weak studies.' A poll by YouGov last night suggested 71 per cent believe masks should continue to be mandatory on public transport once other coronavirus restrictions are lifted. The survey also found that the mask debate is divided down Brexiteer versus Remainer lines in the House of Commons, with the former being anti-covering and the latter being in favour of them. When asked a week ago if they would continue to wear face coverings after the rule is dropped, 59 per cent of Remainers said they would but just 41 per cent of Brexiteers did. And just 27 per cent of those in favour of membership of the EU said they would not wear one, while 46 per cent of Leavers did. Other countries differ on their guidance or rules on the wearing of face coverings, with the US not enforcing it, Australia keeping them as well as Germany and France at least in part. Chief Medical Adviser to the US President Dr Anthony Fauci landed himself in hot water on Sunday when he flip-flopped on the issue of mask-wearing. He said fully-vaccinated people living in areas with low vaccination rates should 'go the extra step' and cover their face. Fauci made the comment during an appearance on NBC's 'Meet the Press' when anchor Chuck Todd asked if Fauci - who's fully vaccinated - would wear a mask in a city like Biloxi, Mississippi. The state of Mississippi has the lowest vaccination rate in the country with 34.3 percent of the population receiving only one dose. 'I think there would be good reason to do that,' Fauci said. 'I mean, because as we've said so often, that vaccines are not, even as good as they are and highly effective, nothing is 100 per cent. 'And if you put yourself in an environment in which you have a high level of viral dynamics and a very low level of vaccine, you might want to go the extra step.' It came just two days after Fauci told a White House press briefing that masks are not necessary at all for fully vaccinated people. Dr Fauci's mask-wearing and vaccine comments come after a recent debate about face coverings after CDC and the World Health Organization issued conflicting guidelines about the 'Indian' delta variant. The WHO said at the end of June fully vaccinated people should wear their masks and practice social distancing to protect themselves against the highly transmissible delta variant, but the CDC has not followed suit from May. In Australia some experts are even claiming face masks could be required on public transport and at busy indoor venues for years to come even after everyone is vaccinated. Infectious disease specialists said on Sunday the jab is the key to keeping the virus under control once the nation opens its borders to countries with vastly different health strategies. But they also said Covid-19 will be in the community for years, and face coverings will still be required to to keep potential outbreaks at bay. Melbourne University epidemiologist Tony Blakely told the Herald Sun vaccination alone may not be enough to containing infections. 'We won't be throwing away masks, we will still be wearing them on public transport, for example,' he said. 'We will be wearing them indoors when there is a community outbreak.' Burnet Institute director Brendan Crabb said the virus was not about to disappear and Australians have to prepare for tightened measures to reduce the chance of widespread illness and more deaths. He said: 'It won't just be vaccines for the next few years or so. The more that we all buy into that governments and individuals then the earlier we can open.' Yet in Germany some provinces are starting to ease measures on wearing face coverings on public transport and in public places. Last month Baden-Wurttemberg relaxed the use in schools in districts with low Covid infections. But the southern state of Bavaria said it does not have plans to stop mask wearing. And Berlin has slackened some of its mask-wearing measures, with them not having to be worn on the pavement in shopping streets and busy squares. One of the first beavers to be released into the wild in Britain in 400 years was run over by a car and killed. Eurasian beavers Beryl and Brian were the first release of beavers anywhere in the UK when they took up residence at the Forder Valley Nature Reserve. But Beryl was tragically killed in a car crash after her home city of Plymouth, Devon, suffered horrendous flash flooding at the weekend. Plymouth City Council confirmed that Beryl managed to escape from her enclosure on Sunday night and was subsequently believed to have been hit by a car. Heavy rain and flooding had caused significant damage to the beaver enclosure fence which allowed the two to escape. Male beaver Brian was found safe - but Beryl was hit by a vehicle on Forder Valley Road in the early hours of Monday morning. Eurasian beavers Beryl (pictured) and Brian were the first urban release of beavers anywhere in the UK when they took up residence at the Forder Valley Nature Reserve Plymouth City Council said: 'We are deeply sad to report that Beryl, our female beaver, escaped from her enclosure on Sunday night and has been found dead. 'Following the extremely heavy overnight rain on Sunday morning and the resulting current of the river, our teams arrived on Sunday morning to find a lot of damage to the beaver enclosure fence. 'Repairs were carried out repairs on Sunday when water levels dropped to a safe level but unfortunately there was more damage below the water line which allowed both beavers to escape through at some point on Sunday night. 'The team have identified where Brian, our male beaver, has found refuge and they are currently working to capture him and bring him back to a safe location. 'But sadly we think that Beryl made her way to the Forder Valley Nature Reserve and was hit by a car on Forder Valley Road at around 3.30am. 'We continue to work with the expert team of advisers who have guided the project from its inception and will now take some time to review the situation and decide what is best for Brian going forward. 'We are all really upset and we know that many residents who have been following Brian and Beryl's progress will be equally distressed about this news.' Beryl was one of the Scottish beavers released in the Forder Valley as part of a nature scheme to re-create natural habitats lost after hundreds of trees were chopped down. The beavers were introduced to a specially-built re-wilding enclosure near Poole Farm so their activity could be monitored to access how their behaviour and actions reduce flooding and habitats for wildlife further downstream. They arrived last year in what was the first release of beavers in the UK. A New Zealand academic says Twitter temporarily restricted her account after she mocked Chinese President Xi Jinping. Last week, University of Canterbury Professor Anne-Marie Brady posted tweets poking fun at the Chinese Communist Party's 100th anniversary celebrations. Brady, an expert on China's attempts to exert political influence around the world and an outspoken critic of the CCP, said two of her tweets were temporarily marked 'unavailable' by Twitter. She said her account was also temporarily restricted over the weekend, before being restored on Monday. Twitter did not say what prompted its actions. Edward Lucas, a columnist for The Times newspaper, wrote that it probably resulted from an online campaign of complaints by Communist Party agents which would have triggered an automatic response from Twitter while it investigated. 'After I had stoked a furor on Twitter and sent umpteen complaints, her account was restored,' Lucas wrote. 'Less prominent victims of Chinese censorship would have scantier chances of redress.' A New Zealand academic says Twitter temporarily restricted her account after she mocked Chinese President Xi Jinping. Last week, University of Canterbury Professor Anne-Marie Brady (pictured) posted tweets poking fun at the Chinese Communist Party's 100th anniversary celebrations Brady tweeted her thanks to Lucas, saying that she'd been unable to get a reply from Twitter herself. 'Seems like @Twitter may have briefly forgotten they don't work for Xi Jinping,' Brady wrote. In a statement, Twitter said that when it detects unusual activity from an account, it can sometimes add temporary notices until it gets confirmation from the account owner. 'To set the record straight, the assertion that Twitter is in coordination with any government to suppress speech has no basis in fact whatsoever,' Twitter said. 'We advocate for a free, global and open internet and remain a staunch defender of freedom of expression.' Brady's tweets made fun of the lack of international validation of the centenary. Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the few leaders who sent congratulations to China. 'Seems like @Twitter may have briefly forgotten they don't work for Xi Jinping,' Brady wrote once her account was reinstated. Pictured: Xi speaks via video link at a summit to commemorate the 100th founding anniversary of the CCP on Tuesday In one tweet, Brady suggested an alternative headline for a news article about the celebrations: 'Xi: its my Party and I'll cry if I want to,' she wrote. Brady said her account has been restored. 'Opening my work laptop this morning I was greeted by a 'Welcome back' message on my screen from @Twitter, as if I was the one who left them,' she wrote. She wrote that Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Zoom and other big players in social media appeared to be getting into the habit of silencing Communist Party critics. In 2017, Brady wrote a groundbreaking paper 'Magic Weapons' which detailed what she said were the Communist Party's efforts to exert political influence in New Zealand. Subsequent burglaries and break-ins at her home and office remain unsolved. The Chinese Embassy in Wellington did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment. The Chinese government has not commented on any action online against Brady and has heatedly denied accusations that it interferes with foreign media and political systems. However, under Xi, who is also leader of the Chinese Communist Party, the government has taken an increasingly combative approach toward its critics, whether individuals, organisations or foreign governments. Brady's tweets made fun of the lack of international validation of the CCP centenary. Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the few leaders who sent congratulations to China. Pictured: Celebrations in Beijing Israel has utilised an AI-guided drone swarm to carry out attacks on Hamas militants in what is believed to be a world-first use of the technology. An Israeli Defence Force (IDF) support unit deployed the swarm to locate and target Hamas militants who had allegedly fired rockets into Israel in May. Drones are typically guided by a human operator, but drone swarms represent a step forward in military technology by flying as one integrated network controlled by artificial intelligence. The swarm requires only a single human operator to direct the entire swarm and before the drones guide themselves to locate the targets as a connected unit. The news comes just weeks after Israel announced the successful testing of a new laser defence system that can shoot down enemy missiles by burning a hole in them. The drone swarm only requires a single human to control it and flies as a network connected by artificial intelligence The swarm can continue to operate even if some of the individual drones are destroyed, and can be deployed for a range of purposes including target identification, reconnaissance, and payload delivery (pictured: Israeli air strike unrelated to drone operation) The swarm has been used to identify and provide targeting information to guided mortar weapons to destroy enemy forces and weapons caches (pictured: Israeli air strike unrelated to drone operation) As far as we know, this is the first use of this type of tool,' said an IDF spokesperson of the drone swarm. 'The operation of the swarm is by a single operator who controls all the drones. 'There is a commander next to him for making significant decisions and other soldiers for the logistical operation of the swarm.' In this instance, the drones provided targeting information for guided mortar weapons which destroyed multiple Hamas targets and weapons caches. According to the spokesperson, the drone swarm is an extremely adept tool that can be used for several purposes including intelligence gathering, target locating and payload delivery. But IDF commander told local news outlets that the swarm unit has already carried out more than 30 successful operations and that the IDF are planning to make more drone swarms available to support forces. The deployment of the drone swarm comes just weeks after Israel announced the successful testing of a new laser defence system that can shoot down enemy drones and missiles by burning a hole in them The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research in Geneva was quick to point out that the current capabilities of the drone swarm are not yet those of highly advanced, fully independent AI systems. But institute official Arthur Holland warned that the use of a drone swarm is 'a notch up in the incremental growth of autonomy and machine-to-machine collaboration in warfare.' An analyst at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism in the US said that while the use of a small drone swarm is less concerning, 'we may be looking at the emergence of a new weapon of mass destruction,' if militaries are able to deploy large numbers of drone swarms in combat. The use of weapons systems and military technology controlled by artificial intelligence has long been a subject of science fiction, but recent years have seen AI-backed systems introduced by military forces around the world. US and China are both reportedly developing their own drone swarms, whilst Chinese media reported last month that AI-controlled fighter jets have successfully outsmarted and shot down human pilots in multiple tests. Advertisement Delaying lockdown beyond July 19 will not reduce the number of Covid deaths and could potentially lead to a worse peak in winter, Professor Chris Whitty warned last night. The Chief Medical Officer acknowledged that while some restrictions will always be better than none in terms of containing Covid, at some point they have to be released for the sake of the economy and impact on wider health. With that in mind, Professor Whitty revealed he believed 'quite strongly' that there are many benefits to unlocking now rather than waiting until autumn - which some have suggested could buy No10 time to get every adult fully vaccinated. It would get the big bang of Covid infections and hospital admissions expected when social distancing comes to an end out of the way in summer when the NHS is less busy. 'At a certain point, you move to the situation where instead of actually averting hospitalisations and deaths, you move over to just delaying them,' the CMO told a Downing Street press conference last night. 'So you're not actually changing the number of people who will go to hospital or die, you may change when they happen. 'There is quite a strong view by many people, including myself actually, that going in the summer has some advantages, all other things being equal, to opening up into the autumn when schools are going back and when we're heading into the winter period when the NHS tends to be under greatest pressure for many other reasons.' The comments come on the back of modelling from prominent SAGE member 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson that suggested late July was an apparent 'sweet spot' for releasing curbs. His team at Imperial College London found delaying the original June 21 date until later this month likely prevented thousands of deaths. Delaying them until autumn or winter could result in more fatalities. Even though more people would be vaccinated, scientists believe releasing curbs in winter would cause a bigger spike because people spend more time indoors and other respiratory viruses are rife. The NHS will also be grappling with normal winter pressures. Professor Whitty, Professor Ferguson, who was instrumental in Britain's first lockdown last spring, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, are all believed to be in the 'if not now, then when' camp. During a round of interviews this morning, the normally cautious Professor Ferguson said pressing ahead with July was 'justifiable' and revealed he was 'reasonably optimistic'. DAILY HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS: Modelling by Professor Neil Ferguson's team at Imperial College London found that delaying Freedom Day until December (shown in green) to let all adults get double-vaccinated would push the peak in Covid hospital admissions further into winter, rather than reducing the number of admissions completely. The yellow line shows the effect on admissions if the unlocking was to go ahead in late July, with hospitalisations peaking in summer and plummeting by winter. Releasing curbs in June (blue) or early July (red) would have led to a bigger peak in summer, which is why the decision was made to push the original June 21 Freedom Day back by a month COVID INPATIENTS: The same was true for hospital occupancy levels and, although the graphs don't explicitly show it, the team at Imperial said in some scenarios, delaying the unlocking until December could lead to more deaths. In their paper, they write: 'In some of our modelled scenarios, this long delay paradoxically leads to more total deaths since the third wave would be pushed into the winter, when transmission may be higher because of seasonality and increased indoors interactions, and when an increased proportion of individuals may have lost protection from prior infection' DAILY HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS: Imperial presented three different modelling of the final unlocking in the roadmap - optimistic, pessimistic and 'central'. Each makes various assumptions about the epidemic, including how fast the virus will take off after lockdown and how well the vaccines will work against transmission and serious illness. In each scenario, the 'sweet spot' appears to be opening in late July (yellow). Any earlier would lead to higher peaks of about 10,000 daily admissions and delaying until December would push the crisis into the winter, where the green line appears to spike upwards quicker than any other scenario COVID INPATIENTS: The models suggest that there could have been 100,000 patients in hospital with Covid if the country opened up as planned on June 21 even though there are just 2,000 currently being treated by the NHS. Releasing curbs in late July (yellow) could still lead to a peak of 80,000 patients in hospital, which would be double the peak in January. This seems increasingly unlikely now that the vaccines have proven to be extremely effective against the Indian variant in the real world He made the comments at a Downing Street press conference tonight, where Boris Johnson confirmed that most social distancing rules will no longer be mandatory from July 19 Speaking about last night's announcement, Professor Ferguson told the Today Programme: 'This is a slight gamble, it's a slight experiment at the moment, and I think it's justifiable and I'm reasonable optimistic, but policy will have to remain flexible.' He said the vaccines' effect on hospitalisations and deaths gave him confidence that the NHS will be able to cope despite rising cases, but warned that if infections continue to grow exponentially then hospitals could be pushed to the brink. The Government scientific adviser added: 'At the peak of the second wave 50,000 cases would translate into something like 500 deaths, but that's going to be much lower this time, more like 50 or so. 'The challenge is, there's still the potential of getting very large numbers of cases and so if we get very high numbers of cases a day, 150,000 or 200,000 it could still cause some pressure to the health system. Time for the bar! From table service to working from home, those changing rules Boris Johnson tonight firmed up plans for unlocking England on July 19. The PM used a press conference to confirm a bonfire of virus rules and restrictions from the so-called Freedom Day, saying individuals will again be able to judge the risks of coronavirus for themselves. However, he did not have any decisive announcements in key areas, with no date for quarantine requirements to be waived for double-jabbed Brits travelling to 'amber list' countries. There was also no confirmation that self-isolation can be replaced with testing for the fully-vaccinated. And although there was a clear intention for bubble rules in schools to be axed, it is not expected to happen until September when the new term starts. WHAT THE PM ANNOUNCED: Pubs and restaurants Hospitality venues in England will no longer be required to collect track and trace data from July 19. Businesses won't have to ask customers to scan a QR code using the NHS phone app on entry or to hand over their contact details, although they will have the option of continuing to do so if they wish. Mandatory table service rules will also be scrapped, meaning drinkers will be able to order at the bar again in pubs. Masks Wearing masks will become voluntary everywhere apart from hospitals and other health facilities from July 19 in England. Public transport passengers, shoppers and those visiting pubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres will no longer be required by law to cover up. However, people may still be encouraged to wear masks in some enclosed places where they come into close contact with each other, for example on London Tube trains. Work from home The official guidance telling people to 'work from home if you can' will be scrapped on July 19 in England. But it will be left up to employers and their staff to decide whether they have to go back to their desks. Ministers will not launch a campaign encouraging staff back to the office and are resigned to there not being a mass return to workplaces this summer. AND WHAT THE PM DIDN'T ANNOUNCE Holidays Ministers have been working on a system to open up holiday destinations for double-jabbed Britons. People who have had both vaccine doses could no longer have to quarantine for ten days after visiting amber list countries, such as Spain, France and Greece. However, there is not set to be any definitive news on the rules tonight and Government sources have cautioned the July 19 date is 'ambitious'. TEST AND TRACE Pressure has been growing for people who have received both coronavirus vaccine doses to be spared isolating at home for ten days if they have come into contact with someone who tested positive. They could be offered lateral flow tests to do themselves at home instead. However, ministers have not come to a conclusion on whether to go ahead, and it is understood a new system is very unlikely to be in place for July 19. SCHOOLS The bubbles system that has seen whole classes or year groups sent home if just one pupil tests positive for coronavirus will be scrapped in England. Ministers are planning to announce a new way of handling outbreaks. Instead of sending children home en masse, those who have come into contact with a positive case are likely to be given daily tests. Few expect the arrangements to start until the new school year in September, although Sajid Javid sparked confusion by telling MPs tonight that it could happen on July 19. Advertisement 'If we end up in something close to the worst-case scenario we and other groups are looking at, which I think is unlikely but can't be ruled out, then yes there will need to be some course direction later.' Professor Whitty and Boris Johnson admitted at last night's briefing that there were no guarantees the NHS will cope this winter without Britain having roll back some lockdown restrictions. There are some concerns about the unlocking later this month because cases of the Indian variant are doubling every fortnight with 27,000 new infections every day and hospital rates already rising. Professor Whitty said: 'The winter is inevitably going to be tricky and the NHS is likely to have both Covid and some resurgence of other respiratory viruses that were suppressed by the degree of lockdown last time round. 'So I think we should be realistic and this coming winter may be very difficult for the NHS.' Asked directly if Covid restrictions could go into reverse, Mr Johnson said he would 'have to take whatever steps we need to do to protect the public'. It came despite the PM previously promising the roadmap out of lockdown would be 'irreversible'. Outlining the plans for after July 19, Mr Johnson insisted the pandemic 'certainly won't be over' by then. He urged people not be 'demob happy' the government will no longer issue 'top down' orders. Mr Johnson insisted he had to 'balance the risks... the risks of the disease, and the risks of continuing with restrictions'. 'If we don't go ahead now when we we've clearly done so much with the vaccination programme to break the link between infection and death. 'If we don't go ahead now when the summer firebreak is coming up, the school holidays, all the advantages that that should give us in fighting the virus, then the question is, ''when would we go ahead?''. 'Particularly given the likelihood the virus will have an extra advantage in the colder months, in the autumn, and in the winter. The PM described summer as a 'firebreak' allowing a reopening now, rather than in winter which would be a more 'difficult time' or delaying until next year. He said: 'If we don't go ahead now when we we've clearly done so much with the vaccination programme to break the link between infection and death. 'If we don't go ahead now when the summer firebreak is coming up, the school holidays, all the advantages that that should give us in fighting the virus, then the question is, 'when would we go ahead?'. 'Particularly given the likelihood the virus will have an extra advantage in the colder months, in the autumn, and in the winter. 'So we run the risk of either opening up at a very difficult time when the virus has an edge, has an advantage in the colder months, or again putting everything off to next year so I do think it's going to be a very balanced decision next week.' Mr Johnson said that it is a 'propitious moment' to ease coronavirus restrictions, suggesting it would be harder to end them in the autumn and winter months. The Prime Minister told the press conference: 'If we do find another variant that doesn't respond to the vaccines, if heaven forbid some really awful new bug should appear, then clearly we will have to take whatever steps we need to do to protect the public. 'But on balance, given the massive success of the vaccine rollout, given the fact that this is a propitious moment, a good moment to do it given the coming summer holidays, the natural firebreak we have there, and given the difficulty of then imagining us opening up in the context of the colder autumn/winter months, I think this is a balanced and cautious approach.' The one-metre plus decree and advice to work from home where possible will be dropped, with mask wearing no longer mandatory - while pubs and other venues will not have to collect customer details and will again be able to serve drinks at the bar. Mr Johnson also said limits on gatherings are going and torpedoed the idea of legally requiring 'Covid certificates' at bars and restaurants, with the vaccination drive instead being trusted to do the heavy lifting of protecting the public. The news was warmly welcomed by the hospitality industry and other sectors that have been hammered by the crisis. However, although the premier said he intends to replace self-isolation with testing for anyone who is double jabbed and comes into contact with a positive case, he did not say when that would happen and it is understood it will probably be after July 19. Children would also be covered by the arrangements. Mr Johnson also said an announcement will be made later in the week on dropping the 'bubble' rules that have been causing chaos in schools. There have been signs that the change will only take effect at the start of next term in September - although Sajid Javid suggested tonight that it could happen this month. The PM stopped short of confirming that quarantine requirements for 'amber list' countries will be waived for double-jabbed Brits from July 19. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is expected to make an announcement later in the week. The plan for the final stage of the roadmap will be subject to a final approval next Monday, although it appears it would take something extraordinary to change the PM's mind at this stage. The UK today recorded another 27,334 cases - up nearly a fifth on the same day last week - but deaths remained in single figures at nine. The government has also said it will 'maintain contingency plans for reimposing economic and social restrictions at a local, regional or national level' in case the situation deteriorates. Meanwhile, doubts have been raised over whether mask-wearing will be completely scrapped this month, even though the law will fall away. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has refused to say whether he will keep the rules on the Tube, while Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has demanded a rethink to protect the vulnerable. Unions warned it would be 'gross negligence' to drop the requirement. Government sources suggested that in theory train companies and businesses could keep demanding face coverings are worn, even if the law is changed. Nicola Sturgeon has also suggested that the rules could continue for longer in Scotland. Asked whether he would keep wearing masks, Mr Johnson said it would 'depend on the circumstances' - pointing out that a crowded Tube train is very different from a deserted late-night service. It came as Sajid Javid today admitted coronavirus cases could top 100,000 a day by August, but insisted the 'wall of protection' from vaccines can hold. The Health Secretary gave the grim figure as he insisted Mr Johnson is right to continue with the dramatic unlocking on July 19, saying the hospitalisations and deaths were what mattered. In a round of interviews, Mr Javid revealed that he will be unveiling plans today to allow people who are double-jabbed to sidestep the isolation rules and do daily tests instead. Government insiders have raised doubts about whether the system can be in place for July 19. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is also due to set out proposals for scrapping school 'bubble' rules that have been causing huge numbers to stay away from classes. Mr Javid said that by 'Freedom Day' he expects daily cases to reach 50,000 - nearly double the current level. 'As we ease and go into the summer we expect them to rise significantly and they could go as high as 100,000 case numbers,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'We want to be very straightforward about this... but what matters more than anything is hospitalisation and death numbers. That is where the link has been severely weakened.' A statue of Martin Luther King Jr. was vandalized with SS bolts and a swastika in Long Beach over the weekend. It is the second time in two years the statue, erected in 1986, has been targeted, after a plaque bearing one of his quotations was stolen in 2019. A photo posted to Twitter showed the statue of the civil rights icon spray painted with a black swastika and two SS bolts. Following the vandalism, which is being investigated as a hate crime, a group of local residents staged a rally against hate in front of the statue. Police told KTLA5 that they responded to a call about 'hate or bias motivated vandalism' related to the statue at 1950 Lemon Avenue around 3:20 p.m. on Friday. They had no information on the crime or suspects as of Monday afternoon, the outlet reported. A statue of Martin Luther King Jr. was vandalized with SS bolts and a swastika in Long Beach over the weekend Robert Garcia, Mayor of Long Beach, called the vandalism 'horrific' in a tweet on Monday. 'Over the holiday weekend our MLK statue at King Park was vandalized with horrific graffiti. The LBPD are investigating this as a hate crime and we are working to catch whoever committed this awful act. 'Our MLK statue is a symbol of hope and justice for the community. This hate and desecration has no place in our city.' The Twitter user who shared the picture of the defaced statue claimed: 'This city has a major hidden white supremacists issue and it needs to be addressed ASAP'. The statue was cleaned on Friday and no mark of the graffiti remained when a small group of locals gathered for a rally against hate. The AOC7 Neighborhood Group hosted the demonstration, at which pastors, locals and Assistant Police Chief Wally Hebeish and Commander Ty Burford spoke in front of the statue. One of the organizers, Mary Simmons, told the Long Beach Post that the group felt something had to be done in response to the vandalism. Following the vandalism, which is being investigated as a hate crime, a group of local residents staged a rally against hate in front of the statue The AOC7 Neighborhood Group hosted the demonstration, at which pastors, locals and Assistant Police Chief Wally Hebeish and Commander Ty Burford spoke in front of the statue Photos of the small crowd showed demonstrators holding signs reading: 'No-room for hate in Long Beach' and 'White silence is violence' 'Our hearts were broken when we saw the posts on social media,' Simmons said. 'We can stand by and do nothing, or we can stand up against it.' Photos of the small crowd showed demonstrators holding signs reading: 'No-room for hate in Long Beach' and 'White silence is violence'. In February, a plaque at the base of the statue that had been stolen in 2019 was replaced by the city. The plaque features a quote from King: 'We must use time creatively ... and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.' The plaque also features a list of people who had sponsored the statue's construction. At the time of the theft, police said the plaque was worth at least $950, meaning prosecutors could charge whoever stole it with felony grand theft. Aussie rock'n roll icon Peter Garrett has opened up about the tragic night his mother was killed in a house fire. The Midnight Oil frontman relived the traumatising moment in April 1977 when he awoke to flames tearing through his family's Sydney home. Garrett, who was in his 20s at the time, tried to push through the black smoke and rescue his mother Betty who was upstairs, but the raging inferno was too fierce. The 68-year-old music icon barely made it out alive and admitted the memory of losing his mother in the flames still haunts him and his two other brothers to this day. Peter Garrett (pictured at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney in February) said the memory of his mother Betty's death still haunts him 'She's upstairs and I'm downstairs and I wake up and the house is on fire and I just escape,' Garret told comedian Anh Do on ABC's Anh's Brush With Fame. 'But then I realise what's gone on, so I try to get back into the house to go upstairs but It's all alight and I can't. 'The fact that I couldn't rescue my mum and get her out of essentially a burning house stayed with me, and is still with me.' Betty (pictured with Garrett's father) was upstairs of their family home in Sydney when a fire ripped through Garrett opened up to comedian and artist Anh Do about the tragedy before being presented with a portrait Garrett, who was elected to federal parliament in October 2004, said although he knows 'rationally' there wasn't anything he could do, the trauma is 'ongoing'. He said he hasn't let the tragic loss define him because that's what his mother 'would have wanted'. Garrett's credits his mother for instilling him with a passion for Aboriginal and environmental activism. Betty was social worker who went straight into the Air Force at about 19 years old to serve in World War II. Her selflessness left Garrett with a deep sense of compassion that inspired him to 'stand up' for what he believed in. Betty's death was made all the more difficult because Garrett had also lost his father to an asthma attack just years earlier. Midnight Oil are seen in Ghent, Belgium in 1988. Pictured: Rob Hirst (left), Peter Garrett (second left), Martin Rotsey (centre), Bones Hillman (second right) and Jim Moginie (right) Garrett tried desperately to push through the billowing black smoke and rescue his mother Betty who was upstairs, but the raging inferno was too fierce and he barely made it out alive. The very next night after she died Garrett got back on stage as a way to cope with the pain. 'So for me, it was almost a case of it has happened, how can you then go on and try and live your life fully and, in a sense, honour her life, as a son,' he said. 'I felt at the time that if I could do that, I wasn't going to be marked and beaten down by the loss of someone I probably loved more than anyone else at that time.' Since that fateful evening Garrett went on to create four platinum records, was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2003 and held various senior cabinet positions as part of the Labor Government from 2007 to 2013. Three black men who were jailed for allegedly attempting to rob a corrupt police officer nearly 50 years ago have today had their wrongful convictions overturned by the Court of Appeal. Courtney Harriot, Paul Green and Cleveland Davidson, all aged between 17 and 20 at the time, were among six men dubbed the 'Stockwell Six' who were arrested in February 1972. The group of young black men had been travelling on the London Underground travelling from Stockwell station, south London, when they were accused of attempting to rob British Transport Police officer Derek Ridgewell who led a group of officers known as the 'anti-mugging squad' They all pleaded not guilty but the trio and two others - Texo Joseph Johnson and Ronald DeSouza - were convicted, largely on the evidence of Det Sgt Ridgewell. The sixth man, Everet Mullins, was acquitted. The five convicted were sent to jail or Borstal for up to three years, despite telling jurors that police officers had lied and subjected them to violence and threats. Ridgewell's corrupt methods, which involved targeting mostly groups of young black men and accusing them of muggings, became so notorious that in 1973 there were calls for the Home Secretary to open an inquiry into his cases. He was eventually caught and jailed for seven years, dying of a heart attack in prison in 1982 at the age of 37. Speaking today, Mr Davidson described Det Sgt Ridgewell as a 'corrupt and wicked and evil police officer' and said he felt 'vindicated' by the court's decision. Lawyers acting on behalf of the men have issued an appeal for Texo Joseph Johnson, Ronald DeSouza and Everet Mullins to come forward. Three men have had convictions for attempting to rob a corrupt detective quashed. Pictured: Paul Green (left) and Cleveland Davidson celebrate outside Royal Courts of Justice, London The Stockwell Six were largely convicted on the evidence provided by Detective Sergeant Derek Ridgewell (pictured) who was later found to be corrupt and died in prison in 1982 Det Sgt Ridgewell, who had previously served in the South Rhodesian, now Zimbabwe, police force, was working in plain clothes and led a group of officers known as the 'anti-mugging squad'. Mr Green was convicted of assault with intent to rob and sent to Borstal, while Mr Harriot was convicted of assault with intent to rob, and unlawful possession of an offensive weapon, and sentenced to three years in prison. Mr Davidson, now 66, was convicted of attempted robbery and sentenced to six months detention. It is unknown how long Mr Johnson and Mr De'Souza served. Their convictions were referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission on the basis that there was 'a real possibility that the Court of Appeal would quash those convictions'. At a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Tuesday, the Court of Appeal cleared Mr Harriot, Mr Green and Mr Davidson, nearly five decades after they were convicted. Speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice after the hearing, Cleveland Davidson said: 'It's vindication that we were innocent at the time. We were only young then, we did nothing. 'It was a total stitch-up, it was a frame-up for nothing,' he added. Mr Davidson said: 'For 50 years, it affected me... I haven't been the same. 'My family didn't me believe me, no one believed me because they thought 'well, you must've done something'. 'We just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time with a bad, corrupt police officer.' Mr Davidson described Det Sgt Derek Ridgewell as a 'corrupt and wicked and evil police officer'. He asked: 'We got justice today, but it has not put it right - how can it put it right?' Courtney Harriot, Paul Green (left) and Cleveland Davidson (right) were arrested on the London Underground while travelling from Stockwell station, south London, in February 1972 Sir Julian Flaux, sitting with Mr Justice Linden and Mr Justice Wall, said: 'It is most unfortunate that it has taken nearly 50 years to rectify the injustice suffered by these appellants. These appeals are allowed and the convictions are quashed.' The two remaining members of the Stockwell Six who were convicted have not been traced. Previously, the Criminal Cases Review Commission said it was still very keen to hear from the remaining members. Ridgewell was involved in a number of high-profile and controversial cases in the early 1970s, culminating in the 1973 acquittals of the 'Tottenham Court Road Two' - two young Jesuits studying at Oxford University. His corrupt methods, which involved targeting mostly groups of young black men and accusing them of muggings, were first exposed in a Nationwide documentary and became so notorious that in 1973 there were calls for the Home Secretary to open an inquiry into his cases. He was quietly moved into a department investigating mailbag theft, where he joined up with two criminals with whom he split the profits of stolen mailbags. The final member of the Oval Four - four young black men who were 'fitted up' by a corrupt police officer nearly 50 years ago - finally had his conviction overturned in March last year The case at the Old Bailey against the Oval Four was based entirely on Ridgewell's evidence In 1980, Ridgewell admitted plotting to rob mailbags from the Royal Mail worth well over 300,000 (almost 1.3m today). He was jailed for seven years, dying of a heart attack in prison in 1982 at the age of 37. The case of the Stockwell Six would be the third time Ridgewell's corruption has led to wrongful convictions being overturned by the Court of Appeal. In January 2018, Stephen Simmons' 1976 conviction for stealing mailbags was quashed after he discovered Ridgewell was jailed for a similar offence just two years after his own conviction. In December 2019, three members of the 'Oval Four' - who were arrested at Oval Underground station in 1972 and accused of stealing handbags by Ridgewell's 'mugging squad' - also had their convictions overturned. Winston Trew, Sterling Christie and George Griffiths were all sentenced to two years, later reduced to eight months on appeal, following a five-week trial at the Old Bailey. Winston Trew (left, at the time; and right, pictured recently) was among four men arrested at Oval London Underground station in 1972 by police who accused them of stealing handbags Quashing their convictions, the Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett said there was 'an accumulating body of evidence that points to the fundamental unreliability of evidence given by DS Ridgewell ... and others of this specialist group'. Winston Trew said he was 'very pleased' after the hearing. His book Black For A Cause... Not Just Because... which detailed Ridgewell's long history of 'fit-ups' was used in a previous appeal to overturn another conviction based on the corrupt officer's evidence. Mr Trew said: 'My research has been vindicated. Justice should not only be done, justice should be seen to be done.' He said Courtney Harriot, Paul Green and Cleveland Davidson, whose convictions were overturned on Tuesday, had been put through '50 years of torture'. 'They were convicted as young men going out for a night out and they spent the next 40-odd years with a shadow hanging over their lives,' he added. In March 2020, the final member of the Oval Four, Constantine 'Omar' Boucher, also had his name cleared, prompting calls for a 'wholesale review' of all cases linked to Ridgewell. In a statement, British Transport Police Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock said: 'It is wholly regrettable that the criminal actions of a discredited former officer of this force over four decades ago led to these unsound prosecutions. The British Transport Police has apologised to Paul Green (left) Cleveland Davidson (pictured outside the Royal Courts of Justice) and Courtney Harriot after their convictions were quashed 'I apologise unreservedly for the distress, anxiety and impact this will have undoubtedly caused those who were wrongly convicted. 'We understand that nothing can ever make up for the period of time that they spent in custody or the longer-term effect it may have had on them. 'We have examined all available records which suggest that (Derek) Ridgewell was the principal officer in other investigations and have not identified any additional matters that we feel should be referred for external review.' Speaking after today's hearing Jenny Wiltshire, Head of Serious and General Crime at Hickman & Rose Solicitors who represented the trio, said: 'While the acquittal of these innocent men is welcome news, it is deeply troubling that it has taken so long to happen. 'These men's entire adult lives have been blighted by false allegations made by a corrupt police officer known to have been dishonest for decades. 'Both the British Transport Police and the Home Office were warned about Ridgewell's lies in 1973. Yet neither organisation did anything except move him to a different police unit. 'Even when Ridgewell was convicted of theft in 1980 they did not look again at the many clearly unsafe criminal convictions which had relied on his witness testimony. 'It is only now, almost half a century on, that the British Transport Police has indicated that it will review Ridgewell's activities. For many of Ridgewell's innocent victims and their families it is far too little, far too late.' The family of a father-of-two are demanding answers while he fights for his life with a potentially fatal syndrome after having the AztraZeneca Covid jab. Anthony Shingler, 57, from Northwood in Stoke-on-Trent, was left 'paralysed' after having his first dose of the jab three months ago in March. He has since been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome which is a very rare and serious condition that affects the body's nerves. It can be treated and most people will eventually make a full recovery, although it can occasionally be life-threatening and some people are left with long-term problems. His wife Nicola is convinced that getting the vaccine was the trigger for Mr Shingler's problems. Guillain-Barre syndrome is thought to be caused by a problem with the immune system where it attacks the body's nerves rather than infections. It is not clear why this happens but it often occurs after an infection - especially one in the airways, as can happen with flu. Doctors still say the benefits of having a Covid jab far outweigh the risks. Anthony Shingler (pictured in hospital), 57, from Northwood in Stoke-on-Trent, was left 'paralysed' after having his first dose of the jab three months ago in March Mrs Shingler, 48, is now calling on help from the Government. She told the Stoke Sentinel: 'I'm adamant it was the vaccine, he was fine until he had it. They've found no other trigger. 'It's a nightmare to watch him. I can't stand seeing my husband in so much pain every day. We've been totally ignored and forgotten by the government. 'He is still getting texts from the NHS to go for a second jab and he is lying in a NHS hospital paralysed. This is how impersonal it is. It's wrong on all levels.' Mrs Shingler said that after her husband first received the jab he had mild symptoms for a few days including aching legs. But after a week on March 12 he began to feel numbness from his hips down. And a week after that he started getting pins and needles in his hands and feet. When she took her husband to A&E he was sent home after being told he might be allergic to something. On March 22 Mr Shingler had to be rushed to Royal Stoke University Hospital where he was put on a ventilator and told he had Guillain-Barre syndrome. Mrs Shingler says her husband, who has a lot of nerve damage, is still on the ventilator months later and has been suffering from hallucinations and infections. He has since been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome which is a very rare and serious condition that affects the body's nerves. Pictured: A healthy Mr Shingler before his diagnosis She says she has since been contacted by a company which researches medicines and possible links to vaccines - Genomics. What is Guillain-Barre syndrome? GuillainBarre syndrome is a rare disorder in which the immune system goes into overdrive and the body attack its own nerves. Common symptoms of the rare condition include weakness and tingling in the limbs. As patients' conditions worsen, this can lead to parts of the body or in some cases the whole body being paralysed. The syndrome is rare, affecting about one in 100,000 annually in the UK and US. Fewer than 20,000 cases are diagnosed per year in the US, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Doctors say it is often triggered by a viral or bacterial illness, such as Campylobacter jejuni. There is no cure. Treatment focuses on restoring the nervous system. It can be fatal if it involves the respiratory muscles. Advertisement And she has signed a petition to reform the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 to offer more support to people harmed by having a Covid jab because her husband was the family's main earner. She added: 'When they were planning this vaccination programme why didn't they put any severe side effects to look out for when they knew what was coming? They knew there would be a small minority. 'The government has shown no support. It's callous and barbaric. 'He has got the slimmest chances of recovery. He will surely end up with disabilities. 'The government can bury their heads in the sand - but they are wrecking the chances of the vaccine in the future. My daughters won't forget this. His grandchildren won't forget that their granddad was not supported. 'Trying to cover it up makes it look even more sinister.' The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is monitoring all potential side effects reported to them, including Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Dr June Raine, MHRA chief executive, said: 'Over 72million doses of vaccines against Covid-19 have now been administered in the UK, saving thousands of lives through the biggest vaccination programme that has ever taken place in this country. 'No effective medicine or vaccine is without risk. Our advice remains that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks in the majority of people. 'We ask anyone who suspects they have experienced a side effect linked with their COVID-19 vaccine to report it to the Coronavirus Yellow Card website.' Britons desperate for European getaway are 'in the edge of their seats' waiting to see if quarantine-free travel to amber list countries will rescue their summer. Grant Shapps is set to unveil the plans to allow UK citizens who have been fully jabbed to sidestep self-isolation at home later this week. These countries currently include holiday hotpots like Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy and France. Travel chiefs have demanded clarity after Boris Johnson failed to say when the new system would start double. But Sajid Javid told MPs last night that quarantine-free holidays for double-jabbed travellers would happen 'very soon'. Paul Charles, chief executive at The PC Agency, said: 'The sooner there is clarity the better for consumers, who are on the edge of their seats waiting to know whether their trips are going to be able to go ahead. 'But also the sooner the better for the travel and tourism sector who are desperately waiting for information on when the fully jabbed will get more freedom to travel without having to quarantine on their return.' Ministers ruffled business feathers today, by announcing that domestic self-isolation will remain until the middle of August. And Mr Charles added: 'If that date applies also for overseas travel then it wont protect tens of thousands of jobs and it wont save the rest of the summer, which is what the industry needs. It would be far too late and unnecessary because the jabs are working.' Grant Shapps is set to unveil the plans to allow UK citizens to sidestep self-isolation at home after visiting amber list countries. These countries currently include holiday hotpots like Spain (pictured), Portugal, Greece, Italy and France. The beleaguered tourism sector sees the move as crucial to salvaging what's left of the peak season and has pleaded with ministers to at least provide a date for when the new rule will come into effect. Self-isolation will not be dropped for the double-jabbed until AUGUST 16 Millions more healthy people face putting their lives on hold after Sajid Javid revealed the requirement for the double-jabbed to self-isolate will not be dropped until August 16. The Health Secretary said the 'protective wall' thrown up by the vaccine drive meant that ministers can 'look afresh' at rules when people are 'pinged' for contact with an infected individual. From the middle of next month people who have received two doses - with the second administered at least two weeks previously - can take PCR tests rather than self-isolating. Under-18s will also not be subject to the restrictions from the same date. But the timetable is far slower than many had hoped, and potentially means huge numbers of people will be caught after 'Freedom Day' on July 19. Mr Javid told the Commons that he had looked at changing the system earlier, but was 'more comfortable' waiting until even more people are vaccinated. The dramatic news came after Mr Javid admitted coronavirus cases could top 100,000 a day by the summer as the government pushes ahead with the unlocking. The Adam Smith Institute estimates that an increase on that scale would mean 4.6million people a week being asked to self-isolate by Test and Trace call handlers or the NHS app. The PM was given a boost this morning as 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson said he is 'optimistic' the 'gamble' of releasing restrictions will work - although he cautioned that cases could hit 200,000 a day and they might need to be reimposed if vaccines are slightly less effective than hoped and deaths surge. Advertisement The Health Secretary was speaking in the Commons following a question from Labour's Ben Bradshaw. He asked: 'Given we were promised a vaccine dividend, when can the millions of British families separated from loved ones, or who simply who want a foreign holiday, expect to receive the same freedoms back that other Europeans and Americans already enjoy?' Mr Javid replied: 'Very, very soon, and the Secretary of State for Transport [Grant Shapps] will have more to say on this very shortly.' However, all the plans are reliant on reciprocal access by European countries allowing British holidaymakers in without quarantine. Planned new measures will allow fully vaccinated tourists and their families to visit countries such as Spain and Greece without having to self-isolate for up to 10 days on return. The beleaguered tourism sector sees the move as crucial to salvaging what's left of the peak season and has pleaded with ministers to at least provide a date for when the new rule will come into effect. Last month the Government simply said it will be 'at some point this summer'. But Boris Johnson last night failed to give a date, simply saying that Mr Shapps would make an announcement later this week. The scheme could begin when Britain unlocks on July 19, but it could be as late as August 2. The latter date is regarded as much too late by the travel industry. At a Downing Street press conference last night, the Prime Minister said: 'From Step 4 [which will kick in on July 19], we will maintain our tough border controls including the red list. 'And recognising the protection afforded by two doses of vaccine, we will work with the travel industry towards removing the need for fully vaccinated arrivals to isolate on return from an amber country.' Mr Johnson had been expected to announce that the revamped travel traffic light rules would come into force 'later this month', but stopped short of this. Sources last night said there was last minute 'internal wrangling' between ministers, suggesting it could still be delayed until next month. One issue to iron out is whether children would also be exempt from quarantine under the new amber rules, given that under-18s are not yet being vaccinated. There are also said to be concerns about how prepared the borders are. Amber list countries Akrotiri and Dhekelia, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Armenia, Aruba, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech , Republic (Czechia), Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, French , Polynesia, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece (including islands), Greenland, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar (Burma), Nauru, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, North Macedonia, Norway, The Occupied Palestinian Territories, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain (including the Balearics and Canary Islands), St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Martin and St Barthelemy, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna, Western Sahara, Yemen. Advertisement Travel chiefs have demanded clarity after Boris Johnson failed to say when the new system would start double Mr Javid told MPs today that from August 16, anyone who is a close contact of a positive case will no longer have to self-isolate if they have received two doses of a vaccine and have given the second jab a fortnight to take effect. 'As we make this change we will be drawing on the huge capacity we have built for testing and sequencing and advising close contacts who are fully vaccinated to take a PCR test as soon as possible so they can get certainty about their condition,' he said. Anyone who tests positive will have to self-isolate, regardless of their vaccination status. 'This new approach means that we can manage the virus in a way that is proportionate to the pandemic while maintaining the freedoms that are so important to us all,' he said. As under-18s are not routinely jabbed, a similar exemption from self-isolation rules will be extended to them. 'Anyone under the age of 18 who is a close contact of a positive case will no longer have to self-isolate. 'Instead they will be given advice about whether they should get tested, dependent on their age, and will need to self-isolate only if they test positive.' Advertisement Pandemic restrictions on travel between Canada and the US loosened Monday, with double-jabbed Canadian citizens and permanent residents now excused from 14 days of quarantine when they reenter the country for the first time for nearly a year and a half. In addition, air travelers entering the country will no longer have to spend three days in an official quarantine hotel. However, the new rules will make no difference to Americans because they only apply to Canadian citizens or permanent residents. To be eligible for the easing, passengers must also be travelling for essential purposes and have tested negative for COVID within three days of leaving. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said plans to totally reopen the US-Canada border - which has been shut since March 2020 - would be announced over the next few weeks. A ban on non-essential trips will remain in place until at least July 21. Canadian residents Philip Owira, right, and Katherine Nichol walk with their baby across a small ditch from Canada into Peace Arch Historical State Park to visit a friend there on June 8. The border has been closed to nonessential travel since March 2020, but Canadians have been allowed to walk over the ditch into the US park Trudeau said the easing of the restrictions marks a 'big step' toward re-opening the border. 'We're very hopeful that we're going to see new steps on reopening announced in the coming weeks,' he said at a news conference in Ontario. 'We're going to make sure that we're not seeing a resurgence of COVID-19 cases because nobody wants to go back to further restrictions, after having done so much and sacrificed so much to get to this point.' Julia Dunn, who landed at Toronto's Pearson International Airport from the United States while on her way to Halifax, said she was glad the restrictions had eased. 'It's very freeing being able to get home to family without having to spend those two weeks alone,' she said. Dunn, a Canadian citizen but now lives in Houston, said she booked her trip to Canada after learning about the planned easing of quarantine rules a few weeks ago. Trudeau said he understands how eager people are to see the border reopen but noted that the pandemic continues and 'things aren't normal yet.' 'Nobody wants us to move too fast and have to reimpose restrictions as case numbers rise like we're seeing elsewhere in the world,' he said. 'We need to do this right.' On July 5, Canada saw 670 new cases and 8 new deaths, compared to 5,371 new cases and 41 deaths for the US. A graph showing the number of new COVID infections in the US per day. The Delta variant is leading to a rise in cases in some areas A graph showing the number of daily Covid cases in Canada, as well as the seven-day rolling average Canada's vaccine rollout is currently lagging behind America's with 36% of Canadians (13.7million people) fully vaccinated, compared with 47.4% (157.3m) of Americans. The highly-infectious Delta variant is making ground in both the US and Canada, It is now the most common strain of the virus in California, while it has also taken hold in Utah, Arkansas, Missouri and Nevada. As of June 29, there had been more than 4,100 cumulative cases of the Delta variant in Canada, and experts predict it could soon become the most dominant strain across the country. The United Kingdom suffered a massive swell of cases in June, of which 90% are believed to belong to the new mutation, which was first detected in India. At the start of June, the U.K. was averaging 3,300 cases a day. That number has shot up to 24,000 cases per day as of this week - a 627 percent increase. While experts believe the new Delta strain is more infectious, vaccines still appear to be highly effective in preventing hospital admissions and death. On July 5, Canada saw 670 new cases and 8 new deaths, compared to 5,371 new cases and 41 deaths (pictured) for the US Canada's vaccine rollout is currently lagging behind America's (pictured) with 36% of Canadians (13.7million people) fully vaccinated, compared with 47.4% (157.3m) of Americans A graph showing the percentage of the US population vaccinated so far, with areas like California seeing the highest take-up rates In the UK, for example, although there were 27,334 new cases of the virus yesterday, only nine people died. This reflects the country's high vaccination rate, with 86% of adults receiving their first dose of the Covid vaccine, and 63% a second. Meanwhile, 99% of people dying in the US have not been vaccinated, according to chief White House medical advisor, Dr Anthony Fauci. Commercial traffic has gone back and forth normally between the Canada and the US since the start of the pandemic. Canadians are able to fly into the the States with a negative COVID-19 test and Americans can visit Canada to see relatives or close friends as outlined by a strict set of guidelines. But to do that, people entering Canada must quarantine for two weeks on arrival and the quarantine is enforced by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Proof of the effectiveness of vaccinations in avoiding COVID deaths have prompted calls for the border to reopen sooner to avoid further damage to both countries tourism sectors. In a normal, pre-COVID-19 summer, scores of pleasure boats are anchored in Lake Champlain off the Burlington waterfront by July 4, with most of them from Canada. But the anchorage is nearly empty this year because of the ongoing border closure. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said plans to totally reopen the US-Canada border - which has been shut since March 2020 - would be announced over the next few weeks. A ban on non-essential trips will remain in place until at least July 21 People who rely on those boaters directly and indirectly hope Canadians are back soon enough to avoid losing a second summer to the pandemic. 'We can't wait to welcome our visitors from Canada so that they can really embrace our new location in Burlington because I know that they are going to like it as much as we do,' said Elizabeth White, the director of development for Dream Yacht Charter. The company, which rents live-aboard sailing vessels to tourists across the world, moved its Lake Champlain operations to Burlington from upstate New York in 2020. But it's unclear when the border - an easy sail about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north to where Quebec's Richelieu River drains the lake north into Canada - will fully reopen. Meanwhile, there is a human angle to the border closure that is missed in the economic figures. Since shortly after the border closed in March 2020, people from both countries traveled to Derby Line, Vermont, and Stanstead, Quebec, to hold impromptu family reunions from their own side of the border on a residential street. While they can talk across the border, they can't touch and they can't pass things back and forth. In the state of Washington, a grocery store in Point Roberts was in danger of closing until the state gave it a $100,000 grant to keep it open until the border reopens and its Canadian customers can return. It sits in an approximately 5-square-mile (8-square-kilometer) slice of the United States on the tip of a peninsula south of Vancouver, British Columbia, that juts into US territory. US Customs officers speaks with people in a car beside a sign saying that the US border is closed at the US/Canada border in Lansdowne, Ontario In far northern Michigan, a bridge connects Sault Ste. Marie to a larger city with the same name in Ontario, Canada. Denise Boston Talentino, a citizen of both countries, has lived on the US side of the 'Soo' for 26 years. She commuted to Canada to work as an addiction counselor before retiring in November but couldn't visit family there. 'The United States and Canada were like one world to me. I never imagined it would ever last this long,' Talentino said of the border rules. Canadian officials would like 75% of eligible Canadian residents to be fully vaccinated before loosening border restrictions for tourists and business travelers. The Canadian government expects to have enough vaccine delivered for 80% of eligible Canadians to be fully vaccinated by the end of July. Canadian government statistics show that as of July 1, just over 35% of the eligible Canadian population was fully vaccinated. 'We are optimistic that the decrease in cases and increase in vaccine coverage will in due course allow a progressive easing of measures at the border,' said Madeleine Gomery, a spokesperson for Canada Public Safety Minister Bill Blair. 'In the meantime, we are proceeding with appropriate caution on both sides, taking advice of public health experts, and encouraging Canadians to continue receiving their vaccinations.' Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, a Liberal member of the Canadian Parliament from the Toronto area, has been pushing for the safe reopening of the border. Erskine-Smith said that easing the entry requirements for Canadian citizens is an important step for fully vaccinated individuals to build trust in travel. A US Customs and Protection vehicle stands beside a sign reading that the border is closed to non-essential traffic at the Canada-United States border crossing at the Thousand Islands Bridge, to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease 'I would say I continue to think we should move faster,' Erskine-Smith said. He says officials on both sides of the border should have begun the process months ago on reopening details such as what would be acceptable proof of vaccination that would allow people to cross. On the US side, politicians from states along the Canadian border have been pushing the Biden administration to move forward with plans to reopen the border. 'We in Vermont are for the restoration of these cross-border relationships as soon as possible,' said Vermont's Democratic US Sen. Patrick Leahy. 'Those decisions should be based on sound science and not on politics.' While the two governments are pondering the policy, people accustomed to seeing Canadians every summer are waiting. In Maine's Old Orchard Beach, a longtime popular vacation spot for people from Quebec, the Canadians are sorely missed. At the Alouette Beach Resort there was a single Canadian visitor the weekend of Quebec's Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, a province holiday that often turns into a long weekend for vacationing families from Quebec. Owner Fred Kennedy said the loss has been made up to some degree by American visitors and, looking ahead, some Canadians are making inquiries about travel later in the summer. 'We still miss the Canadians,' Kennedy said. 'It gives a flavor to Old Orchard.' John Katko told DailyMail.com Monday night the U.S. is 'facing a time of reckoning' when it comes to Joe Biden getting tough on Russia as the president faces backlash for not living up to his vow to retaliate against the most recent ransomware attack. REvil, the hackers who claimed responsibility for the cyberattack, have lowered their asking price to fix the issue from $70 million to $50 million, according to private negotiations reported by Reuters Monday. 'Only weeks after President Biden sat down with Putin and allegedly talked a tough game with Russia, hackers from Russia again attacked thousands of U.S. companies, compromising our nation's critical infrastructure,' Katko, ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, said. 'We're facing a moment of reckoning when it comes to deterrence,' the New York congressman continued. 'Adversaries like Russia are creating safe havens for bad actors and we must project strength.' Critics are applying pressure to Biden after he promised to get tough on Russia and has failed so far to follow through on responding after a Kremlin-linked hacking group attacked the systems of at least 1,500 businesses. Although Biden has instructed the FBI to launch an investigation into the hack, he insists he is still 'not sure who' is behind the cyberattack. 'Bad actors like these are emboldened when President Biden projects weakness on the world stage,' Georgia Representative Buddy Carter told DailyMail.com. He added: 'We should take immediate action to hold Russia accountable and make it clear we will not tolerate acts cyber terrorism.' Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member John Katko told DailyMail.com that the U.S. is 'facing a time of reckoning' as President Joe Biden still hasn't responded to a Russian-linked ransomware attack that could have affected up to 1 million companies Critics are lashing out at President Joe Biden for not keeping his promise to get tough on Russia over cyberattacks after the most recent REvil hack targeted up to 1 million companies Katko says U.S. critical infrastructure sectors are increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks. 'I am currently leading a legislative effort to codify what constitutes Systemically Important Critical Infrastructure (SICI) into law. This will be an important step in more robustly securing our nation's key industries and sectors against attacks by adversaries like Russia,' the lawmaker said. REvil, the ransomware gang also known as Sodinokibi, claims it hit up to 1 million companies and is still publicly demanding $70 million in cryptocurrency to restore data it is holding ransom. Jack Cable of the cybersecurity-focused Krebs Stamos Group told Reuters that one of the gang's affiliates negotiated with him and said he could sell a 'universal decryptor' for all the victims for $50 million. Cable informed Reuters that he was able to get through to the REvil hackers after obtaining a cryptographic key needed to log on to the group's payment portal. Reuters was then able to log on to the payment portal and chat with an operator who insisted the price remained at $70 million, but said 'we are always ready to negotiate.' Biden told Russian President Vladimir Putin during a bilateral meeting in Geneva last month that he would retaliate against hacking groups that target the U.S., and on Saturday the president told reporters that he will take action against the ransomware attack. Also during that meeting on June 16, Biden said he gave a list to Putin of 16 'off-limits' critical infrastructure entities. 'Remember when President Biden gave Putin a list of things that were supposed to be off-limits for cyber attacks?' House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted on Saturday. 'What he SHOULD have said is that ALL American targets are off-limits,' the California Republican continued. He added: 'Biden is soft on crime and weak against Putin.' Those 'off-limits' entities include energy, water, health care, emergency, chemical, nuclear, communications, government, defense, food, commercial facilities, IT, transportation, dams, manufacturing and financial services. The most recent REvil hack, which was launched Friday, was aimed at breaching the IT systems of companies in at least 17 countries. 'Hard to see this as anything other than Putin tellin' Biden to f*** off,' one journalist wrote on Twitter. Experts believe this could be the biggest ransomware attack on record. This specific type of cyber attack is a form of digital hostage-taking where hackers encrypt victims' data and then demand money for restored access. Swedish grocery stores, which remained closed on Tuesday, as well as kindergartens in New Zealand, pharmacies, gas stations and two major Dutch IT firms were among the victims of the Friday hack. REvil breached Kaseya, a Miami-based IT firm, and used the company's malware protection product to scale the attack across the world. 'This marks a serious escalation just weeks after Putin-Biden summit on ransomware,' New York Times cybersecurity reporter Nicole Perlroth tweeted Saturday. 'Not only is this a supply chain attack on MSPs,' she continued, 'they broke in via a zero day, a significant advance for REVil which has traditionally compromised victims through usual means of phishing, etc.' One journalist wrote that the attack from REvil, which is Russian-linked, is a 'f*** off' to Biden from Putin Another user said it's time to issue sanctions against Russia for the attack House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Biden is 'weak against Putin'. He tweeted: 'Remember when President Biden gave Putin a list of things that were supposed to be off-limits for cyber attacks? What he SHOULD have said is that ALL American targets are off-limits' Author Greg Olear wrote that it's time to retaliate. 'Its time,' he tweeted on Saturday. 'Kick them off the world banking system. Shut off the pipeline. No more appeasement.' Others slammed President Biden as 'weak' for his slow response to the global cyberattack. During a trip to Central Lake, Michigan on Saturday, Biden said he would take action against the actors once more is known casting doubt on whether the attack came from Russia. 'We're not sure who it is,' the president said, while he celebrated the start of July 4 weekend at a cherry farm in the Great Lake State. 'The initial thinking was it was not the Russian government but we're not sure yet,' he continued as he fumbled with a paper in his suit jacket pocket with notes from a briefing on the situation beforehand. He added: 'If it is either with the knowledge of and/or a consequence of Russia, then I told Putin we will respond.' Biden said that he would respond more on Sunday, July 4, but did not release anything more on the incident on Independence Day. The latest hack is believed to be the largest ransomware attack on record and affected the IT systems of up to 1 million companies across the world. Biden and Putin held bilateral talks in Geneva on June 16 where the U.S. president said he gave his counterpart a list of 16 critical infrastructure entities that are 'off limits', including IT, which was targeted by the REvil hack Satnam Narang, a researcher at cyber exposure company Tenable, tweeted a screenshot of a blog post the hacking collective had posted on the dark web Cyber attack on US IT provider forces Swedish grocery store chain to close ALL 800 stores The Swedish Coop grocery store chain closed all its 800 stores on Saturday after the ransomware attack on Kaseya left it unable to operate its cash registers. According to Coop, one of Sweden's biggest grocery chains, a tool used to remotely update its checkout tills was affected by the attack, meaning payments could not be taken. 'We have been troubleshooting and restoring all night, but have communicated that we will need to keep the stores closed today,' Coop spokesperson Therese Knapp told Swedish Television. The Swedish news agency TT said Kaseya technology was used by the Swedish company Visma Esscom, which manages servers and devices for a number of Swedish businesses. State railways services and a pharmacy chain were also impacted by the attack. 'They have been hit in various degrees,' Visma Esscom chief executive Fabian Mogren told TT. Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist told Swedish Television the attack was 'very dangerous' and showed business and state agencies need to better prepare. 'In a different geopolitical situation, it may be government actors who attack us in this way in order to shut down society and create chaos,' he said. Advertisement Kaseya says just a few dozen of its customers were directly affected by the attack, but knock-on effects have brought down firms in 17 countries - with one expert saying the attack is 'unprecedented' in its scale and sophistication. REvil, which was behind the recent hack of meat processor JBS which saw an $11million ransom paid, has been negotiating ransoms of up to $5million with individual firms - but now says for $70million it will unlock all affected networks. Joe Biden, who last month warned President Putin to take action against hacking groups targeting the US from Russia, said the FBI is investigating the latest hack and he will take action if Moscow is deemed to be responsible. Analysts said it is no coincidence that the attack coincided with the July 4 holiday weekend, when companies would be under-staffed and less able to respond. Ciaran Martin, founder of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, told Radio 4: 'The scale and sophistication of this global crime is rare, if not unprecedented. 'It is a really serious, global operation.' Swedish grocery chain Coop was forced to close all 800 of its stores on Sunday and said they would remain shut on Monday after its tills were affected. The country's national rail operator and public broadcaster SVT were also affected. In Germany, an unnamed IT services company told authorities several thousand of its customers were compromised. Also among reported victims were two big Dutch IT services companies - VelzArt and Hoppenbrouwer Techniek. But most victims are believed to be small to medium-sized firms that are unlikely to publicly announce they have been infected - car dealerships, hair salons and accounting firms, among others. Some Twitter users used sarcasm to suggest Biden isn't tough enough on Putin Cybersecurity teams worked feverishly Sunday to stem the impact of the single biggest global ransomware attack on record, with some details emerging about how the Russia-linked gang responsible breached the company whose software was the conduit. An affiliate of the notorious REvil gang, best known for extorting $11 million from the meat-processor JBS after a Memorial Day attack, infected thousands of victims in at least 17 countries on Friday, largely through firms that remotely manage IT infrastructure for multiple customers, cybersecurity researchers said. Earlier, the FBI said in a statement that while it was investigating the attack its scale 'may make it so that we are unable to respond to each victim individually.' Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger later issued a statement saying President Joe Biden had 'directed the full resources of the government to investigate this incident' and urged all who believed they were compromised to alert the FBI. The president told reporters Saturday that it is not yet clear who is behind the latest cybersecurity breach to strike American businesses but insisted that he 'will respond' if it is tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'We're not sure who it is,' he said, while he celebrated the start of July 4 weekend at a cherry farm in Central Lake, Michigan. 'The initial thinking was it was not the Russian government but we're not sure yet.' He added: 'If it is either with the knowledge of and/or a consequence of Russia, then I told Putin we will respond.' Biden warned that the US will retaliate if it finds out Russia was behind the mass cyberattack that hit at least 1,000 firms in the run-up to July 4 weekend. Biden speaking at a cherry farm store in Central Lake, Michigan Saturday Less than a month ago, Biden pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop giving safe haven to REvil and other ransomware gangs whose unrelenting extortionary attacks the U.S. deems a national security threat. A broad array of businesses and public agencies were hit by the latest attack, apparently on all continents, including in financial services, travel and leisure and the public sector - though few large companies, cybersecurity firm Sophos reported. Ransomware criminals infiltrate networks and sow malware that cripples them by scrambling all their data. Victims get a decoder key when they pay up. Most ransomware victims don't publicly report attacks or disclose if they've paid ransoms. The Swedish grocery chain Coop said most of its 800 stores would be closed for a second day Sunday because their cash register software supplier was crippled. A Swedish pharmacy chain, gas station chain, the state railway and public broadcaster SVT were also hit. In Germany, an unnamed IT services company told authorities several thousand of its customers were compromised, the news agency dpa reported. Also among reported victims were two big Dutch IT services companies VelzArt and Hoppenbrouwer Techniek. CEO Fred Voccola of the breached software company, Kaseya, estimated the victim number in the low thousands, mostly small businesses like 'dental practices, architecture firms, plastic surgery centers, libraries, things like that.' Voccola said in an interview that only between 50-60 of the company's 37,000 customers were compromised. But 70% were managed service providers who use the company's hacked VSA software to manage multiple customers. It automates the installation of software and security updates and manages backups and other vital tasks. Experts say it was no coincidence that REvil launched the attack at the start of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, knowing U.S. offices would be lightly staffed. Many victims may not learn of it until they are back at work on Monday. Most end users of managed service providers 'have no idea' whose software keep their networks humming, said Voccola, Kaseya said it sent a detection tool to nearly 900 customers on Saturday night. The REvil offer to offer blanket decryption for all victims of the Kaseya attack in exchange for $70 million suggested its inability to cope with the sheer quantity of infected networks, said Allan Liska, an analyst with the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. Although analysts reported seeing demands of $5 million and $500,000 for bigger targets, it was apparently demanding $45,000 for most. 'This attack is a lot bigger than they expected and it is getting a lot of attention. It is in REvil's interest to end it quickly,' said Liska. 'This is a nightmare to manage.' Analyst Brett Callow of Emsisoft said he suspects REvil is hoping insurers might crunch the numbers and determine the $70 million will be cheaper for them than extended downtime. Sophisticated ransomware gangs on REvil's level usually examine a victim's financial records and insurance policies if they can find them from files they steal before activating the ransomware. The criminals then threaten to dump the stolen data online unless paid. In this attack, that appears not to have happened. Dutch researchers said they alerted Miami-based Kaseya to the breach and said the criminals used a 'zero day,' the industry term for a previous unknown security hole in software. Voccola would not confirm that or offer details of the breach except to say that it was not phishing. 'The level of sophistication here was extraordinary,' he said. When the cybersecurity firm Mandiant finishes its investigation, Voccola said he is confident it will show that the criminals didn't just violate Kaseya code in breaking into his network but also exploited vulnerabilities in third-party software. It was not the first ransomware attack to leverage managed services providers. In 2019, criminals hobbled the networks of 22 Texas municipalities through one. That same year, 400 U.S. dental practices were crippled in a separate attack. One of the Dutch vulnerability researchers, Victor Gevers, said his team is worried about products like Kaseya's VSA because of the total control of vast computing resources they can offer. 'More and more of the products that are used to keep networks safe and secure are showing structural weaknesses,' he wrote in a blog Sunday. The cybersecurity firm ESET identified victims in least 17 countries, including the United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, New Zealand and Kenya. Kaseya says the attack only affected 'on-premise' customers, organizations running their own data centers, as opposed to its cloud-based services that run software for customers. It also shut down those servers as a precaution, however. Kaseya, which called on customers Friday to shut down their VSA servers immediately, said Sunday it hoped to have a patch in the next few days. Active since April 2019, REvil provides ransomware-as-a-service, meaning it develops the network-paralyzing software and leases it to so-called affiliates who infect targets and earn the lion's share of ransoms. U.S. officials say the most potent ransomware gangs are based in Russia and allied states and operate with Kremlin tolerance and sometimes collude with Russian security services. Cybersecurity expert Dmitri Alperovitch of the Silverado Policy Accelerator think tank said that while he does not believe the Kaseya attack is Kremlin-directed, it shows that Putin 'has not yet moved' on shutting down cybercriminals. Vauxhall has safeguarded thousands of jobs with its new 100million plan to build electric vans at its Ellesmere Port plant in a post-Brexit boost. Stellantis, the parent company of Vauxhall Motors, had been reviewing its options for the Cheshire site, which included using it to build electric cars or possible closure. The future of the plant had been questioned after Stellantis announced the new Astra model would not be built there. But the firm today confirmed investment in the site and safeguarding of manufacturing jobs. The company is believed to have been seeking financial incentives from the Government to begin production of an electric model. Up to 7,000 workers in the supply chain rely on the plant for their livelihoods, according to union Unite. Stellantis, the parent company of Vauxhall Motors, had been reviewing its options for the Cheshire site, which included using it to build electric cars or possible closure. Pictured: Boris Johnson delivers a video message during the conference announcing Stellantis's investment into Vauxhall Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent a video message to the firm's bosses and workers as Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng visited the site in Cheshire for the announcement. Mr Johnson said: 'It's a huge vote of confidence in our economy, in the people of Ellesmere Port and in our fantastic post-Brexit trading relationships. 'And it's a great example of the kind of high-skilled, well-paid jobs that we're securing as part of our green, industrial revolution. 'The Stellantis plant marks the new age of cheap and efficient mass-produced electric vehicles. 'And I could not be more proud of the fact that, in just a couple of years from now, your packages will be gliding silently to your door in an electric van marked 'Made in Great Britain'.' However Mr Kwarteng would not be drawn on the exact arrangements during a round of media interviews at the factory. He said: 'We have contributed an amount. But of course that has been superseded and dwarfed by Stellantis, the 100 million, that Stellantis has put into this investment. 'You will appreciate we talk with lots of automotive companies; the amount of support we give is commercially sensitive and I'm not going to disclose that to you on television. 'What we have to appreciate is every advanced manufacturing country is supporting the automotive sector, is supporting really what is a once-in-a-generation transition away from traditional internal combustion engine machines to electric vehicles, to hydrogen vehicles in some cases, but this is really a new green, industrial revolution, and we are happy to back it.' Mr Kwarteng added: 'I think we are much more flexible outside the EU, I'm not going to say we wouldn't have been able to do it in the EU, but I think clearly we are in a much more flexible situation, we can have much more nimble action. 'And certainly in my role as Business Secretary, I've been struck by the number of people who have come to my door, wanting to invest in the UK and very excited about the prospects of investing here after our departure from the EU.' Managing director Paul Willcox at the announcement at Ellesmere Port today Up to 7,000 workers (pictured: Vauxhall staff) in the supply chain rely on the plant for their livelihoods, according to union Unite Carlos Tavares, chief executive at Stellantis, said: 'I particularly want to thank our highly skilled, dedicated workforce for their patience and contribution; we never let them down. 'Equally, I want to thank our partners the Unite union for their open mindset and strong co-operation and, of course, the UK Government for their continued support.' Japanese carmaker Nissan recently announced an expansion of electric vehicle production at its car plant in Sunderland, which will create 1,650 jobs. Head of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, had previously warned that the company's decision on whether it would make electric vehicles would depend on the Government's support. He told the BBC: 'Performance is always the trigger for sustainability and this 100m investment demonstrates our commitment to the UK and to Ellesmere Port.' Van sales have skyrocketed amid the pandemic because various lockdowns have resulted in booming home delivery sales. Head of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, had previously warned that the company's decision on whether it would make electric vehicles would depend on the Government's support Cars are parked outside the Vauxhall Ellesmere Port plant, ahead of the press conference announcing Stellantis' investment in the Vauxhall Ellesmere Port And Vauxhall is keen to move to electric vehicles because the UK is banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. However, an economist at Birmingham Business School said this morning that he feared Vauxhall's plans would act as a short-term fix. Professor David Bailey told the Today programme: 'There is there is no battery plant being built in the UK... so if batteries are being brought in from France and elsewhere, that's going to add to costs and it's going leave Ellesmere Port as a relatively high-cost location.' The plant at Ellesmere Port opened in 1962, with the first cars, the Vauxhall Viva, rolling off the production line two years later and 5.2 million vehicles built since. The 100 million investment will see not only Vauxhall electric vehicles but others from Stellantis' firms, including Opel, Peugeot and Citroen brand vehicles. Ed Miliband MP, Labour's shadow business secretary, said: 'Stellantis' decision will protect hundreds of highly skilled jobs and is a huge relief after so much speculation about the future of the Ellesmere Port plant.' But he said the Government should do more to increase the UK's capacity to build vital battery components for electric vehicles. He added: 'Labour would be part-financing the creation of three new battery development plants by 2025 with up to 1.5 billion to invest in the industry's future. 'The Government must increase and accelerate investment and stop leaving the future of the industry on a knife edge. The security of plants like Ellesmere Port should not have been in question in the first place.' Ms Crowter, of Coventry, and Ms Lea-Wilson l aunched their campaign last year A woman with Down's syndrome and a mother who was advised to have her son terminated because he had the condition have launched their High Court fight to change the law on abortion. Heidi Crowter, 26, and Maire Lea-Wilson are challenging the government over the legislation in England, Scotland and Wales which allows terminations after 24 weeks if 'severe foetal abnormality' is detected. The only other circumstances in which abortions are legal after the 24-week point is if there is a mortal risk to the mother. Ms Crowter, from Coventry, and Ms Lea-Wilson, from Brentford, launched their campaign last year, raising more than 81,000 in support of the legal case. At a two-day High Court hearing that began on Tuesday, lawyers on behalf of Ms Crowter argued the law is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, and therefore unlawfully discriminatory. Heidi Crowter, 26, and Maire Lea-Wilson, whose two-year-old son has Down's syndrome, stand outside the High Court in London today ahead of the case to challenge abortion laws A demonstration in support of the claimants was held outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London ahead of the landmark case, during which dozens of people held banners and placards, some of which read 'don't screen us out' and 'love doesn't count chromosomes'. Ms Crowter said: 'I am someone who has Down's syndrome and I find it extremely offensive that a law doesn't respect my life, and I won't stand for it. 'I want to change the law and I want to challenge people's perception of Down's syndrome. I want them to look at me and say 'this is just a normal person'.' Asked whether women should still have the choice, Ms Crowter added: 'That's not what the case is about, but I do respect their choice. 'I just want them to get the right information, and just meet someone who has Down's syndrome. 'That's what this is about. It's about telling people that we're just humans, with feelings.' Ms Lea-Wilson's two-year-old son Aidan has Down's syndrome. She said: 'I was 34 weeks pregnant when I discovered Aiden had Down's syndrome and I was asked if I wanted to terminate the pregnancy in the context of a lot of medically biased information, and my own grief, three times. 'The last time I was asked to terminate the pregnancy was two days before he was born. 'It was really traumatic actually. The pressure wasn't explicit - we were never told that is what we should do - but it was very much implied and it almost felt like we were going against medical advice by continuing the pregnancy. 'We were told how terrible Down's syndrome was, that our lives would be very challenging. And, the thing is, my experience isn't unique. I know one woman who was asked to terminate her pregnancy 15 times. Ms Crowter (pictured with her husband) said: 'I am someone who has Down's syndrome and I find it extremely offensive that a law doesn't respect my life, and I won't stand for it' Claimant Ms Lea-Wilson (above with her son) said: 'I was 34 weeks pregnant when I discovered Aiden had Down's syndrome and I was asked if I wanted to terminate the pregnancy' 'I have two sons who I love and I value equally and I can't understand why the law doesn't. 'I want Aiden to grow up knowing he's not someone people have to cope with, he's not a burden to society, he is a wonderful human being in his own right, and so I want the law to change so that the rules for a typical baby apply for those with Down's syndrome. 'That would signal that, as a society, we are truly accepting of difference and disability.' Down's Syndrome is a genetic condition resulting from abnormal cell division of the parent's sperm or egg, which causes the child to have too many copies of chromosome 21. This extra genetic material triggers heart and gastro-intestinal disorders which often require surgery, and intellectual impairment. It has more severe effects in some than others, both physically and mentally. In 2018, there were 618 abortions carried out in England and Wales because the foetus had Down's. Ms Crowter, who has Down's syndrome, is pictured speaking outside the High Court in London ahead of a case to challenge the abortion laws Ms Lea-Wilson and her son Aiden, who has the condition, pictured standing outside London's High Court ahead of the case today Ms Crowter and Ms Lea-Wilson walk outside the High Court today. The pair's solicitor Paul Conrathe said: 'This law stigmatises people with a disability' Putting his argument before Lord Justice Singh and Mrs Justice Lieven, the claimants' barrister Jason Coppel QC said: 'Two of the claimants are in the minority of foetuses who were diagnosed with the condition and not aborted, and they live happy and fulfilling lives, as evidence shows the majority of people with Down's syndrome do. 'The mother of Aidan believes it is morally and ethically wrong to destroy a life on the grounds of a disability. But what we will try and establish is that it is legally wrong.' Mr Coppel said the current law 'stereotypes and demeans'. Ms Crowter and Ms Lea-Wilson want to make it unlawful to abort a child on the basis of them being diagnosed with a non-fatal foetal disability such as Down's syndrome, or for the state to provide funding for such an abortion. The Government says the case should be dismissed on the grounds there is no evidence of a connection between the law and discrimination against those with Down's syndrome and that it does not constitute 'negative stereotyping'. It will also say there are provisions in place to discourage disability discrimination, such as the guidance for doctors being that it is necessary to support women who choose to carry a pregnancy to term, even if there is a foetal abnormality, and that an abortion must be signed off by two doctors. It said: 'The Government as a whole is deeply committed to elimination disability discrimination. There is a broad range of measures in domestic law which are aimed at disability discrimination and advancing equality of opportunity.' The hearing is set to conclude on Wednesday and it is expected the court will give its ruling at a later date. The energy firm that owns the Keystone XL pipeline has announced it will be seeking $15billion in damages from the Biden administration for blocking the permit and costing thousands of jobs. TC Energy has filed a notice of intent with the State Department that it will bring a claim saying the federal government breached NAFTA obligations by shutting the project down. President Biden announced on the first day in office that he was revoking the permit on the construction of the 1,200-mile pipeline as he sought to do away with initiatives from the Trump administration. The energy firm that owns the Keystone XL pipeline has announced it will be seeking $15billion in damages from the Biden administration for blocking the permit and costing thousands of jobs. The pipeline would have carried roughly 800,000 barrels of oil a day from the tar sands of Canada to the US When Biden pulled the plug, TC Energy said the decision would force it to immediately lay off 1,000 workers. 'I believe this will send a concerning signal to infrastructure developers that resonates far beyond our project and will stifle innovation for a practical transition towards sustainable energy,' Keystone XL President Richard Prior said at the time. The pipeline would have carried roughly 800,000 barrels of oil a day from the tar sands of Canada to Nebraska and then through an existing pipeline to coastal Texas. The company announced they had filed claim after talks with the oil cartel OPEC were called off, raising fears oil production will not be able to keep up with demand throughout the summer. American motorists now face paying even more at the pumps following a July 4 weekend which saw a seven-year-high in gas prices across the country. The average price of a gallon of gas stands at $3.13, up 95 cents, or 44 per cent, from 2020. 'TC Energy will be seeking to recover more than $15 billion in damages that it has suffered as a result of the U.S. Governments breach of its NAFTA obligations,' the firm said in a press release over the weekend. TC Energy officially pulled the plug on the project in June. Environmentalists have argued the project would worsen the climate crisis. The news also came after a gas pipeline burst in the Gulf of Mexico and caused a huge fire in the water. In March, 21 states led by Texas and Montana sued the Biden administration, arguing that the fate of the permit of the pipeline should have been decided by Congress. TC Energy has filed a notice of intent with the State Department that it will bring a claim saying the federal government breached NAFTA obligations by shutting the project down The impasse follows a July 4 weekend where Americans faced seven-year high prices at the pumps. The average price of a gallon of gas stands at $3.13, up 95 cents, or 44 per cent, from 2020 In January Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hit out at the nixing of the permit and urged Biden to rethink his decision. However officials in Alberta have since claimed Trudeau didn't push Biden hard enough to reinstate the permit and the president was not swayed. Republicans were also unhappy about Biden's move. The Democrat has even sparked some division on the matter within his own party, with moderate Senate Democrats including Montana's Jon Tester and West Virginia's Joe Manchin urging him to reconsider. Tester said in a statement Wednesday that he was disappointed with the project's demise, but made no mention of Biden. Wyoming Senator John Barrasso, the top Republican on the Senate energy committee, was more direct: 'President Biden killed the Keystone XL Pipeline and with it, thousands of good-paying American jobs.' When Biden pulled the plug, TC Energy said the decision would force it to immediately lay off 1,000 workers. A field storing unused pipes in Dorchester, Nebraska, is picture in December 2020 Trump had raged about the halting of the pipeline at the North Carolina GOP convention dinner in Greenville in June, claiming his successor had cost America 48,000 jobs. 'The Biden administration seems to be putting America last. You look at these negotiations where so many bad things have happened,' he said. '48,000 jobs were lost by President Biden's day one rejection of the Keystone Pipeline. For what reason - why did they do that? 'And if you like the environment, the pipeline is much better than railroad tracks and trucking. It's great and they ended it on day one.' Former The Only Way Is Essex star Mike Hassini has denied plotting to supply cocaine. Hassini, 26, a personal trainer who found fame on the ITV reality show Towie, appeared at Londons Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday. He stood in the dock, wearing grey tracksuit bottoms and a white T-shirt, speaking only to confirm his name, as members of his family looked on from the public gallery. TOWIE star Michael Hassini (pictured, left, at an earlier hearing and, right) has denied three charges including conspiracy to supply class A drugs and possession with intent to supply Hassini pleaded not guilty to a total of three charges, including conspiracy to supply a Class A drug, cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to supply and possession of criminal property, a quantity of cash. His co-defendant, 23-year-old Gary Bear, who appeared in the dock wearing a grey tracksuit, admitted conspiracy to supply a Class A drug but denied possessing criminal property. Judge Sandy Canavan remanded them in custody ahead of a three to four day trial on November 22. Hassini, of Brentwood, Essex, and Bear, from Hornchurch, east London, are next due to appear in court for a pre-trial review hearing on October 20. They were arrested on April 16 in the Emerson Park area of Havering, east London, according to an earlier Metropolitan Police statement. Hassini appeared at Barkingside Magistrates' Court on April 19 and was remanded in custody for today's hearing at Snaresbrook County Court. A 26-year-old woman, who was arrested on suspicion of intent to supply a class A drug (cocaine), was released under investigation. The personal trainer found fame on ITVBe's The Only Way is Essex in 2015 but was axed for good during 2018. Hassini is due to stand trial over the three charges in November later this year. Pictured: Mike Hassini (far right) with fellow cast members at Sisu Boutique Hotel, Marbella, Spain in 2015 Mike, from Brentwood, Essex, appears to have spent much of lockdown overseas, posting photos on his Instagram from Dubai throughout December and January. In one picture, taken poolside at Dubai restaurant White Beach in January, Mike claimed: 'Working on a few things.' A few days before his arrest, Mike shared an image to his 263K Instagram followers that showed him surrounded by weights, while commenting on his excitement about gyms reopening. Six months after the January 6th MAGA riot on Capitol Hill, fencing remains up around the building, authorities are searching for 300 suspects from that day and a third of Republican candidates in next year's election are pushing the false claim Donald Trump won in 2020. More than 500 people face charges stemming from the riot, when thousands of pro-Trump supporters stormed the building to disrupt the formal certification of Joe Biden's victory. Many blame Trump for ginning up his supporters with his unproven allegations of voter fraud. The violence led to five deaths, a trail of destruction through the Capitol building, and a renewed sense of bipartisan loathing among lawmakers. In the aftermath, the FBI is still seeking information on more than 300 people who were among those in the Capitol hallways that day. That includes a $100,000 reward for the person who planted two pipe bombs outside the offices of the Republican and Democratic national committees the night before the riot. The Justice Department has estimated that about 800 individuals may have been involved in the Jan. 6 attack. Six months after the January 6th MAGA riot on Capitol Hill, fencing remains up around the building US Capitol Police have increased their visibility with officers and canines conducting drills around the Capitol The Justice Department has estimated that about 800 individuals may have been involved in the Jan. 6 attack on Capitol Hill The FBI website on the January 6th riot is filled with photos taken that day, many of which are zoomed in on the suspects still out there. The law enforcement agency asks for information on those who 'made unlawful entry into the U.S. Capitol building,' damaged valuable historic property, and targeted law enforcement and journalists. More than a dozen people have already pled guilty in connection with the riot. Security fencing remains in place around the Capitol although it is expected to come down in the next few weeks. Acting USCP Chief Yogananda Pittman noted her agency, in the days since the riot, have increasing training, recruitment and communication to adding two new wellness support dogs, Lila (above) and Filip The National Guard troops, however, have gone home. But magnetometers remain outside the House floor after some Republican lawmakers admitted to carrying guns in the complex. US Capitol Police, meanwhile, have increased their visibility with officers and canines conducting drills around the Capitol. 'This is part of our ongoing plan to increase the number of drills and exercises around campus,' USCP noted in a tweet. Officers were overwhelmed by Trump supporters on January 6th. Many remain traumatized and morale is reported to be poor among the force. Two officers, Brian Sicknick and Howie Liebengood, died in the aftermath of the riot. Capitol Police are also opening regional offices in Florida and California to deal with threats to members of Congress, acting USCP Chief Yogananda Pittman noted in a statement on the six month anniversary. Threats against lawmakers have more than doubled so far this year compared with last year, USCP noted in May. Pittman also outlined other actions the agency has taken in the past six months, from increasing training, recruitment and communication to adding two new wellness support dogs, Lila and Filip. In response to the riot, USCP has asked for a $107 million increase in its 2022 budget compared with its fiscal year 2021 budget. That matter is still being debated among lawmakers. Partisan rancor remains high inside the marble walls of the Capitol complex with lawmakers unable to agree on a number of issues, including a bipartisan commission to investigate what happened on January 6. So House Democrats, last week, approved a special committee to probe what happened that day, including the causes and the effects. Max Miller, who's running in a House primary against a Republican lawmaker who voted to impeach Donald Trump for the Jan. 6 riot, speaks at a rally with former President Donald Trump Former President Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail late last month, holding a 'revenge' rally in Ohio Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is one of many GOP lawmakers who falsely claim that the 2020 election had been stolen from Donald Trump House Democrats established a select committee to investigate what happened on Jan. 6 Meanwhile, a new crop of Republican candidates for House and Senate contain a number of contenders who are pushing false claims about the 2020 election. Of the nearly 700 Republicans who have filed the initial paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for Congress year, at least a third have embraced Trump's false claims that the election was stolen from him, according to an analysis by The Washington Post. Many of those GOP candidates - 136 - are sitting members of Congress who voted against Bidens electoral college victory on Jan. 6. That includes Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican who has been a steadfast voice for Trump on Capitol Hill and a thorn in the side of Democrats. Greene has antagonized Democrat lawmakers to the point about 40 of them wrote to House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy last week and asked him to do something about her. Greene already has lost her committee assignments for her past racist comments and sharing of QAnon conspiracy theories. She and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in particular, have argued in the hallways of Congress and on the House floor. After a May confrontation on the House floor, where Greene verbally confronted Ocasio-Cortez and then followed her out to the hallway to continue yelling, the New York Democrat considered getting a restraining order against Greene. Democrats also moved Rep. Cori Bush's office away from Greene after the two lawmakers had a run-in in the hallway over mask wearing. Greene also trolled her office neighbor, Rep. Marie Newman, with an anti-trans sign after Newman, whose daughter is transgender, displayed a trans flag in the hallway. Greene claims to be the victim of a 'witch hunt' and said she has done 'nothing wrong.' Meanwhile, Trump is mulling another presidential bid in 2024. He has returned to the campaign stage with a series of 'revenge rallies,' targeting Republicans who called him out for not doing enough to stop his supporters on January 6th. He continues to press the false claim he won in 2020. 'We won the election twice,' Trump said a crowd in Ohio at the end of June. 'And it's possible we'll have to win it a third time!' Trump was stumping for his former aide Max Miller, who is running to unseat Republican Rep. Anthony Gonzalez in Ohio's 16th Congressional district. Gonzalez was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach the ex-president for inciting the January 6 insurrection on Capitol Hill. Advertisement A video posted to Instagram captures yet another brazen act of shoplifting in San Francisco, this time at the luxury department store Neiman Marcus where at least ten people stole armfuls of designer goods and then fled without anyone trying to stop them. The footage reveals the shoplifters leaving the Union Square store, each carrying bags of stolen items with the security tags still dangling off of them. The perpetrators then ran in different directions, with a few speeding away from the scene in a white sedan. One person watching says, They cant do anything, perhaps referring to security at Neiman Marcus. Shoplifting cases are all too common in San Francisco, where charges of property theft less than $950 in value was downgraded from a felony to a misdemeanor in 2014 - meaning that store staff and security do not persue or stop thieves who have taken anything worth less than $1,000. A video posted to Instagram captures the moment at least 10 people stole loads of designer bags from Neiman Marcus in San Francisco and fled undeterred Police are still investigating the incident and the suspects were already gone by the time they arrived Witnesses told KTVU that the store was about to close when the suspects came in and smashed display cases before nabbing the goods and leaving Shoplifting cases are all too common in San Francisco, where charges of property theft less than $950 in value was downgraded from a felony to a misdemeanor in 2014 The person who posted the video wrote a message demanding San Francisco crackdown on shoplifters and called for District Attorney of San Francisco Chesa Boudin to be removed from office. Everyone in the city is tired of this so please sign the recall petition to oust Chesa Boudin now! Crime is legal basically and allowed and tolerated due to policies put in place and supported by all our supervisors and mayor and DA,' Instagram user sfstreets415, whose bio reads, Asian photographer and crime reporter,' wrote. The petition was first launched in March to recall Boudin, who has come under fire in recent years, along with the citys leadership, for allegedly not doing enough to combat San Franciscos shoplifting problem. The citys surge in such incidents arose almost immediately after the passage of Proposition 47, a ballot referendum known as the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act that downgraded the theft of property less than $950 in value from a felony charge to a misdemeanor. The monetary value of the goods stolen from Neiman Marcus is not clear and police are still investigating the incident. According to reporting from KTVU, when officers arrived at the scene the suspects were already gone. Witnesses told KTVU that the store was about to close when the suspects came in and smashed display cases before nabbing the goods and leaving. Larceny is the most common crime committed in the Bay Area, according to the San Francisco Police Department's Crime Dashboard Larceny is the most common crime committed in the Bay Area, according to the San Francisco Police Department's Crime Dashboard. There 12,194 instances in 2021 between January 1 and June 27, 2021 the departments most recent data. This is a drop by around 11percent from the same time period in 2020, when there were 13,804 instances. The next highest crime is burglary and there were 3,624 instances in 2021, a rough five percent increase from the 3,439 acts committed in 2020 between the same time period. Defined by the department as including 'thefts of bicycles, motor vehicle parts and accessories, shoplifting, pocket picking, or the stealing of any property or article that is not taken by force and violence or by fraud.' Burglary is different from larceny because it involves unlawful trespassing to commit a crime. The most recent retail chain to address San Francisco's shoplifting problems was Target, which announced last week that six of its San Francisco stores will be closing at 6pm instead of 10pm in an effort to prevent further theft. The retailer wrote in a statement, 'for more than a month, weve been experiencing a significant and alarming rise in theft and security incidents at our San Francisco stores.' One Target security guard, Kevin Greathouse, told Newsweek that management has instructed him and other employees not to physically engage the shoplifters. Greathouse said he carries a handgun, a taser and pepper spray on him at all times when at Target. However, he described one alleged shoplifter recently threatening him with a knife and said, I don't have any intention of getting stabbed for $60 worth of stuff. It is not clear what Neiman Marcuss security guard intervention policy is, though the department store sent a statement to the Daily Mail that reads, The safety and welfare of our associates and customers is our top priority, and were relieved to report that no one was harmed in the incident. Were cooperating with the San Francisco Police Department in their investigation. Safai told Newsweek that the city and the district attorney's office have gotten involved in Targets case and that many of the retail giants alleged perpetrators are part of an organized retail crime group. "These are people who are recruited, organized and are reselling these good and San Francisco is hurting for it," Safai said. Small business owners cant always afford security guards and must take matters into their own hands when it comes to addressing shoplifting. Such is the case for the family-owned Daniels Pharmacy, in the Crocker-Amazon neighborhood, where Ed Nasrah told the Daily Mail that staff wont let shoplifters get off easily. We approach them and try to take [stolen goods] back, he said. Once they know youve got a reputation for not letting shoplifters get away, theyre less likely to do it. We do get ripped off sometimes and people get away with stealing things, Im not gonna lie about that. But when we see it, we dont just let them get away. Jalal Haydari, owner of Limoncello Italian Market and Deli, recently told Fox News that his store in tony Pacific Heights is targeted day and night. He has 32 cameras installed to catch criminals and has caught many in the act. One video reveals a thief breaking in through a window before stealing from a cash register and nabbing the electronic tablets used to take delivery orders. Another video reveals a man taking armfuls of food containers and drinks off the deli counter before fleeing. Broken windows are costing him Haydari even more than stolen merchandise, totalling $23,000 in the past year. "My store has been broken into more than 14 times," Haydari says. "And I have all the police reports, but I have not been notified if anybody got arrested. I think before you open a business in San Francisco you should think twice because youre not protected at all no matter what." A statement sent to Fox News by Safeway supermarket reads, "Like other retailers. we've seen a dramatic increase in shoplifting incidents and losses from shoplifting since California sentencing laws changed in 2014 to make all theft below $950 a misdemeanor when it was previously a wobbler, either a felony or a misdemeanor based on prosecutorial discretion. Enterprising thieves have figured out there are few consequences to shoplifting if they keep the value of their crimes below $950." The Neiman Marcus videos surface comes less than a month after another shameless shoplifting case was caught on camera. Footage showed a brazen robber, on his bicycle, as he filled a garbage bag with products at a San Francisco Walgreens and bicycled out of the store - as a bystander and security guard watch The man rode his bike to the store, filled a garbage bag with stolen goods and rode away The Neiman Marcus videos surface comes less than a month after another shameless shoplifting case was caught on camera and went viral online. The footage posted on Twitter by ABC7 Reporter Lyanne Melendez was filmed on June 14 and reveals the moment a brazen robber filled a garbage bag with products at a San Francisco Walgreens and bicycled out of the store after no one tried to stop him. According to KTVU, San Francisco's District Attorney's Office have since filed formal charges against the perpetrator, Jean Lugo Romero, for the incident as well as other acts of commercial shoplifting and robbery at various Walgreens and CVS stores throughout the city. The Walgreens scene followed the closing of 17 San Francisco Walgreens locations due to shoplifting cases, where theft in the pharmaceutical chain's 53 remaining stores is four times the average for stores elsewhere in the country, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. One Walgreens reportedly loses $1,000 a day to shoplifters, the news outlet adds. Across the city, 18 Walgreens stores saw 94 shoplifting incidents between September 1 and December 31, 2020, according to data compiled by the San Francisco Police Department and obtained by news outlet Mission Local. Walgreens also spends 35 times more on security guards in the city than elsewhere, Jason Cunningham, regional vice president for pharmacy and retail operations in California and Hawaii, said at a hearing on retail crimes held in May by Boudin and Ahsha Safai, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and retailers, police and probation departments. Safai had not addressed the most recent shoplifting incident as of Tuesday morning. Last month, he and Boudin announced a partnership with ALTO Alliance, an organization that provides legal support to retailers impacted by shoplifting in efforts to prevent repeat offenses. Black TikTokers have gone on strike and are refusing to create viral dances because they say white creators don't credit them and become overnight stars with the stolen moves. The no-dance strike erupted when Megan Thee Stallion released her new song 'Thot S**t' on June 11 - something that would typically lead to the creation of a viral dance circulating on the social media app as happened with her song 'WAP' with Cardi B. By Tuesday morning - almost one month on from the song's release - there were around 487,000 videos on TikTok set to the song but no dance trend has yet emerged. TikTok is known for its viral dance crazes, which black creators say are often choreographed by them before the trend is picked up by white stars, many of whom have achieve lucrative success outside of the app thanks to their large follower counts - like teenager Charli D'Amelio and Kourtney Kardashian's pal Addison Rae. Several black creators say white creators then fail to credit them for their work and benefit from copying them - sometimes even taking the credit for its creation. Both Charli, who boasts 119.4 million followers, and Addison, who has 81.8 million fans on the app, have previously come under fire for failing to give black dancers due credit when recreating their work. Black TikTokers have gone on strike and are refusing to create viral dances because they say white creators don't credit them and become overnight stars with the stolen moves. The no-dance strike erupted when Megan Thee Stallion (pictured) released her new song 'Thot S**t' Erick Louis, a 21-year-old black TikTok star, posted a video on June 17 appearing to initiate the boycott. The video has 'Thot S**t' playing in the background, with the words 'MADE A DANCE TO THIS SONG' above his head But, instead of breaking into dance, Louis flipped the bird at the camera while the words above him changed to: 'SIKE. THIS APP WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT BLACK PEOPLE' @theericklouis If yall do the dance pls tag me its my first dance on Tik tok and I dont need nobody stealing/not crediting Thot Shit - Megan Thee Stallion The recent dance boycott by black creators appears to have been initiated by Eric Louis, a 21-year-old TikTok star who posted a video on June 17, which was set to the tune of Megan Thee Stallion's newest hit. He posted the clip with the caption: 'If y'all do the dance pls tag me, it's my first dance on Tik tok and I don't need nobody stealing/not crediting.' In the video, Louis starts moving to the music with the words 'MADE A DANCE TO THIS SONG' above his head. But, instead of breaking into a choreographed routine, Louis flips the bird at the camera while the words above him change to: 'SIKE. THIS APP WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT BLACK PEOPLE.' The video, which had more than 132,000 likes as of Tuesday morning, marked the beginning of the strike. Louis slammed what he described as 'digital colonizing' and 'exploitation of labor' of black TikTok creators and said the strike could go on indefinitely. 'We make the trends... and when we remove ourselves from the equation... it's nothing left but mediocrity,' he told the LA Times. 'I can't tell you how long it's going to last, but I do want to say that I think this is an indicator of how frustrated the black community is. I feel like this isn't the last time something like this will happen.' Although he did not call out any white creators by name, Louis noted that it is part of a bigger issue of 'anti-blackness' on TikTok and that the platform needs to show its black creators it values their content. 'I know for me personally, this is a much wider issue outside of this digital colonizing. TikTok has a really big issue with just black leaders and anti-blackness,' he said. 'What's kind of flown over people's heads is this issue concerning the exploitation of labor on the app.' Under fire: White TikTok stars like teenager Charli D'Amelio have long come under fire for performing dances by black creators without crediting them - like the viral Renegade routine Uproar: The issue received fresh attention in March when TikToker Addison Rae performed several dances made by black creators on The Tonight Show - without crediting any of them TikTok star Challan T., who has more than four million followers, said there would usually be a viral dance 'within the hour' when Megan Thee Stallion released a song. The rapper has become something of a viral sensation on the app and many of her hits have resulted in dance trends, including Savage and WAP. She tweeted her support of the strike, writing: 'Not Black TikTok on strike from making dances PLEASE LMFAOOOO.' Challan also poked fun at the white creators who have attempted to create their own dances to the song, accusing them of simply 'flailing' in front of the camera. 'I was scrolling and noticed that everyone was flailing their arms under the sound,' she added. The TikToker told the Times there have been several occasions where she hasn't been credited for her work, which she believes comes down to 'racism'. 'People just don't want to give black people credit for the things that we make,' she said. 'Because there's a lot of times where a white creator will make a dance, and I'll see that credit in the caption every time. 'If it's a black person, it's invalid automatically to some people, and they just don't even want to attempt.' However she said she is concerned about pushback if she were to demand being credited for her work. Another TikTok star Herecia Grace told the Times she was joining the strike even though it was tempting to create a dance to Megan Thee Stallion's new song. 'Without black creators, things aren't created on this app. Pop culture really moves behind us when we move it,' Grace said. TikTok star Challan T. said there have been several occasions where she hasn't been credited for her work Challan, who has more than 4 million followers, tweeted her support of the strike Fellow TikToker Keon Martin said the pushback was 'very long overdue' and posted a video on the app mocking the lack of any viral dances emerging due to the boycott 'TikTok definitely gets to decide what goes viral, and I think they just don't choose us. I think that the beauty standards have something to do with that.' She said she hopes the strike will 'shake the table a little bit, because it seems like it actually made a difference this time.' 'People were actually like, 'Whoa, I didn't realize how much you guys do on the app.'' Fellow TikToker Keon Martin said the pushback was 'very long overdue.' 'Black creators are just really tired of our dances and our trends being stolen,' he said. 'We're not given credit, but a white person can do our trend and walk out with 100,000 followers.' He posted a video in June on the app mocking the lack of any viral dances emerging due to the boycott. 'Yt people under this sound because a Blk Person didn't make a dance yet,' read the TikTok. Raven Maragh-Lloyd, an assistant professor of African and African American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, told CNN the issue is part of a wider problem with cultural appropriation. However, the format of TikTok makes copying other people's work standard practice, Maragh-Lloyd said. 'TikTok is a new kind of player in that it was specifically built, I would argue, to copy and share content without credit to the original author,' Maragh-Lloyd said. 'The whole point of TikTok is to copy.' 'I think TikTok is in strange waters when it comes to appropriation.' Both TikTok and its white creators have been called out in the past over their treatment of black content creators. The Renegade dance went viral in the end of 2019 after being performed by white stars like D'Amelio and Rae, however it later emerged that they were not the creators. Following a bitter backlash, they both performed a video with its choreographer, black teen Jalaiah Harmon Despite the bitter backlash, white TikTokers - including former Dance Moms star Maddie Ziegler - have continued to perform the Renegade dance without crediting Harmon At the end of 2019, white TikToker D'Amelio became one of the app's most famous teen stars when she performed the viral Renegade dance to K-Camp's hit Lottery. The video that she posted was recreated by hundreds of other white creators, including her close friend Addison. However, it emerged a few months later that D'Amelio had not created the dance. Instead, it was black teen Jalaiah Harmon who choreographed the world famous routine but received no credit for it. This revelation sparked an uproar with calls for Harmon to be credited for her work. D'Amelio and Rae later uploaded videos of themselves performing the dance with Harmon and crediting her for 'the original choreography that she made.' When Megan Thee Stallion released her popular hit Savage earlier this year, a dance to the song quickly went viral after being performed by dozens of famous white creators - D'Amelio and Rae included. The choreography was created by black TiKToker Keara Wilson, who - like Harmon - failed to receive credit for her work in the majority of videos that were posted. In March of this year, Rae prompted another backlash when she performed several viral TikTok dances on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, including Savage, Corvette Corvette, and Laffy Taffy, without crediting any of their creators. Upset: Much like Harmon, black creator Keara Wilson saw her choreography go viral without due credit when she released a dance to Megan Thee Stallion's 2020 hit Savage Twitter users were quick to call out the fact that none of the choreographers - the majority of whom are black - were acknowledged. The dance had been choreographed by two black teens Mya Johnson and Chris Cotter, however neither were credited on-air, sparking fury among viewers and creators alike. At the time, Johnson told Teen Vogue that this was part of an ongoing trend. 'This isn't the first time this has happened, and I don't want it to continue,' she said. 'I feel like it is very important for us to get our credit because we are very good creators that are very overlooked in what we do.' Last June, when calls for racial justice grew in the wake of George Floyd's murder, black creators staged a blackout refusing to post content on the app and accusing TikTok of suppressing content that spoke out against racism and oppression. TikTok later apologized saying it 'welcome the voices of the black community wholeheartedly.' The company told the Times in a statement about the latest strike that it cares 'deeply' about the experience of its black stars and about people being credited for their work. 'We care deeply about the experience of Black creators on our platform and we continue to work every day to create a supportive environment for our community while also instilling a culture where honoring and crediting creators for their creative contributions is the norm,' the company said. 1619 Project founder Nikole Hannah-Jones has rejected the University of North Carolina's tenure offer and will go to Howard University instead after protesters brawled during a board meeting and she claimed a 'powerful donor' blocked her from the lifetime role. The New York Times reporter won the Pulitzer Prize for the 1619 Project which 'reframed' American history to focus on when the first Africans arrived to Virginia as slaves. But the 2019 series of essays has come under withering criticism for portraying American history as fundamentally racist and also containing historical inaccuracies and generalizations. UNC had initially offered Hannah-Jones the role as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism at their Hussman School of Journalism - a role which has been appointed with tenure since 1980. But they later backed out of the offer of lifetime tenure amid criticism of her appointment, and she was offered a five-year contract after officials said they were concerned about her lack of a 'traditional academic background'. Hannah-Jones noted the influence of a 'powerful donor' to UNC, a reference to Arkansas newspaper publisher Walter Hussman, who revealed that he had emailed university leaders calling the 1619 Project about the legacy of American slavery 'highly contentious and highly controversial' before the process was halted. But the decision not to give Hannah-Jones a tenured position sparked further outrage from the left, leading to UNC last week pulling off a second u-turn and deciding to approve her tenure. They voted 9-4 to accept her application at a special meeting in a closed-door session that was invaded by her supporters, sparking an ugly brawl. But Hannah-Jones has now refused to take up the officer, deciding to instead accept the position of Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism at Howard, a historically black school in Washington, D.C. Hannah-Jones told CBS This Morning on Tuesday that she will become a member of the historically black university's Cathy Hughes School of Communication JUST IN: Award-winning journalist @nhannahjones reveals on @CBSThisMorning she has declined the University of North Carolina's offer for tenure and will be the inaugural Knight Chair in Race and Reporting at @HowardU. pic.twitter.com/w9j0gVe0cd CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) July 6, 2021 How fight over appointment of 1619 Project founder unfolded August 2019 - The New York Times begins its 1619 project which aims to 'reframe the country's history' on slavery, but faces criticism over historical inaccuracies and generalizations May 2020 - Nikole Hannah-Jones is awarded the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for her introductory essay to the project Summer 2020 - UNC start considering hiring Hannah-Jones to its journalism faculty. December 2020 - In an email, Arkansas newspaper publisher Walter Hussman - a top donor to UNC - expresses his fears that Hannah-Jones was, 'trying to push an agenda,' through the 1619 Project, and that, 'they will assume she is manipulating historical facts to support it.' April 2021 - UNC announces that Hannah-Jones would be joining the journalism school's faculty as Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism, traditionally a tenured professorship. May 2021 - Following criticism of the appointment, UNC u-turns and instead says she would take up the position on a five-year contract. This sparks a torrent of criticism, including from black students who claimed they had been neglected. June 30, 2021 - The trustees ultimately approved tenure last week, voting 9-4 to accept her application at a special meeting with a closed-door session that was invaded by her supporters, sparking an ugly brawl. July 6, 2021 - Hannah-Jones announces she has turned down the tenure offer and will go to Howard University instead. Advertisement Speaking to CBS This Morning, she called it 'a very difficult decision, not a decision I wanted to make.' She said: 'This was a position that since the 1980s came with tenure. The Knight Chairs are designed for professional journalists who are working in the field to come into academia. 'Every other Chair before me, who also happened to be white, received that position with tenure. I was denied that. 'To be denied it to only have that vote occur on the last possible day, at the last possible moment, after threat of legal action, after weeks of protest, after it became a national scandal, it's just not something that I want anymore.' She added: 'It's pretty clear that my tenure was not taken up because of political opposition, because of discriminatory views against my viewpoints, and I believe my race and my gender.' Faculties of the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media said Tuesday they were 'disappointed, but not surprised' at Hannah Jones's decision to turn down the school's offer. Howard has also recruited the author Ta-Nehisi Coates, who won a National Book Award for 'Between the World and Me,' which explores violence against black people and white supremacy in America. Both have been given MacArthur 'genius' grants for their writings. Their appointments are being supported by nearly $20 million donated by Knight Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation, as well as by an anonymous donor, to support Howard's continued education of and investment in black journalists, the university said. 'It is my pleasure to welcome to Howard two of today's most respected and influential journalists,' Howard President Wayne A. I. Frederick said in a news release. 'At such a critical time for race relations in our country, it is vital that we understand the role of journalism in steering our national conversation and social progress.' UNC had announced in April that Hannah-Jones - who won the Pulitzer Prize for her work on The New York Times Magazine's 1619 Project focusing on America's history of slavery - would be joining the journalism school's faculty. It said she would take up the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism at UNC in July. But the news was swiftly condemned by conservative political groups with links to the UNC Board of Governors which oversees the state university's 16-campus system, according to NC Policy Watch. Among the loudest critics was the The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, which argued that Hannah-Jones is unqualified for the position because her 1619 Project was 'unfactual and biased'. The conservative watchdog group said her hiring signaled 'a degradation of journalistic standards, which should deter any serious student from applying to the journalism school'. Hannah-Jones announced Tuesday she will become a member of the historically black university's (pictured) Cathy Hughes School of Communication One week ago, trustees at UNC-Chapel Hill approved Hannah-Jones' tenure, capping weeks of tension that began when a board member halted the process over concerns about her teaching credentials because she did not come from a 'traditional academic-type background' The appointment was also apposed by millionaire newspaper tycoon Walter Hussman Jr, 75, who donated $25 million to his alma mater in 2019, and who UNC's journalism department is named after. 'I worry about the controversy of tying the UNC journalism school to the 1619 project,' he wrote to Susan King, dean at the Hussman School of Journalism. He added: 'Based on her own words, many will conclude she is trying to push an agenda, and they will assume she is manipulating historical facts to support it.' Hannah-Jones' tenure application was halted, and she was offered a five-year-contract as officials said she did not come from a 'traditional academic-type background'. Trustee Charles Duckett, who vets lifetime appointments, wanted more time to consider her qualifications, university leaders had said. But Hannah-Jones' attorneys announced in late June that she would not report for work without tenure. When the latest vote was taken Wednesday, Duckett voted to approve her tenure application. Demonstrators are removed from a closed session meeting of the UNC-Chapel Hill trustees Wednesday as the board prepared to discuss and vote on tenure for distinguished journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones They regathered just outside the room, using a bullhorn to shout their frustrations at police who they said pushed them out of the room Officials had reportedly not communicated the process with the public - which frustrated the demonstrated who were asked to leave the room The students who had protested outside of the meeting had chanted 'No Justice! No Peace' Police are seen confronting protesters who descended on Wednesday's closed-door meeting The previous decision by trustees to halt Hannah-Jones' tenure submission sparked a torrent of criticism, including from black students who claimed they had been neglected. The school's board of trustees at had gone into a closed-door session to discuss her appointment soon after the meeting began, which is a standard practice when discussing personnel matters, according to The Daily Tar Heel. Officials had reportedly not communicated the process with the public - which frustrated the demonstrated who were asked to leave the room. Hannah-Jones wrote in a tweet that the confusion led to black students getting 'shoved and punched' instead of attempts to de-escalate the situation. 'It should have been communicated how this meeting would go, that tenure proceedings are always held in closed session, and an attempt made to de-escalate. Instead Black students were shoved and punched because they were confused about the process. This is not right,' Hannah-Jones tweeted. She added: 'To be clear: My legal team did not request the closed session. The closed session is the normal procedure for tenure votes and our desire was, for the first time in this process, to be treated by the [board of trustees] like every other tenure candidate.' Protesters and interested parties gather outside the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill on Wednesday where the University of North Carolina Board of Trustees voted on tenure for Nikole Hannah-Jones A small group of protesters refused to leave the meeting room and police attempted to usher them out Deborah Dwyer, a doctoral candidate, holds a sign while gathered with fellow students and alumni on the steps of Carroll Hall, where the UNC-Chapel Hill Hussman School of Journalism and Media is located The students who had protested outside of the meeting had chanted 'No Justice! No Peace,' The State reported. Julia Clark, the vice president of the UNC Black Student Movement, told the outlet that an officer who told her to move back had 'felt threatened.' 'Be afraid,' Clark said. 'Be afraid. I want you to be scared, because we are scared on this campus every day.' The organization's president Taliajah 'Teddy' Vann told The State she was frustrated that the board went into closed session and would not vote in public. 'What are you hiding?' Vann said, according to the outlet. She added: 'Y'all think y'all are safe hiding behind those doors? You're not. Because our voices will be heard regardless.' Hannah-Jones wrote in a tweet that the confusion led to black students getting 'shoved and punched' instead of attempts to de-escalate the situation Hannah-Jones cited political interference by conservatives because of her work on The 1619 Project. 'I went through the official tenure process. My peers in academia said that I was deserving of tenure. These board members are political appointees who decided that I wasn't.' She noted that UNC-Chapel Hill is her alma mater. 'I love the university. The university has given me a lot and I wanted to give back. It was embarrassing to be the first person to be denied tenure. It was embarrassing and I didn't want this to become a public scandal. I didn't want to drag my university through the pages of newspapers because I was the first and the only Black person in that position to be denied tenure.' On going to Howard instead, she referred to her childhood during which she was bused to white schools: 'I spent my entire life proving that I belonged in elite white spaces that were not built for Black people. I got a lot of clarity through what happened with the University of North Carolina. I decided I didn't want to do that anymore.' Advertisement Andrew Worrell was jogging in the upscale Atlanta community Buckhead early on June 5 when he was shot, but survived When he felt the car pull up alongside him Andrew Worrell assumed the driver was looking for directions. He stopped walking along the quiet tree-lined street and turned towards the lowering tinted window. And that's when he saw the muzzle of the gun. It is a month since the 41-year-old father of three was shot on a Saturday morning walk near his home in Buckhead, one of the wealthiest communities in Atlanta. He is recovering well, thankful for his 'good fortune.' Hit twice, one bullet went clean through his leg, the other tracked a path from his hip across his pelvis but remarkably left bone and organs intact. But, for some, the intrusion of this random act of violence into one of Atlanta's 'safest' neighborhoods has proved the final straw. In the weeks since the shooting Worrell's attack has been co-opted into a debate that has brewed on and off for decades, pushing it into the national headlines as the calls grow louder than ever before; Buckhead wants a divorce. Certainly, that is how Bill White, Chief Executive Officer of the Buckhead Exploratory Committee sees it. White is leading the charge for Buckhead to split from the rest of the state capital and become its own incorporated city. Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com White said, 'The residents of Buckhead have been more than pushed. We have been exploited as a community for way too long.' According to White the city is in crisis and it comes down to three things: crime, crime, crime. Bill White, Chief Executive Officer of the Buckhead Exploratory Committee, is leading the charge for Buckhead to split from the rest of Atlanta. Speaking to DailyMail.com White said, 'The residents of Buckhead have been more than pushed. We have been exploited as a community for way too long' For some, the intrusion of this random act of violence into one of Atlanta's 'safest' neighborhoods has proved the final straw and residence want out So far this year murders in Atlanta are up 46 percent, rape is up 83 percent and shootings are up 40 percent. At time of writing Atlanta Police Department (APD) statistics recorded 368 shootings this year where, over the same period last year, that number was 263. Conversely the number of guns seized by law enforcement has dropped by 22 percent. And while Atlanta as a whole has experienced what Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has described as a 'Covid crime wave,' the figures have spiked in Buckhead more than anywhere else. Aggravated assaults are up 52 percent in Buckhead compared to 26 percent citywide. Robberies are up 20 percent elsewhere but 39 percent in Buckhead and larceny from vehicles has risen by 40 percent in Buckhead but 27 percent in the rest of Atlanta. In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com Worrell's wife Anne, 42, pinpointed what she believes has made her husband's shooting such a flashpoint in the Buckhead debate Set against this backdrop, Worrell's shooting early in the morning on a quiet residential street has taken an already thrumming sense of insecurity and cranked it up. In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com Worrell's wife Anne, 42, pinpointed what she believes has made her husband's shooting such a flashpoint in the Buckhead debate. She said, 'Where there's been violence and shootings in Buckhead it's been in the commercial areas, gas stations and malls, music recording studios and clubsnot in our neighborhoods. 'This, to my knowledge, is the first shooting that's been in a neighborhood and that's why I think so many people feel violated.' Home to approximately 86,000 residents Buckhead is anchored by luxury mall, Lenox Square, surrounded by condominiums, flashy office blocks and showrooms. Porsches, Land Rovers and Mercedes flash along the main drag. This is not just wealth, it is conspicuous wealth. But look a little closer and something else is obvious too. Lenox Square Mall doesn't just have an entrance, it has a security screening area with a gun detector through which would-be shoppers must pass. Just last week a security guard was shot here in broad daylight. Some days earlier a man was shot dead at the swanky Intercontinental Hotel, five minutes further down Peachtree Road. Last month three men were shot and injured in front of Buckhead's Home Depot when a fight in an apartment complex spilled over onto the street. Two days later a man was shot and killed in the bathroom of a neighboring club. During DailyMail.com's visit to the area there were multiple reports of shots fired and shootings resulting in injuries. They came every day and every night. According to White there are more criminals on the street thanks to a push to release offenders from jail due to Covid and legislation that eliminated the need for cash bonds in some low level crimes. On top of that, he said, criminals are 'emboldened,' by the knowledge that APD is sparsely staffed, demoralized and hamstrung by their fear of being fired, or even charged, for pro-active policing. Porsches, Land Rovers and Mercedes flash along the main drag. This is not just wealth, it is conspicuous wealth Home to approximately 86,000 residents Buckhead is anchored by luxury mall, Lenox Square, surrounded by condominiums, flashy office blocks and showrooms A bill has been introduced to de-annex Buckhead from the rest of the city of Atlanta due to rising crime This malaise is borne of national and local events from the push to defund police in the wake of George Floyd's death and from APD's own experience in the case of the shooting of Rayshard Brooks last summer. Brooks was shot by Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan in an attempted arrest when he was reported asleep at the wheel in a Wendy's drive thru. As the situation devolved into a brawl, drunk and high, Brooks grabbed one of the officer's tasers and fired it at them. Rolfe shot him as he fled. Cops arrested and charged Gaelen Newsom (pictured), 22, with attempted murder, three counts of aggravated assault and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime in connection with the weekend crime spree, which included Andrew's shooting Mayor Bottoms immediately called for the officers' firing. District Attorney Paul Howard brought murder charges, leapfrogging the state investigation and garnering accusations of political grandstanding. Howard, who has since been ousted, was running for re-election at the time. In the days that followed approximately 170 APD officers called out sick. Rolfe recently won his fight to be reinstated though he was immediately placed on administrative leave. Executive Director of the Peace Officers' Union of Georgia, John Edwards, slammed the city's response at the time. Now he has told DailyMail.com that there is a straight line to be drawn between rising crime and diminishing morale and numbers of officers on the beat. He said, 'You have a police force that's crippled and reactive and with a real problem in recruiting and retention.' According to Edwards as older officers age out and others quit there is an experience deficit that has a direct and negative impact on both morale and policing efficacy. Put bluntly too many of the cops that are on the beat don't know what they are doing or don't have the confidence to do it. APD figures obtained by DailyMail.com show a department in danger of bleeding out. In 2019, 152 police officers left and 206 were recruited. Last year 201 left and 115 were recruited. So far this year 77 have left and only 37 have joined. In Buckhead just 80 officers cover an area the size of San Francisco a city with a police force of 2,000. Taking into account shifts that means that, on any given day, roughly 20 officers are covering a high crime beat stretching 32 square miles. Parke Cooper, 61, has lived in Buckhead for decades. Speaking to DailyMail.com he reeled off a list of crimes of which he has direct knowledge. He said, 'At 3am yesterday morning a Porsche Cayenne flipped [on the street behind our house], caught fire and a man crawls out, naked and into the yard of our friend. 'About a year ago a 14 and 15-year-old walked into our neighborhood, whipped out pieces at 5pm and took [our neighbor's] Bentley out of his drive.' Cooper admitted that he and his neighbors, who live in a gated community of around ten houses, have discussed hiring a full-time police officer at a cost of $125,000 a year to patrol their enclave. Steve Garono, 45, retired from APD last year after more than two decades as a cop in Atlanta and Ohio. He is also a resident of Buckhead. According to Garono, 'There's no support from the city or command itself. When there were riots, downtown officers were told to stop blowing through barricades or be faced with charges of aggravated assault. 'Cops aren't allowed to give chaseit's a disgrace. Everyone's afraid to do their job. Who's going to risk their life if they're going to get fired or charged with no due process? It's not worth it.' Garono absolutely supports the move to de-annex Buckhead. 'And disable the Marta [transit train] while you're at it,' he said. 'Stop them coming in here.' Asked to whom he was referring Garono said, 'the criminals.' The incident report reveals Newsom shot randomly at two other joggers, missing both, before deliberately driving his car into a pedestrian putting out his trash. The man was pinned between Newsom's vehicle and a truck in an horrific incident that resulted in the loss of both his legs BUCKHEAD, GEORGIA: ONE OF THE NATION'S WEALTHIEST ZIP CODES Buckhead is known as Atlanta's commercial and residential district, famed for its high-rise buildings and shopping centers, hotels and mansions. The neighborhood is a historically wealthy district and was once ranked the ninth richest zip code in the country with a median price of homes of $1,460,595, according to Forbes. American suburban luxury home in Buckhead, Atlanta Bloomberg named Buckhead the 20th richest zipcode in the nation in 2011, when the average household net worth there was $1,353,189. The average household income was $280,631. Because of this, Buckhead is often called the 'Beverly Hills of the East/South', in reference to the upscale city in California. Buckhead is also known to have a few notable residents, including Georgia Republican Kelly Loeffler. Loeffler was among the wealthiest members of Congress until she lost her seat in January. In 2009, she and her husband spent more than $10million on a European-style mansion named Descante in the Buckhead neighborhood. Advertisement It is the sort of sentiment against which Edward Lindsey, Co-chair of the Committee for a United Atlanta is fighting. He told DailyMail.com, 'The most cited issue for Buckhead to split is crime and it's a valid concern. 'But you can't build a moat or walls and the concerns are not unique to Buckhead. 'The concerns are similar to those being voiced in East, South, West Atlanta and Midtown. It should be a unifying force not something that's divisive.' Given Buckhead's wealth and demographics some have cast the proposed split as white privilege in action. Buckhead contributes 40 percent of the city's tax revenue with just 20 percent of Atlanta's population. And while Atlanta as a whole is 51 percent black, Buckhead is 71 percent white. Lindsey is cautious of characterizing the desire as inherently racist pointing out, 'I have very good friends on both sides of this issue, and I wouldn't describe them as that.' But he added, 'You can't avoid the perception that people will have.' White robustly rejects the notion that there is any question of segregation at play. He said, 'I do believe that folks who are thinking of this as some racially motivated thing are incorrect. 'We're hearing from literally thousands of people from all walks of life, multi-cultural, multi-amazing families. The only race in this important project is the human race. 'Crime is affecting everybody. I hate mentioning there's a white rapper whose car was stolen or there's a black rapper whose car was stolen. 'I think it's disgusting to have to label that. It's just not in my heart. Crime is colorblind and all we want to do is fight crime as a community.' To that end, White promises, 'a massive police presence' in Buckhead once recruitment for that force has been wrested from the city of Atlanta and lies with the proposed city of Buckhead. He said, 'For a short period of time there could be as much as three times the amount of officers that are currently on the job here in Buckhead. 'We're talking to the best professional executives and they're advising us that the multiple for Buckhead City Police Department would be somewhere in the area of two or 300 for some prolonged period of time. 'You'll see a cop on every corner and they're going to be paid well and our police are going to be loved and they're not going to be thrown under the bus and summarily fired.' But what of the Worrells, so recently and directly impacted by this crime spike and whose story has been adopted as totemic of the battle for Buckhead? For her part Anne Worrell does not think that divorce is the answer. There has been a marked increase in shootings in the malls and commercial areas including a security guard shot in Lenox Square and a man shot dead in the Intercontinental Hotel Lenox Square Mall doesn't just have an entrance, it has a security screening area with a gun detector through which would-be shoppers must pass. Anne admitted that she has friends who will no longer go to the mall or pump gas because they don't feel safe. She said that when she goes to refuel her car she locks the doors when she pumps the gas, 'So nobody can slip into the back seat and hold me at gunpoint' White promises, 'a massive police presence' in Buckhead once recruitment for a police3 force has been wrested from the city of Atlanta and lies with the proposed city of Buckhead 'If Atlanta were to break off who's to say that crime wouldn't find its way back into Buckhead? We're not building a wall or gates or anything,' Anne Worrell said On the morning her husband was shot she rushed to the hospital, following on the ambulance in which he was traveling, uncertain of the severity of his injuries. A friend had come over to look after their three children ages 7 to 3. Anne recalled, 'I remember when we got there he said, ''It hurts and I'm scared,'' and I nearly lost it.' But, however agonizing the wait for news of her husband and shocking the incident, Anne's feelings are tempered by what else took place that morning. And what has since emerged about the alleged shooter, Gaelen Newsom. Newsom shot randomly at two other joggers, missing both, before deliberately driving his car into a pedestrian putting out his trash. The man was pinned between Newsom's vehicle and a truck in an horrific incident that resulted in the loss of both his legs. Anne was unaware of this as she waited in the private family room at Grady Hospital. She had been told that her husband was about to go into theatre but, with just minutes to go she was informed that his exploratory surgery had been pushed for a more emergent patient. She recalled, 'The nurse said something like it was a man and his legs had been cut off.' At that moment Anne received a message from one of her sisters a screen grab of a report about the shooting suspect having pinned a man between his car and another, injuring both his legs. She realized that was the man being rushed into surgery ahead of her husband and that the woman in the family room alongside her was that man's wife. She said, 'I just felt sick knowing that somebody else was a victim and it sounded worse. 'When you're a victim of crime there's a certain sense of violation but to know that there's more people involvedit's heart-wrenching and it makes it even more senseless.' Yet for all her sense of horror Anne has a pragmatic, even compassionate, take-away. Andrew Worrell is pictured with a walker after having returned home from the hospital 'I don't want to be scared. I don't want other people to be scared. I feel very passionately about taking a stand and saying, ''This is not acceptable,'' butI don't necessarily see myself wanting Buckhead to be split off,' Anne said It's been three weeks since the 41-year-old father of three was shot while walking near his home in Buckhead. His wife Anne described hearing of her husband's injuries It has since emerged that Newsom suffers from a host of mental health issues and while she does not feel that absolves him of accountability it does mitigate Anne's outrage. She said, 'I don't want to diminish the fact that there is just a general crime problem, but I do think that mental health is an issue that needs to be addressed. 'I don't have the answers, but I think an issue here is how he was able to go and buy a gun at all.' Anne admitted that she has friends who will no longer go to the mall or pump gas because they don't feel safe. She said that when she goes to refuel her car she locks the doors when she pumps the gas, 'So nobody can slip into the back seat and hold me at gunpoint.' But despite this, she said, 'Once police had ascertained that [the shooting] wasn't gang related, it wasn't a gang initiation, it did make me feel differently. 'I don't want to be scared. I don't want other people to be scared. I feel very passionately about taking a stand and saying, 'This is not acceptable,' butI don't necessarily see myself wanting Buckhead to be split off. 'Another reason is, so Buckhead gets this wonderful police department with all the bells and whistles, but then Atlanta turns into a rundown city with worse crime and we are right up against it. 'If Atlanta were to break off who's to say that crime wouldn't find its way back into Buckhead? We're not building a wall or gates or anything.' It is a view shared by Lindsey who also points to the paucity of any real detail in the bill recently put to the General Assembly of Georgia, sponsored by Representative Todd Jones, in a push by White to secure the matter a slot on the ballot next November. According to Lindsey, 'This is a personal, very emotional issue for many people. But carving up our city is just the wrong answer.' White disagrees and with his committee almost halfway to their target fund of $1.5million he exudes a Trumpian confidence that they will win. He said, 'I think the leadership of the city of Atlanta is causing Buckhead to spiral out of control in a very bad direction that, if we don't correct immediately, some people are saying we may never get back. 'That scares the hell out of me, and it should scare the hell out of everybody. 'We need surgery not a Band-Aid and the surgeons have arrived.' A Polish brewery has sparked outrage with a new beer called White IPA Matters and an advert featuring a black barman drinking it at a US-themed bar. The Mentzen brewery, owned by right-wing politician Slawomir Mentzen, has been flooded with complaints by people claiming the commercial is racist. It features a black barman cleaning glasses with the camera cutting to symbols of America's Deep South, including a Confederate flag. The camera cuts back to the barman before a customer slides him a bottle of the White IPA - a light-tasting ale generally marketed at people who don't like the taste of beer. The barman takes a sip and declares: 'This is what I needed.' The Mentzen brewery, owned by right-wing politician Slawomir Mentzen, has been flooded with complaints by people claiming the commercial is racist. It features a black barman cleaning glasses with the camera cutting to symbols of America's Deep South, including a Confederate flag. The advert features iconography of the US Deep South including Confederate flags White IPAs are light-tasting ales generally marketed at people who don't like the taste of beer The brewery says the beer has 'the taste of extravagance' with a combination of hops and 'black Earl Grey' that gives a 'hoppy, fruity taste with a tea aroma.' Rafal Pankowski from the Never Again Association said: 'The beer exploits the death of George Floyd and the racist backlash to the global Black Lives Matter movement. 'The producer plays with racist history and symbolism of the US South. 'By getting a black person to drink this disgusting beer for promotional purposes, they mock the victims of racism. 'No decent beer drinker should ever pay a penny for this far-right fund-raising stunt.' Brewery owner Mentzen, who started brewing last year, is a member of Poland's right-wing Confederation party. Other beers produced by the brewery include 'Polish Freedom' and 'Keeper of Texas'. The barman takes a sip and declares: 'This is what I needed' Mentzen has twice run for office, once for local elections in Torun in 2018 and also for the European parliament in 2019. He was unsuccessful in both campaigns. He has recently been warning of a slide towards 'totalitarianism' with coronavirus legislation which bars unvaccinated people from attending restaurants and bars. Mentzen has argued for the relaxation of all Covid restrictions in Poland, saying that in places where the rules are relaxed, such as Florida in the US, there has been no surge in infections. There is no reason to worry about Israel downgrading the efficacy of Pfizer's Covid vaccine against the Indian variant, experts say. Israeli health chiefs now claim the jab blocks 64 per cent of infections, compared to 94 per cent in May before the mutant strain took hold. Ministers described the data as 'disturbing'. But scientists today attempted to quash any fears about the vaccine efficacy, saying overall the picture was still 'reassuring'. The same statistics showed the jab still protects against serious illness, slashing the risk of being hospitalised by 93 per cent. For comparison, Israeli news website Ynet reported the figure in May was slightly above the 98 per cent mark. Health chiefs there now claim the jab blocks 64 per cent of infections, compared to 94 per cent in May before the mutant strain took hold. Ministers reportedly described the data 'disturbing'. But the same statistics showed the jab still protects against serious illness, slashing the risk of being hospitalised by 93 per cent Pfizer's Covid vaccine was up to a third less effective against the Indian 'Delta' variant, according to data from Israel (stock) Vaccine gap cut from 12 weeks to eight for EVERY adult as No10 vows to offer two jabs to all over-18s by mid-September Britons under the age of 40 will be offered their second Covid jab after eight weeks instead of 12. Boris Johnson claimed the new aim was for all adults to be fully inoculated by mid-September, when coronavirus rates are expected to rise and the NHS grapples with seasonal winter pressures. Last month, the gap was shortened for older people in a bid to protect millions of the most vulnerable amid the rise of the highly-infectious Indian variant. The Prime Minister announced the change to the dosing strategy at tonight's press conference, where he set out plans for a post-lockdown England from July 19. Ministers are also considering whether to roll out third vaccines for all over-50s, NHS staff, carers and patients with underlying health conditions this autumn. Oxford University researchers last week showed antibody levels could be restored to their peak with the use of a 'booster' vaccine months after the second. But whether or not this would improve on the already near-100 per cent protection against death that two doses provide is still unknown. No10 is now wrestling with the moral dilemma of whether to run the booster vaccine programme or send the doses to developing countries where supplies are scarce. Vaccinating children is another contentious strategy being considered by the Government, with some of its advisers warning that Covid itself is less dangerous to youngsters than a jab. Advertisement Dr Bharat Pankhania, an infectious disease expert at the University of Exeter, said the data reflects a normal drop in immunity rates over time. He told MailOnline: 'The good news is people are still protected and the vaccines are preventing hospitalisations, so there are lots of positives.' Professor Andrew Preston, a University of Bath microbiologist, told MailOnline: 'The important thing is this relatively low value is against transmission of the virus and not deaths as such. 'We have not had very strong numbers for this sort of protection before, so this is not a startling figure. 'It means pretty much that the link between infections and serious consequence has been broken, but does not stop someone from catching virus and being able to pass it on. 'All evidence is that the Delta variant is more infectious, so it's not much of a surprise that the vaccines have decreased in effectiveness. 'It does not change the picture that cases will rise as we unlock. The Government has been quite frank that cases will reach very high levels and some people will continue to die.' Professor Peter Openshaw, an expert in experimental medicine at Imperial College London, told MailOnline the figure were 'actually rather reassuring'. He said the fact there was 64 per cent figure against infection was good, given the variant 'has evolved some immune escape features'. Israel's updated figures are in line with real-world data from Britain's vaccine roll-out, which has saved tens of thousands of lives in the face of the rapidly-spreading Indian variant. Public Health England (PHE) says two doses of Pfizer jab blocks up to 90 per cent of infections. However, one dose is only thought to be around 35 per cent effective. But the jab co-developed by German firm BioNTech is much more successful at stopping the infected from becoming very ill. PHE analysis also suggests two doses cut the risk of hospitalisation by at least 90 per cent. AstraZeneca's vaccine is also slightly less effective against the Indian variant, which is now dominant in most of England's 300-plus council. But the British-made jab which works slightly different to Pfizer's was not used in Israel's world-beating inoculation drive. Asked about the Israeli vaccine efficacy figures yesterday, Boris Johnson's official spokesperson dismissed fears that the jabs don't work as well. He said: 'We know based on the latest published evidence... that two doses of Pfizer is highly effective against the Delta Variant.' Israel (green) saw its cases spike on June 15 after it relaxed remaining rules including a requirement to wear face masks indoors. But ten days later they were reimposed. The UK's Covid cases are skyrocketing before the last restrictions are lifted (red line) Britain (red line) and Israel (green line) have both vaccinated around 60 per cent of their population against the virus But deaths due to the virus have remained flat. Figures from Israel (green line) and the UK (red line) show the vaccines still slash the risk of hospitalisation with the variant An efficacy figure of 90 per cent does not mean 10 per cent of the public will need medical care if they get infected. Instead, it means inoculated people have a 90 per cent lower risk of being admitted to hospital compared to the unvaccinated. Israel eased its remaining restrictions in early June, relaxing requirements to wear face masks inside and customer caps on cafes, bars and restaurants. But indoor coverings were reintroduced just 10 days later amid a spike in infections, with 90 per cent of cases blamed on the Indian variant. Israel has had one of the world's fastest vaccination drives. It has already inoculated 57 per cent of the population. Rising cases have alarmed authorities in the country, which are now offering jabs to all 10 to 19-year-olds in an effort to beat the virus. There were more than 2,600 infections in the country on Monday, more than double the same time last week. But only 35 of these were in hospital. This is a fifth of the country's peak in the darkest days of January, when there were 10,000 cases reported every day. A doctor has denied trying to murder fellow plastic surgeon and endangering the lives of two members of his family. Jonathan Peter Brooks, 57, is charged with attempted murder, three counts of arson with intent to endanger the lives of Graeme, Beverley and Henry Perks, and possession of a knife in a public place, following an incident on January 14. Graeme Perks was treated for serious injuries following a stabbing at his property in Halam Hill, Halam, near Southwell, Notts, at about 4.15am. The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons said the 65-year-old was seriously ill but stable, at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham following the incident. Jonathan Peter Brooks, 57, is charged with attempted murder and three counts of arson Graeme Perks was treated for serious injuries following a stabbing at his property Mr Perks suffered puncture wounds to his abdomen and chest. At Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday, Brooks, of Southwell, pleaded not guilty to all charges during a short hearing. Wearing a dark grey suit, the 57-year-old defendant, who previously worked for a hospital in Nottinghamshire, spoke only to confirm his name and his not guilty pleas. Mr Perks previously held leadership roles in the NHS as a former chairman of the East Midlands Cancer Network, and was president of Bapras in 2013 and 2014. The alleged attack happened at Halam Hill, Halam, near Southwell, Notts, at about 4.15am He was also a member of the board of the International Confederation of Plastic Surgery Societies between 2016 and 2018. A trial date for Brooks has been set for September 27 this year. The defendant was remanded into custody by Judge Gregory Dickinson QC until a further hearing on August 31. Advertisement More than 100 Britons could die each day from Covid when the country finally emerges from lockdown later this month, according to the Government's own assumptions. Health Secretary Sajid Javid admitted today that daily coronavirus cases could top 50,000 by the time Freedom Day rolls around on July 19 and surge beyond 100,000 in August, which would be nearly double the winter peak. But Mr Javid did not put a figure on how many hospital admissions or deaths there could be on the back of such high infection rates, and instead insisted that the 'wall of protection' from vaccines would hold up. Top No10 adviser 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson gave a better clue about the number of fatalities expected in autumn, saying that there is about one death per every 1,000 people who catch Covid. In the second wave, more than one in 100 Covid cases resulted in death, but the hugely successful jab rollout has slashed the risk to 0.1 per cent, according to estimates from the Cambridge's Medical Research Council (MRC) biostatistics unit. The exact 'infection mortality rate' in the initial wave is not known because of limited tests. It suggests that Britain could see roughly 100 deaths every day by September if daily cases were to rise to 100,000 next month due to the several weeks it takes for people to catch and fall severely ill with Covid. That would mark a fourfold rise in daily cases which are currently averaging around 25,000 and an even larger surge in deaths, with the country recording 20 per day now, on average. But Professor Neil Ferguson, who was instrumental in the UK's initial lockdown last spring, said there could be up to 200,000 daily cases in the autumn peak, which would translate to roughly 200 deaths per day. In recent weeks, the Government and its scientific advisers have warned that there could be 'hundreds' of deaths per day post-lockdown, in an apparent attempt to temper expectations as the country moved closer to the unlocking. More than 100 Britons could die each day from Covid when Britain finally emerges from lockdown later this month, according to the Government's own assumptions. No10 said it expects up to 50,000 cases a day by July 19 Freedom Day and potentially 100,000 daily cases in August. Professor Neil Ferguson said about 0.1 per cent - or one in 1,000 - of people who catch Covid will die from the virus. The above graph shows how cases and deaths could rise based on these remarks. Deaths lag behind case spikes by about three weeks The above table shows the risk of dying from Covid after catching the disease at the peak of the second wave in January, first column, and now after 65 per cent of adults in Britain have received two doses of the Covid vaccine, second column. The estimates were calculated by Cambridge University scientists and are for England only. Overall for all age groups one in 90 (1.1 per cent) of those who caught the virus died from the disease in the darkest days of January. For comparison, fewer than one in 1,000 (0.085 per cent) of infected individuals were dying in June. Among over-75s only 2.1 per cent of those who caught the virus died from it in June, compared to 17 per cent in January. But for children and teenagers there risk of dying from the virus has barely changed between January (0.0015 per cent) and June (0.0011 per cent) Professor Ferguson told the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: 'At the peak of the second wave 50,000 cases would translate into something like 500 deaths, but that's going to be much lower this time, more like 50 or so. 'The challenge is, there's still the potential of getting very large numbers of cases and so if we get very high numbers of cases a day, 150,000 or 200,000 it could still cause some pressure to the health system. 'This is a slight gamble, it's a slight experiment at the moment, and I think it's justifiable and I'm reasonable optimistic, but policy will have to remain flexible. 'If we end up in something close to the worst-case scenario we and other groups are looking at, which I think is unlikely but can't be ruled out, then yes there will need to be some course direction later.' Professor Ferguson said that as more people get vaccinated - currently 65 per cent of adults are fully jabbed and 86 per cent have had one dose - the number of infected people who die from Covid would come down further. No10 today faced pressure from MPs to clarify what 100,000 infections per day would mean for the NHS. Lib Dem MP Layla Moran, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus, demanded 'urgent clarity'. For comparison, the last time there were 100 deaths a day and the outbreak was rising was in October, when there were about 1,000 admissions per day. There were also about 6,000 Covid inpatients at that time. While it's true this would be a significant rise on the 2,000 patients currently in hospital with the virus, it is still a far cry from the near 40,000 at the peak in January, when the NHS was not overwhelmed. DAILY HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS: Modelling by Professor Neil Ferguson's team at Imperial College London found that delaying Freedom Day until December (shown in green) to let all adults get double-vaccinated would push the peak in Covid hospital admissions further into winter, rather than reducing the number of admissions completely. The yellow line shows the effect on admissions if the unlocking was to go ahead in late July, with hospitalisations peaking in summer and plummeting by winter. Releasing curbs in June (blue) or early July (red) would have led to a bigger peak in summer, which is why the decision was made to push the original June 21 Freedom Day back by a month COVID INPATIENTS: The same was true for hospital occupancy levels and, although the graphs don't explicitly show it, the team at Imperial said in some scenarios, delaying the unlocking until December could lead to more deaths. In their paper, they write: 'In some of our modelled scenarios, this long delay paradoxically leads to more total deaths since the third wave would be pushed into the winter, when transmission may be higher because of seasonality and increased indoors interactions, and when an increased proportion of individuals may have lost protection from prior infection' DAILY HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS: Imperial presented three different modelling of the final unlocking in the roadmap - optimistic, pessimistic and 'central'. Each makes various assumptions about the epidemic, including how fast the virus will take off after lockdown and how well the vaccines will work against transmission and serious illness. In each scenario, the 'sweet spot' appears to be opening in late July (yellow). Any earlier would lead to higher peaks of about 10,000 daily admissions and delaying until December would push the crisis into the winter, where the green line appears to spike upwards quicker than any other scenario COVID INPATIENTS: The models suggest that there could have been 100,000 patients in hospital with Covid if the country opened up as planned on June 21 even though there are just 2,000 currently being treated by the NHS. Releasing curbs in late July (yellow) could still lead to a peak of 80,000 patients in hospital, which would be double the peak in January. This seems increasingly unlikely now that the vaccines have proven to be extremely effective against the Indian variant in the real world NHS chief admits it's time hospitals 'learn to live with Covid' It is time for the NHS to 'learn to live with Covid', one of the health service's most senior doctors admitted this week as he backed Freedom Day going ahead on July 19. Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England's medical director, said that he anticipates Covid hospital admissions will start to rise when lockdown is lifted in a fortnight and as the country moves into winter. But he insisted that NHS trusts 'will manage' now that the vaccines have reduced Covid to a mild illness for the vast majority of people, claiming that hospitals were 'well used to coping' with winter pressures each year. Professor Powis, who has been a regular at the podium of No10's Covid press conferences through the pandemic, told BBC Breakfast: 'We will have to learn to live with Covid now and that is what the NHS is preparing to do.' He added: 'The NHS deals with pressures all the time and there is not doubt that as hospital numbers rise over the next few weeks that we will have to manage that pressure. 'A&Es are busy again as life gets back to normal but we're well used to coping with pressures, we do it every year and every winter. So we are prepared and, as you have seen over the last 18 months of the pandemic, the NHS will manage.' Advertisement One of the health service's most senior doctors yesterday insisted that NHS trusts 'will manage' now that the vaccines have reduced Covid to a mild illness for the vast majority of people, claiming that hospitals were 'well used to coping' with winter pressures each year. Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England's medical director and a regular at the podium of No10's Covid press conferences through the pandemic, told the BBC: 'We will have to learn to live with Covid now and that is what the NHS is preparing to do.' He added: 'The NHS deals with pressures all the time and there is not doubt that as hospital numbers rise over the next few weeks that we will have to manage that pressure. 'A&Es are busy again as life gets back to normal but we're well used to coping with pressures, we do it every year and every winter. So we are prepared and, as you have seen over the last 18 months of the pandemic, the NHS will manage.' There has been fierce debate about what level of hospitalisation and death would be 'tolerable' when Britain emerges from the shutdown. But Boris Johnson signalled this week that No10 was prepared to put up with flu-like levels of Covid. Influenza kills around 20,000 a year, and up to 50,000 in a bad year. During a round of interviews today, Professor Ferguson said that the decision to press ahead with July 19 was 'justifiable' and made him 'reasonably optimistic'. Modelling by his team at Imperial College London found that ending all lockdown restrictions, no matter when it happens, will cause a huge spike in infections and that the 'sweet spot' is in late summer. The calculations showed that releasing curbs now was better than last month because it allowed more people to get vaccinated. It also comes at a time when the NHS is least busy. Delaying until until autumn or winter could result in more fatalities because it would push the peak back to a time when people spend more time indoors and other respiratory viruses are rife. The NHS will also be grappling with normal winter pressures. Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, are all believed to be in the 'if not now, then when' camp. Delaying Freedom Day could lead to MORE Covid deaths in winter Delaying lockdown beyond July 19 will not reduce the number of Covid deaths and could potentially lead to a worse peak in winter, Professor Chris Whitty warned last night. The Chief Medical Officer acknowledged that while some restrictions will always be better than none in terms of containing Covid, at some point they have to be released for the sake of the economy and impact on wider health. With that in mind, Professor Whitty revealed he believed 'quite strongly' that there are many benefits to unlocking now rather than waiting until autumn - which some have suggested could buy No10 time to get every adult fully vaccinated. It would get the big bang of Covid infections and hospital admissions expected when social distancing comes to an end out of the way in summer when the NHS is less busy. 'At a certain point, you move to the situation where instead of actually averting hospitalisations and deaths, you move over to just delaying them,' the CMO told a Downing Street press conference last night. 'So you're not actually changing the number of people who will go to hospital or die, you may change when they happen. 'There is quite a strong view by many people, including myself actually, that going in the summer has some advantages, all other things being equal, to opening up into the autumn when schools are going back and when we're heading into the winter period when the NHS tends to be under greatest pressure for many other reasons.' The comments come on the back of modelling from prominent SAGE member 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson that suggested late July was an apparent 'sweet spot' for releasing curbs. His team at Imperial College London found delaying the original June 21 date until later this month likely prevented thousands of deaths. Delaying them until autumn or winter could result in more fatalities. Even though more people would be vaccinated, scientists believe releasing curbs in winter would cause a bigger spike because people spend more time indoors and other respiratory viruses are rife. The NHS will also be grappling with normal winter pressures. Advertisement But documents released by SAGE alongside the Downing Street press conference last night show that the expert group still has concerns about lifting all curbs when infections and hospital admissions are climbing. The panel warned that should a 'variant of concern' arrive that threatened immunity, lockdown restrictions would need to reimposed for much longer. It said that some 'baseline measures' may have to stay, with 'sustained behavioural change' necessary. Experts said self-isolation when ill would remain 'critical' and working from home was a 'highly effective' long-term option. And in a grim sign that Britons face a return of some curbs in the near future, SAGE added: 'Stronger measures may be desirable for autumn and winter.' Mr Johnson's leading scientific advisers appeared cautious at the press conference, with chief medical officer Chris Whitty saying the third Covid wave was 'significant and rising'. And the updated roadmap document makes clear that options are being kept open for renewing the curbs. 'The Government will maintain contingency plans for reimposing economic and social restrictions at a local, regional or national level if evidence suggests they are necessary to suppress or manage a dangerous variant. 'Such measures would only be re-introduced as a last resort to prevent unsustainable pressure on the NHS,' the document said. 'The Government will also maintain the current regulations until 28 September that enable local authorities to respond to serious and imminent public health threats. The Government will also publish an updated COVID-19 contain outbreak management framework for local areas in due course.' Chief scientist Sir Patrick Vallance said Covid cases were doubling every nine days and hospitalisations were also rising, albeit at a slower rate. 'The vaccines have weakened the link, not broken it,' he said. Both he and Professor Whitty said they would continue to wear face masks in busy settings. But Professor Whitty acknowledged that while some restrictions will always be better than none in terms of containing Covid, at some point they have to be released for the sake of the economy and impact on wider health. With that in mind, Professor Whitty revealed he believed 'quite strongly' that there are many benefits to unlocking now rather than waiting until autumn - which some have suggested could buy No10 time to get every adult fully vaccinated. It would get the big bang of Covid infections and hospital admissions expected when social distancing comes to an end out of the way in summer when the NHS is less busy. 'At a certain point, you move to the situation where instead of actually averting hospitalisations and deaths, you move over to just delaying them,' the CMO told a Downing Street press conference last night. 'So you're not actually changing the number of people who will go to hospital or die, you may change when they happen. 'There is quite a strong view by many people, including myself actually, that going in the summer has some advantages, all other things being equal, to opening up into the autumn when schools are going back and when we're heading into the winter period when the NHS tends to be under greatest pressure for many other reasons.' The Biden administration is near completion of an overall review of U.S. sanctions meant to punish or push nations like Iran, North Korea, and Russia. The result is moving toward efforts that rely more on U.S. allies and sanctions that are retooled in a way meant to mitigate impacts on ordinary citizens but could result in peeling back efforts meant to nudge outlaw regimes like Iran and North Korea. The U.S. imposed sanctions have had pronounced effects on the economies of Iran and Venezuela, but have yet to bring about political change policymakers hoped for. 'Our focus is on making sure that we're moving from unilateral action, which has been what has defined U.S. policy over the last four years, to really working with our partners,' a senior administration official told The Wall Street Journal, which reported the administration has 'nearly completed' its review. President Joe Biden's administration is nearing completion of a security review of U.S. sanctions policy against countries including Russia, Iran and North Korea The Treasury Department is leading a review that 'seeks to identify ways to promote a warranted, strategic, and judicious use of sanctions,' the department said this spring. The U.S. pressure, combined with that of European nations, has helped put Iran's economy into a tailspin amid the regime's processing of nuclear fuel, backing for proxy groups like Hezbollah, and efforts to develop its missile program. It has also impacted the sputtering economy in President Nicolas Maduro's Venezuela although the Treasury has sought to lift some sanctions in recognition of the ongoing humanitarian challenges. The U.S. has tried for years to use economic pressure to roll back North Korea's effort nuclear program Iran's new President-elect Ebrahim Raisi has said he won't meet with President Joe Biden nor negotiate over Tehran's ballistic missile program and its support of regional militias. U.S. and European sanctions have hammered Iran's economy Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) blasted a report on the sanctions developments and compared the moves to appeasement The administration loosened some restrictions on Venezuela to ease shipping of food and medical supplies, while dialing back others meant to bring pandemic relief to Iran (which had an early outbreak), Venezuela, and Syria. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas pounced on the report, having already been among a cohort of Republicans ripping Biden's decision to seek to put the Iran nuclear deal in place. 'Dems used to talk a lot about 'soft power' in foreign policy,' he tweeted Monday. 'After giving a multi-billion-dollar pipe line to Putin & offering the Ayatollah billions more, it seems Joe Biden has replaced that foreign policy w/ 'soft weakness.' Appeasement never works,' he added. Many of the tough unilateral sanctions were imposed by the Trump Administration, setting up a potential policy clash for 2022 and 2024. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been hammering Biden for going back to an Iran deal the Trump Administration tried to ditch. For years Democrats have promoted sanctions as an alternative tool to military action, but their effectiveness is subject to debate. The U.S. has steadily sanctioned Russia and even gone after top oligarchs over hacking and other issues, and President Biden pointedly raised cyberhacking with President Vladimir Putin. Experts believe the Russia-linked REvil group is behind the weekend's sweeping ransomware attack. Advertisement President Joe Biden is facing mounting pressure to lift blanket COVID-19 travel bans and quickly reopen the US borders to international tourists given vaccination rates are increasing and Americans can now travel freely to Europe. Travel industry and public health experts are among those urging the Biden administration to restart international travel because bans like the ones currently in place are 'no longer appropriate' and are decimating the economy. The US border remains closed to 26 European countries, the UK, Iran, China, South Africa, Brazil and India because of COVID-19 concerns. Some of the border bans - such as the ones imposed on the EU, UK and China - have not been updated since they were put in place back in March 2020 when the pandemic first took hold. Since then, COVID-19 vaccinations have accelerated and deaths and hospitalizations from the virus have drastically declined. While the Indian delta variant is now spreading rapidly and accounts for 26 percent of cases in the US, vaccines still appear to be highly effective in preventing deaths and hospitalizations. The EU reopened its borders to American tourists last month just in time for summer travel. President Biden is facing mounting pressure to lift blanket COVID-19 travel bans and quickly reopen the US borders to international tourists given the rising number of people being vaccinated against COVID-19. Pictured above is New York's JFK airport at the weekend. The EU reopened its borders to American tourists last month just in time for summer travel Travel industry and public health experts are among those urging the Biden administration to restart international travel given vaccination rates are rising and Americans can now freely travel to Europe Some of the border bans - such as the ones imposed on the EU, UK and China - have not been updated since they were put in place back in March 2020 when the pandemic first took hold. Since then, COVID-19 vaccinations have accelerated and deaths and hospitalizations from the virus have drastically declined COUNTRIES ON THE US RESTRICTED LIST UK Brazil Ireland China Austria Belgium Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland India Advertisement Pandemic restrictions on travel between Canada and the US loosened first the time on Tuesday with double-jabbed Canadian citizens and permanent residents now excused from 14 days of quarantine for essential travel. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said plans to totally reopen the US-Canada border will be announced in the coming weeks and a ban on non-essential trips will remain in place until at least July 21. The US, however, has made no similar announcements about lifting its restrictions for international tourists - prompting outrage from policy experts and the travel industry. At least 67 percent of adult Americans have received at least one COVID vaccine shot, which is short of Biden's 70 percent goal by July 4. Biden is now launching a neighborhood campaign in unvaccinated areas to boost the numbers. Some experts argue that there is a lack of consistency with the current bans given Americans - as well as some visa holders - are allowed to travel freely to most parts of the world and return back to the US. 'It's time to lift the blanket bans across the globe,' Steve Shur, who is president of the Travel Technology Association, told DailyMail.com. Shur, whose organization partners with travel agents, airlines and hotels, said the blanket ban is no longer relevant and should be 'risk-based' instead. 'It has to be based on risk a country level risk assessment. Blanket bans aren't appropriate at this stage,' he said. 'Given the rapid pace of vaccine rates, we think it's reasonable and feasible to ease some of the restrictions in parts of the world.' He argued that the ban between the US and the UK should be quickly lifted because both countries have similar vaccination rates. Fifty percent of the population in the UK have now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The US has fully vaccinated 47 percent of its population. The US border remains closed to 26 European countries, the UK, Iran, China, South Africa, Brazil and India because of COVID-19 concerns. Some of the border bans have not been updated since they were put in place back in March 2020 when the pandemic first took hold Infections are currently spiking in the UK due to the highly contagious delta variant. At the start of June, the UK was averaging 3,300 cases a day. That number has shot up to 24,000 cases per day as of this week - a 627 percent increase. The Biden administration has made no announcement about its plan to lift restrictions - prompting outrage from policy experts and the travel industry While experts believe the new Delta strain is more infectious, vaccines still appear to be highly effective in preventing hospital admissions and death. In the UK, for example, although there were 27,334 new cases of the virus yesterday, only nine people died. Meanwhile, 99 percent of people dying in the US have not been vaccinated, according to chief White House medical advisor Dr Anthony Fauci. Shur added that proof of vaccination, negative COVID tests and mask mandates are among the ways in which authorities can feasibly and safely lift travel bans for certain countries. 'Whatever is appropriate for the risk factor for each country in place of the blanket bans that are in place today,' he said. 'The lack of clarity from the administration on this topic has delayed the rollout of international travel. I know the administration is working on it but it's too late. The industry is really hoping for a road map.' Other experts say choosing which countries to add to the travel restriction list based on current outbreaks is nonsensical because the virus, including the delta variant, is likely already spreading throughout the country. India, South Africa and Brazil were only added to the travel ban list when variants of COVID-19 started to spike in those countries in recent months. Those bans weren't put in place until weeks after variants of the virus started spreading in countries such as the UK. Infections are currently spiking in the UK due to the highly contagious delta variant. While experts believe the new Delta strain is more infectious, vaccines still appear to be highly effective in preventing hospital admissions and death. While there were 27,334 new cases of the virus yesterday, nine nine people died 'It makes no sense, if you look at that list of countries, it's completely nonsensical,' said Lawrence Gostin, director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown Law, told The Hill. 'Even if you could accurately pick and choose, which you really can't, by the time you've implemented the policy it's changed. 'If we want to get anywhere near back to normal, we can't live in a bubble. We're going to have to start international travel, tourism and trade, as other countries recognize. But we want to do it safely.' Gostin said the safest way forward would be to ensure travelers have been fully vaccinated. 'I think using a vaccine passport system, and if somebody is not vaccinated then a very recent SARS-CoV-2 test result would be important, to make sure that the United States is safe,' he said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said as recently as last month that he couldn't confirmed n when international travel could be restored to the US. 'I can't put a date on it,' Blinken said on June 25 during a press conference with France's foreign minister. 'I can tell you we're working very actively on this right now, and we are like France, like our other partners in Europe both anxious and looking forward to restoring travel. 'But we have to be guided by the science. We have to be guided by medical expertise.' The White House has repeatedly refused to answer questions about lifting the travel ban. Experts say that behind the scenes the Biden administration is hesitant to allow travel from one of the banned countries without allowing it to resume from all of them including India, which is the most recent country to be added to the list. The number of new infections in Canada is at 13.5 per million people. Daily deaths in Canada are currently at 0.4 per million. The country has fully vaccinated 36 percent of its population and 32 percent have been partly vaccinated The number of deaths and cases per day remain low in Italy with 12 daily cases per million people and 0.4 deaths per million. Italy has fully vaccinated 34 percent of its population The number of daily cases in Spain have spiked since late last month. The country is now recording an average of 225 new cases per million people each day. Deaths, however, remain low with 0.4 fatalities per million people. Spain has vaccinated 41 percent of its population France's daily infections are currently at 35 per million people. Deaths are 0.4 per million. The country has fully vaccinated 33 percent of its population The number of infections in India has dropped considerably since the country was ravaged by a variant of the virus earlier this year. Currently, the country is recording 31 new cases per million, which is down from the record 283 per million in May. India has fully vaccinated 4.7 percent of its population Biden to launch neighborhood campaigns in unvaccinated areas after falling short of July 4 goal President Joe Biden on Tuesday will call for people to go door-to-door to spread the word about COVID vaccines after he fell short of his July 4 vaccination targets and cases tied to the Delta variant are on the rise. Biden will speak about the pandemic from the White House after he failed to hit his goal of having 70 percent of adults partially vaccinated by Independence Day. At least 67% of adult Americans have received one shot. Meanwhile cases tied to the Delta variant are at 26 percent. In his remarks, the president will described targeted efforts of 'door to door outreach to get the remaining Americans vaccinated,' according to a White House official. He will also push adolescents ages 12 to 18 can get vaccinated as they go for 'back to school' checks ups or get ready for fall sports. The White House official also pointed out that, by the end of the week, the U.S. will be nearing 160 million people fully vaccinated. Biden had set the 160 million mark as another July 4th goal. Advertisement It is only increasing the frustration among those within the travel industry who say one of the biggest issues is that they need time to prepare. Back in May, the CEOs of 22 major airlines begged Biden to give them a timeline that would allow them to reopen in July. They said there are multiple issues that need to be considered, including staffing airline routes, checking that fleets of planes that haven't been used for months are still safe, replacing thousands of rental cars that have been sold and bringing back hotel staff. The ban has also created a nightmare scenario for immigrants and families who have been separated since the restrictions were put in place 18 months ago. Canada, which banned all tourists from March 2020, loosened restrictions for the first time on Monday. Commercial air traffic has gone back and forth normally between the Canada and the US since the start of the pandemic. Canadians are able to fly into the US with a negative COVID-19 test and Americans can visit Canada to see relatives or close friends as outlined by a strict set of guidelines. But to do that, people entering Canada must quarantine for two weeks on arrival and the quarantine is enforced by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. 'We're very hopeful that we're going to see new steps on reopening announced in the coming weeks,' Prime Minister Trudeau said at a news conference in Ontario regarding the loosened restrictions. 'We're going to make sure that we're not seeing a resurgence of COVID-19 cases because nobody wants to go back to further restrictions, after having done so much and sacrificed so much to get to this point.' Julia Dunn, who landed at Toronto's Pearson International Airport from the US while on her way to Halifax, said she was glad the restrictions had eased. 'It's very freeing being able to get home to family without having to spend those two weeks alone,' she said. Dunn, a Canadian citizen but now lives in Houston, said she booked her trip to Canada after learning about the planned easing of quarantine rules a few weeks ago. Trudeau said he understands how eager people are to see the border reopen but noted that the pandemic continues and 'things aren't normal yet.' 'Nobody wants us to move too fast and have to reimpose restrictions as case numbers rise like we're seeing elsewhere in the world,' he said. 'We need to do this right.' A murder suspect has today appeared in court for a second time over the fatal stabbing of a 60-year-old man in central London. Prosecutors allege that Eritrean national Tedi Fant, 25, fatally stabbed Stephen Dempsey in a 'completely unprovoked' attack outside the Microsoft store in Oxford Circus on July 1. Mr Dempsey died in hospital following the incident, in which two heroic skateboarders are said to have intervened. One of the skateboarders is said to have used his board to subdue the alleged attacker. Today Fanta appeared at the Old Bailey via video-link from Wandsworth prison. Prosecutors allege that Eritrean national Tedi Fant, 25, fatally stabbed Stephen Dempsey in a 'completely unprovoked' attack outside the Microsoft store in Oxford Circus (pictured: Police at the scene) on July 1 He was wearing a grey prison-issue jumper and stood through most of the hearing. Speaking at the hearing The Recorder of London, Judge Mark Lucraft, QC, said: This is an allegation of murder by stabbing in Oxford Circus.' Fanta, of Elgin Street, Swansea, is charged with murder and possessing an offensive weapon. He was remanded in custody ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing on 21 September. Following the incident, police released an image of the two brave skateboarders and appealed for them to come forward. The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that the two men had 'led the intervention to apprehend the suspect following the attack'. Following the incident, police released an image of the two brave skateboarders and appealed for them to come forward However they said the men did not stay at the scene to speak with police. Detectives only discovered the 'key role' they played after reviewing CCTV and other video footage of the incident and its aftermath. Mr Dempsey's mother, Beryl Dempsey, later described the men's actions as 'heroic' and urged them to come forward and speak to police. French prosecutors are investigating claims that a Saudi prince kept seven employees in a state of modern-day slavery at an apartment he owned outside Paris. The inquiry for human trafficking was opened after the women, mostly from the Philippines aged 38 -51, filed complaints of modern-day slavery in October 2019, said the prosecutors' office in the suburb city of Nanterre. The maids had been recruited in Saudi Arabia and worked for the prince and his family for several years. They were allegedly paid the equivalent of 300 euros a month and said they were forced to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Saudi prince involved in the allegations has not been publicly named. (File photo) Saudi authorities announced late last year that it will introduce reforms of its long-criticised labour policy. Human rights groups have repeatedly called on the kingdom to abolish its 'kafala' sponsorship system, described by critics as a modern form of slavery that binds workers to their Saudi employers The prince and his family reportedly take regular holidays to France during the summers, and are known to bring employees with them on their journeys. A source close to the case who refused to be named said the women managed to escape during a recent trip to France. The alleged abuse occurred in 2008, 2013 and 2015 at the apartment in a Paris suburb. Some of the workers were required to sleep on the floor and barely had time to eat while serving the prince's four children, according to Le Parisien newspaper. The women claim they were subjected to various forms of humiliation and mistreatment over the years, including 'orders of attending to the employer's needs all day and night all week long, with no breaks.' They were allegedly 'starved, forced to eat leftovers and have to leave as soon as they are called for by their employers.' 'The first time we met with them, what was shocking to see was that they were hungry. They were crying with hunger,' Anick Fougeroux, president of the aid group SOS Esclaves ('Slaves'), told the paper. Prosecutors heard testimony from the women a few weeks ago, but the prince has yet to be questioned since he is not currently in France. It is unknown whether the prince has rights to diplomatic immunity, in which case prosecutors would likely be unable to arrest the prince or bring any charges against him. A Victorian coroner has finally been able to investigate the death of a teenage boy in Melbourne from a case of tuberculosis in its severest form. Mohamed Mussa spent more than a month on life support in the Royal Children's Hospital before dying from the disease, aged 15, in September 2005. His tuberculosis was advanced to such a state only seen in developing countries, Senior Constable Premala Thevar told the Victorian Coroners Court on Tuesday. Mohamed Mussa, 15, died in Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital (pictured) after more than a month on life support, suffering from an advanced form of tuberculosis Investigating nearly 16 years after the teen's death, coroner Phil Byrne said there had been delays as a result of a homicide investigation into the teen's father, Mahamoud Awali, who watched the hearing online. Morris O'Dell, a doctor with the coroners office, met with homicide detectives in November 2005 and concluded after reviewing the teen's medical files that it appeared to be a severe case of neglect. The homicide investigation remains open. The court heard Mohamed's younger brother, then 13, called an ambulance for help in July 2005 reporting that his brother was suffering dizziness, vomiting, extreme weight loss, ulcers on his body and a strong odour. He was taken to Northern Hospital where doctors initially believed Mohamed was suffering from acute anorexia. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis after being transferred to the RCH. Mohamed spent 39 days on life support. During that period the hospital reported difficulties in getting Mr Awali's consent for urgent medical treatment and having to coax him into visiting his son. The then-Department of Health and Human Services took the decision-making powers away from Mr Awali in late August 2005. They had been notified about the family six times in the previous five years, including about concerns Mr Awali would leave his sons in the care of a woman and disappear for periods of time without providing financial support. The two boys had moved to Melbourne with their father from Somalia in 1998, while their mother and three younger siblings stayed behind. Morris O'Dell, a doctor with the coroners office, concluded in November 2005 after reviewing the teen's medical files that it appeared to be a severe case of neglect The boys hadn't attended school for two years before Mohamed's death, Sen Const Thevar said. He was treated by a doctor for an ulcer on his face several weeks before he was hospitalised, but tuberculosis was undiagnosed at the time. Doctors determined had Mohamed been at school, he would have been significantly unwell enough to raise the attention of authorities and it was highly likely he would have received the necessary treatment. His brother said Mohamed had been showing symptoms since about February 2005. Senior Constable Premala Thevar told the coroners court that his tuberculosis was in such an advanced state, it was only seen in developing countries Mr Awali told hospital and DHHS staff he had been a nurse in Somalia and had firsthand experience treating tuberculosis patients. But he was unable to explain why he didn't get treatment for Mohamed. RCH doctor Sarath Ranganathan questioned Mr Awali's "apparent lack of parental concern" for Mohamed and noted it was highly unlikely the boy had only developed symptoms three weeks before he was hospitalised as his father had claimed. The coroner will hand down his findings at a later date. A 'peeping Tom' who has shot three times by the father of a 10-year-old girl after he was allegedly seen performing a sex act outside her bedroom window is facing criminal charges. Jorge Ramos, 44, has been charged with indecency with a child by exposure and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was shot three times in the torso by the unnamed man outside a gas station in northwest Harris County on June 28. He was caught after the parents heard their daughter scream when she heard a tap on the window and saw the man loitering outside their house around 10pm. A Texas father has shot a 'peeping Tom' who was seen masturbating outside the window of his 10-year-old daughter's bedroom (pictured), police have said The couple, who are licensed gun owners, headed outside on 15000 W. Little York to confront him. The father ordered the man to lie down on their yard until police arrived but he did not comply and fled across the street to a Valero gas station. There, the girl's mother held him at gunpoint as the father headed inside the gas station to ask them to call 911. But the suspect then started wrestling with the mother for her gun, disarming her and pointing it back in her direction. The husband immediately ran outside and fired at the man out of fear for the safety of his wife. The father ordered the man to lie down on their yard until police arrived but he did not comply and fled across the street to a Valero gas station Here, the girl's mother held him at gunpoint as the father headed inside the gas station to ask them to call 911 FOX26 reported Ramos allegedly tried to fire on the woman but the gun's safety catch was on. At the time, the girl's mother told KTRK-TV: 'She looks over at the window and this guy is at her window. He took my daughter's innocence away. 'We didn't want this guy to get shot. We were waiting for police to detain him because I'm pretty sure if he did this to my children, he's doing it to a lot of other children out here The husband immediately ran outside and fired at the man out of fear for the safety of his wife. Pictured: officers at the scene 'We are praying for the suspect and we are also praying for his family.' He was taken to the Memorial Hermann Hospital where he was in a critical but stable condition. He is still recuperating and is not yet in police custody. The case is being investigated by the Harris County District Attorney's Office. Australians desperate to dust off their passport may need to roll up their sleeves for a third coronavirus jab before they can travel overseas again, a leading expert has warned. The federal government has ramped up the nation's vaccination slow roll-out and last week outlined a four-phase transition towards living with Covid and finally ending the relentless cycle of lockdowns and border closures. More than 8.4 million vaccine doses have been administered since the rollout began in February. International travel has been off limits since March last year when Australia closed its borders, which aren't expected to reopen before mid-to-late 2022. Sydney-based epidemiologist Professor Mary-Louise McLaws has warned two jabs may not be enough for Australians to start packing their bags for overseas. She also fears Australians could still be banned from entering certain countries, depending on which vaccine they received. A third booster shot may be the passport to Australians travelling overseas again (pictured, a holidaymaker in Bali) Research has revealed a third booster shot may be required to be protected from the virus. 'With more research done and as we're learning more about Covid-19 it would appear we need a third shot, preferably around eight months,' Professor McLaws told Seven's The Latest on Tuesday night. 'It's a bit like the flu, in that we have a new flu shot each year because of the way it might change, and there's something called shift and drift. 'The way that the virus changes, and some years, it doesn't work well to last years, it doesn't work well to last year's influenza shot, and the same thing may happen with this one. 'So we have to be prepared to have maybe not just seasonal, which implies annual vaccines, but maybe for a couple of years, we might have to have them a bit sooner.' But she believes Australia should be focusing on ensuring everyone gets their first and second doses before looking at a third booster shot, with millions of Australians still waiting to book their first jab. Some countries more advanced in their immunisation rollout are already rolling out a third booster shot as research continues. Professor McLaws is aware of speculation some countries might not accept travellers who had had two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, including the US (pictured, Australians queue for a vaccine at Sydney's Olympic Park) 'In the UK, they're starting to roll out that third shot, and remember they mainly use AstraZeneca, like we do, for our over 60s, and they started rolling out in mid December,' Professor McLaws said. 'And so now is around the right time for them to start thinking about rolling out a booster shot.' Research is also continuing into whether recipients can 'mix and match' brands of vaccine. 'I think everybody will have to have a booster,' Professor McLaws said. 'The Oxford University researchers are having a look at different types of doses - so they're looking at different studies with the first dose being AstraZeneca or Pfizer and the second being a different one. 'And it looks like that mix and match could give you a better response.' Professor McLaws is aware of speculation some countries might not accept travellers who had had two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, including the US. 'I haven't seen anything absolutely definitive yet but this might fit in with everybody getting that third booster with Pfizer so that we can, of course, go into the US,' she said. More than 8.4 million vaccine doses have been administered since the rollout began in February (pictured, a man rolling up his sleeves at a vaccination hub in inner Sydney) Eduardo Zamora shot two police officers in Rio Bravo, a border town in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas A man who is suspected of shooting his ex-girlfriend dead and wounding two law enforcement agents at Texas gas station has been killed during a shootout with cops in Mexico after fleeing south of the border. Eduardo Zamora, 27, was wanted over the fatal shooting of Destiny Pemelton, 28, at a gas station in Harlingen on Friday Two officers who responded to the shooting - a Cameron County's sheriff's deputy who was filling his vehicle with gas and a U.S. Marshal who was at a nearby car wash - were also struck by the gunfire next to a Stripes convenience store. Zamora then fled the country, and was killed on Sunday in the Mexican border city of Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas, where he had been hiding out. According KVEO, the injured Marshal underwent surgery and is in recovery. The sheriff's deputy condition is not known. Eduardo Zamora was killed by cops during a shootout in the Mexican border town of Rio Bravo on Sunday. The 27-year-old was wanted in Harlingen, Texas, for reportedly gunning down his ex-girlfriend, Destiny Pemelton, 28, and wounding two law enforcement agents at a gas station next to a store last Friday Destiney Pemelton was killed last Friday at a gas station in Harlingen, Texas. Her alleged killer, ex-boyfriend Eduardo Zamora, wounded a Cameron County sheriff's deputy and a U.S. marshal before fleeing to Tamaulipas, Mexico. The Tamaulipas State Police Special Operations Group confronted Zamora at a house in the border town of Rio Bravo and killed him on Sunday Following the shooting, Zamora escaped in a black Audi, which was found abandoned outside the city before he fled to Mexico. Members of the Tamaulipas State Police Special Operations Group confronted Zamora at a house in the border town of Rio Bravo on Sunday. Zamora engaged the cops in a gun battle and struck two agents before he was shot and killed. One of the agents shot by Zamora remains in critical condition, authorities in Mexico said. Authorities have not provided any motives behind the killing of Destiny Pemelton, a mother-of-one who worked as a nurse. Eduardo Zamora, who is suspected of shooting his ex-girlfriend dead and wounding two law enforcement agents at Texas gas station last Friday, was killed during a shootout with cops in Mexico on Sunday after fleeing south of the border Officials have not provided any motives behind the killing of Pemelton, a mother-of-one who worked as a nurse. The Harlingen Police Department said in a statement Sunday: 'For the last few days, the department has been working diligently to locate and bring Eduardo Zamora to justice for the murder of 28-year-old Destiny Pemelton and the Aggravated Assaults of two male victims. 'Earlier today Mexican authorities confirmed that Zamora was killed in a confrontation with Mexican police in Rio Bravo. 'We are still gathering information from the Mexican authorities and we appreciate their cooperation with us. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this incident.' Japan has vowed to join the U.S. in defending Taiwan if it is invaded by China because - it said - Japan could be next. Deputy prime minister Taro Aso said on Monday that such an event in Taiwan could pose a threat to the Japanese city of Okinawa, Kyodo news agency reported. 'If a major problem took place in Taiwan, it would not be too much to say that it could relate to a survival-threatening situation [for Japan],' Aso said at a fundraising party by a fellow Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker. 'We need to think hard that Okinawa could be the next,' Aso was quoted by Kyodo as saying. A 'survival-threatening situation' refers to a situation in which an armed attack against a foreign country that is in a close relationship with Japan occurs, which in turn poses a clear risk of threatening Japan's survival. Such a situation is one of the conditions that need to be met for Japan to exercise its right of collective self-defence, or coming to the aid of an ally under attack. Aso's comments have angered Beijing, which regards Taiwan as its own territory. Japan has vowed to join the U.S. in defending Taiwan if it is invaded by China because - it said - Japan could be next. Deputy prime minister Taro Aso (pictured) said on Monday that such an event in Taiwan could pose a threat to the Japanese city of Okinawa, Kyodo news agency reported [File photo] China foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a regular news conference on Tuesday that Aso's remarks 'harmed the political foundation of China-Japan relations', and that China 'resolutely opposed' them. 'No one should underestimate the Chinese people's staunch resolve, firm will, and formidable ability to defend national sovereignty,' he said. China claims a group of Japanese-controlled islets in the East China Sea. The tiny uninhabited isles, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, are off Japan's southern island of Okinawa. Aso, asked about Japan's stance on the cross-strait issue at a news conference on Tuesday, said any contingency over Taiwan should be resolved through dialogue. 'We are closely monitoring the situation,' Aso, who doubles as finance minister, told reporters. China foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian (pictured) said at a regular news conference on Tuesday that Aso's remarks 'harmed the political foundation of China-Japan relations', and that China 'resolutely opposed' them [File photo] Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, when asked if Aso's Monday comment was in line with the government's stance, declined to comment, saying he was not aware of the Aso comment in detail, but reiterated Japan's official policy on the matter. 'Japan hopes the Taiwan issue will be resolved through direct dialogue between parties concerned in a peaceful manner. That has been our consistent stance,' the top government spokesman said. Taiwan is facing growing pressure from China, which claims the self-governing island off its east coast as its territory. The U.S. does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan under what is known as the one-China policy, but is legally bound by its own laws to ensure that Taiwan can defend itself, AP reported. Japan ceased to recognise Taiwan in 1972, but is a key U.S. ally in the Asia Pacific region. It firmly opposes Chinese advancement in the South China Sea. China, which has been ruled single-handedly by the Communist Party since 1949, says Taiwan must eventually come under its control and reserves the right to use force if necessary, according to AP. Poo transplants could treat Covid, scientists believe after two infected Polish men fought off the virus after the grisly procedure. Medical University of Warsaw doctors performed the transplant on the men for their C difficile infection. Coincidentally, they both had coronavirus. Both their symptoms of the virus disappeared within days, prompting the experts to speculate that the procedure could be a treatment. Doctors are now planning a clinical trial to find out if poo transplants may help stop the infection in its tracks. Poo transplants, or faecal microbiota transplants, aim to restore a healthy range of microbes in the gut to boost the bodys immune response. It involves transferring a processed mixture of liquid stool from a healthy donor into the patient's intestines through an endoscopy that enters the body through the anus, according to the NHS. The 80-year-old and 19-year-old men are the only two cases the doctors studied, so they are not sure whether it was the transplant that cured their Covid infection. But they speculated changes to the patients' gut microbiome benefited the immune system, leading to less severe Covid and a speedier recovery. Doctors in Poland gave two men faecal microbial transplants (FMT) to treat clostridioides difficile infections, but they also happened to have Covid and recovered quickly from the virus. The main symptoms of clostridioides difficile are diarrhoea, fever, a loss of appetite, feeling sick and stomach pain WHAT IS A FAECAL MICROBIOTA TRANSPLANT? A faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) is the transfer of stool from a healthy donor into the intestines of a patient. WHAT CAN IT TREAT? It is most commonly used to treat a Clostridioides difficile infection - spread by bacterial spores found within faeces. It is 90 per cent effective. It can also be used to treat gastrointestinal conditions such as colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and constipation - but success rates are much lower. FMT can replenish bacterial balance as it acts like a probiotic, with samples of faeces often containing up to 1,000 different species of bacteria. HOW IS IT PERFORMED? The transplant is done via tubes - inserted into the nostril, down the throat and into the stomach - or directly into the colon. However, the faecal sample can also be transplanted through enemas or pills containing freeze-dried material. IS IT SAFE? There have been reports of patients showing unexpected weight gain after treatment, bouts of vomiting and even abdominal pain. However, the long-term safety and effectiveness of FMT is relatively unknown, and researchers have called for more studies to determine the risks. Advertisement Doctors said in a study, published in the journal Gut, that they gave two patients a FMT, who coincidentally had Covid and were not yet showing symptoms. The men required the procedure to treat clostridioides difficile, which is a bacteria that can infect the bowel and can cause chronic diarrhoea. Patients either get antibiotics to kill the bacteria, an FMT, or in rare cases a section of their bowel may need to be removed. The researchers concluded FMT appears to be a safe treatment for Covid patients, but said it is unclear whether the procedure worked because symptoms can vanish on their own for the majority. Both patients were at risk of getting severe Covid because the 80-year-old man had several underlying conditions, while the teenager was immunosuppressed, meaning he struggles to fight infections. But both of them only experienced a mild infection, so the doctors think the poo transplant could have mitigated the virus. The older patient received the stool transplant because he had pneumonia and sepsis, as well as clostridioides difficile. Two days after the transplant, his Covid symptoms had disappeared. Although doctors noted that he also received coronavirus drug remdesivir and an antibody treatment - both of which might have helped. The teenager also recovered quickly from the virus, despite not taking any treatments for it. The doctors said two other cases have been reported where people with the virus have had the poo transplant, and those patients also rapidly recovered from Covid. The experts speculated that changes to the patients' gut microbiome benefited the immune system, leading to less severe Covid and a speedier recovery. They said they will begin recruiting participants for a clinical trial that will compare normal care with people who also receive a poo transplant. Advertisement A Russian tourist and her friend were randomly attacked on a trendy Manhattan sidewalk while aLime scooter passenger opened fire outside a Harlem bodega in the latest violent incidents to hit New York during a summer of bloodshed. Police this week released footage of the two attacks which happened last month. The first video shows two women strolling along West 15th Street near Eighth Avenue when a thug grabs one of them, a 31-year-old tourist, before tossing her into a scaffolding pole. She hits then floor, before he drags her along the sidewalk as her friend, 33, desperately tries to fight him off. The suspect tried to snatch the tourist's purse but she managed to hold onto it before he punched the older woman in the face and fled, the NY Post reported, citing police sources. Both women were treated in hospital after the incident at around 9.30pm on June 26. The second shows two men riding the scooter down Second Avenue near East 115th Street at 3.35pm on June 13 when the passenger fires at least one shot at a group of men gathered outside the corner store, as customers at a nearby deli flee in terror. The second video shows two women strolling along West 15th Street near Eighth Avenue when a thug grabs one of them, a 31-year-old tourist, before tossing her into a scaffolding pole. She hits then floor He drags the tourist along the sidewalk as her friend, 33, desperately tries to fight him off. The suspect tried to snatch the tourist's purse but she managed to hold onto it before he punched the older woman in the face and fled Both women were treated in hospital after the incident at around 9.30pm on June 26. Pictured is a camera still of the suspect Police are still hunting two men for reckless endangerment over the Lime scooter shooting, which involved a handgun and did not cause any injuries, police said. The suspects - which were still on the loose early Tuesday - were last seen heading southbound on Second Avenue before turning right onto East 116th Street, NYPD said. It comes as violent crime continues to spike in the Big Apple, jumping by a quarter over the past year, according to police data. Shootings in New York City have surged by 43 percent in the past year, while murders are up 12 percent. At least 26 people were shot in NYC on Saturday and Sunday amid the bloody crime epidemic. Two men shot in the Bronx in separate incidents on Sunday died. Meanwhile, a 19 year-old woman is fighting for her life after being shot in the chest by a man dressed in black while she and her boyfriend walked through Harlem on Sunday night. Police unions say a $1billion cut in the policing budget Mayor Bill de Blasio made last summer to appease 'defund the police' activists is behind the surge in violence. Footage released by NYPD shows two men riding the scooter down Second Avenue near East 115th Street at 3.35pm on June 13 The passenger fires at least one shot at a group of men gathered outside the corner store, as customers at a nearby deli flee The Lime scooter shooting suspects (pictured) - which were still on the loose early Tuesday - were last seen heading southbound on Second Avenue before turning right onto East 116th Street Writing for DailyMail.com in April, Ed Mullins, the president of the 13,000 member New York City Sergeants Benevolent Association, said: 'The 2020 'reform' package has done nothing but kneecap the police and increase violent crime to levels not seen since the early 1990s.' However, De Blasio Friday tried to play down his role in fueling the upsurge in violence, claiming it was part of a wider phenomenon that was being seen in major cities across America as it emerges out of lockdown. 'A number of other American cities unfortunately are going through much, much worse [crime spikes], and that's where that [federal relief] money was targeted,' he said. There is also anger that a new $98.7bn city budget adopted last week boosts the NYPD budget just $200m, which is far less summer's cut. On Monday a man launched an unhinged attack on a line of carriage horses in Central Park, punching and kicking the defenseless animals while threatening to stab bystanders. The attack took place on Monday just before noon inside Central Park near West 59th Street and Sixth Avenue, the New York Post reported. A madman took out his rage on a line of carriage horses in Central Park on Monday, punching and kicking the defenseless animals while threatening to stab bystanders Thankfully, Mary's driver Henry Kaya was able to intervene and moved his horse out the way. 'He raised his hand to punch my horse but I pulled my horse back so he could barely touch my horse,' Kaya said Drivers with the Hansom cab carriage company say they saw the suspect talking to himself and washing his shirt in the horses' drinking water before he approached an 11-year-old Gypsy/Morgan cross named 'Dennis.' He began cursing at the animal before suddenly slugging the gentle creature in the face, said the drivers. 'With his wet shirt wrapped around his hand, he punched Dennis in the face!' driver Nurettin Kirbiyik, 47, told Fox News. 'I look away, I was scared, I didn't want to look at him.' The unnamed attacker then targeted a second horse, launching a kick at it, before aiming a punch at a third horse, a 16-year-old dark brown mare named 'Mary.' Thankfully, Mary's driver Henry Kaya was able to intervene and moved his horse out the way. 'He raised his hand to punch my horse but I pulled my horse back so he could barely touch my horse,' Kaya told the New York Post. Before storming off the man threatened to punch Kaya and told the driver 'I have a knife', Kaya said. A still from his cell phone footage captured the man launching his fist at a defenseless horse. Surveillance footage reveals the man who slashed a 23-year-old woman who ignored his catcalls in Times Square early Friday morning At one point the man put on a safety vest he picked up from the ground and claimed, 'He was stabbing me in the back, your friend,' while gesturing with his arm, the Post reported. Kaya and another driver, Mario Angelucci, tracked the man down and confronted him from a distance. 'Why are you hitting my horse? It's a poor animal!' Kaya yelled at the man. Kaya says he told passersby to call the police as the man walked away. He called 911 and showed his video to the cops who told him they recognized the man as someone who hangs out in Times Square, he said. But the NYPD reportedly marked the case as unfounded because of a lack of evidence, the Post reported. Angelucci blamed the situation on mayor Bill de Blasio. 'De Blasio really turned this place into a mess,' he told Fox News. 'He was supposed to clean this up!' New surveillance footage shows the moment a man opened fire in Times Square Sunday night. A marine was killed by a stray bullet United States Marine Samuel Poulin, 21, was waling with relatives through the iconic NYC landmark when he was hit Most recently a woman was slashed in the chest and hand after ignoring a mans catcalls in Times Square last Friday. That incident came a week after a U.S. Marine was hit by a stray bullet after two CD vendors got into a fight and one opened fire. In response to the incidents, de Blasio said he is increasing police presence in the area, deploying 'dozens' more police officers, some of whom will be in plain clothes, to engage with street vendors. But critics still fault the mayor for the ever-rising tide of crime, citing the politician's anti-police sentiment. 'It's a direct result of far-left policy being put into action,' Rep Nicole Malliotosist, the city's sole Republican in Congress told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview. 'The bail reform law has been a disaster,' he said. 'People with extensive criminal histories are arrested for major crimes and then released and are back out on the streets.' Crime in New York City. Based in NYPD Report covering the week of 6/28/2021 through 7/4/2021 and compared to the same week last year And Ed Mullins, president of the NYPD's Sergeant Benevolent Association added: 'Nobody is talking about why this is happening. You have to address the real problems, enforce laws, have District Attorneys prosecute crimes and have bail that actually works. 'The cops aren't allowed to do anything,' added Mullins. 'This administration doesn't want confrontation. They're afraid of any backlash, any protests. 'The police department is trying to appease the people who are violating the law, but we're learning that appeasement doesn't work.' Last week thousands of homeless people were finally moved into shelters from hotels in Midtown Manhattan where they were housed during the pandemic, with NYPD linking their presence to a spike in crimes. The police precinct that includes Times Square and many of the hotel homeless shelters has seen a 183 percent spike in felony assaults and 173 percent spike in robberies so far this year compared to 2020, according to NYPD data. Last week thousands of homeless people were finally moved into shelters from hotels in Midtown Manhattan where they were housed during the pandemic, with NYPD linking their presence to a spike in crimes. Pictured is the Kixby Hotel on Tuesday For months residents living near the hotels have implored the city to relocate the homeless people who they blame for bringing crime and drug use right outside their front doors, with a 'drug corridor' emerging between Penn Station and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Latest official figures show murders citywide are up 12 percent from 189 at this time last year to 212 so far in 2021. Rapes are up from 650 to 684 in the year to June 27. Felony assaults are up from 9,399 to 10,045. The most dramatic crease is in gun violence, with incidents up 43 percent from 503 to 718 and those injured or killed up 36 percent from 606 to 826. In just one week - from Wednesday, June 23 through Tuesday, June 29 - all five boroughs of New York City were plagued by chilling murders, drive-by shootings, nightly wildings in Washington Square Park and smaller random acts of violence. US streets were bathed in blood over Independence Day weekend with 142 killed in 379 separate shootings, with Chicago and Philadelphia among the locations worst-hit. Chicago suffered the greatest bloodshed, with at least 92 shootings over the long weekend. That saw 16 killed and 76 injured. Liverpool's mass-testing regime could be deployed for other viral outbreaks besides Covid, scientists say. Number 10 launched a swabbing blitz in the city last November, which saw the Army drafted in to help run testing centres. The success of the scheme the first step of the Government's ambitious Operation Moonshot encouraged ministers to offer asymptomatic testing nationwide. Fresh modelling released today showed Liverpool's mass-testing regime helped cut the spread of coronavirus by around a fifth. Asked if the scheme may be used again in the future, one of the infectious disease experts behind the trial admitted it was possible. Scientists said the mass testing scheme cut infections in Liverpool by a fifth up to the start of December, but after this it became difficult to estimate the impact because shops and pubs reopened when the city moved to Tier Two. The graph above shows average case in Liverpool (yellow line) and across the country in places where there was no mass testing (yellow line). The shaded areas around the lines show the range case rates per 100,000 people covered Professor Calum Semple said: 'I do see future scenarios but it might not be with Covid, it might be with another virus.' The SAGE adviser urged ministers to give public health leaders the power to launch mass testing during other disease outbreaks. Liverpool's testing blitz relied on lateral flow kits, which are less accurate than gold-standard PCR tests but give results within 30 minutes. PCRs, which take up to 24 hours to return a diagnosis, were only given to those with symptoms or who had already tested positive using lateral flows. More than half of Liverpool's population (57 per cent) took part in the study, although people from poorer areas were least likely to get a test. Results showed 6,300 people of 283,338 people who used lateral flows during the study period tested positive (or 2.1 per cent). PCR tests spotted 22,567 coronavirus cases out of 152,609 tests completed (14.8 per cent). Scientists claimed lateral tests shaved a day off the time taken to spot positive cases, allowing infected people to isolate earlier. And analysis of the data unveiled at a press briefing for science journalists today suggested the swabbing blitz prevented up to 9,000 cases. Professor Calum Semple said the mass testing scheme could be used in other pandemics Department of Health data showed Liverpool's Covid cases fell by almost 70 per cent in the first month of the study, from 201 to 64 cases a day by early December. But in January amid the second wave of the pandemic they surged upwards, with more than 775 registered a day at the start of the month. Experts struggled to work out exactly how well the testing campaign worked after the city was moved into Tier Two of local restrictions in mid-December, after the national lockdown. At that time, cases began to soar because shops, pubs and restaurants reopened. The more transmissible Kent 'Alpha' variant also started to take hold. But the team insisted the scheme was 'hugely valuable' and helped spot infected people who may have unknowingly been spreading the virus. Liverpool's director of public health Matthew Ashton said the research could be used when managing future outbreaks. 'We hope our learning can be used by Governments here and abroad, not just in managing Covid-19 but also in future pandemics,' he said. 'The Covid testing pilot was cutting edge public health work in action and a substantial number of people in the city embraced it. 'It helped cement regular testing as a way of identifying those with the virus who would have been unknowingly spreading it to others, and contributed to the fall in the infection rate we saw in Liverpool over the course of the pilot. 'It proved to be hugely valuable at a point in time when the vaccines had not yet been rolled out. 'It also reinforced challenges we face across all areas of public health, such as how to reach those in deprived areas, and helped us to work together with partners to address them.' Parents have accused America's top high school of a 'purge' after slashing its intake of Asian American students by 20 percent because 'they are the wrong minority.' Anti-Critical Race Theory campaigner Asra Nomani, whose child graduated from the school this year, claims Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) in Virginia is making race a factor in the admissions criteria and discriminating against Asian children. She said TJ, which ranked the number one school nationwide in the US News Best High Schools report in April and as a public school has no tuition fees, has 'systematically set out to reduce' the number of Asian students joining. Admissions data shows the class of 2025 has become increasingly diverse with black students making up 7 percent of the year group, up from just 1 percent for the class of 2021. The proportion of Hispanic students increased from 3 percent to 11 percent while white students climbed from 18 percent to 22 percent. Asian students continue to make up the majority at 54 percent of the class. However, this marks a major decrease from 73 percent of the class of 2021 - a decline Nomani said is down to 'new racist standards' in the admissions process. America's top high school has slashed the number of Asian American students by 20 percent as parents accused educators of making race a factor in the admissions criteria. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) above In an opinion piece for the Washington Post, co-authored by Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Erin Wilcox, Nomani said the school's updated admissions criteria was aimed at 'dramatically reducing the number of qualified Asian American students admitted to TJ.' They claimed that the school's majority Asian school body was the 'wrong kind of minority' in the eyes of the school. 'Over the past year, TJ and Fairfax County Public Schools officials have systematically set out to reduce the number of Asian American students at the highly regarded high school and based on the most recent admissions data, their purge is succeeding,' they wrote. 'This past year, school leaders bemoaned a lack of 'diversity' at TJ and launched a crusade to change admissions. 'The student body is about 80 percent minority, but the wrong kind of minority for school officials, with about 70 percent Asian and about 10 percent of the minority students black, Hispanic and multiracial.' The so-called 'purge' that begun with this year's admissions is not due to Asian students being less qualified but because race is now a factor in the decisions, they said. 'When we describe this as a purge against Asian American students by leaders at TJ and Fairfax County Public Schools, that is not rhetorical excess. It's an accurate interpretation of what's happening based on the hard dat,' they wrote. 'The number of Asian American students isn't dropping because they're less qualified; it's dropping because the school has rejiggered the process to make race a factor in the decisions.' TJ revised its admissions process last year at a time when the nation was demanding racial justice and equality following George Floyd's murder. Changes included scrapping the admissions test and the $100 application fee in an effort to remove some of the barriers to access for some students including special education students, students eligible for free and/or reduced-price meals, and English Learners. Parent and anti-Critical Race Theory campaigner Asra Nomani (pictured) claimed Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) in Virginia is 'purging' Asian students from its future class intakes The school also raised the minimum grade point average (GPA) with the average GPA for 2025 applicants at 3.9 - higher than every other year over the last five years. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Scott Brabrand called the system a 'merit lottery' but the move sparked protests from some unhappy parents. Nomani and Wilcox claimed the changes amount to the tossing out of the school's 'merit-based, race-blind admissions exam and other rigorous standards.' 'District leaders set out to change that by re-engineering the school's famously strict and competitive admission standards,' they wrote. 'Tossing the merit-based, race-blind admissions exam and other rigorous standards, they instituted a 'holistic' admissions process with quotas and subjective criteria, such as 'experience factors,' that would allow them to achieve a more 'equitable' and desirable racial balance at TJ. 'It was clear that the new standards were aimed at a particular result: dramatically reducing the number of qualified Asian American students admitted to TJ.' Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Scott Brabrand called the system a 'merit lottery' but the move sparked protests from some unhappy parents in September Parents are suing over the 'unconstitutional' changes to the admissions process at the top school They slammed the 'new racist standards' which 'actively discriminate' against Asian students and 'water[ing] down' the school's focus on merit. 'We warned that the slippery new standards were not only designed to actively discriminate against Asian American students, but would also end up watering down the school's long-standing commitment to achievement through hard work and merit,' they wrote. Nomani and Wilcox pointed to the data which shows the percentage of Asian students was 'slashed' while 'the percentage of blacks and Hispanics increased as it did for white students.' Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Erin Wilcox (pictured) is representing the parents in a suit against the school board As well as being a parent of a 2021 TJ graduate, Nomani is the cofounder of Coalition for TJ, a group of parents campaigning against the admissions changes at the school. The group, represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation, filed a federal lawsuit in March against the Fairfax County School Board over the 'unconstitutional' changes to the admissions process. The suit claims the new admission standards violate the constitutional right of Asian children to equal protection by discriminating against them based on their race. DailyMail.com has reached out to the school for comment on the accusations. Despite the changes to the admissions process, the school's website insists it is still 'merit based and race blind.' 'The new admissions process continues to be merit based and is race blind,' it says. 'Students are allocated a number by which to be identified during the process. 'Admissions evaluators do not know the race, ethnicity, or gender of any applicant.' TJ has been named the top US school for the last three years in the US News Best High Schools and counts New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, novelist Ian Caldwell and journalist Lisa Desjardins among its alumni. The clash between parents and the school and school board comes amid a similar debate surrounding the admission of students at Harvard University (above) The clash between parents and the school and school board comes amid a similar debate surrounding the admission of students at Harvard University. Harvard is being sued by a group that claims it imposes a 'racial penalty' on Asian American applicants by systematically scoring them lower in some categories than other applicants and awarding 'massive preferences' to black and Hispanic applicants. Harvard denies that it discriminates against Asian American applicants and says its consideration of race is limited. Lower courts sided with the university but the plaintiffs, a group called Students for Fair Admissions and anti-affirmative action activist Edward Blum, appealed the decision. Last month, the Supreme Court asked the Biden administration to give its views on whether the justices should hear the challenge. A body recovered from a shore in Suffolk County is believed to be that of a missing boat passenger who was involved in a Long Island jetty crash that occurred early Monday morning. Jack Benjamin, 25, of Farmingville, was operating the boat in the Great South Bay in Sayville around 1 a.m. Monday, when he crashed into a Long Island jetty, sending 26-year-old Nelson Matos flying overboard, according to Suffolk County police. Benjamin was arrested and charged with boating while intoxicated following the crash. According to police, Matos was not wearing a life jacket and was thrown overboard as a result of the crash. Jack Benjamin, 25, of Farmingville, (pictured) was operating the boat in the Great South Bay in Sayville around 1 a.m. Monday, when he crashed into a Long Island jetty, sending 26-year-old Nelson Matos flying overboard, according to Suffolk County police A body recovered from a shore in Suffolk County is believed to be that of a missing boat passenger who was involved in a Long Island jetty crash that occurred early Monday morning. Pictured in this photo, divers recover a body from the Great South Bay in Sayville on Tuesday afternoon Nelson Matos, 26, was presumed missing after a Long Island jetty crash sent him flying overboard. Pictured in this photo, the Great South Bay in Sayville where the incident occurred Following the crash, Benjamin and a female passenger were transported to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore where they were treated and released. 'The boat all of a sudden stopped,' Benjamin wrote in a statement to police while at hospital. 'I fell onto my knees. Everyone was screaming. A short time later, the police and ambulance came. Everyone got off the boat. I couldn't see Nelson. My sister yelled, 'Where's Nelson?'' During his court appearance on Tuesday, Benjamin had slurred speech and was unsteady, according to prosecutors. He refused to submit to blood test at the hospital, and a warrant obtained for a blood test. Results are pending. According to prosecutors, Benjamin told officers he had a few drinks and was driving everybody home the morning of the crash. Jack Benjamin, 25, of Farmingville, (pictured) was arrested and charged with boating while intoxicated following the crash in the Great South Bay in Sayville Benjamin and Matos were in school together since kindergarten. His attorney said the only thing Benjamin is thinking about is Matos and his friend's family Benjamin's license was suspended and he is being held until an arraignment that is scheduled for Tuesday Suffolk County Police officers, along with personnel from multiple fire departments and the United States Coast Guard, conducted a broad search for Matos' body. On Tuesday afternoon, a search team recovered a body near the jetty where the incident happened, but have not confirmed the body is Matos. The three additional passengers on boat were not hurt. Benjamin and Matos were in school together since kindergarten. His attorney said the only thing Benjamin is thinking about is Matos and his friend's family. His license was also suspended and he is being held until an arraignment that is scheduled for Tuesday. Pfizer and Moderna's Covid vaccines are both effective against the troublesome Lambda variant, scientists believe. The mutant strain has now been spotted in 31 countries and some doctors fear it is more transmissible than any existing versions. But in a glimmer of hope, academics in New York say data suggests the variant is still susceptible to vaccines. New York University Grossman School of Medicine researchers found antibodies triggered by MRNA jabs still neutralised the Lambda variant in laboratory studies. It is not proof the jabs definitely work in thwarting the strain but the scientists are confident. Both Pfizer's and Moderna's vaccines are based on mRNA technology, which had never been used to make jabs until the Covid pandemic. The mutant strain caught the attention of World Health Organization bosses after it was spotted in the UK, US and Germany. Thought to have originated in Peru last summer, it quickly spiralled and now makes up 80 per cent of the South American country's cases. Doctors monitoring its growth fear it spreads easier than other strains, including the Indian version that has caused havoc across the world. But coronavirus-tracking scientists are puzzled about the true transmissibility of the variant, given it was first spotted in Britain and February and has yet to take off. They have yet to uncover any proof the variant is actually any more contagious than existing strains, including Delta or 'Delta Plus'. Experts told MailOnline the variant is no reason to cancel or delay Freedom Day in the UK on July 19. Others also insist there is no evidence to suggest it is deadlier, despite some doctors linking its spread to Peru having the world's worst Covid mortality rate. The new study, published in a preprint on BioRxiv, offers more hope the variant may not be any more dangerous than other strains already circulating. Researchers tested samples of the Lambda variant against vaccine-elicited antibodies and ones triggered by powerful drugs the experimental therapy given to President Donald Trump during his hospital stay with Covid last year. It showed while the variant 'showed a partial resistance' to the antibodies created by the vaccines, the resistance 'is not likely to cause a significant loss of protection against infection'. Pfizer and Moderna's Covid vaccines are effective against the Lambda variant, which has now been spotted in 31 countries, a study by the New York University Grossman School of Medicine has shown The New York University study authors wrote: 'The results suggest that the vaccines in current use will remain protective against the lambda variant and that monoclonal antibody therapy will remain effective. 'The findings highlight the importance of wide-spread adoption of vaccination which will protect individuals from disease, decrease virus spread and slow the emergence of novel variants.' Australia became the latest country to detect Lambda, it was revealed today. But the case also dates back several months. The variant was detected in a traveller stuck in hotel quarantine in New South Wales in April, according to the national genomics database AusTrakka. There is no evidence to suggest the strain has already started to spread among the community in Australia, officials say. The strain, also known to experts as C.37, is a 'variant of interest' because of its high transmissibility. Professor Pablo Tsukayama, of Cayetano Heredia University in Lima, said the strain had 'exploded' in the country and was now responsible for 82 per cent of cases. The Lambda variant: Is it REALLY the world's most transmissible strain? Name: Lambda or C.37 Where was it first spotted? The strain was first sequenced in Peru in August 2020. How many cases have there been in the UK? Britain has sequenced seven cases of the variant. Only one has been spotted in the last four weeks, with the strain making up less than 0.1 per cent of infections during the period. Where else has it been spotted? The variant has been spotted in 30 other countries, including the US, Australia and Germany. What mutations does it have? It has two concerning mutations on its spike protein known as L452Q and F490S. The mutations are feared play a role in making it more infectious and able to dodge some immunity. Is it more infectious? Scientists in Peru have claimed the mutation is more infectious because of its rapid spread in the country. But there is no significant proof the virus is actually any more contagious than existing strains, including Delta. Is it more deadly? Experts insist there is no evidence to suggest it is deadlier, despite some doctors linking its spread to Peru having the world's worst Covid mortality rate. Advertisement He told the Financial Times it made up just one in every 200 samples back in December, when it was first spotted. Professor Tsukayama said: 'That would suggest its rate of transmission is higher than any other variant.' But other experts have sought to dial down concerns over the variant, saying there is no evidence it is more of a threat than other variants. Professor David Livermore, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, said the New York University study indicates there is 'no good reason for special concern' around the variant. He told MailOnline it is unlikely the variant is as transmissible as some have said, because it would have overtaken the Delta variant in the UK if that was the case. Professor Livermore said: 'Clearly we need to keep an eye on new variants. But, so far, there is no evidence of major spread of Lambda outside Peru itself and Chile. 'Peru has the highest Covid death rate worldwide, however it now has a falling trend of cases and deaths and the Brazilian "Gamma" variant is more prevalent elsewhere in South America. 'So Im underwhelmed by claims that its a "sudden new threat", or is "running riot" there. 'I have seen press assertions that Lambda "might" evade vaccines, but can find no evidence to support this claim in the scientific literature rather [this study] indicates that it is neutralised by both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, with only a small reduction in binding. 'Whats more, if did escape vaccines and was highly transmissible, why has it failed to expand in the UK whereas the vaccine-covered "Delta" Indian variant has expanded so strongly in recent weeks? 'In short, it needs watching, but no good reason for special concern. It is very definitely not a reason to delay the UKs Freedom Day.' And Jairo Mendez Rico, an adviser on emerging viral diseases at the Pan-American Health Organisation, told the FT: 'At the moment there is no evidence to suggest it's more aggressive than other variants. 'It's possible that it has a higher rate of contagion but more work needs to be done on it.' The head of Britain's largest centre sequencing Covid genomes, Dr Jeffrey Barrett, said it was difficult to 'make sense' of the threat from the variant. He told the FT: 'One reason why it is hard to make sense of the threat from Lambda, using computational or lab data, is that it has rather an unusual set of mutations compared with other variants.' University of Queensland virologist Kirsty Short said more research was needed before classifying Lambda as more infectious than the Delta variant. 'It's very preliminary,' said Dr Short told the ABC. 'It's a good starting point, but I certainly wouldn't infer anything from that into the clinic.' The mutant strain carries the mutation L452Q, which scientists say makes it more transmissible. It is similar to the L452R mutation in the Delta and Epsilon variants which researchers believe make it more infectious. Fears about its severity were first raised by the Malaysian Health Ministry, local news sites claimed. It reportedly tweeted yesterday: 'The Lambda strain was reported to have originated from Peru, the country with the highest mortality rate in the world.' It noted that researchers are worried that this variant may be 'more infectious than the Delta variant'. Public Health England made Lambda a 'variant under investigation' in June after six cases were detected in returned travellers. Two new cases have since been detected in the UK. Sequencing in the Peru and neighbouring Chile, where the most cases of the strain have been recorded, is poor compared to the UK and US. The strain only accounts for 0.3 per cent of infections in the US and less than 0.1 per cent in Britain. Ohio's Mike DeWine became the sixth GOP governor to send reinforcements to help secure the southern border as he announced 185 National Guard will deploy Ohio became the latest state to send in reinforcements to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border as Republican governors claim Joe Biden is failing in his effort to address the border crisis. Governor Mike DeWine announced Friday he is mobilizing 185 members of the Ohio Army National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border in response to a request from the Department of Homeland Security and National Guard Bureau to help support efforts at the border. The announcement comes after five other states with Republican governors have already committed to sending law enforcement and National Guard to assist in the prevailing crisis. South Dakota, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska and Arkansas have already announced they are sending in reinforcements. Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, both Republicans, asked every state to send law enforcement to help secure the border. They also requested the officials assist in making arrests of migrants who illegally crossed the border. The move to send reinforcements to the border comes as the GOP ramps up its criticism of this administration over its handling of the crisis there, which has seen a record number of illegal crossings in the months after Biden took office. Less than one-third of Americans approve of Joe Biden's handling of mass migration at the U.S.-Mexican border as immigration activists slam Republicans for conducting an insurrection by sending reinforcements south to help with the crisis. Six states with Republican governors, South Dakota, Florida, Arkansas, Ohio, Iowa and Nebraska are sending law enforcement and National Guard members to the southern border A WashingtonPost-ABC News poll conducted June 27-30 shows 51 per cent of adults are not happy with the president's response to the situation at the border, while only 33 per cent of the 907 respondents say they approve of its handling. The survey, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, notes other areas where the president is succeeding, including his response to the coronavirus pandemic and overall approval rating. He also fell short, however, when it comes to rising crime in the U.S., with 10 per cent more respondents claiming they disapprove of Biden's handling of that issue over those who approve, 48 per cent to 38 per cent. The low numbers on immigration issues come as Customs and Border Protection revealed that there were more than 180,000 encounters in May alone, which is the highest month-long number in 20 years. Biden's dismal showing also comes as a growing list of Republican governors announced they will send reinforcements down to the U.S. border with Mexico to help with the growing crisis and spiking number of illegal crossers. Republican Governors Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Ron DeSantis of Florida, Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska and Kim Reynolds of Iowa are all sending law enforcement officers to the southern border. DeWine became the latest to join when announcing on Friday that the 185 Ohio National Guard Soldiers will join the estimated 3,000 troops already stationed along the border in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas borders. Noem announced last week that she will send up to 50 South Dakota National Guard troops to Texas in an effort to increase border security. A new poll released Sunday shows only 33% of Americans approve of Biden's handling of the border and more than half think the president is not handling the migration crisis well The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) sent a letter to the White House on Sunday demanding Biden to block governors from sending assistance to secure the Texas border. 'We told the president in no uncertain terms, this is an insurrection by recalcitrant and rebellious states that must be stopped,' Domingo Garcia, national president of LULAC, told the Washington Times. Abbott, a Trump ally, claims Biden's government has failed in securing U.S. borders and is relying too much on states to do the job for them. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem announced she will send at least 50 National Guard troops to assist with the border crisis In response, Abbott ordered the Lone Star State's police and National Guard to respond and has vowed to continue construction on Trump's border wall with his state's money. Abbott and Trump held a briefing on border security last Wednesday and surveyed an unfinished part of the former president's border wall in McAllen, Texas, which is part of the Rio Grande Valley where a massive amount of illegal crossings occur. The trip came five days after Vice President Kamala Harris finally visited the border after three months of pressure from critics who said she can't effectively address the crisis without visiting ground zero. Instead of going to the main issue area in the Rio Grande, however, Harris visited El Paso, Texas, leading to more criticism from Republicans for her choice of location. Governor Noem drew a distinction between her decision to send the National Guard to the border and other governors who are sending state police officers. 'The border is a national security crisis that requires the kind of sustained response only the National Guard can provide,' she said in a statement. 'We should not be making our own communities less safe by sending our police or Highway Patrol to fix a long-term problem President Biden's Administration seems unable or unwilling to solve. Abbott's new push to build more barriers along the border has been criticized as political theater, but he has defended the plan, saying the number of border crossers remains high. The governor said he will use $250 million in state money and crowdsourced financing for the barriers, although the timeline and cost for the push are unclear. It also faces potential court challenges from the federal government. Large numbers of migrants have been showing up at the U.S. border with Mexico, with many turning themselves over to U.S. Border Patrol agents in seeking legal asylum status. But the numbers of families and children traveling without their parents crossing into the U.S. have dropped sharply since March and April, while the encounters with single adults have remained high. A private donation will fund the cost of sending the South Dakota National Guard troops, Noem said. Former President Donald Trump (left) visited part of his unfinished border wall in McAllen, Texas last Wednesday and five days earlier Vice President Kamala Harris visited the border in El Paso, Texas with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas The GOP is ramping up a political fight with President Joe Biden over border security. Migrants cross the border on rafts in Roma, Texas, on June 19 The deployment is expected to last from 30 to 60 days, while the other states involved are sending law enforcement officers for roughly two-week stints. The governor's office did not respond when asked for the identity of the private donor paying for the National Guard deployment. But Democratic state Sen. Reynold Nesiba said the fact Noem was using a private donor to pay for the deployment showed it was not a ' real priority' for the state, but instead gave her 'political cover.' He said he was looking into whether using a private donation to fund the deployment is legal. 'This could set a dangerous precedent to allow anonymous political donors to call the governor and dispatch the Guard whenever they want,' he said. Ohio Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance has walked back his blasts at Donald Trump after his 2016 comments were unearthed and revelations he didn't vote for the former president. The 'Hillbilly Elegy' author described his 'regret' over the comments which included calling Trump 'reprehensible' during a Monday appearance on Fox News. 'Like a lot of people, I criticized Trump back in 2016,' Vance said on 'Fox & Friends,' a show that has been a frequent venue for Trump call-in appearances. 'I regret being wrong about the guy.' Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance expressed 'regret' for things he said about Donald Trump in 2016. 'And I ask folks not to judge me based on what I said in 2016, because I've been very open that I did say those critical things and I regret them. And I regret being wrong about the guy. I think he was a good president, I think he made a lot of good decisions for people, and I think he took a lot of flak.' He continued: 'I think that's the most important thing is not what you said five years ago, but whether you're willing to stand up and take the heat and take the hits for actually defending the interests of the American people.' 'I'm sure they'll use it against me,' he said of his GOP primary challengers, saying he is sure they have 'baggage of their own.' He said the defining issue of the campaign would be: 'How do we stop the elites from plundering the greatest country in the world,' in a clip shared by Mediaite. Vance's walk-back comes as former President Donald Trump continues to assert his grip over the GOP JD Vance, the venture capitalist and author of "Hillbilly Elegy", addresses a rally Thursday, July 1, 2021, in Middletown, Ohio, where he announced he is joining the crowded Republican race for the Ohio U.S. Senate seat being left by Rob Portman Vance enters a crowded primary in a GOP-leaning state that Trump won twice Vance is among numerous Republicans who have sought to recast comments they made in 2016 when Trump was considered anything but a shoo-in for the White House. Many top elected Republicans had to contend with their own comments blasting Trump during the 'Access Hollywood' scandal. His bestselling book was an effort to account for Trump's appeal to working-class voters. Vance's book became a bestseller Vance's comments come after CNN unearthed Vance's tweets saying that he voted for Republican former CIA officer and never-Trumper Evan McMullin rather than Trump. McMullin 'is who I'm voting for in November,' Vance tweeted in October 2016. He also deleted a tweet where he wrote Trump 'makes people I care about afraid. Immigrants, Muslims etc. Because of this I find him reprehensible. God wants better of us.' And after the 'Access Hollywood' tapes where Trump was caught on tape bragging about grabbing women by the genitals, Vance wrote on Oct. 7th: 'Fellow Christians, everyone is watching us when we apologize for this man. Lord help us.' With Trump continuing to assert dominance over the GOP, Vance echoed themes of the candidate he didn't vote for but later embraced. 'We have to send people to Washington who are willing to shake the system up, to fight, to fight smart and to make our country a little bit better,' he said last week. A web ad for the Protect Ohio Values PAC calls Vance '100 % Pro-Trump & America First.' It says Vance told former Trump White House staffer Sebastian Gorka: 'I ultimately pulled the trigger and encouraged a lot of my friends to pull the lever for Donald Trump in 2020.' Pictures show at least six ambulance vehicles and police attending port in Kent Eighteen migrants have been found on a ferry in Dover after smuggling themselves aboard at Calais for the 27-mile journey over the English Channel. They were discovered aboard the Cotes des Dunes vessel at around lunchtime today on arrival at the busy trade port in Kent. Emergency services were called to the scene with nine of the group taken to hospital as a precaution. The remaining nine have been transferred to Border Force. Pictures show at least six ambulance vehicles in the port, with police and Border Force also in attendance. It follows Priti Patel today unveiling powers for Border Force to turn away small boats, with the total number of migrants to have reached the UK this year at just under 6,600, compared with a record 8,400 in the whole of 2020. The scene at the port of Dover in Kent after 18 migrants were found on a ferry arriving in the UK at around midday on Tuesday, promoting a large emergency response A medical worker is seen carrying an oxygen tank at the port in Kent. Nine of the group taken to hospital as a precaution, with the remaining nine transferred to Border Force A spokesman for South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) confirmed ambulance staff were on the scene 'following reports of a number of people in need of medical attention'. The Cotes des Dunes, operated by DFDS, sails between Dover and Calais and has returned to service. It comes after Border Force intercepted 221 migrants on small boats on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Government's Nationality and Borders Bill, which was introduced to Parliament today, contains provisions to set up offshore processing centres and allow asylum seekers to be sent away from the UK while their claims are determined. The legislation - dubbed the 'anti-refugee Bill' by campaigners critical of the plans - intends to make it a criminal offence to knowingly arrive in the UK without permission, with the maximum sentence for those entering the country unlawfully rising from six months' imprisonment to four years. It means that, for the first time, how someone enters the UK - legally or 'illegally' - will have an impact on how their asylum claim progresses and on their status in the UK if that claim is successful. Convicted people-smugglers could also face life behind bars, up from the current maximum tariff of 14 years, under the proposals. According to the papers setting out the proposals of the Bill, Border Force would be given the power to intervene at sea to tackle people-smugglers and turn migrant boats away from the UK but they would need the agreement of other states, like France, to drive them back into foreign waters. The scene at the port in Kent, with ambulances and police vehicles pictured in attendance. The group was discovered aboard the Cotes des Dunes vessel Emergency services pictured at the scene in Kent today. It comes after Border Force intercepted 221 migrants on small boats on Sunday Pictures show at least six ambulance vehicles in the port, with police and Border Force also in attendance at the port in Kent The documents also suggest officers may be able to use 'reasonable force, if necessary'. The Bill includes clauses to allow the UK to be able to send asylum seekers to a 'safe third country' and to submit claims at a 'designated place' determined by the Secretary of State. Although little detail is provided on this, officials believe the Bill gives the potential to allow for offshore processing centres to be set up overseas, akin to policies used in Australia. This could give rise to reports that the UK is considering sharing a processing centre with Denmark in Rwanda and may even revive speculation over suggestions that Ascension Island could be sought as another destination. The Home Office has refused to comment on the progress of any negotiations but talks with some countries are said to be ongoing. A spokesperson for South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) confirmed ambulance staff were on the scene 'following reports of a number of people in need of medical attention' Police at the scene today. The Cotes des Dunes, operated by DFDS, sails between Dover and Calais and has returned to service Police and several ambulances were seen at the port. It comes as Priti Patel today unveiled powers for Border Force to turn away migrant boats Department policy documents previously published said changes to the law would 'keep the option open, if required in the future, to develop the capacity for offshore asylum processing'. The stricter rules are part of Home Secretary Priti Patel's pledge to 'fix' the UK's 'broken asylum system' and have been hailed by the Government as 'fundamental reforms' under a 'landmark' Bill as part of its 'fair but firm' new plan for immigration first published in March. The Home Office has insisted the most 'radical' changes in decades will 'prioritise those most in need of protection while stopping the abuse of the system'. Tougher punishments are aimed at preventing 'asylum shopping', the department said, as it accused some migrants of 'picking the UK as a preferred destination over others' when asylum could have been claimed earlier in their journey through Europe in another 'safe' country. But campaigners fear the plans will penalise those who need help the most. The Bill's unveiling comes after record numbers of people made the perilous journey across the English Channel in small boats so far this year, with nearly 6,000 reaching the UK in the first six months of 2021. The total figure for 2020 - 8,417 - could be eclipsed within two months if the number of crossings seen in July and August last year are repeated. RIP, the United States of America. The countrys name must go, right? I mean, there comes a point where America is so patently DIS-united that its no longer appropriate to call itself United. And honestly, I think were now reaching that point. I say this with nothing but deep dismay and sadness as someone who loves America and everything it is supposed to represent. But when even July 4 has become a day of ferocious contention, ugly rancor and partisan abuse-hurling, as weve just witnessed, then its very clear America is standing on the edge of a precipice from which it may never recover unless cooler heads prevail. Independence Day has always been the most unifying moment in the American calendar, celebrating the end of British rule. (Obviously, its not quite such a joyous day for we Brits who tend to keep our heads down and quietly curse King George III for being so feckless in letting such a great country and people slip out of our hands.) Its a day when American families and friends of all color and creed get together for fireworks, parades, barbecues, picnics, fairs, concerts, sporting events. In other words, its national party time and usually, everyone gets stuck in to collectively celebrate the greatest day in the nations history. But this year, the party was marred by a series of flashpoints that represented everything the party is supposed to be about. It began with Team USA Olympian Gwen Berry behaving like a petulant brat a few days ago because she had to stand on a podium during the trials and listen to the National Anthem being played. Independence Day has always been the most unifying moment in the American calendar, celebrating the end of British rule. But this year, the party was marred by a series of flashpoints that represented everything the party is supposed to be about. She insisted that her embarrassingly disrespectful antics didnt mean she hated America, but the unedifying optics suggested otherwise. Then Vanessa Williams, the first black winner of Miss America, hosted PBS' A Capitol Fourth on Sunday, and sang Lift Every Voice and Sing, which has become known as the Black National Anthem. She told USA Today it was in celebration of the wonderful opportunity that we now have to celebrate Juneteenth. So, we are reflective of the times. Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of African American slaves and is now a federal holiday in the US. Its held on June 19 because that was the day in 1865 when Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Texas with his troops and declared an end to slavery in the state. But by choosing to sing the Black National Anthem during a major TV event to celebrate July 4, Vanessa Williams lit an incendiary social media fire fueled by those who claimed it was divisive, segregation and racist to have any anthem other than The Star Spangled Banner, which was scheduled to be performed by Grammy-award winner Renee Fleming, played on Independence Day. Now, I happen to think Juneteenth is an excellent idea, and Lift Every Voice and Sing is a wonderful song. But I could have also predicted the furor that would erupt if it was played on July 4 not June 19, because the Star Spangled Banner is, whatever Gwen Berry would have you believe, supposed to be for all Americans and not just those of a particular skin color. Just as I could have predicted the reaction to a New York Times article about the American flag entitled A Fourth of July Symbol of Unity That May No Longer Unite. The paper tweeted a link to the piece saying: Today, flying the American flag from the back of a pickup truck or over a lawn is increasingly seen as a clue, albeit an imperfect one, to a persons political affiliation in a deeply divided nation. Then, in the most ridiculously inflammatory moment of all, National Geographic decided to tweet that July 4th fireworks are racist. Sometimes the cry of why does everything have to be about race? is used by racists to shut down legitimate debate and should be ignored. Scientists found that vulnerable people and communities of color are disproportionately exposed to air pollution from firework celebrations, it announced. Why do that on July 4? What possible purpose does such a dumb tweet do other to enrage a lot of Americans who are sick and tired of what they perceive to be everything now framed through the prism of race? Sometimes the cry of why does everything have to be about race? is used by racists to shut down legitimate debate and should be ignored. But sometimes, as with racist fireworks, the desire to make something about race is so ridiculous that it will self-evidently only ferment anger and increase disunity. All this comes at a time when the red-blue divide in the US has never seemed more toxic. As CNN political analyst Brian Brownstein noted today: While July Fourth is the holiday that most directly celebrates Americans' common heritage, this year it comes as their extreme divides underscore how difficult it has become for any president to set a unified direction for the country. From vaccination rates to voting rights, from immigration policy to racial equity, blue and red states are hurtling in antithetical directions at staggering speed, even amid President Joe Biden's persistent calls for greater national unity and his attempts to foster more bi-partisan agreement in Washington. Brownstein revealed that polling has shown the gap between voters from the two parties in their approval ratings for a newly elected president has steadily widened over recent decades and is now at an all-time high with an ABC/Washington Post poll on Saturday showing that President Biden is now presiding over the largest ever gap with his approval rating among Democrats (at 94%) a staggering 86 points above his rating among Republicans (8%). All this comes at a time when the red-blue divide in the US has never seemed more toxic. You dont have to be a political expert to know that things have never been so partisan. The Trump presidency and COVID pandemic has exacerbated decades of division to a degree that has now split up marriages, families and friendship groups. Tribalism is driven by increasingly febrile and self-righteous social media mobs. Americans are becoming so divisive, I saw someone tweet today, that soon people will be arguing over whether it is better to crack an egg open in the middle or at the end. Hes right, they will. Because it wont be about the egg, it will be about who has expressed an opinion about the egg and what party they support. Even face masks have become a symbol of red vs blue, Republican vs Democrat. In Brownsteins piece, he quoted political scientist Alan Abramowitz from Emory University who said: One of the most important reasons why Democrats and Republicans intensely dislike each other is that they intensely disagree on a wide range of issues including the size and scope of the welfare state, abortion, gay and transgender rights, race relations, climate change, gun control and immigration. Of course, such disagreement is nothing new, but the way the disagreement is being expressed is new and more and more destructive to the principle of a United States of America. Brownstein concludes: The Declaration of Independence Americans that celebrated over the weekend begins with the confident assertion that it is "The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America." Today, it is unclear what set of principles, if any, America's fractious 50 states might agree on across the widening red-blue divide. One person who would certainly agree with this is country music star Toby Keith who released a new song to coincide with July 4, entitled Happy Birthday America (whatevers left of it). It was a mournful lament to a United States that he says was the greatest of them all but whose days are numbered. And Keith, who has called himself a conservative Democrat in the past, became an Independent in 2008, and has publicly backed both Republican and Democrat politicians including George W. Bush and Barack Obama, is in no doubt whats causing this malaise: 'Seems like everybody's pissin' on the red, white and blue. Hes got a point about that. It really does, doesnt it? If Americans cant even come together on July 4 to celebrate the day the nation was formed, and many choose to denigrate the US anthem and flag, how can the nation still call itself the United States? I dont want the USA to die. I want it to live up to the spirit of its name. So, stop p*ssin on the red, white and blue. Or call it the Disunited States of America and be done with it. Police are continuing their search for a missing six-year-old boy who disappeared from a Florida beach while his family was on vacation. Enrique Cortez-Dubon, 6, was last seen at around 11:30 a.m. on July 5 on the beachfront of Shores of Panama resort in popular vacation destination Panama City Beach. The six-year-old and his family were at the resort while on vacation from the Atlanta area, arriving on Saturday with plans to stay one week, the Panama City News Herald reported. Enrique's family realized he was missing some time after noon and immediately contacted law enforcement. Police are searching for Enrique Cortez-Dubon, 6, who was last seen at around 11:30 a.m. on July 5 on the beachfront at Shores of Panama resort in Panama City Beach The six-year-old boy went missing while on vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida with his family More than 80 first responders were dispatched to search for the young boy on Monday, Panama City Beach Police Chief J.R. Talamantez told reporters. Members of the Beach Police, Panama City Police Department, the Bay County Sheriffs Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, U.S. Marshals Service, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, U.S. Coast Guard and local firefighters have assisted in the search, the News Herald reported. The chief added that authorities are utilizing drones, helicopters and are performing dive searches in an effort to locate the boy. Talamantez is asking the public to contact authorities if they spot the boy who stands at three-feet-tall and was last wearing teal blue shirt and light blue shorts. 'We desperately need the public's help,' Talamantez said. 'If anyone saw anything, we need to know. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the family. As we know, this is every parent's worst nightmare.' Enrique was last seen between Majestic Beach Resort and the Boardwalk Beach Resort, especially around Pineapple Willy's, between 11:15 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Monday, July 5, police said. It is not known if Enrique was abducted or if he wandered off into the beach waters, but in a statement police mentioned current forecasts predict 10 to 30 miles per hour wind guests from Tropical Storm Elsa to possibly start in the area later today and that beach flags are currently red and expected to be downgraded to yellow this morning, the News Herald reported. Police are asking anyone who was in the area around the time Enrique was last seen to check their phones for any photos that may have captured the six-year-old and to upload it to the department's cyber tip site. 'We are asking all visitors and locals to please check your cell phone photographs and videos taken beachside in the area between Majestic Beach Resort and the Boardwalk Beach Resort, especially around Pineapple Willy's, between 11:15 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Monday, July 5,' Talamantez requested. Anyone with information on Enrique's whereabouts are asked to contact the Panama City Beach Police Department at (850) 233-5000. President Joe Biden on Tuesday warned that those who have not gotten their COVID vaccine shot should be 'thinking twice' about that decision, given the rising cases tied to the Delta variant. 'It's more easily transmissible potentially more dangerous,' he said in remarks at the White House, adding 'let me put it another way, seems to be that should cause everybody to think twice.' COVID cases are up in nearly half the states, a new analysis showed, while the Delta variant, first detected in India, is responsible for 26% of new cases. Biden outlined a 'targeted' plan to have Americans go door to door to spread word about the vaccines and is dispatching regional strike teams to combat the increased case loads. 'We need to go to community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood, at all times, door to door, knocking on doors to get help with remaining people protected from the virus,' he said. He added that he's going to 'mobilize what I'm calling COVID-19 surge response teams. These teams are made up of experts from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, CDC, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and elsewhere across our government other groups, and they're going to help states with particular problems, prevent, detect and respond to the spread of the Delta variant among unvaccinated people in communities with low vaccination rates.' Biden spoke after he failed to hit his goal of having 70 percent of adults partially vaccinated by Independence Day. At least 67% of adult Americans have received one shot. 'We can't get complacent,' the president warned. 'The best thing you can do to protect yourself and your family and the people you care about the most is getting vaccinated.' President Joe Biden warned that those who have not gotten their COVID vaccine shot should be 'thinking twice' about that decision White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday the administration was no where close to throwing in the towel when it came to getting more people vaccinated. 'You don't just give up just because you haven't reached every single person,' she said. The White House has been on a push to get shots in arms as several states in the South and South West are hovering around the 50 percent mark and COVID cases were up in nearly half of U.S. states, a USA TODAY analysis of John Hopkins data shows. Alaska and Arkansas more than doubled cases in the past week while South Carolina and Kansas are up more than 50 percent. In Missouri, the number of hospitalized patients jumped by nearly 30 percent over the Fourth of July weekend. All five states have among the lowest vaccination rates in America - fully vaccinating less than 44 percent of their total populations - which is below the national average. Meanwhile the Delta variant is now responsible for 26% of cases and has been detected in all 50 states, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Just a month ago it made up 3 percent of cases. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday the administration was no where close to throwing in the towel when it came to getting more people vaccinated The Delta variant, which originated in India and is believed to be both more transmissible and more virulent than other strains, has caused concern about health officials of regional outbreaks in states with low vaccination rates. The administration has launched an all-hands on deck effort to get shots in arms, dispatching, President Biden, Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff on tours to get the vaccination rate increased. Vaccines are strongly effective against the variant. 'The overwhelming proportion of people who get into trouble are the unvaccinated. Which is the reason why we say this is really entirely avoidable and preventable,' Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Meet the Press on Sunday. Biden commemorated the Fourth of July on Sunday by lauding Americans' 'independence from COVID-19' and promised a 'bright future' as he pushed for the unvaccinated to get the jab. 'America is coming back together,' the president said during his address from the South Lawn of the White House. Many states where COVID-19 cases are rising have fully vaccinated less than 45% of their populations - which is below the national average 'Today we're closer than ever to declaring our independence from the deadly virus,' Biden said, but struck a serious tone as he warned that there is still a far way to go. As Biden made his remarks, he was faced with the reality of missing two big goals in the vaccination efforts getting 160 million Americans fully vaccinated and making sure 70 per cent of adults received at least one dose by July 4, 2021. Biden repeated his claim that getting the jab is 'the most patriotic thing' an American can do. Almost half of America reports rising COVID infections, with Indian Delta variant responsible for 26% of cases: Biden promises 'door-to-door' campaign to urgently get rest of nation vaccinated At least half of the United States is seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases as the highly transmissible Indian 'Delta' variant continues to spread, according to a new analysis of Johns Hopkins University data by USA Today. Health officials mainly in states in the South and West have been reporting increases in infections and hospitalizations over the last two weeks. Alaska and South Carolina have seen cases more than double in the last two weeks while cases in Arkansas have increased by more than 50 percent. In Missouri, infections are up 20 percent from 14 days ago while the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients jumped by about 30 percent over Fourth of July weekend in one area, leading to a temporary shortage of ventilators. All five states have among the lowest vaccination rates in America - fully vaccinating less than 44 percent of their total populations - which is below the national average. Health experts say the Delta variant is behind the surge, making up more than 26 percent of cases in the U.S. and three-quarters of all new infections in some states. Health experts blame the Indian 'Delta' variant spreading in areas with low vaccination coverage as reports show it makes up as much as 77% of cases in some states The rates of low vaccinations are helping give rise to the Delta variant. Known as B.1.617.2, the Delta variant has been labeled as a 'double mutant' by India's Health Ministry because it carries two mutations: L452R and E484Q. L452R is the same mutation seen with the California homegrown variant and E484Q is similar to the mutation seen in the Brazilian and South African variants. Both of the mutations occur on key parts of the virus that allows it to enter and infect human cells. It is believe to be responsible for the rise in several states, including Arkansas. Arkansas has seen coronavirus cases surge by 52% from an average of 286 cases per day to 435 per day over the last two weeks Arkansas is one of the states to see cases surge with a 52 percent rise from an average of 286 cases per day to 435 per day over the last two weeks, according to a DailyMail.com analysis of Johns Hopkins data. The Natural State has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the nation, having fully vaccinated just 35 percent of its population, according to CDC data. Gov Asa Hutchinson said more than 90 percent of all new coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths since January have been in unvaccinated residents and urged more people to get the shot. 'We now have over 1 million Arkansans fully vaccinated,' Hutchinson wrote on Twitter on Monday. 'This is a milestone, but we need to pick up the pace before school starts this fall. This could be a tough week in new cases and hospitalizations, so get the shot now.' The Delta variant is also to be behind the outbreak in Missouri, which has seen cases rapidly spike. New infections in Missouri have risen by 20% from 760 per day to 915 daily over the past 14 days The seven-day average of new infections has risen from 760 per day to 915 in the last two weeks, an increase of 20 percent, the DailyMail.com analysis found. Meanwhile, the seven-day positivity rate rose to 10.5 percent, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS). That is the highest figure seen since January 18, but not as high as the record 23.1 percent set in November, reported KMBC. Meanwhile, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients jumped by nearly 27 percent over the Fourth of July weekend in a hard-hit area of Missouri where immunization rates are low, leading to a temporary ventilator shortfall and a public call for help from respiratory therapists. Mercy Springfield in Springfield ran out of ventilators for its patients over the Fourth of July weekend as the area, right in the middle of a COVID-19 hot spot, deals with a rise in cases. New day, new record. Spent the night looking for ventilators because we ran out. 47 patients on vents. A lot of those are COVID but not all,' tweeted Erik Frederick, Chief Administrative Officer at Mercy Springfield. Officials blame the spread of the Delta variant among unvaccinated segments of the population. Most counties have seen fewer than 40 percent of residents receive at least one dose, and one county is as low as 13 percent. Steve Edwards, CEO of Cox Health, another hospital in Springfield, tweeted: 'If you make terribly derogatory comments about vaccines and you don't have public health expertise, you may be responsible for someone's death. Shut up.' Over the last two weeks, there has been a 147 percent rise from 95 per day to 235 in the last two weeks, the DailyMail.com analysis found In South Carolina, cases of the virus had been declining since March, only to begin spiking again. Over the last two weeks, there has been a 147 percent rise from 95 per day to 235 in the last two weeks, the DailyMail.com analysis found. Additionally, the percentage of positive tests rose from 2.6 percent this week compared with 2.16 percent last week, reported the state's Department of Health and Environmental Control. 'With the Delta variant contributing to more and more cases worldwide we need to be encouraging all of our unvaccinated friends and families to get their shots now,' Dr Jonathan Knoche, public health medical consultant, told WBTW. Advertisement Britain will not return to normal until at least next year, Chris Whitty warned today Britain will not return to a pre-pandemic normal this year even though ministers are pressing ahead with Freedom Day, Chris Whitty warned today. England's chief medical officer hinted that some curbs may have to be rolled back later this year when the NHS faces a 'difficult winter'. But, in a glimmer of hope, Professor Whitty claimed he anticipated that the UK could return to the 'status quo' by next spring. However, he admitted that he would be 'surprised' if British life managed to return to pre-Covid normality before then, adding it was 'going to take quite a long time to get back to normality'. Covid hospital admissions and deaths are expected to rise in the weeks and months after July 19, when all social distancing measures are due to be lifted in England. Officials are also bracing for a rise in other respiratory illnesses that have been suppressed by lockdown measures during the pandemic, such as flu. But it's hoped enough people will have been vaccinated or protected due to prior infection by next spring that the coronavirus will no longer trigger a deadly surge. Speaking to the Local Government Association's (LGA) annual conference, Professor Whitty said: 'There will almost certainly be a Covid surge [in winter] and that will be on top of a return to a more normal respiratory surge. 'It's going to take quite a long time, I think, to get back to normality and I certainly would be surprised if we got back to what most of us would see as a kind of status quo before the pandemic by the next spring. 'Because I think weve got this current wave, hopefully there will be a period of quieter Covid after that, and then it will still be quite a difficult winter, especially for the NHS then by next spring Im hoping slightly more into a more predictable pattern.' Daily hospitalisations from Covid spiked above 400 today for the first time since March and are starting to rise exponentially, though from a low starting point The rise in coronavirus cases has been driving up the numbers forced to self-isolate after being 'pinged' - with the trend now set to continue into the middle of August More than 100 Britons could die each day from Covid when Britain finally emerges from lockdown later this month, according to the Government's own assumptions. No10 said it expects up to 50,000 cases a day by July 19 Freedom Day and potentially 100,000 daily cases in August. About 0.1 per cent - or one in 1,000 - of people who catch Covid will die from the virus. The above graph shows how cases and deaths could rise based on these remarks. Deaths lag behind case spikes by about three weeks Test and trace isolation to be dropped for double-jabbed and children but not until AUGUST 16 Sajid Javid faced fury today as he revealed the requirement for the double-jabbed to self-isolate will not be dropped until August 16 - dooming millions more healthy people to putting their lives on hold. The Health Secretary said the 'protective wall' thrown up by the vaccine drive meant that ministers can 'look afresh' at rules when people are 'pinged' for contact with an infected individual. From the middle of next month people who have received two doses - with the second administered at least two weeks previously - can take PCR tests rather than self-isolating. Under-18s will also not be subject to the restrictions from the same date. But the timetable means 'scary' numbers will be caught in the system after 'Freedom Day' on July 19, with furious businesses warning they are on the brink of disaster with 'massive' staff absence and customers bailout out of bookings. Others also raged that the government is failing to provide any clarity on the rules for getting staff back in offices. Mr Javid told the Commons that he had looked at changing the isolation rules earlier, but was 'more comfortable' waiting until even more people are vaccinated. Advertisement In other twists and turns in the Covid crisis today: Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced the use of bubbles in schools will come to an end from July 19; Labour has branded the PM's unlocking 'reckless' and insisted masks should still be compulsory on public transport; Downing Street today dismissed calls from business leaders for 'urgent' clarity on the Prime Minister's vague and half-baked guidance to get millions of Britons back into the office from July 19; Britain recorded another 27,334 cases of the virus yesterday, but only nine more Covid-related deaths; Grant Shapps is set to make an announcement on lifting quarantine restrictions on fully vaccinated holidaymakers returning from amber list countries tomorrow, but when it will take effect is unclear. Yesterday at a Downing Street press conference, Professor Whitty backed the Government's plans to push ahead with July 19 in the face of surging infection numbers. He claimed delaying lockdown beyond July 19 will not reduce the number of Covid deaths and could potentially lead to a worse peak in winter. Joining the Prime Minister at the podium of a Downing Street press conference last night, the CMO acknowledged that while some restrictions will always be better than none in terms of containing Covid, at some point they have to be released for the sake of the economy and impact on wider health. With that in mind, Professor Whitty revealed he believed 'quite strongly' that there are many benefits to unlocking now rather than waiting until autumn - which some have suggested could buy No10 time to get every adult fully vaccinated. It would get the big bang of Covid infections and hospital admissions expected when social distancing comes to an end out of the way in summer when the NHS is less busy. 'At a certain point, you move to the situation where instead of actually averting hospitalisations and deaths, you move over to just delaying them,' he said. 'So you're not actually changing the number of people who will go to hospital or die, you may change when they happen. 'There is quite a strong view by many people, including myself actually, that going in the summer has some advantages, all other things being equal, to opening up into the autumn when schools are going back and when we're heading into the winter period when the NHS tends to be under greatest pressure for many other reasons.' His comments came on the back of modelling from prominent SAGE member 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson that suggested late July was an apparent 'sweet spot' for releasing curbs. His team at Imperial College London found delaying the original June 21 date until later this month likely prevented thousands of deaths. Delaying them until autumn or winter could result in more fatalities. Even though more people would be vaccinated, scientists believe releasing curbs in winter would cause a bigger spike because people spend more time indoors and other respiratory viruses are rife. The NHS will also be grappling with normal winter pressures. DAILY HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS: Modelling by Professor Neil Ferguson's team at Imperial College London found that delaying Freedom Day until December (shown in green) to let all adults get double-vaccinated would push the peak in Covid hospital admissions further into winter, rather than reducing the number of admissions completely. The yellow line shows the effect on admissions if the unlocking was to go ahead in late July, with hospitalisations peaking in summer and plummeting by winter. Releasing curbs in June (blue) or early July (red) would have led to a bigger peak in summer, which is why the decision was made to push the original June 21 Freedom Day back by a month COVID INPATIENTS: The same was true for hospital occupancy levels and, although the graphs don't explicitly show it, the team at Imperial said in some scenarios, delaying the unlocking until December could lead to more deaths. In their paper, they write: 'In some of our modelled scenarios, this long delay paradoxically leads to more total deaths since the third wave would be pushed into the winter, when transmission may be higher because of seasonality and increased indoors interactions, and when an increased proportion of individuals may have lost protection from prior infection' DAILY HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS: Imperial presented three different modelling of the final unlocking in the roadmap - optimistic, pessimistic and 'central'. Each makes various assumptions about the epidemic, including how fast the virus will take off after lockdown and how well the vaccines will work against transmission and serious illness. In each scenario, the 'sweet spot' appears to be opening in late July (yellow). Any earlier would lead to higher peaks of about 10,000 daily admissions and delaying until December would push the crisis into the winter, where the green line appears to spike upwards quicker than any other scenario COVID INPATIENTS: The models suggest that there could have been 100,000 patients in hospital with Covid if the country opened up as planned on June 21 even though there are just 2,000 currently being treated by the NHS. Releasing curbs in late July (yellow) could still lead to a peak of 80,000 patients in hospital, which would be double the peak in January. This seems increasingly unlikely now that the vaccines have proven to be extremely effective against the Indian variant in the real world Quarantine-free travel for fully jabbed Britons visiting amber list countries set to be unveiled tomorrow Britons desperate for a summer European getaway will find out tomorrow when quarantine-free travel will be introduced for those who are fully jabbed. Grant Shapps is set to unveil the plans to allow UK citizens to sidestep self-isolation at home after visiting amber list countries. These countries currently include holiday hotpots like Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy and France. Travel chiefs have demanded clarity after Boris Johnson failed to say when the new system would start double. But Sajid Javid told MPs last night that quarantine-free holidays for double-jabbed travellers would happen 'very soon'. The Health Secretary was speaking in the Commons following a question from Labour's Ben Bradshaw. He asked: 'Given we were promised a vaccine dividend, when can the millions of British families separated from loved ones, or who simply who want a foreign holiday, expect to receive the same freedoms back that other Europeans and Americans already enjoy?' Mr Javid replied: 'Very, very soon, and the Secretary of State for Transport [Grant Shapps] will have more to say on this very shortly.' However, all the plans are reliant on reciprocal access by European countries allowing British holidaymakers in without quarantine. Planned new measures will allow fully vaccinated tourists and their families to visit countries such as Spain and Greece without having to self-isolate for up to 10 days on return. Advertisement Professor Whitty, Professor Ferguson, who was instrumental in Britain's first lockdown last spring, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, are all believed to be in the 'if not now, then when' camp. Meanwhile, official figures today showed Britain's daily Covid hospital admissions have reached a four month high, rising by 50 per cent in a week to their highest level since March. Department of Health figures showed hospitalisations reached 406 on June 30 the most recent day figures are available for. It is a sign the explosion in cases over the past month is now beginning to put extra pressure on the NHS. Covid deaths also jumped their highest level since the end of April, increasing 20.3 per cent in a week. Another 37 victims were recorded today. Meanwhile, infections are continuing to spiral across the UK, jumping to 28,773 up 49 per cent on last Tuesday and the highest daily figure since January 29. Health Secretary Sajid Javid today admitted the toll could reach 100,000 a day by August, as No10 pushes ahead with Freedom Day on July 19 as part of its drive for society to live alongside the virus. Hospitalisations and deaths are still expected to rise in line with soaring cases but vaccines have broken the once-impenetrable link between vulnerable people getting Covid and becoming severely ill, leaving ministers confident that the third wave this summer won't be as bad as previous surges. If both measures spike at the same speed as cases, then deaths may breach 100 a day by mid-August and hospital admissions may reach 1,500 similar to levels seen last September as the second wave began to pick up pace. Meanwhile, Scotland's daily Covid infections fell for the fifth consecutive day today offering a glimmer of hope that England's outbreak will not spiral uncontrollably when the country comes out of lockdown on July 19. During a round of interviews this morning, the normally cautious Professor Ferguson said pressing ahead with July was 'justifiable' and revealed he was 'reasonably optimistic'. Speaking about last night's announcement, Professor Ferguson told the Today Programme: 'This is a slight gamble, it's a slight experiment at the moment, and I think it's justifiable and I'm reasonable optimistic, but policy will have to remain flexible.' He said the vaccines' effect on hospitalisations and deaths gave him confidence that the NHS will be able to cope despite rising cases, but warned that if infections continue to grow exponentially then hospitals could be pushed to the brink. The Government scientific adviser added: 'At the peak of the second wave 50,000 cases would translate into something like 500 deaths, but that's going to be much lower this time, more like 50 or so. 'The challenge is, there's still the potential of getting very large numbers of cases and so if we get very high numbers of cases a day, 150,000 or 200,000 it could still cause some pressure to the health system. 'If we end up in something close to the worst-case scenario we and other groups are looking at, which I think is unlikely but can't be ruled out, then yes there will need to be some course direction later.' An alleged modern slavery and torture victim deported due to an 'illegal and secret' Home Office policy should be brought back to the UK, High Court judge Mr Justice Wall ruled An alleged modern slavery and torture victim deported due to an 'illegal and secret' Home Office policy should be brought back to the UK, a High Court judge has ruled. The Sudanese man, known as AA, made an asylum claim in the UK in June 2020 after fleeing to Europe due to torture and persecution in Sudan. The man said he was later enslaved and tortured in Libya while travelling to France, where his asylum claim was first rejected. After he then arrived in the UK, AA had a screening interview with immigration officials who are legally required to take steps to identify potential victims and refer 'any suspicion' of slavery or human trafficking for investigation. However, AA's screening interview did not identify him as a potential victim of modern slavery and he was deported back to France, where he was homeless and destitute, the court heard. At the time of his interview, the Home Office had a published policy to ask two questions designed to determine if someone has been the victim of modern slavery. AA argued that the Home Office also had a secret and unlawful policy to not ask those questions, which would have led to him being identified as a victim. Mr Justice Wall said: 'Had the claimant been identified as a potential victim of modern slavery, he could not have been removed from the United Kingdom until the process of investigating that issue was complete. 'He would also have been entitled to assistance and support while in this country... However, the failure to refer him led to a removal of the claimant to France. It ended this country's responsibility for him.' AA's lawyers said the French government will not investigate if he was a victim of modern slavery because he is a foreign national and the alleged acts were not committed by a French citizen, meaning he was at risk of removal back to Sudan where he faced physical or psychological harm. Current UK Government policy states that non-Arab Darfuris, such as AA, cannot safely be returned to Sudan due to risks of persecution or serious harm by the state or government militias. The High Court heard there was a delay in bringing AA's case but Mr Justice Wall said there was a strong public interest in the court considering the bid 'in which it is being argued that a Government department was applying an illegal and secret policy' At a hearing in July, lawyers for the Home Office accepted there was a policy not to ask the two questions at the time of AA's interviews. 'It is her case that this new policy was adopted in order to streamline the screening interview process with a view to reducing contact time between asylum seekers and others at the time of Covid-19 and to ensure that all cases were dealt with as expeditiously as possible,' Mr Justice Wall said. However, the Home Office argued the questions would not have led AA to disclose evidence of being a victim of modern slavery. It added that AA was asked a direct question about exploitation in the interview, to which he replied no. The court also heard there was a delay in bringing AA's case, however Mr Justice Wall said there was a strong public interest in the court considering the bid 'in which it is being argued that a Government department was applying an illegal and secret policy'. In his decision on Monday, the judge said there was 'objective evidence' that AA had been trafficked, adding: 'He had injuries consistent with his having been tortured... There is no obvious reason why he would not have opened up about it if properly engaged in conversation about it. 'That conversation would likely be triggered by the asking of the omitted questions.' Ruling in AA's favour, Mr Justice Wall concluded: 'I am quite satisfied that there is a proper argument to be made to the effect that it is unlawful for the defendant to have had in place a secret policy which went directly against the terms of her published policy and which directly impeded her in her duty to consider whether asylum seekers have been trafficked en route to this country.' He continued: 'In my judgment the balance to be struck between on the one hand a relatively modest financial loss and on the other a serious risk of permanent injustice and damage to health comes down heavily in favour of granting the relief sought.' Mr Justice Wall said that while he cannot order the Home Office to bring AA back from France, he ordered the department to use its 'best endeavours to do so'. If AA has not been brought back to the UK within 14 days, the Home Office will have to explain the reasons why and what has been done to the court. Advertisement A father accused of murdering his teenage stepdaughter after she claimed that he had sexually abused her 'over a number of years' has told a court her allegations were 'untrue' and suggested he had conflicting emotions about her disappearance. Bernadette Walker was last seen alive on July 18 last year when Scott Walker, who she called her father but was not her biological father, collected her from her grandparents' house in Peterborough, Cambridge Crown Court heard. The 17-year-old had claimed that 51-year-old Scott Walker had sexually abused her 'over a number of years', and prosecutors allege he killed her to 'prevent her pursuing her allegations of sexual abuse any further'. Her body has not been found despite police searches. On Tuesday the court heard from Scott Walker, who is accused of forming an 'alliance' with Bernadette's 38-year-old mother Sarah Walker to mislead investigators, by claiming she ran away. Under questioning by prosecutor Lisa Wilding QC, Scott Walker was tearful as he described being 'confused' when Bernadette went missing about 'what was going on'. He told the court: 'I didn't know whether there was a plan behind all of this and why Bea would be missing and why these allegations were made. Was this all to get me out of the house?' However, he told the court this was not discussed with Ms Walker because he did not want to 'rock the boat'. Bernadette Walker was last seen alive on July 18 last year when Scott Walker, who she called her father but was not her biological father, collected her from her grandparents' house in Peterborough, Cambridge Crown Court heard On Tuesday the court heard from Scott Walker, who is accused of forming an 'alliance' with Bernadette's 38-year-old mother Sarah Walker to mislead investigators, by claiming she ran away Asked about the allegations made against him by his daughter, Scott Walker said he knew they were 'untrue' and suggested he had conflicting emotions about her disappearance. 'It was a little bit 50-50 because when someone's made allegations against you and then gone off and at the same time you're concerned for your daughter it's a bit 50-50, as in my concerns at the time,' he told the court. He said that Sarah Walker also feared the involvement of social services over the allegations against him, adding: 'Sarah explained to me that with Bernadette going missing and these allegations made that it could cause problems for me.' He was also asked why he downloaded an advice form from Childline at 10.20am on July 20 on children leaving home before speaking with police. Scott Walker replied: 'I simply wanted to get the information to show Sarah of the sort of rules and regulations and what the police can do to help. It's like getting information before we have to phone police to say we understand what to do.' Despite an extensive search in areas surrounding Peterborough police have not yet recovered Bernadette's body Asked why the police were not contacted before this point, Scott Walker said: 'It was a case of, 'give it a couple of days and she'll turn up and the police won't have to be involved, therefore there's no social services involved'. 'There's a pattern of giving it that bit of time because we'll get things all sorted out.' Scott Walker told the court that he 'wouldn't have thought Bernadette was unsafe'. Ms Wilding also went on to read WhatsApp messages sent to Sarah Walker, in which Scott Walker said: 'I'm just feeling a bit out of this and that I'm not missing her either'. Asked what this meant, he replied: 'Because of Sarah doing all the messages and bits and pieces and asking Bernadette's friends, if they've seen her or anything like that. I felt like I wasn't doing my bit, and I felt a bit left out and I wasn't doing enough.' Scott Walker denies Bernadette's murder on or after July 18 last year. He denies four counts of perverting the course of justice and Sarah Walker denies two counts of perverting the course of justice. The trial continues. A woman who was eight months pregnant when she was kidnapped from a Rio de Janeiro slum was found murdered next to a train track - but her baby was missing, a medical examiner's report has revealed. Thaysa Campos, 23, vanished on September 3 last year after leaving her home to pick up a maternity bag at a friend's home. Her body was found dumped on a train track in the Rio de Janeiro neighborhood of Deodoro on September 10. But an autopsy report this week revealed that there was no trace of her baby, and no cuts were found on her belly, leading to fears she may have been forced into labor before she died, Brazilian news portal Extra reports. Forensic experts at the Legal Medical Institute did not include Campos' cause of death on their report because additional tests were required due to the decomposition of her body when it was found. Thaysa Campos, 23, vanished on September 3 last year after leaving her home to pick up a maternity bag at a friend's home Brazilian forensic workers carry a body bag at the site where the body of missing 23-year-old Thaysa Campos was located September 10, 2020 Campos was last seen the night of September 3 when she left her home in a Deodoro Do Triangulo Favela to visit a nearby residence in the same slum to pick up a maternity bag at a friend's home. Campos left behind a five-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter from a previous relationship. Both children now live with their paternal grandmother. Campos was due to give birth in October 2020, after falling pregnant to a married man, investigators say. Elen Souto, chief of the Deodoro police, told G1 that Campos may have been targeted by area drug dealers. Campos left behind a five-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter from a previous relationship. Both children now live with their paternal grandmother Elen Souto, chief of the Deodoro police said Campos may have been targeted by area drug dealers. Authorities have also looked into reports that Campos was threatened by the girlfriend of a neighborhood drug dealer. Police investigators have also gone over links between the man who was expecting the baby with Campos and another person from the Deodoro Do Triangulo Favela. 'I believe that my granddaughter may be alive and that Thaysa had a forced birth,' the woman's mother Jacqueline Campos told Extra. 'My family members were at the crime scene and there was no trace of the child there, just Thaysa's body. I found out (through the Legal Medical Institute) that she had given birth. I want my granddaughter back.' 'My granddaughter Isabela is missing. We don't know what happened to this child,' Jacqueline Campos told G1. 'Now comes a whirlwind if information that my daughter gave birth to this child.' A British man has been found guilty of using Bitcoin to help fund the so-called Islamic State, promote violent jihad and pay smugglers to liberate the terror group's supporters from detention camps in Syria. Hisham Chaudhary, 28, from Leicestershire, was convicted of being a member of the proscribed Islamic terror organisation, which operates out of Syria and Iraq, after a month-long trial at Birmingham Crown Court. Jurors also returned guilty verdicts on four counts of disseminating terrorist publications, and two of entering a funding arrangement contrary to anti-terror laws. In a statement issued after the verdicts, Counter Terrorism Policing North East said Chaudhary, of Oadby, was arrested in November 2019 after an investigation supported by Counter Terrorism Policing East Midlands and Leicestershire Police. Counter-terror police said detectives uncovered considerable evidence to demonstrate Chaudhary was a 'trusted and active member of the banned terrorist group, one that not only subscribed to their ideology, but also immersed himself in supporting their activities and creating and spreading propaganda on their behalf'. Operating largely online, the defendant was able to promote violent jihad from the UK, providing safe communication networks for like-minded individuals, the court heard. Undated handout photo issued by Counter Terrorism Policing North East of Hisham Chaudhary who was found guilty of being a member of a banned terrorist group after a month-long trial at Birmingham Crown Court He also sourced money to assist other members, police said. The trial was told Chaudhary created videos to spread the ideology of IS, also known as Daesh, even seeking assistance to prevent them from being deleted or taken down. Financial investigators also revealed Chaudhary had deliberately developed his understanding and use of Bitcoin to receive and transfer thousands of pounds, paying smugglers to liberate IS supporters from detention camps in Syria. Commenting on the inquiry, Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Snowden, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: 'From the comfort of his home in the UK, Hisham Chaudhary took an active role in promoting, supporting and funding terrorism. Fighters from the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, now called the Islamic State group, marching in Raqqa, Syria, in 2014 'It is evident he was a valued member of Daesh, one who had consistently demonstrated his allegiance through his actions. 'Proscribed organisations present a very real risk to our security, to the safety of communities both in the UK and overseas. Anyone demonstrating support for such a group, in any form, will be prosecuted without exception. 'Despite the weight of the evidence against him, Hisham Chaudhary has tried to present himself as a humanitarian. He is in fact a terrorist and has been recognised as such by the jury today.' Chaudhary has been remanded in custody for sentencing on September 3. School and college staff should assume that peer-on-peer abuse is happening even if no reports are made, the Government says. Updated safeguarding guidance from the Department for Education says staff should reassure victims that they will be taken seriously and that they will be supported and kept safe when they make a report of abuse. The DfE has published 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' guidance - which will become mandatory in all post-16 settings for the first time - and has updated its advice on how schools and colleges can support young victims of sexual abuse, violence and harassment. The updated guidance - which will not come into effect until September - explains the risks associated with peer-on-peer online abuse and warns that such abuse can happen outside the school or college and can be hidden. It comes after a recent Ofsted report found that children often do not see the point of reporting sexual harassment because it happens so frequently, while many teachers consistently underestimate the scale of these problems. In April, the Government asked the schools watchdog to look at safeguarding policies and experiences in schools and colleges following the deluge of anonymous reports made to website Everyone's Invited, which was set up by Soma Sara in March. Pupils have been urged to share their stories of assault, and last week it was revealed that a total of 45 schools across just one county were named on the website for anonymous accounts of sexual assault survivors. Updated safeguarding guidance from the Department for Education says staff should reassure victims that they will be taken seriously and that they will be supported and kept safe when they make a report of abuse (stock image) Inspectors were told that boys are sharing 'nudes' among themselves like a 'collection game' on online platforms, while some girls have experienced 'unwanted touching in school corridors'. The watchdog visited 32 state and private schools and colleges and spoke to more than 900 young people about sexual harassment after thousands of testimonials were posted on the website. The DfE has published 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' guidance - which will become mandatory in all post-16 settings for the first time - and has updated its advice on how schools and colleges can support young victims of sexual abuse, violence and harassment Current and former students across the UK are speaking out about harrowing incidents of rape, sexual assault, abuse and violence. The updated DfE guidance also adds a section on dealing with unsubstantiated, unfounded, false or malicious reports, as well as adding information on child criminal exploitation (CCE), which makes clear that the experiences of girls being criminally exploited can be very different from boys'. Baroness Berridge, minister for the school system, said: 'Ofsted's review of sexual abuse and harassment showed us how prevalent these issues are in young people's lives, not just at school or college but often outside of school. 'That is why we are updating safeguarding guidance to make it absolutely clear that staff should assume that, even if there are no reports of peer-on-peer abuse, it could still be happening - and that where reports are made, they should reassure victims that they will be taken seriously. 'We are also, for the first time, making the guidance mandatory in all post-16 settings. 'We have also clarified the expectations for anyone working in a position of responsibility at schools and colleges to respond appropriately to concerns - from headteachers and teachers, to safeguarding leads and governors - so that pupils attend school every day ready to learn, feeling confident that they will be safe.' British Airways has settled a legal claim after the personal data of 420,000 customers and staff was leaked. The major data breach in 2018 included the leaking of names, addresses and card payment details and led to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) handing out its largest ever fine at 20 million. Law firm Pogust, Goodhead, Mousinho, Bianchini and Martins (PGMBM) said the terms of the settlement were confidential and the deal was reached following mediation with BA. Previously, lawyers said the lawsuit was the largest group action over a data breach in British legal history, with 16,000 claimants when filed in April last year. British Airways has settled a legal claim after the personal data of 420,000 customers and staff was leaked in a major data breach in 2018 The deal struck will see claimants paid out and the airline said it has directly apologised to those involved. Harris Pogust, chairman of PGMBM, said: 'We are very pleased to have come to a resolution on this matter after constructive mediation with British Airways. 'This represents an extremely positive and timely solution for those affected by the data incident. 'The Information Commissioner's Office laid out how BA did not take adequate measures to keep its passengers' personal and financial information secure. However, this did not provide redress to those affected. This settlement now addresses that.' A BA spokesperson said: 'We apologised to customers who may have been affected by this issue and are pleased we've been able to settle the group action. 'When the issue arose we acted promptly to protect and inform our customers.' The ICO initially threatened to fine BA 183 million for the breach under GDPR rules, but this was reduced to 20 million due to the airline pointing out it was in financial difficulty due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The airline apologised to customers who may have been affected and said when the issue arose they 'acted promptly to protect and inform customers' PGMBM is also representing a growing number of claimants in a case relating to a similar data breach of EasyJet data revealed in May 2020, which saw nine million passengers' data exposed, including names, email addresses and travel information. Mr Pogust added: 'The pace at which we have been able to resolve this process with British Airways has been particularly encouraging and demonstrates how seriously the legal system is taking mass data incidents. 'This is a very positive sign as we look ahead to what will be an even bigger case against EasyJet relating to their 2020 data breach, as well as other similar international actions.' Top Biden administration officials on Tuesday hosted a brother to Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, in the highest-level such visit known since the U.S. made public intelligence findings linking the crown prince to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Biden administration did not publicly disclose the visit by Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's deputy defense minister, in advance. President Joe Biden had pledged to make a 'pariah' of the kingdom's crown prince during his presidential campaign over Khashoggi's killing and other abuses, but his administration has instead emphasized U.S. strategic interests with Saudi Arabia. At a briefing with reporters Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed the meetings were underway and indicated that officials may raise the killing. 'During the meeting, they'll discuss the long standing partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia on regional security,' she said but when asked specifically about Khashoggi Psaki responded: 'I'm not going to discuss additional details.' Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's deputy defense minister, met with members of President Biden's security team Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had been tied to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi Khalid bin Salman met briefly at the Pentagon with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, one official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a meeting that was not yet made public. The Saudi prince had longer talks at the Pentagon with Colin Kahl, undersecretary of defense for policy, the official said. Khalid bin Salman also was due to talk with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and, at the State Department, Undersecretary Victoria Nuland and counselor Derek Chollet, two other U.S. officials said, also speaking on condition of anonymity. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the visit. Americans and the prince were expected to discuss matters including the war in Yemen, military contracts and Saudi concerns over U.S. efforts to return to a nuclear agreement with Iran, Saudi Arabias rival. A State Department spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said the administration has made clear that it found Khashoggi's killing unacceptable. The spokesperson said the U.S. would continue raising human rights concerns at the highest level. Press secretary Jen Psaki said the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi would be discussed in the sit downs The Saudi government had no immediate public comment on the visit. Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post who had written critically of Mohammed bin Salman, was killed by Saudi officials in October 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Khashoggi, who was based in the Washington, D.C. area, had gone to the consulate to get documentation for his upcoming wedding. The Biden administration in February released a declassified intelligence report concluding that Mohammed bin Salman, powerful son of the aging King Salman, had authorized the team of Saudi security and intelligence officials that killed Khashoggi. State Department spokespeople did not respond to a question Tuesday about why they had not announced the Saudi official's visit in advance. They also did not answer whether the Biden administration had concluded Khalid bin Salman played no role in the Saudi organization behind Khashoggi's killing, or had decided instead that U.S. interests required Biden officials to meet with senior Saudi royals despite the administration's public condemnation of the killing. As the crown princes younger brother, Prince Khalid was the kingdoms ambassador in Washington at the time, but he was recalled soon after Khashoggis killing amid bipartisan U.S. outrage. When Khashoggi vanished after going to the Saudi consulate in Turkey, Khalid bin Salman insisted for days that accusations of official Saudi involvement in his disappearance were groundless. The Washington Post reported that Khalid bin Salman had told Khashoggi to go to the consulate in Turkey to pick up the needed wedding papers, and told him it would be safe to do so. Former President Donald Trump was worried Ghislaine Maxwell would drag him into the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal and even mulled pardoning her, a new book reveals. Author Michael Wolff wrote in his forthcoming book, Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency, that the outgoing president took a 'sudden interest' in Maxwell's case, describing it as an 'oh s**t' moment as Trump considered pardons in his final days. 'Has she said anything about me?' Trump said in January 2021, according to an excerpt of Wolff's book in The Times. 'Is she going to talk? Will she roll on anybody?' Former President Donald Trump, seen at his Sarasota rally on Saturday, was worried Ghislaine Maxwell would drag him into the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal and even mulled pardoning her, a new book reveals Donald Trump (left) is pictured in 2000 with then-girlfriend Melania Knauss (center left), Jeffrey Epstein (center right) and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell (right) Author Michael Wolff writes that Trump mulled a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell Wolff then said that 'pardon talk almost immediately segued to the question of if he should pardon himself.' 'They say I can. Unlimited pardon power,' Wolff reported Trump telling aides. Trump was a known associate of Epstein and Maxwell before Epstein pleaded guilty of soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2008. Epstein died in prison in August 2019 after pleading not guilty of sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. He was being held without bail. Last July, Maxwell was arrested by the FBI in connection with Epstein's alleged serial abuse of teenage girls. At a White House press briefing, Trump was asked if he believed she would 'turn in powerful men' following the arrest. 'I don't know. I haven't really been following it too much,' Trump told The New York Post's Steven Nelson. 'I just wish her well, frankly. I've met her numerous times over the years - especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach - but I wish her well, whatever it is.' Donald Trump (left) speaks with Paris Hilton (center) and Ghislaine Maxwell (circled in red) at an event in New York City in September 2000 Trump was later asked by Axios' Jonathan Swan why he would wish anyone well who was connected to a high-profile sex abuse case. 'She's not in jail, so yeah, I wish her well,' Trump replied. 'I would wish you well. I would wish a lot of people well,' the then-president continued. 'Let them prove somebody was guilty,' Trump added. Trump's spokesperson Liz Harrington knocked Wolff's credibility to DailyMail.com earlier Tuesday. 'Michael Wolff sat for over two hours in interviews with President Trump and never asked him about [pardons], or other false claims Wolff has been making,' Harrington said. 'If he had, President Trump would have knocked them down, but instead Wolff decided to try to sell books with more Fake News,' she added. Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg was back at work Monday after the Fourth of July weekend just days after being brought to a Manhattan courtroom in handcuffs following his indictment. Weisselberg was indicted last week on 'sweeping and audacious' tax and fraud charges, after prosecutors of taking a total of $1.7 million in perks and compensation that the longtime CFO and the Trump Organization did not declare in tax filings. He was also captured in images first revealed by DailyMail.com the day before the indictment came down with the before and after images buttressing claims he will not 'flip' on the Trump and the company he has led for decades. Longtime Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg drove himself to Trump Tower days after being indicted and appearing in a Manhattan courtroom Weisselberg is likely to face enormous cooperation to cooperate with prosecutors after they revealed charges spanning years that could bring multiple counts and a long prison sentence if the 73 year old were to be convicted. The off-the-books perks allegedly include lease payments for Mercedes cars for Weisselberg and his wife, an apartment in Manhattan, and tuition fees for his grandchildren at a top prep school. Trump at his Saturday night rally in Sarasota fiercely defended the longtime executive who first served his father, Fred even while tossing out lines that might gives Weisselberg's attorneys headaches. 'It's reminiscent of a communist dictatorship targeting their political opponents,' Trump told a crowd of supporters. He called it a 'witch hunt' a term he used repeatedly to blast the Russia probe and investigations into himself and said: 'In America people will not stand for it.' Trump appeared to admit key pieces of evidence being brought against Weisselberg even as mocking the idea that it is criminal and minimizing the harm. 'They go after good, hard-working people for not paying taxes on a company car,' Trump complained. Allen Weisselberg leaves his New York City home and heads to Trump Tower. Weisselberg, wearing a blue polo shirt was on the phone as he made his way through the city before driving into a private garage at Trump Tower. Trump on Saturday mocked prosecutors, saying: 'They go after good, hard-working people for not paying taxes on a company car' Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg appears for his arraignment hearing in New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., July 1, 2021 Former President Donald Trump, seen at Trump Tower on July 4th, vigorously defended Weisselber, while also making some admissions at a Floriday rally. 'You didn't pay tax. Or education for your grandchildren. I don't even know. Do you have to?' Trump said Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg arrived for his arraignment hearing in handcuffs. On Tuesday he was back at Trump Tower 'You didn't pay tax on the car or a company apartment. You used an apartment because you need an apartment because you have to travel too far where your house is,' he continued, taking on the role of the government in the case. 'You didn't pay tax. Or education for your grandchildren. I don't even know. Do you have to? Does anybody know the answer to that stuff?' Trump asked. Weisselberg also owned a home in upstate New York during some of the years outlined in the indictment. Trump, who took heat for years for failing to release his tax returns as a candidate and as president, also said any alleged crime didn't stack up to violent felonies. 'Think of it, think of how unfair it is. Never before has New York City and their prosecutors or perhaps any prosecutors criminally charged a company or a person for fringe benefits. Fringe benefits. Murders, okay. Human trafficking, no problem but fringe benefits, you can't do that,' Trump said. Meghan Markle's best friend Jessica Mulroney has been accused by Instagram followers of ripping off designs by other labels for her new suit collection, DailyMail.com can reveal. The Canadian stylist, 41, has been hinting at a new line of suits since June 16 and posted a photo of her first design on Friday with the caption: 'First drop. What do you think?' But not only does the windowpane check suit appear to be a 2018 design by British label Ralph and Russo; the photo Mulroney claims is hers is actually a campaign image created to sell the original suit on Net-a-Porter. A copy of the now deleted Net-a-Porter image, obtained by DailyMail.com, is identical to the one posted by Mulroney on Instagram in all respects. Meghan Markle's best friend Jessica Mulroney has been accused by Instagram followers of ripping off a design by British label Ralph and Russo Mulroney has been hinting at a new line of suits since June 16 and posted a photo of her first design on Friday with the caption: 'First drop. What do you think?' After this DailyMail.com article was published, Mulroney deleted the post Not only is the windowpane check suit a 2018 design by British label Ralph and Russo; the photo Mulroney claims is hers is actually a campaign image created to sell the original suit on Net-a-Porter Eagle-eyed followers accused Mulroney in the comments of ripping off the designs - some even claim Mulroney deleted their negative comments Mulroney has now updated her post after fans pointed out the similarities - claiming the design was 'inspired by my favorite designers Ralph and Russo' and adding 'without the designer price' Further images show the same suit on the catwalk in 2018, while photos taken in March 2019 show former First Lady Michelle Obama wearing the outfit at a book signing in Oregon. Mulroney updated her post after fans pointed out the similarities - claiming the design was 'inspired by my favorite designers Ralph and Russo' and adding 'without the designer price'. And after DailyMail.com published this story, Mulroney deleted the post altogether. The 41-year-old was contacted for comment by DailyMail.com. Toronto-based Mulroney has endured a torrid year, after being accused of 'racist bullying' of a black influencer in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. Sasha Exeter claimed Mulroney 'took personal offence' when she asked bloggers to use their platform to promote Black Lives Matter and that private messages between the pair had left her 'paralyzed with fear'. Mulroney later apologized but was stripped of several TV gigs, including a fashion slot on Good Morning America. The row also led to an estrangement between Meghan and Mulroney, with the Duchess of Sussex telling friends at the time that she did not want to get involved. 'Meghan is absolutely mortified that she's been dragged into this complete mess,' a close friend told DailyMail.com at the time. 'She said Jessica is in no way a racist, but the way she handled the situation [with Sasha] was tone-deaf and heartbreaking. 'Meghan said friends reflect friends and because of what's at stake she can no longer be associated with Jessica, at least not in public.' The checkered suit was worn in March 2019 by former First Lady Michelle Obama at a book signing in Oregon Further images show the same windowpane check suit on the catwalk in 2018 during the Ralph and Russo Presentation as part of Paris Fashion Week Mulroney and Meghan had been best friends since meeting after Meghan moved to Toronto in 2011 to film legal drama Suits. She was among the guests at St. George's Chapel in Windsor when Meghan and Harry married, while her daughter Ivy was one of the bridesmaids. Mulroney is also believed to be among the 'five friends' who briefed People magazine for a gushing 2018 story on Meghan that slammed her father Thomas Markle Sr, 76, for his outbursts in the media. She also attended Meghan's lavish baby shower in New York ahead of the birth of first child Archie in May 2019. But the pair have not spent time together since the Sussex's move to California and their friendship has noticeably cooled since the race row. Although Mulroney has posted photos of flowers sent to her by Meghan, she recently dedicated a post to her 'best friends' leaving the Duchess of Sussex out. She did come to her defense in the wake of the Oprah interview in March, writing on Instagram: 'I don't know that anyone has ever had to deal with the pressure, the politics and the press like this woman. 'In the face of it all, I have never seen her waver from kindness, empathy and love.' A girl was dragged to an abandoned house and shot by her tribe in a so-called 'honour killing' after she tried to run away with her lover and refused to marry her cousin in Syria. A video circulated online shows the young woman, who has been identified as 18-year-old Eida Al-Hamoudi Al-Saeedo, being shot in a desolate village on the outskirts of the northeastern Syrian city of Al-Hasakah. Eida had tried to run away with her lover but her family and tribe followed her before capturing her, reports Akhbaralaan.net. The horrific footage shows Eida being dragged by a group of three men who were carrying guns while she screams for help. The video then pans to other men who are stood by a wall of the abandoned house before three shots can be heard. The footage then shows Eida lying on the ground and she appears to be struggling to get up, before one man points a gun at her and shoots her dead. The woman's body is covered with a red blanket by the tribesmen. Just days after the video of Eida's murder emerged on social media, a 16-year-old girl was strangled to death by her father in another 'honour killing' after she was raped by a relative. The horrific footage shows Eida being dragged by a group of three men (left) who were carrying guns while she screams for help. The video then pans to other men who are stood by a wall of the abandoned house (right) before three shots can be heard Eida, who is from the city of Al-Hasakah, had been taken to an abandoned house and her father and brother, along with other men from the Al-Sharabain tribe murdered her, reports Syrian news site Alarabiya. Her family and tribe then shot her in an 'honor killing' for falling in love with a young man and refusing to marry her cousin, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The young man had proposed to her but Eida's family had prohibited the marriage because he was from a different clan. After the 'honour killing', Eida's family published the video on social media 'in order to announce cleansing the shame according to their tribal beliefs', the SOHR said in a statement. The camera then shows Eida lying on the ground and she appears to be struggling to get up, before one man points a gun at her and shoots her dead. The woman's body is covered with a red blanket by the tribesmen 'SOHR strongly denounces this horrible crime calling for bringing the perpetrators on charges of murder and publishing the videos under the name of 'honor crime', the Observatory said in a statement. Eida had been starved and beaten for many days before being executed by her family, said the Violations Documentation Center in northern Syria, which identified Eida Al-Hamoudi Al-Saeedo as the victim of the attack. '[She was] brutally assaulted until the crime was completed by killing her with machine guns and pistols by more than one person,' a spokesperson for the center told the news site. '[The family] bragged about publishing a horrific video clip showing the murder of a girl by bullets, near an abandoned house in the countryside. 'They seemed happy with their crime as they took turns to abuse the body of the weak, frightened, terrified girl, and each of the 11 people who participated in the crime received a share of her blood,' they added. The man who Eida had fallen in love with reportedly managed to escape from the tribe as the family 'feared a reprisal' from his family if they attacked him. 'Her sin was to love another man whom they couldn't touch fearing of reprisal between the two families,' the center said in a statement on Twitter. The video footage of the shooting has spread across social media and sparked a wave of anger with activists calling for the perpetrators to be prosecuted and for the violence and killing of women to stop. Writer Sameh Shukri tweeted: A new crime of honor and racism against women, killing a Syrian girl in the city of #Hasakah for accusing her of love and adultery. 'And the killer this time is not an ISIS who applies Sharia, but rather her clan and extremist youth who believe that with this crime they have become from The owners of heaven, whoever incites against women and spreads their hatred is responsible for killing the Hasaka girl.' Just days after the video of Eida's murder emerged on social media, a 16-year-old girl was murdered by her father on Monday in another 'honour killing'. Hundreds of women protested against the 'honour killings' in the city of Hasakeh on Tuesday and marched down streets, some wearing a white t-shirt marked 'No to violence' in red letters Some of the protesters were wearing a white t-shirt marked 'No to violence' in red letters Just days after the video of Eida's murder emerged on social media, a 16-year-old girl was murdered by her father on Monday in another 'honour killing'. The girl, who has been identified as Aya Muhammad Khalifo by the Violations Documentation Center in northern Syria, was strangled by her father. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the man strangled his daughter, who had been raped by a relative more than a year ago. Hundreds of women protested against the 'honour killings' in the city of Hasakeh on Tuesday and marched down streets, some wearing a white t-shirt marked 'No to violence' in red letters. 'Stop killing women,' read one sign. 'There is no honour in murder,' said another. The protesters gathered outside the home of the 16-year-old girl who is the latest victim. 'We condemn these crimes in the name of tradition or religion,' said protester Evin Bacho, a member of the Kurdish feminist group Kongra Star. The protesters gathered outside the home of the 16-year-old girl who is the latest victim Syrian Kurdish women attend a protest against so-called 'honour killings' in Syria's northeastern city of Hasakah on Tuesday She said the gathering was 'against any family that gives itself the right to deprive a woman of her freedom'. Protester Intissar al-Hamadi demanded the perpetrators of such murders be held to account. 'No religion or morality allows this,' she said. In the Kurdish zones of Syria, 'honour crimes' and 'violence and discrimination' against women are officially outlawed, as is polygamy, although it is permitted in Islam. In Damascus last year, authorities scrapped part of a law that allowed those who had killed a female relative to invoke mitigating circumstances to cut their sentence. Syria's decade-long war has killed half a million people and displaced millions more, and also compounded violence against women. Rural areas are still deeply conservative and tribal, often imposing severe restrictions on women's freedom. American Airlines was forced to cancel a flight from North Carolina to the Bahamas after a group of teenagers refused to wear face masks - and they were then forced to sleep in the airport overnight because they were too young to check into a hotel. Flight 893 was scheduled to depart from Charlotte Douglas International Airport enroute to Nassau on Monday when passengers say the group of teens from Boston started being 'very obnoxious'. Fellow passengers say members of the group, aged 17 and 18, refused to wear their masks as required. It's unclear how many refused. Forty-six teens in total had set out for the Bahamas to celebrate their recent graduation from Winthrop High School, WHDH reported. The trip was not sanctioned by the school and the teens' parents booked it through a private company, Breakaway Beach. Flight 893 was scheduled to depart from Charlotte Douglas International Airport en route to Nassau on Monday when passengers say the group of teens from Boston refused to wear masks. Passenger Stephanie Krzywanski filmed this video from the plane and, at one point, a mask-less young man waved at the camera. It is not clear if he was among the group of teens The teens were chaperoned by a staff member from Breakaway Beach, which states on its website: 'Our mission is to provide phenomenal senior trips to graduating high school students of all backgrounds.' Winthrop School District Superintendent Lisa Howard told DailyMail.com: 'This was not a school sponsored trip and therefore have no additional comments at this time.' Passenger Stephanie Krzywanski filmed herself on a call with News19 from the plane and, at one point, a mask-less young man waves at the camera. It is not clear if he was among the group of teens. 'There were a group of high school seniors celebrating their graduation who were being rowdy and not wearing their masks,' she said. 'What transpired was a lot of back and forth between, I assume, the parents.' An airline spokesperson confirmed that group was 'non-compliant' with the federal mask mandate that requires passengers to wear a face covering on planes. The teens then became disruptive to fellow passengers and would not follow instructions from crew members, according to the airline. 'It was bad. Firstly they were yelling, they were cussing. They were being very obnoxious,' Malik Banks, who was sitting next to the group, told WSOC-TV. The airline said the flight rather faced an 'extended delay' and was rescheduled for Tuesday morning as a result of the teens refusing to wear their masks Fellow passengers, Malik Banks (left) and Christina Randolph (right) say the group, aged 17 and 18, refused to wear their masks as required. The group were believed to be on their way to the Bahamas for a graduation trip 'It wasn't all of them... I'd say 75 to 80 percent of them were being terrible kids.' He said they were forced to wait six hours before they were told what was happening with the flight. Another passenger, Christina Randolph, said: 'All they had to do was follow the rules, put the mask on, sit there, no smart mouth comments. They couldn't do it.' But the mother of one of the teens - Jean Holgerson - said the entire ordeal has been blown out of proportion. 'It wasnt this big standoff like everyone is portraying,' Holgerson told WHDH. 'A representative from Breakaway Beach was there. We have 46 children that are saying this differently. I have no idea why some would fabricate that.' The mother said flight attendants initially asked one of the teens to get off the flight for not complying with the mask mandate. 'As soon as they walked away, some woman walked to the bathroom without a mask,' she said. 'So now, the kids got a little bit upset how she can and this that so at that point they mightve gotten a little rowdy. No one swore, they were still respectful.' The president of Breakaway Beach also criticized American Airlines' handling of the incident and said the actions of one student should not have delayed the trip for all of them. The airline said the flight faced an 'extended delay' and was rescheduled for Tuesday morning. All passengers, including the ones who caused the initial disruption, were rebooked onto the new flight after they agreed to wear their face masks. Those on the flight were given hotel and meal vouchers while they waited for the new flight. The teens, however, were unable to check in to a hotel due to age requirements and had to sleep in the airport instead. Prior to the mask incident unfolding, the aircraft had experienced technical difficulties, which meant all passengers had to change planes and were already delayed. Joe Biden is still not calling on Vladimir Putin to respond to a massive ransomware attack from Russian-linked hackers as he again pulled out notes on Tuesday to deliver a prepared response to reporters questioning retaliation. 'I can tell you a couple things,' Biden said when asked if the attack warrants a response from the U.S. as he started reading from a notebook. 'I received an update from my national security team this morning.' The president insisted the attack 'appears to have caused minimal damages to U.S. businesses,' despite reports showing at least 1,000 American companies were affected and the hacking gang claims up to 1 million companies were targeted. 'We're still gathering information to the full extent of that attack,' Biden said after delivering an update on the coronavirus pandemic and state of vaccinations from the White House. He previewed: 'I'm going to have more to say about this in the next several days. We're getting more detail and information but that's what I can tell you now.' 'And I feel good about our ability to be able to respond,' he as he trailed off and left the room after taking just one question. Biden reading from his notes again comes after right-wing media and groups excoriated the president for an awkward exchange in Michigan on Saturday where he fumbled with paper in his suit jacket pocket to answer a question on the ransomware attack. President Joe Biden had to again refer to notes when answering questions on the REvil hack as he said the attack 'appears to have caused minimal damages to U.S. businesses,' despite the gang claiming up to 1 million companies were affected During that trip on Saturday to a cheery farm store, Biden said he was just briefed on the attack, which was launched on Friday, but he had to refer to notes to give a non-answer updating reporters on the situation. Despite the president vowing to 'get tough' on Russia, he is still not holding Putin accountable for the cyberattack or saying if he will retaliate in general. His spokesperson, however, warned the Kremlin on Tuesday that if they don't take action against REvil, a gang of Russian-linked criminal hackers, the U.S. will. 'I will just reiterate a message that these [top national security] officials are sending, as the president made clear to President Putin when they met: If the Russian government cannot, or will not take action against criminal actors residing in Russia, we will take action or reserve the right to take action on our own,' President Joe Biden's Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters during her briefing Tuesday. Psaki added: 'A high level of our national security team has been in touch with a high level of Russian officials.' She also previewed that these expert-level discussions will continue next week with another meeting 'focused on ransomware attacks.' The press secretary said that the U.S. intelligence community has still not attributed the attack to Russia, although a hacking gang linked to the nation, REvil, has claimed responsibility for the cyberattack. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki had some more harsh warnings for Putin, saying: 'If the Russian government cannot, or will not take action against criminal actors residing in Russia, we will take action' against cyberattacks 'The intelligence community has not yet attributed the attack,' Psaki said. 'The cybersecurity community agrees that our evil operates out of Russia with affiliates around the world,' she continued, 'but in our conversations, and we have been in touch directly, we are continuing to convey that message clearly.' Even if the attack is not coming directly from the Kremlin, Psaki said, the administration still believes Puin has a responsibility to take action against those operating criminally within Russian against private entities in other countries. REvil was able to breach Kaseya, a Miami-based IT firm, and use their malware protection product to target, it claims, up to 1 million different businesses in at least 17 different countries. The gang is publicly demanding $70 million bitcoin to fix the issue, which the White House is advising Kaseya against. REvil has lowered their asking price to $50 million, according to private negotiations reported by Reuters on Monday. 'Our ransomware policy continues to be the same as it has been for several months, which is we do not advise we advise against, in fact companies paying ransomware, given it incentivizes bad actors to repeat this behavior,' she said Tuesday, adding she is not sure 'whether the company has paid ransom.' Critics are lashing out at President Joe Biden for not keeping his promise to get tough on Russia over cyberattacks after the most recent REvil hack targeted up to 1 million companies Biden has faced a slew of criticism for his slow response to the ransomware attack and his failure to 'get tough' on Russia despite vowing retaliation if there were any attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure. John Katko told DailyMail.com Monday night the U.S. is 'facing a time of reckoning' in relations with Russia. 'Only weeks after President Biden sat down with Putin and allegedly talked a tough game with Russia, hackers from Russia again attacked thousands of U.S. companies, compromising our nation's critical infrastructure,' Katko, ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, said. 'We're facing a moment of reckoning when it comes to deterrence,' the New York congressman continued. 'Adversaries like Russia are creating safe havens for bad actors and we must project strength.' Critics are applying pressure to Biden after he promised to get tough on Russia and has failed so far to follow through on responding after a Kremlin-linked hacking group attacked the systems of at least 1,500 businesses. Although Biden has instructed the FBI to launch an investigation into the hack, he insists he is still 'not sure who' is behind the cyberattack. 'Bad actors like these are emboldened when President Biden projects weakness on the world stage,' Georgia Representative Buddy Carter told DailyMail.com. He added: 'We should take immediate action to hold Russia accountable and make it clear we will not tolerate acts cyber terrorism.' Biden warned that the US will retaliate if it finds out Russia was behind the mass cyberattack that hit at least 1,000 firms in the run-up to July 4 weekend. Biden speaking at a cherry farm store in Central Lake, Michigan Saturday Cyber attack on US IT provider forces Swedish grocery store chain to close ALL 800 stores The Swedish Coop grocery store chain closed all its 800 stores on Saturday after the ransomware attack on Kaseya left it unable to operate its cash registers. According to Coop, one of Sweden's biggest grocery chains, a tool used to remotely update its checkout tills was affected by the attack, meaning payments could not be taken. 'We have been troubleshooting and restoring all night, but have communicated that we will need to keep the stores closed today,' Coop spokesperson Therese Knapp told Swedish Television. The Swedish news agency TT said Kaseya technology was used by the Swedish company Visma Esscom, which manages servers and devices for a number of Swedish businesses. State railways services and a pharmacy chain were also impacted by the attack. 'They have been hit in various degrees,' Visma Esscom chief executive Fabian Mogren told TT. Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist told Swedish Television the attack was 'very dangerous' and showed business and state agencies need to better prepare. 'In a different geopolitical situation, it may be government actors who attack us in this way in order to shut down society and create chaos,' he said. Advertisement Katko says U.S. critical infrastructure sectors are increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks. 'I am currently leading a legislative effort to codify what constitutes Systemically Important Critical Infrastructure (SICI) into law. This will be an important step in more robustly securing our nation's key industries and sectors against attacks by adversaries like Russia,' the lawmaker said. REvil, the ransomware gang also known as Sodinokibi, claims it hit up to 1 million companies and is still publicly demanding $70 million in cryptocurrency to restore data it is holding ransom. Jack Cable of the cybersecurity-focused Krebs Stamos Group told Reuters that one of the gang's affiliates negotiated with him and said he could sell a 'universal decryptor' for all the victims for $50 million. Cable informed Reuters that he was able to get through to the REvil hackers after obtaining a cryptographic key needed to log on to the group's payment portal. Reuters was then able to log on to the payment portal and chat with an operator who insisted the price remained at $70 million, but said 'we are always ready to negotiate.' Biden told Russian President Vladimir Putin during a bilateral meeting in Geneva last month that he would retaliate against hacking groups that target the U.S., and on Saturday the president told reporters that he will take action against the ransomware attack. Also during that meeting on June 16, Biden said he gave a list to Putin of 16 'off-limits' critical infrastructure entities. 'Remember when President Biden gave Putin a list of things that were supposed to be off-limits for cyber attacks?' House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted on Saturday. 'What he SHOULD have said is that ALL American targets are off-limits,' the California Republican continued. He added: 'Biden is soft on crime and weak against Putin.' Those 'off-limits' entities include energy, water, health care, emergency, chemical, nuclear, communications, government, defense, food, commercial facilities, IT, transportation, dams, manufacturing and financial services. The most recent REvil hack, which was launched Friday, was aimed at breaching the IT systems of companies in at least 17 countries. 'Hard to see this as anything other than Putin tellin' Biden to f*** off,' one journalist wrote on Twitter. Experts believe this could be the biggest ransomware attack on record. This specific type of cyber attack is a form of digital hostage-taking where hackers encrypt victims' data and then demand money for restored access. Swedish grocery stores, which remained closed on Tuesday, as well as kindergartens in New Zealand, pharmacies, gas stations and two major Dutch IT firms were among the victims of the Friday hack. REvil breached Kaseya, a Miami-based IT firm, and used the company's malware protection product to scale the attack across the world. 'This marks a serious escalation just weeks after Putin-Biden summit on ransomware,' New York Times cybersecurity reporter Nicole Perlroth tweeted Saturday. 'Not only is this a supply chain attack on MSPs,' she continued, 'they broke in via a zero day, a significant advance for REVil which has traditionally compromised victims through usual means of phishing, etc.' Biden and Putin held bilateral talks in Geneva on June 16 where the U.S. president said he gave his counterpart a list of 16 critical infrastructure entities that are 'off limits', including IT, which was targeted by the REvil hack House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Biden is 'weak against Putin'. He tweeted: 'Remember when President Biden gave Putin a list of things that were supposed to be off-limits for cyber attacks? What he SHOULD have said is that ALL American targets are off-limits' Author Greg Olear wrote that it's time to retaliate. 'Its time,' he tweeted on Saturday. 'Kick them off the world banking system. Shut off the pipeline. No more appeasement.' Others slammed President Biden as 'weak' for his slow response to the global cyberattack. During a trip to Central Lake, Michigan on Saturday, Biden said he would take action against the actors once more is known casting doubt on whether the attack came from Russia. 'We're not sure who it is,' the president said, while he celebrated the start of July 4 weekend at a cherry farm in the Great Lake State. 'The initial thinking was it was not the Russian government but we're not sure yet,' he continued as he fumbled with a paper in his suit jacket pocket with notes from a briefing on the situation beforehand. He added: 'If it is either with the knowledge of and/or a consequence of Russia, then I told Putin we will respond.' Biden said that he would respond more on Sunday, July 4, but did not release anything more on the incident on Independence Day. Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member John Katko told DailyMail.com that the U.S. is 'facing a time of reckoning' in terms of deterrence The latest hack is believed to be the largest ransomware attack on record and affected the IT systems of up to 1 million companies across the world. Kaseya says just a few dozen of its customers were directly affected by the attack, but knock-on effects have brought down firms in 17 countries - with one expert saying the attack is 'unprecedented' in its scale and sophistication. REvil, which was behind the recent hack of meat processor JBS which saw an $11million ransom paid, has been negotiating ransoms of up to $5million with individual firms - but now says for $70million it will unlock all affected networks. Joe Biden, who last month warned President Putin to take action against hacking groups targeting the US from Russia, said the FBI is investigating the latest hack and he will take action if Moscow is deemed to be responsible. Analysts said it is no coincidence that the attack coincided with the July 4 holiday weekend, when companies would be under-staffed and less able to respond. Ciaran Martin, founder of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, told Radio 4: 'The scale and sophistication of this global crime is rare, if not unprecedented. 'It is a really serious, global operation.' Swedish grocery chain Coop was forced to close all 800 of its stores on Sunday and said they would remain shut on Monday after its tills were affected. The country's national rail operator and public broadcaster SVT were also affected. In Germany, an unnamed IT services company told authorities several thousand of its customers were compromised. Also among reported victims were two big Dutch IT services companies - VelzArt and Hoppenbrouwer Techniek. But most victims are believed to be small to medium-sized firms that are unlikely to publicly announce they have been infected - car dealerships, hair salons and accounting firms, among others. Cybersecurity teams worked feverishly Sunday to stem the impact of the single biggest global ransomware attack on record, with some details emerging about how the Russia-linked gang responsible breached the company whose software was the conduit. An affiliate of the notorious REvil gang, best known for extorting $11 million from the meat-processor JBS after a Memorial Day attack, infected thousands of victims in at least 17 countries on Friday, largely through firms that remotely manage IT infrastructure for multiple customers, cybersecurity researchers said. Earlier, the FBI said in a statement that while it was investigating the attack its scale 'may make it so that we are unable to respond to each victim individually.' Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger later issued a statement saying President Joe Biden had 'directed the full resources of the government to investigate this incident' and urged all who believed they were compromised to alert the FBI. The president told reporters Saturday that it is not yet clear who is behind the latest cybersecurity breach to strike American businesses but insisted that he 'will respond' if it is tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'We're not sure who it is,' he said, while he celebrated the start of July 4 weekend at a cherry farm in Central Lake, Michigan. 'The initial thinking was it was not the Russian government but we're not sure yet.' He added: 'If it is either with the knowledge of and/or a consequence of Russia, then I told Putin we will respond.' Satnam Narang, a researcher at cyber exposure company Tenable, tweeted a screenshot of a blog post the hacking collective had posted on the dark web Less than a month ago, Biden pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop giving safe haven to REvil and other ransomware gangs whose unrelenting extortionary attacks the U.S. deems a national security threat. A broad array of businesses and public agencies were hit by the latest attack, apparently on all continents, including in financial services, travel and leisure and the public sector - though few large companies, cybersecurity firm Sophos reported. Ransomware criminals infiltrate networks and sow malware that cripples them by scrambling all their data. Victims get a decoder key when they pay up. Most ransomware victims don't publicly report attacks or disclose if they've paid ransoms. The Swedish grocery chain Coop said most of its 800 stores would be closed for a second day Sunday because their cash register software supplier was crippled. A Swedish pharmacy chain, gas station chain, the state railway and public broadcaster SVT were also hit. In Germany, an unnamed IT services company told authorities several thousand of its customers were compromised, the news agency dpa reported. Also among reported victims were two big Dutch IT services companies VelzArt and Hoppenbrouwer Techniek. CEO Fred Voccola of the breached software company, Kaseya, estimated the victim number in the low thousands, mostly small businesses like 'dental practices, architecture firms, plastic surgery centers, libraries, things like that.' Voccola said in an interview that only between 50-60 of the company's 37,000 customers were compromised. But 70% were managed service providers who use the company's hacked VSA software to manage multiple customers. It automates the installation of software and security updates and manages backups and other vital tasks. Experts say it was no coincidence that REvil launched the attack at the start of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, knowing U.S. offices would be lightly staffed. Many victims may not learn of it until they are back at work on Monday. Most end users of managed service providers 'have no idea' whose software keep their networks humming, said Voccola, Kaseya said it sent a detection tool to nearly 900 customers on Saturday night. The REvil offer to offer blanket decryption for all victims of the Kaseya attack in exchange for $70 million suggested its inability to cope with the sheer quantity of infected networks, said Allan Liska, an analyst with the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. Although analysts reported seeing demands of $5 million and $500,000 for bigger targets, it was apparently demanding $45,000 for most. 'This attack is a lot bigger than they expected and it is getting a lot of attention. It is in REvil's interest to end it quickly,' said Liska. 'This is a nightmare to manage.' Analyst Brett Callow of Emsisoft said he suspects REvil is hoping insurers might crunch the numbers and determine the $70 million will be cheaper for them than extended downtime. Sophisticated ransomware gangs on REvil's level usually examine a victim's financial records and insurance policies if they can find them from files they steal before activating the ransomware. The criminals then threaten to dump the stolen data online unless paid. In this attack, that appears not to have happened. Dutch researchers said they alerted Miami-based Kaseya to the breach and said the criminals used a 'zero day,' the industry term for a previous unknown security hole in software. Voccola would not confirm that or offer details of the breach except to say that it was not phishing. 'The level of sophistication here was extraordinary,' he said. When the cybersecurity firm Mandiant finishes its investigation, Voccola said he is confident it will show that the criminals didn't just violate Kaseya code in breaking into his network but also exploited vulnerabilities in third-party software. It was not the first ransomware attack to leverage managed services providers. In 2019, criminals hobbled the networks of 22 Texas municipalities through one. That same year, 400 U.S. dental practices were crippled in a separate attack. One of the Dutch vulnerability researchers, Victor Gevers, said his team is worried about products like Kaseya's VSA because of the total control of vast computing resources they can offer. 'More and more of the products that are used to keep networks safe and secure are showing structural weaknesses,' he wrote in a blog Sunday. The cybersecurity firm ESET identified victims in least 17 countries, including the United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, New Zealand and Kenya. Kaseya says the attack only affected 'on-premise' customers, organizations running their own data centers, as opposed to its cloud-based services that run software for customers. It also shut down those servers as a precaution, however. Kaseya, which called on customers Friday to shut down their VSA servers immediately, said Sunday it hoped to have a patch in the next few days. Active since April 2019, REvil provides ransomware-as-a-service, meaning it develops the network-paralyzing software and leases it to so-called affiliates who infect targets and earn the lion's share of ransoms. U.S. officials say the most potent ransomware gangs are based in Russia and allied states and operate with Kremlin tolerance and sometimes collude with Russian security services. Cybersecurity expert Dmitri Alperovitch of the Silverado Policy Accelerator think tank said that while he does not believe the Kaseya attack is Kremlin-directed, it shows that Putin 'has not yet moved' on shutting down cybercriminals. A 14-year-old girl who pleaded guilty to murdering an UberEats driver during a botched carjacking attempt will now serve just seven years in a youth detention facility after being handed the maximum possible sentence Tuesday. The teenager, then 13, and another girl aged 15 tried to seize 66-year-old Mohammad Anwar's car using a Taser while he was working near Nationals Park in Springfield, Virginia on March 23. Horrific video shows them speeding off with helpless delivery driver clinging onto a side door, before the car smashed into a fence and crushed Anwar between the barrier and the door. The car then hit a curb and tipped onto its side. Washington DC juvenile court judge Lynn Leibovitz said the 14-year-old would be locked up until she turned 21. In early June, the older girl was also sentenced to confinement until the same age. Prosecutors said the younger girl showed no remorse and muttered to herself when she thought no one could hear after she was arrested: 'If you gave me my f*****g phone, the jacks would have still been alive, but no, you want to put my damn phone in your pocket.' The teenager, then 13, and another girl aged 15 tried to seize 66-year-old Mohammad Anwar's (pictured) car using a Taser while he was working near Nationals Park in Springfield, Virginia on March 23 The girl told the court she was sorry, but her statement was hard to hear, reported WUSA9. A plea deal for accepting second-degree murder charges meant the other charges against her - including armed carjacking - were dropped, and she will be released when she turns 21. The 14-year-old has also been found responsible in two other cases - including unauthorized use of a motorized vehicle - and will be sentenced in those cases later this month. At the time of the younger girl's sentencing, the judge said the carjacking was 'terrible and devastating' and that the victim's family would never recover from the trauma. The girls attacked Anwar while he was working with Uber Eats delivering food in Washington, DC on March 23. The pair got into his car at the Navy Yard Metro station about 4:30pm after he agreed to give them a lift. Anwar then drove a short distance to the streets close to Nationals Park before a struggle broke out with the two girls, one of whom was armed with a Taser. A video of the incident shows the encounter unfolding in a minute and a half, ending with Anwar's Honda Accord on its side, the girls climbing out and a fatally injured Anwar sprawled and motionless on the sidewalk. A video of the incident shows the encounter unfolding in a minute and a half, starting with the girls trying to force Anwar out of the car Horrific video shows them speeding off with helpless delivery driver clinging onto a side door, before the car smashed into a curb and tipped onto its side The 90-second clip begins with Anwar struggling to regain control of his car after the two girls made their way inside. 'They're thieves,' he is heard saying, as he attempts to pull the girl out of the driver seat of the parked car. 'This is my car!' Prosecutor Baki Baruwa says the 14-year-old stayed in the passenger seat while the 15-year old jumped into the driver's seat. Baruwa also said Anwar's pleas for help went unheeded as the older girl told witnesses the car belonged to her mother. The teen suddenly accelerates, sending the car speeding down the 1200 block of Van Street SE with Anwar clinging on to the driver side's door. At one point, the car is seen smashing into a metal fence from the left side, crushing the delivery driver between the barrier and the car door. Two National Guardsmen who were in the area removed the juvenile suspects from the overturned car (pictured) and detained them until police arrived As the car continues to speed off into the distance, a screeching sound is heard followed by a loud crash. The bystander filming the incident runs over to the site of the crash to find the car rolled over and the two girls climbing out of the wreckage. Anwar's body can be seen lying motionless on the corner on the sidewalk, as witnesses scramble to get help. Two National Guardsmen who were in the area removed the juvenile suspects from the overturned car and detained them until police responded to the scene and arrested them. Anwar was eventually rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries, including head trauma and broken bones. He was described in a GoFundMe post as 'a hard-working Pakistani immigrant who came to the United States to create a better life for him and his family.' The GoFundMe campaign, launched on behalf of his family, raised more than $1 million to cover the costs of a funeral and to provide for his survivors. 'Anwar was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend who always provided a smile when you needed one,' the family said. 'Words can not describe how our family is feeling currently. Devastation, confusion, shock, anger, heartache, and anguish are just a few that come to mind.' Pictured is the moment the two girls left the wreckage of the car before being seized A bystander filming the incident runs over to the site of the crash to find the car rolled over and the two girls climbing out of the wreckage The mayor of Washington D.C., Muriel Bowser, tweeted then deleted a 'tone deaf' message advising people on how to prevent auto theft, five days after Anwar's killing. The 15-year-old, who also cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty on May 5, a court spokesman told The Washington Post. In return for pleading guilty to murder, other charges - armed carjacking, robbery and aggravated reckless driving - were dropped. One of the girls is from the DC area and the other is from neighboring Fort Washington, Maryland. Anwar, who lived in suburban Springfield, Virginia, moved to the United States in 2014, his family said. Advertisement A former Chief Scientific Adviser has warned that the decision to remove most lockdown measures on July 19 is 'very, very risky' and claimed that the number of people dying with coronavirus will rise dramatically within three weeks - despite most adults being vaccinated. Sir David King, the chairman of so-called Independent SAGE, said he was shocked to learn that Boris Johnson is pushing ahead with plans to scrap restrictions including compulsory mask-wearing and social distancing in England from the so-called 'Freedom Day' in two weeks. Giving a gloomy prognosis to Sky News today, he also warned that hundreds of thousands of people could 'suffer life shortening' due to the effects of so-called 'long Covid'. Sir David said: 'I just actually can't quite believe that in one step we will remove all of the requirements that have been placed on us, including wearing face masks when indoors, when on trains etc - public transport, including not having children aged 12 to 18 vaccinated. 'All of this seems a very, very risky way forward to me, so I think what we will have to expect is that after July 19 we will see the doubling rate of the disease, which is currently nine days - that we may well see it go up shorter, and this would be despite the fact that more people will have been vaccinated. 'There's another problem with this very sharp rise in the numbers. What we must also anticipate within three to five weeks of this sharp rise is a sharp rise in the number of people dying per day. Now all of this seems to me very risky, but the third risk is long Covid. 'So at the moment we know that roughly one million people in the country have suffered from long Covid, which means they have had Covid symptoms for more than 12 weeks. But of those, 385,000 have had Covid for more than 12 months. 'Now this is really rather terrifying, so we musn't just focus on the number dying. We must look at the long-term impact on these otherwise would-be healthy people who just haven't been able to shake this off - and these people will suffer from life shortening due to the impact this has on their inner organs, their lungs. 'So I think if we take it all in all, it just seems to me to be very, very risky after this long period again of lockdown. So I think yes, vaccination is extremely successful, but for a government to rely on one means of managing this epidemic to me seems really quite remarkable. It's a very risky programme.' It comes as Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty warned that Britain will not return to a pre-pandemic normal until at least next Spring while lockdown restrictions could be reimposed this winter - even though Cabinet ministers are pressing ahead with easing curbs from July 19. As the coronavirus crisis reaches its latest crucial phase, it emerged: Britain's daily Covid hospital admissions have reached a four month high, rising by 50 per cent in a week; Department of Health figures posted today also showed hospitalisations reached 406 on June 30; Shops, pubs and airlines that continue mask rules after July 19 have a legal right to turn away customers; Sajid Javid revealed the requirement for the double-jabbed to self-isolate will not be dropped until August 16; School bubbles to be scrapped but isolation rules for children of positive cases will stay in place until August; Six of the ten areas worst-hit by Covid in Europe are currently in Scotland, according to data; England and Wales recorded more deaths last year during pandemic than at anytime since the Spanish flu; Leave voters are more willing than Remainers to ditch masks when laws demanding their use are scrapped. Sir David King, chairman of the so-called Independent SAGE, said he was shocked to learn that Boris Johnson is pushing ahead with plans to scrap restrictions including compulsory mask-wearing and social distancing in England from the so-called 'Freedom Day' in two weeks It comes as Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty warned that Britain will not return to a pre-pandemic normal until at least next Spring while lockdown restrictions could be reimposed this winter - even though Cabinet ministers are pressing ahead with easing curbs from July 19 Britain's daily Covid hospital admissions have reached a four month high, rising by 50 per cent in a week. Department of Health figures also showed hospitalisations reached 406 on June 30 Furious businesses accuse ministers of 'carnage' that could tip them over the brink after Sajid Javid delays axing of self-isolation rules for double-jabbed and children until AUGUST 16 - dooming around 4.6m people a WEEK to house arrest Furious businesses accused ministers of causing 'carnage' that could tip them over the brink today after Sajid Javid revealed the requirement for the double-jabbed to self-isolate will not be dropped until August 16. The Health Secretary announced the rules on what people must do when they are 'pinged' for contact with an infected individual will stay in place for weeks after so-called 'Freedom Day' - despite rising alarm at the chaos and misery being inflicted. From the middle of next month people who have received two doses - with the second administered at least two weeks previously - can take PCR tests rather than self-isolating. Under-18s will also not be subject to the restrictions from the same date. But the timetable means 'scary' numbers will be caught in the system after all other restrictions lift on July 19, with furious firms warning they are on the brink of disaster amid 'massive' problems of staff absence and customers bailing out out of bookings. Others also raged that the government is failing to provide any clarity on the rules for getting staff back in offices. Mr Javid told the Commons that ministers had looked at changing the isolation rules sooner, but were 'more comfortable' waiting until even more people are vaccinated. The grim news came after Mr Javid admitted coronavirus cases could top 100,000 a day by the summer as the government pushes ahead with the unlocking. The Adam Smith Institute estimated that an increase on that scale will mean 4.6million people a week being asked to self-isolate by Test and Trace call handlers or the NHS app. Advertisement Speaking to the Local Government Association on Tuesday, Professor Whitty said: 'There will almost certainly be a Covid surge [in winter] and that will be on top of a return to a more normal respiratory surge. 'It's going to take quite a long time, I think, to get back to normality and I certainly would be surprised if we got back to what most of us would see as a kind of status quo - before the pandemic - by the next spring. 'Because I think we've got this current wave, hopefully there will be a period of quieter Covid after that, and then it will still be quite a difficult winter, especially for the NHS - then by next spring I'm hoping slightly more into a more predictable pattern.' Yesterday, Professor Whitty backed the Government's plans to push ahead with July 19 in the face of surging infection numbers. He claimed that delaying lockdown beyond July 19 will not reduce the number of Covid deaths and could potentially lead to a worse peak in winter. Joining the Prime Minister at the podium of a Downing Street press conference last night, the CMO acknowledged that while some restrictions will always be better than none in terms of containing Covid, at some point they have to be released for the sake of the economy and impact on wider health. With that in mind, Professor Whitty revealed he believed 'quite strongly' that there are many benefits to unlocking now rather than waiting until autumn - which some have suggested could buy No10 time to get every adult fully vaccinated. It would get the big bang of Covid infections and hospital admissions - expected when social distancing comes to an end - out of the way in summer when the NHS is less busy. 'At a certain point, you move to the situation where instead of actually averting hospitalisations and deaths, you move over to just delaying them,' he said. 'So you're not actually changing the number of people who will go to hospital or die, you may change when they happen. 'There is quite a strong view by many people, including myself actually, that going in the summer has some advantages, all other things being equal, to opening up into the autumn when schools are going back and when we're heading into the winter period when the NHS tends to be under greatest pressure for many other reasons.' Prof Whitty said he expects people who contract the Delta variant to be affected by long Covid at similar rates to previous strains. But he said soaring case rates will mean more unvaccinated people will be struck by the disorder, defined as symptoms persisting for more than four weeks. 'Since there's a lot of Covid at the moment and the rates are going up, I regret to say I think we will get a significant amount more long Covid particularly in the younger ages where the vaccination rates are currently much lower,' he said. It follows warnings last night that allowing virus cases to rise is a 'significant risk', restrictions may need to return this winter and life may never return completely to normal. In a downbeat assessment, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies said that even if hospitalisations and deaths remained low, there were major risks in letting cases surge. The group said that should a 'variant of concern' arrive that threatened immunity, lockdown restrictions would need to reimposed for much longer. In documents released last night which advised on controlling the virus long-term, SAGE warned that some 'baseline measures' may have to stay, with 'sustained behavioural change' necessary. The experts said self-isolation when ill would remain 'critical' and working from home was a 'highly effective' long-term option. And in a grim sign that Britons face a return of some curbs in the near future, SAGE added: 'Stronger measures may be desirable for autumn and winter.' The rise in coronavirus cases has been driving up the numbers forced to self-isolate after being 'pinged' - with the trend now set to continue into the middle of August More than 100 Britons could die each day from Covid when Britain finally emerges from lockdown later this month, according to the Government's own assumptions UK holidaymakers 'on the edge of their seats' ahead of announcement on quarantine-free travel for fully jabbed Britons visiting amber list countries - amid concern over WHEN it will come into effect, with tens of thousands of jobs on the line Britons desperate for European getaway are 'in the edge of their seats' waiting to see if quarantine-free travel to amber list countries will rescue their summer. Grant Shapps is set to unveil the plans to allow UK citizens who have been fully jabbed to sidestep self-isolation at home later this week. These countries currently include holiday hotpots like Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy and France. Travel chiefs have demanded clarity after Boris Johnson failed to say when the new system would start double. But Sajid Javid told MPs last night that quarantine-free holidays for double-jabbed travellers would happen 'very soon'. Paul Charles, chief executive at The PC Agency, said: 'The sooner there is clarity the better for consumers, who are on the edge of their seats waiting to know whether their trips are going to be able to go ahead. 'But also the sooner the better for the travel and tourism sector who are desperately waiting for information on when the fully jabbed will get more freedom to travel without having to quarantine on their return.' Ministers ruffled business feathers today, by announcing that domestic self-isolation will remain until the middle of August. And Mr Charles added: 'If that date applies also for overseas travel then it won't protect tens of thousands of jobs and it won't save the rest of the summer, which is what the industry needs. It would be far too late and unnecessary because the jabs are working.' Advertisement At a press conference last night Professor Whitty said some social distancing would still be required beyond July 19. In a sign of his concern, he said the epidemic was 'clearly significant and rising' and emphasised that decisions were 'made by ministers, not by scientific advisers or medical advisers'. He added: 'Within the scientific views on this, there was a really clear consensus that under all circumstance some degree of further social distancing needs to be maintained even after the restrictions are lifted in law.' It suggests Boris Johnson's plan to lift all restrictions on July 19 may be at odds with the views of some of his scientific advisers, although Downing Street insists most of the PM's advisers back his approach. SAGE said there were 'many advantages' to keeping infections down even with low hospitalisation and death rates. It said: 'It makes it easier to prevent a return to rapid growth in the epidemic which could lead to the NHS being overwhelmed. Lower infection rates will also reduce impact of post-Covid syndromes and allow more NHS capacity to be used for routine care. There is significant risk in allowing prevalence to rise, even if hospitalisations and deaths are kept low by vaccination. 'If it were necessary to reduce prevalence to low levels again (eg. because of a new variant of concern) then restrictive measures would be required for much longer.' Infections are currently at the highest level since January, and Mr Johnson acknowledged they are likely to reach 50,000 a day within a fortnight and that hospitalisations and deaths will keep rising. He said: 'I don't want people to feel this the end of Covid - it is very far from the end.' Officials have consistently said there can be no complete return to pre-pandemic life after July 19. Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, said people must change their behaviour in light of rising cases. He said: 'We are in the face of an increasing epidemic at the moment and therefore we need to behave accordingly.' One SAGE document assessing what long-term or 'baseline' measures will be needed after July 19 said: 'Keeping some level of measures in place both through summer and beyond would significantly decrease ongoing transmission.' It concluded that ongoing measures and sustained long-term behavioural change will be required to control a resurgence in infections - particularly in the winter. The scientists said self-isolation 'needs to become routine' for anyone with symptoms, quarantine after international travel is 'important' and local measures, potentially including lockdowns, will be needed 'in all scenarios'. They also concluded that working from home is highly effective at cutting the spread and recommended ongoing physical distancing and the use of masks. The Chief Medical Officer said hospitals could be in for a 'very difficult' period over the colder months as they grapple with spikes in Covid and flu admissions, as well as the normal winter pressures. Professor Whitty said: 'The winter is inevitably going to be tricky and the NHS is likely to have both Covid and some resurgence of other respiratory viruses that were suppressed by the degree of lockdown last time round. 'So I think we should be realistic and this coming winter may be very difficult for the NHS.' Asked directly if Covid restrictions could go into reverse, Mr Johnson said he would 'have to take whatever steps we need to do to protect the public'. It came despite the PM previously promising the roadmap out of lockdown would be 'irreversible'. Professor Whitty admitted that SAGE was still split over whether the final stage of the roadmap should go ahead because the epidemic is still growing. In a bold shift, Boris Johnson told a Downing Street briefing that the government will no longer issue 'top down' orders after July 19 and people must use their common sense to manage the risks Boris Johnson pushed the button on a 'big bang' Freedom Day unlocking with social distancing rules, mask laws and the work from home order set to go But he warned that delaying the reopening any further could push the the third wave into the winter and cause an even larger peak. The CMO acknowledged there was a 'mixed' view among scientists on the timing of lifting restrictions, and that he had 'quite a strong view' that doing so in summer has advantages over autumn. He said: 'The view is more mixed about exactly what the right timing is from a technical point of view, even before you get into issues that the Prime Minister has to deal with more widely. 'And these really come from the fact that at a certain point, you move to the situation where instead of actually averting hospitalisations and deaths, you move over to just delaying them. 'So you're not actually changing the number of people who will go to hospital or die, you may change when they happen. 'And there is quite a strong view by many people, including myself actually, that going in the summer has some advantages, all other things being equal, to opening up into the autumn when schools are going back and when we're heading into the winter period when the NHS tends to be under greatest pressure for many other reasons. 'So it's a very much more difficult technical decision now, even before ministers have to grapple with all the other things, than it was in terms of the four-week delay where I think there was a very substantial degree of scientific agreement.' Both Professor Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance, No10's chief scientific adviser are among those arguing that 'if not now then when'. TikTok star Matima Miller, better known as Swavy and Babyface to his 2.6 million followers, has been killed in a daylight shooting in Delaware. Police were called to a shooting at the 700 block of Elbert Place in the Southbridge neighborhood of Wilmington at about 10:42 am Monday morning. Miller, 19, was found with a gunshot wound and was rushed to hospital where he died from his injuries. Police confirmed the social media star was the victim of the shooting Tuesday, which comes as gun crime spikes in Joe Biden's backyard and murders rise 63 percent. Miller's death marks the 16th fatal shooting in Wilmington so far this year, while there have been 82 shootings overall, reported Delaware Online. This is a rise from 11 fatal shootings and 73 overall by this time last year. TikTok star Matima Miller, better known as Swavy and Babyface to his 2.6 million followers, has been killed in a daylight shooting in Delaware as gun crime spikes in Joe Biden's backyard Few details have been released about the events leading up to Monday's shooting with a spokesperson for Delaware Police telling DailyMail.com no further information is available, citing an active investigation. Candles, flowers and balloons were left in the neighborhood where the shooting occurred Tuesday. Crime scene tape was seen tied to a metal pole and the front lawns of home, reported Delaware Online. Blue and white candles were lit outside one of the homes. A local woman told the local outlet Miller's death was a 'loss for our community,' 'It's sad,' she said. Miller went by the TikTok handle Babyface.S where he posted dance videos and meme skits to his millions of followers. In one recent video he is seen dancing in a shopping mall with two friends and in a house while eating chips from a bag. The account appeared to have been taken down Tuesday afternoon. Miller also had 392,000 followers on his Instagram account. In one recent video Miller is seen dancing in a shopping mall with two friends (above) Police were called to a shooting at the 700 block of Elbert Place in the Southbridge neighborhood of Wilmington at about 10:42 am Monday morning. Miller above Police confirmed the social media star was the victim of the shooting Tuesday Crime in Wilmington in 2021 through June 20 compared to the same period last year: Murder + 63% Shooting incidents + 2% Shooting victims + 14% Juvenile shooting incidents -57% Juvenile shooting victims -50% Rape - 60% Robbery - 46% Aggravated assault -1% Burglary - 35% Felony theft + 41% Auto theft - 7% Overall crime - 15% Advertisement Friends and online followers took to social media to pay tribute to Miller before his identity was confirmed by cops. Fellow social media star Kid Maury posted an emotional video on YouTube Monday called 'Rest up Bro' where he told the camera 'my home boy Swavy died.' 'He got shot and I just want to let you all know,' he said. 'All he did was make videos - vids, vids, vids, going up, up, up, up.' He added: 'He's real as hell, real real.' Maury, who has 626,000 YouTube subscribers, said his friend was 'innocent' and that he had messaged him just before it happened. 'Seeing him get taken out. Don't make me say this, bro. It don't make no sense,' he told the camera as he choked back tears. 'I literally just text him... probably right before it happened.' Maury broke down in tears at the end of the video and rubbed his eyes with his shirt, as he said 'everyone's gonna know your name.' 'I love you, my n***a. I know you up there looking down and I may look stupid now but I don't care I love you,' he said. 'Dead ass, bro. I know you can't hear in the real world right now but you're up there looking down. But I got you. I'm about to go hard for you, bro...' Few details have been released about the events leading up to Monday's shooting in Elbert Place (above a street view of the scene) 'He don't do nothing bro... so f**king dumb... You were so innocent.' Maury's video had been viewed more than 928,000 times Tuesday. The deadly shooting comes amid a rise in murders and gun crime in Wilmington - the hometown of President Biden. Wilmington Police Department data, which only goes up until the week ending June 20 so does not include Miller's death, reveals murders have risen 63 percent so far this year compared to the same period in 2020. A total of 13 have been murdered compared to 8 by this time last year. Shootings climbed from 49 to 50 year-on-year while the number of shooting victims rose 14 percent from 59 in 2020 to 67 so far this year. Fellow social media star Kid Maury posted an emotional video on YouTube Monday (above) called 'Rest up Bro' where he told the camera 'my home boy Swavy died' Maury broke down in tears and rubbed his eyes with his shirt, as he said 'everyone's gonna know your name' However, juvenile shootings have fallen by more than half from 14 this time last year to six. Juvenile shooting victims are also down from 14 to 7 this last year. Overall, crime is down 15 percent this year compared to this time last year. July 4 marked a bloody weekend for America with 379 shootings and 142 people killed nationwide between July 3 and July 5, according to data from Gun Violence Archive. Chicago was the worst-hit by gun violence over Independence Day weekend, with at least 92 shootings that left 16 dead. Anyone with information about Miller's shooting is asked to contact Detective Mackenzie Kirlin at (302) 576-3653 or call Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or delawarecrimestoppers.org Democrats have formed a support group of dozens of lawmakers in the six months since the Capitol riot where there have been 'a lot of tears' and a 'lot of anger' expressed, one congresswoman said. CBS This Morning reported Tuesday - the day that marks since months since the attack - on the group that originally started as a text chain run by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, of members who had been trapped in the House gallery on January 6. It later became a full-fledged support group of two dozen Democratic lawmakers. 'There were a lot of tears, there was a lot of anger,' Rep. Susan Wild, a Pennsylvania Democrat, told CBS. SIX MONTHS LATER: Two dozen Democratic lawmakers have formed a support group in the aftermath of January 6 including (clockwise from upper left) Reps. Susan Wild, Jason Crow, Veronica Escobar and Pramila Jayapal This image of Rep. Jason Crow comforting Rep. Susan Wild during the January 6 MAGA attack went viral Rep. Pramila Jayapal (second from left) is seen taking cover as pro-Trump rioters broke into the U.S. Capitol on the day Congress was certifying the election of President Joe Biden Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Texas Democrat, said after January 6 she was having a hard time coping. 'I was having some very violent nightmares. that were deeply disturbing,' Escobar recalled. Beyond talking to her Congressional peers, Escobar also said she's speaking with a therapist. 'That has helped me tremendously,' she said. 'It is important to share with people that trauma takes a toll and that there is help out there. There is no shame in asking for help,' Escobar said. Wild, who lost her partner to suicide in 2019, talked about how the insurrection attempt prompted her to work through that loss as well. 'I lost my life partner to suicide just about two years ago,' Wild said. 'I had thought I was past the hardest part of that. What I found out after this, was that I hadn't even begun to deal with that.' In one viral image from January 6, Wild was seen gasping on the floor of the House gallery and being comforted by Rep. Jason Crow, who's also in the Democrats' support group. 'I think I started to have a panic attack. Jason reached out took my hand and started to comfort me, that I'll never forget, on his part,' Wild recounted. She said looking at the image still makes her 'choked up.' Crow, a former Army Ranger, said the MAGA attack brought him back to his military days 'of being ready to fight and do whatever ncesssary to get us out.' Supporters of former President Donald Trump broke into the Capitol Building on January 6 as Congress was certifying the election win of President Joe Biden Jayapal told CBS that the group of Democrats have also talked about the racial dynamics that played out during the attack. 'That was the first time in my life that me, personally, was on the receiving end of the violence of racism in our country,' said Crow, who is white. 'And since that, it has allowed me to understand it in a more visceral sense.' Jayapal, who is Indian-American, recalled how some of her peers encouraged lawmakers to take their Congressional pins off, so they couldn't be targeted by the rioters. But Jayapal said for lawmakers of color, there were concerns they wouldn't be recognized by Capitol Police. 'Do you want to be recognized by the insurrectionists? Or what happens if you take it off and you're not recognized by Capitol Police?' she explained were members' thought processes during the attack. 'And so there were these beautiful moments in the group where there was a recognition of an experience that we didn't have,' she added. Fort Hood made soldiers take part in a weeklong retreat that they considered to be 'mandatory fun days' after the murder of Vanessa Guillen and a series of other suspicious deaths on the Texas army base. The idea was to rebuild trust between leaders and soldiers following a spate of disappearances, murders and suicides on the base last year. It was called Operation Phantom Action. The army touted it as a way for them to repair broken bonds but according to a new Vanity Fair article about the sinister army base, soldiers viewed them as 'mandatory fun days'. These are some of the images the army shared last year of 'Operation Phantom Action' which they said was designed to 'rebuild trust' after the deaths of several soldiers at Fort Hood The weeklong set of exercises included 'in depth' counseling, according to the army The Fort Hood soldiers viewed the days more like 'mandatory fun days' they were forced to take part in It's unclear what exactly the soldiers had to do as part of the retreat but in October 2020, the army blasted a press release about it. 'Operation Phantom Action kicked off here, Sept. 28, with the main goal being to restore trust between Soldiers and their leaders,' it said. Command Sgt. Maj. Cliff Burgoyne Jr., III Corps and Fort Hood command sergeant major, said: 'Because we are really close to losing public trust, and our Army depends on the public being able to trust us. Vanessa Guillen vanished April 2020 after reporting sexual harassment at the base 'Our Soldiers have to be able to trust us, and so everything is based on trust. The point of the 'Operation' was to 'eradicate' what it called 'three corrosives' at Fort Hood - sexual assault and harassment, extremism and racism, and suicide. Part of it included 'in-depth counseling'. Guillen's murder was on April 22, 2020. Her remains were found scattered along a river in June. Aaron David Robinson, who she'd complained to her family was harassing her, was accused of the murder in a federal complaint but he killed himself before ever going to trial. In 2020, 39 Fort Hood soldiers died or went missing including 13 who killed themselves and five who were killed. Some of the deaths remain unsolved and the victims' families largely blame the leadership at the army base for what happened to them. A Missouri high school teacher has been fired over claims he used the n-word in the classroom and called Martin Luther King Jr. Day 'Black Privilege Day' - but he insists he never used the racial slur and is now planning legal action. John Magoffin was fired last week from Harrisonville High School where he worked as a science teacher following allegations from several students that he used the racially-charged language earlier this year. The Harrisonville School District's board of education voted 4-3 to fire Magoffin last Thursday, saying Magoffin had 'violated the rules and regulations of the district' and that it was 'unacceptable conduct for a tenured teacher'. 'We commend the students and parents in bringing forth their concerns to the administration so that this matter could be appropriately addressed,' a statement from the district said. John Magoffin was fired last week from Harrisonville High School following allegations from students that he used the n-word in the classroom earlier this year Following his termination, Maffogin - who had been at the school nine years - denied the allegations in an interview with 41 Action News. 'I've never used that word. I never do use that word. I don't ever intend to use that word,' he said. 'I don't regret engaging with a student on something that was difficult. 'I'm going to pursue what's legally right for other teachers to be able to continue to thoughtfully engage with human beings in their classroom and feel like every syllable isn't going to be scrutinized so that one word gets them fired without question. 'We need teachers to lean into difficult things.' The decision followed a tense 11-hour public hearing last month during which the board heard testimony from six students and Magoffin made his case for why he shouldn't be fired. During the hearing, which was attended by more than 100 people, multiple students alleged that Magoffin used the n-word several times in April during an AP biology class while discussing rap music. The decision to fire him followed a tense 11-hour public hearing last month during which the board heard testimony from six students and Magoffin made his case for why he shouldn't be fired. He is pictured above during the hearing. Image courtesy of FOX4KC Following his termination, Maffogin - who had been at the school nine years - denied the allegations and said he was planning legal action Duane Martin, an attorney for the school district, told the school board that students recalled the teacher using the racial slur during the classroom discussion on why the n-word could be used in rap music but not everyday society. 'He used the phrase n-word, n-word that,' one student testified. 'It was more of black people can say the word and white people can't say the word and it's a double standard,' another student said of the incident. Maffogin insists he did not use the 'full six-letter word'. The district also alleged that Magoffin referred to Martin Luther King Jr. Day as 'Black Privilege Day' while he was teaching a physics class and that students recall him saying he would never support Black Lives Matter and racism doesn't exist in America. In a separate instance, the district alleged a student said Magoffin told her she couldn't go on a walk during a break with her advisory group because she is black. Magoffin was also accused by the same student of being 'fascinated' by her hair. He also denied the allegations during the hearing. Maffogin had on administrative leave since April when the allegations were first made. An Afghan interpreter currently living in Iowa claims he is facing deportation and has lost contact with the Department of Homeland Security for giving a piece of bread to the Taliban when he was a child. Zalmay Niazy served the U.S. military as an interpreter from 2007 to 2014 in Afghanistan before returning to the United States. Niazy has been living in Iowa since and is seeking asylum. He was asked about previous interactions with the Taliban during an asylum interview. 'I said, "I cant hide that, I cant lie about it, and yes, I did,"' Niazy said of the interview during comments on Tuesday on America's Newsroom. Niazy described the Taliban as 'very brutal people who 'wanted to harm us and our family.' Zalmay Niazy served the U.S. military as an interpreter from 2007 to 2014 in Afghanistan before returning to the United States Niazy has been living in Iowa since and is seeking asylum. He was asked about previous interactions with the Taliban during an asylum interview He then described the interaction he had with the Taliban as a 9-year-old. 'One day, out of nowhere, they came out to her [sic] house, they showed up while were playing outside and they said, "You are going home and bring a piece of bread,"' Niazy said. 'I went home, mom gave me a piece of bread, and they threatened that they would burn our house, kill your parents, if you dont bring a piece of bread,' he continued. 'My mom gave me a piece of bread not bigger than a cell phone and tossed it to them and said that they are just smugglers. They are just people that we have to stay away from, and thats why we are not allowed to go outside.' Niazy claims he received a letter from DHS, saying they would no longer speak to him because of his interaction with the Taliban all those years ago. He also says his asylum application was denied. 'And the reason they said was because I engaged in terrorist activity,' Niazy said. 'When I shared that with my lawyer, he said it was material support that the United States is against it, and thats what caused this problem.' 'What they are saying doesnt make sense,' Niazy added. 'I sacrificed my life, my familys life. I got shot for this country, and I have survived many other attacks on me. They can contact their U.S. citizens, their federal government that I have served with, all at high ranks and they will be able to explain everything I did for this country.' Niazy went on to say that being deported would be akin to 'getting a death sentence' He went on to say that being deported would be akin to 'getting a death sentence.' Dana Perino, a co-host of America's Newsroom, said she contacted Iowa senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley while suggesting the White House get involved. DailyMail.com has reached out to DHS for comment on Niazy's claims. Just two weeks ago, President Joe Biden promised to move the 18,000 Afghans who helped the U.S. war effort and are awaiting visas to a safe location amid fears of Taliban revenge. Press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration was doing 'extensive planning for potential evacuation' of Afghans who have worked as translators, drivers, cooks and in other positions helping the U.S. war effort. More than 18,000 are stuck trying to apply for Special Immigrant Visas, with the U.S.'s involvement in Afghanistan ending in two months. If left in Afghanistan, those allied with the U.S. could be murdered by the Taliban. 'These are individuals who have played an incredibly courageous role in helping the United States at various times over the course of our recent history,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. 'We are processing and getting people out at a record pace.' 'We are working with Congress right now to streamline some of the requirements that slow this process down and we're doing the kind of extensive planning for potential evacuation should that become necessary,' Psaki continued. The translators who served alongside Americans are stranded and begging for visas to let them escape the hell they face, with just months until all troops are gone. They are all under threat, and when the US ends its military presence on September 11, they will be even more exposed to the violence of the Taliban, who have grown increasingly violent since Biden announced he was pulling out US forces Press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration was doing 'extensive planning for potential evacuation' of Afghans who have worked as translators, drivers, cooks and in other positions helping the U.S. war effort Some have been waiting years to have their application approved, with the longest dating back to 1981, according to No One Left Behind, the non-profit charity fighting to make sure the U.S. government keeps their promise to those who supported the military during some of the most intense fighting in Helmand Province 'So we're continuing to evaluate what are options are there, continuing to take steps forward and certainly we want to take every step we can take from the federal government to treat all these courageous individuals as they deserve,' she added. Psaki confirmed that the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks remains the Afghanistan drawdown deadline. Some have been waiting years to have their application approved, with the longest dating back to 1981, according to No One Left Behind, the non-profit charity fighting to make sure the U.S. government keeps their promise to those who supported the military during some of the most intense fighting in Helmand Province. The organization says 300 Afghan interpreters have been killed in targeted attacks while waiting to secure their visas since 2014, but the exact numbers are unknown. Rep. Michael Waltz told DailyMail.com: 'Afghan translators have been vital American partners on the ground and their lives are in danger if we can't get them out soon. 'The military has testified that they are ready to evacuate but the Biden Administration must make it a priority to green light their extraction. 'I can't emphasize how detrimental it would be to our national security interests if we signaled to the rest of the world that we are willing to leave those who help us against the enemy behind to die.' A 20-year-old University of Chicago student was killed by a stray bullet while riding in a subway train on his way home from his prestigious summer internship at an investment firm in a downtown neighborhood. Max Lewis, a rising junior at the university, was seated on a CTA Green Line train at around 6.30pm on July 1 when the bullet flew through a window and struck him in the back of the neck. According to the description of a GoFundMe campaign, the train was stopped at the 51st Street/Washington Park station at the time of the shooting. Lewis was rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was taken off life support on the Fourth of July. Max Lewis, a rising junior at University of Chicago, was fatally shot in the neck by a stray bullet while seated on a CTA Green Line train on July 1. He was taken off life support on July 4 The train Lewis was riding on stopped at the 51st Street station when someone fired the bullet that lodged in the student's neck Police said Lewis was not the intended target of the shooting. Pictured, police at the scene Chicago has experienced catastrophic levels of gun violence in recent months, with the holiday long weekend in the Windy City being marred by a string of shootings that left 100 people injured and 18 dead, among them Lewis. Other major US cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Denver and Cincinnati, also saw an uptick in shootings over the same time period. Lewis, a native of Denver, was double-majoring in Computer Science and Economics. He had recently landed a competitive internship at Segall Bryant & Hamill, an investment firm in Chicago's Loop section, and had opted to commute to the office, rather than work from home. Police said Lewis was not the shooter's intended target. So far, no arrests have been announced. Lewis' mother, Dr. Rebecca Rivkin, told WGN News the bullet paralyzed her eldest son from the neck down, meaning that he would never walk or eat on his own, and would require to stay on the ventilator for the rest of his life. Rivkin said her son was awake and alert in the hospital, and was able to communicate with his family by blinking, which allowed them to spell out a message that he wished to convey: 'If I have to live like this, pull the plug please. Seriously.' 'Its a senseless tragedy for so many reasons,' Zach Cogan, one of Lewis' closest friends, told Chicago Sun-Times. Lewis was described by his friends as intelligent, caring and compassionate. While studying at University of Chicago, Lewis had taken on many responsibilities, including being president of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, getting involved in various Jewish programs, and devoting a lot of his time to his role as head of operations at Promontory Investment Research, a registered student organization at UChicago. Lewis, a native of Denver, double-majored in computer science and economics at University of Chicago. He was former president of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity 'He is known amongst friends, peers, and classmates for his kindness, goofiness, grit, impeccable work ethic, and most importantly, his unfailingly genuine soul,' the online fundraiser's description read. 'He will be sorely missed. 'There are no words to adequately characterize how devastating this loss is. Of all people in this world, Max was the last to deserve something like this.' A spokesperson for the University of Chicago has confirmed Lewis' death in a statement, saying the college community was 'devastated.' 'Our deepest sympathies are with Maxs family, friends, and all who knew him. He was a talented student and beloved individual who will be greatly missed,' the statement read. Friend Victoria Gin told the Sun-Times Lewis had already been anticipating his next internship that he had landed for next summer. Lewis, pictured far right alongside his two friends, was remembered as intelligent, humble and caring 'My latest conversations with him were so optimistic,' recalled Gin, who described him as 'a ball of light' that exuded energy. Joyce Liu, who worked with Lewis and Gin at Promontory Investment Research, told CBS Chicago that he was 'incredibly humble.' Lewis is survived by his parents and younger brother. A portion of the funds being raised by Lewis' fraternity brothers will go toward gun violence prevention and assistance organizations, as well as directly to other Chicago shooting victims this summer. Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown put much of the blame for the explosion of gun violence on a court system that allows people charged with violent crimes, including murder, to be released from custody on electronic monitoring. Even before the holiday weekend, the department said in the first six months of the year there were 332 homicides compared to 338 for the same period last year and that there were more shooting victims and shooting incidents than during the same six-month period last year. Chicago Alderman Anthony Napolitano called the city a 'war zone' and ripped the city's leaders, particularly Mayor Lori Lightfoot, for the surge in crime. Lightfoot - who last week claimed 99% of criticism of her is based on her gender or race - has blamed joblessness, poverty and out-of-state gun smuggling for the ongoing violence spiral gripping the city she runs. One of the Netherlands' best-known crime reporters is in critical condition in hospital after being repeatedly shot in what is believed to be a gangland hit. Peter R. de Vries, known for his work in exposing the Dutch underworld, was shot in downtown Amsterdam around 7.30pm Tuesday while walking to his car following one of his regular appearances on a current affairs television show. The 64-year-old was shot five or six times including once in the head and once in the chest, and was rushed to hospital by air ambulance where he is now fighting for life. Three suspects were subsequently arrested - including two who were stopped in what police described as a getaway car near The Hague. One man, an 18-year-old from Amsterdam, has since been released but the other two - a Polish native aged 35 and a 21-year-old from Rotterdam - are expected to be arraigned before a magistrate later today. One of them is believed to be the gunman. The shooting comes amid the Mafia-style 'maxi-trial' of alleged boss Ridouan Taghi - a Moroccan-Dutch national known as the Netherlands' most-wanted man until his arrest in Dubai in 2019 - and sixteen co-defendants. De Vries is heavily involved in the case, and last year agreed to act as 'confidential counselor' to the state's star witness - a man known only as Nabil B. Peter R. de Vries, one of the Netherlands' best-known crime reporters, was shot in the chest and head in Amsterdam on Tuesday evening and is now fighting for life in hospital The shooting happened in broad daylight on a street in central Amsterdam in front of dozens of witnesses, who held de Vries' hand until an ambulance arrived (pictured) He stepped into the role despite the high-profile murder of several figures close to Nabil, including brother Reduan who was shot to death in Amsterdam in 2018, and lawyer Derk Wiersum who was killed in similar fashion in 2019. Ridouan Taghi: Angel of Death 'leader' and Holland's most-wanted Born in Morocco in 1977, Taghi emigrated to the Netherlands in 1980 with his parents who settled in Vianen. He became involved in a life of crime as a teenager and was involved with a gang known as the Bad Boys who operated in the Nieuwegein region. Between 1992 and 1998, he racked up a series of convictions for burglary and possession of weapons. He is then alleged to have got involved in the drug trade and become an expert in 'disposing' of people who others wanted out of the way. Between 2014 and 2019, Taghi is alleged to have been involved in at least 10 killings, including the deaths of Reduan B - the brother of police informant Nabil B - and Derk Wiersum, Nabil's lawyer. Dubbed the Angel of Death, prosecutors say Taghi also ran a drug trafficking empire that was ferrying cocaine into the Netherlands. A warrant for his arrest was issued in 2018 and he became known as the Netherlands' most-wanted man when a 100,000 bounty was offered for information on his whereabouts - the largest ever offered by Dutch police. In December 2019 he was found living in Dubai, where he had fled the previous year using a fake ID. Taghi was arrested in a joint operation by police in the Netherlands, Morocco and the UAE, and extradited back to Holland. He is now being held in maximum-security jail in Vught where he is being prosecuted for murder and drug trafficking as part of a Mafia-style 'maxi-trial' alongside 16 co-defendants. Advertisement Taghi is currently being held in maximum-security jail in the city of Vught, suspected of leading a cocaine-smuggling gang called the 'Angels of Death' and of being involved in a string of murders. De Vries had agreed to be Nabil's counselor in spring 2020 when two new lawyers - Peter Schouten and Onno de Jong - also joined the case, De Telegraaf reports. But, unlike the lawyers, de Vries had refused to accept any offers of additional security to protect himself. That is despite the fact that - months before he joined the case - de Vries had publicly spoken of suspicions that Taghi had placed him on a 'hit list'. Taghi subsequently wrote to de Vries assuring him that he had 'nothing to fear'. Speaking about Tuesday night's shooting, a police spokesman said that 'Peter R. de Vries was shot down in Lange Leidsedwarsstraat,' referring to a street near one of the city's largest public squares. The shooting happened in broad daylight in front of dozens of witnesses, who said a slender, light-skinned man wearing a military-print tracksuit, black facemask and cap had walked up to him and opened fire. Five or six shots were fired, hitting de Vries in the chest and head, before the gun fled on foot through two nearby streets. Passersby rushed to help de Vries, calling medics and holding his hand until they arrived and took him to hospital. Police have now cordoned off the street where the shooting took place, while heavily armed guards have been placed at the hospital where de Vries is battling for life. Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra said in Parliament he was 'deeply shocked' by the attack. 'We don't know the circumstances, but whatever the circumstances this is unimaginable and terrible news,' Hoekstra said. Prime Minister Mark Rutte told a press conference in The Hague the attack was 'shocking and inconceivable'. 'It's an attack on a courageous journalist and by extension an attack on the freedom of the press, which is so essential for our democracy and rule of law,' he said. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima wrote in a statement: 'The report that journalist Peter R. De Vries was shot has shocked us deeply. 'He and all those dear to him are in our thoughts. The shooting comes amid the prosecution of Ridouan Taghi (pictured), an alleged Mafia boss, with de Vries acting as a 'confidential counsellor' to star state witness Nabil B Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands speak about the shooting of de Vries while attending a press conference in Germany They said journalists must be able to do their work without threat. 'We feel connected to everyone who is committed to the free press in our constitutional state.' 'This is what you've been hoping all along that doesn't happen,' said Thomas Bruning, general secretary of the Dutch Association of Journalists. 'Of course it remains to be seen which activities of De Vries this is related to, but the attack took place in front of RTL Boulevard. 'This hits journalism right in the face. Let's hope and pray for his health.' De Vries, 64, is known both for his fearless reporting on the Netherlands' present-day criminal underworld, and his work trying to close cold cases. He won an International Emmy Award in 2008 for a television show he made about the disappearance of U.S. teenager Natalee Holloway who vanished while she was on holiday in the Caribbean island of Aruba in 2005. De Vries helped heap suspicion on Dutchman Joran van der Sloot, who had been identified but not arrested by police, by pointing out that he had lied several times during questioning. De Vries eventually captured Sloot saying on camera that he had dumped Holloway's body in the ocean, though he was not jailed for the killing because he was already serving a 28-year term in Peru for the murder of Stephany Flores. He was also the driving force behind the acquittal of two men known as the 'Putten two' who had been wrongly convicted of the murder of Christel Ambrosius near the town of Putten in 1994. The pair were acquitted of the killing in 2002 after de Vries helped prove their innocence, an won compensation of 900,000 each. In 2008, another suspect was arrested and subsequently jailed for the killing. Police at the site of a shooting in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where De Vries was injured Police officers stand guard to secure the area where the Dutch celebrity crime reporter was shot and seriously injured De Vries had been a guest at Dutch broadcaster RTL Boulevard to talk about the case of Seif Ahmed, a hairdresser who was shot dead in his car in 2019. He had also been subjected to threats from the criminal underworld in the past in connection with several cases. In 2013 Willem Holleeder, the Heineken kidnapper, was convicted of making threats against De Vries. Holleeder is currently serving a life sentence for his involvement in five murders. Holland, the drug smugglers' paradise that gangs are turning into a narco-state with illicit operations worth billions To the casual observer, the Netherlands might seem a liberal paradise - famously tolerant of cannabis and sex work, it is a nation that prides itself on a culture of 'pragmatic tolerance'. But scratch the surface even a little, and what you expose is a blood-soaked criminal underworld that - at its worst - has echoes of South America. Indeed, it is South American drugs that have brought much of the Netherlands' troubles - namely cocaine, for which the country's bustling ports act as a gateway to the rest of Europe. Experts warn that Holland provides the 'ideal environment' for a drugs trade which has left the country in fear of becoming a 'narco-state'. While more than 14,000kg of cocaine is seized by Dutch authorities every year, it is believed that around 56,000kg goes undetected, making Holland one of the major drug-trafficking hubs in Europe. Busted: In one major drugs raid last year, more than two tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of 136million were found in a banana shipment in Rotterdam Often hidden in fruit shipments, some of the lucrative stashes of cocaine are worth more than 100million alone and are sometimes smuggled along with firearms. The criminal trade at Dutch ports has also started to seep into the mainland, with gang violence causing an outcry in Amsterdam where drug kingpins run money-laundering rackets and a 'ring of hustlers and parasites' have 'free rein'. In one major drug bust last year, more than two tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of 136million were found in a banana shipment in Rotterdam. Arriving from Ecuador, the illegal drugs were meant to use Holland as a gateway to Europe before making their way to Hungary. Rotterdam is Europe's largest sea port and handles nearly 15million containers a year, only a small fraction of which are routinely scanned. Even when containers are inspected, gangs can use accomplices at Dutch and Belgian docks to sneak past authorities. Last year, police discovered that seven shipping containers had even been adapted into prison cells and a 'torture chamber' used by the criminal underworld. Believed to be used for kidnappings, 'torture chamber' included what looked like a dentist's chair with straps for the prisoner's arms and legs. Six people were arrested on suspicion of 'preparing kidnappings and hostage-taking' after the containers were discovered near the Belgian border in a raid linked to the drugs trade. Pieter Tops, a professor at the Dutch police academy, said in October that Holland's tolerant penal system and its extensive transport links make it an 'ideal environment for the drugs trade'. 'Torture chamber': Last year, police discovered that seven shipping containers had even been adapted into prison cells used by the criminal underworld The professor said that schoolchildren were sometimes offered 500 to transport a package while farmers were approached about letting out their land to drug gangs. 'The main problem is the enormous flow of money and its rippling effect throughout our society,' he told Dutch News. A 2019 report by the EU's drug agency estimated that around 14,600kg of cocaine are seized in the Netherlands every year - with a separate IMF report giving a 'seizure rate' of around 20 per cent. Tops said that each kilogram of cocaine is worth around 50,000, meaning the overall trade is worth billions. In Amsterdam, a report commissioned by city authorities in 2019 found that hard drugs had led to rising violence and corruption at the hands of 'hustlers, parasites and extortionists'. The Netherlands has a 'policy of toleration' on soft drugs which means that Amsterdam's 'coffee shops' are not prosecuted for selling marijuana. 'Separating soft and hard drugs shields the users of soft drugs from the criminal circuit that is involved in the hard drugs trade,' the government says. But the report found that the same 'toleration' was gradually being extended to harder drugs, with up to 17 per cent of the population using cocaine or heroin. 'Amsterdam has given free rein...to a motley crew of drugs criminals, a ring of hustlers and parasites, middle-men and extortionists, of dubious notaries and real estate agent,' the report said. At the top of the criminal chain are wealthy organised crime bosses who may not be physically located in Amsterdam, the report said. At the bottom are 'lackeys such as scooter and taxi chauffeurs and even young messenger boys set to follow quite a career path: offering murder as a service.' The report also found evidence of money-laundering systems and turf wars between drug retailers in Amsterdam. Shipping hub: The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe and handles nearly 15million containers a year, making it an attractive gateway for drug smugglers Across the Netherlands, around six per cent of men aged 15-34 and three per cent of women in the same age group say they use cocaine. Cannabis produced in Holland is also sold to other countries, while Dutch ports serve as a point of transit for cocaine to be transported elsewhere in Europe. In 2019, the killing of a lawyer for a protected witness in a drugs case led the head of a Dutch police union to say that 'we definitely have the characteristics of a narco-state'. 'Sure we're not Mexico. We don't have 14,400 murders. But if you look at the infrastructure, the big money earned by organised crime, the parallel economy. Yes, we have a narco-state,' Jan Struijs told BBC News at the time. The murdered lawyer, Derk Wiersum, was shot dead in the Amsterdam suburbs by a man dressed in black who fled on foot and was thought to be no older than 20. Wiersum was representing a 'supergrass' witness in a drugs case who had cut a deal with prosecutors to provide evidence against suspected underworld bosses. Months later, another Dutch lawyer involved in several drug-related cases was shot across the border in Germany, although he was not seriously injured. Hook of Holland was also the departure point for a 35kg cocaine run to Britain which was eventually uncovered when the shipment arrived in Humberside. Lorry driver Hendrik van der Genugten was later jailed for 10 years after smuggling the drugs out of the Netherlands in 2019. Surveillance camera footage has captured the moment a pair of gunmen opened fire on a police pickup truck speeding to a faked emergency call in Mexico, leaving one of the officers inside wounded. The shooting was one of two ambushes targeting the Municipal Police during a 15-hour period spanning Sunday night into Monday afternoon in Tijuana, with the second attack seeing two more officers hurt. The camera footage shows two men armed with assault rifles stepping out of an alleyway in the Tijuana neighborhood Tres de Octubre on Monday at 1:07pm local time. A pair of gunmen were caught on camera ambushing a police unit that was responding to a fake emergency call in Tijuana, Mexico, on Monday A Tijuana Municipal Police pickup truck accelerates down a street in the Tres de Octubre neighborhood after it came under fire Monday afternoon One of the shooters can be seen shielding himself next to a building wall as a pedestrian crossed the street. Moments later, his accomplice steps forward before they started shooting at the cops who were rushing to a call. One of the law enforcement agents was struck in the face and was rushed to a local hospital, where he remains in serious condition. Two Municipal Police agents also responding to a distress call in the Tres de Octubre neighborhood came under attack as shots were fired at them from a vacant lot Sunday at 10:24pm, newspaper El Imparcial reported. One of the agents was grazed in the head by a bullet while his partner suffered a leg wound. Both agents were treated by the local Red Cross paramedics and rushed to separate area hospitals and were said to be in stable condition. A pedestrian walks past two men holding assault rifles as they opened fire on a police pickup truck in Tijuana, Mexico, on Monday. According to Pedro Cruz, chief of the Tijuana Security and Civilian Protection Ministry, the assailants were seeking to disrupt the ongoing police work that has been crucial in areas of the city where agents stood away from in the past. 'They were sent to respond to an emergency that took them to a place and there was an ambush,' Cruz said. 'That is cruel, it is the work of criminals. It is an advantage when the police are doing their job well.' As of Tuesday afternoon, authorities had not made any arrests related to either shooting incident. Advertisement The data watchdog has launched an investigation into the Department of Health and Social Care over the use of private email addresses by Cabinet ministers including disgraced ex-Health Secretary Matt Hancock during the coronavirus crisis. Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham will probe the use of all private correspondence channels used by ministers, including the WhatsApp messaging service, after Labour raised concerns about the use of emails by Mr Hancock and Health Minister Lord Bethell. The Information Commissioner's Office has the power to seize evidence and can even recommend criminal prosecution if it finds that information has been deliberately destroyed, altered or concealed. Mr Hancock is accused of routinely using a private account during the pandemic, according to leaked minutes of an official meeting at the department. The minutes state that Mr Hancock was only dealing with his private office 'via Gmail account' and said he did not have a departmental inbox. The former Health Secretary quit government and ditched his wife of 15 years after CCTV images of him flouting coronavirus restrictions with his mistress, millionaire aide Gina Coladangelo, was leaked to the Sun newspaper. His use of emails will form part of the inquiry. Lord Bethell, a former nightclub manager who sponsored Mr Hancock's failed bid for Tory leadership and who oversaw the award of Covid contracts, is facing mounting pressure to resign after a number of emails were copied into his private email account. He is also being investigated by the Lords Commissioner for Standards amid allegations that the peer sponsored a parliamentary pass for Miss Coladangelo, the wife of Oliver Bonas founder Oliver Tress. In a blog posted on the ICO's website, Ms Denham said the use of private communications channels was not in itself a breach of freedom of information or data protection rules. However, she said she was concerned that they could be used to frustrate the freedom of information process. Matt Hancock quit government and ditched his wife of 15 years after CCTV images of him flouting coronavirus restrictions with his mistress, millionaire aide Gina Coladangelo, was leaked to the Sun newspaper. His use of emails will form part of the inquiry Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham will probe the use of all private correspondence channels used by Cabinet ministers, including the WhatsApp messaging service, after Labour raised concerns about the use of private emails by Mr Hancock and Health Minister Lord Bethell Mr Hancock's rule-breaking affair with millionaire aide Gina Coladangelo in his then ministerial office 'My worry is that information in private email accounts or messaging services is forgotten, overlooked, autodeleted or otherwise not available when a freedom of information request is later made,' she said. 'That is why my office has launched a formal investigation into the use of private correspondence channels at the Department for Health and Social Care, and has served information notices on the department and others to preserve evidence relevant to my inquiry.' She added that the ICO had the option of bringing criminal prosecutions against individuals if information was 'deliberately destroyed, altered, or concealed' after it has been requested under the Freedom of Information Act. 'I will follow the evidence in this investigation where it leads and use all the powers available to me to ensure a full understanding of what has happened.' Downing Street has previously acknowledged that Lord Bethell used a private email address but suggested that was allowed within the rules, while the minister has insisted he did nothing wrong. A Department of Health spokesperson said: 'DHSC has been engaging with the Information Commissioner's Office and the department will cooperate with any investigation. All ministers are aware of the guidance around personal email usage and government business is conducted in line with this guidance.' Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said she welcomed the investigation, writing on Twitter: 'This is very serious, and I welcome this announcement after I wrote to the Information Commissioner calling for an investigation. 'The Government cannot be allowed to cover up dodgy dealings with taxpayers' money being handed out to friends of Ministers without scrutiny. The Government must cooperate fully, turning over all correspondence, emails and documents. 'What is important now is getting to the bottom of how far this shady practice extends across the government, and ensuring that the Covid public inquiry has access to all evidence.' It is just one of a series of probes Mr Hancock could still face into his conduct despite his dramatic resignation from the Cabinet. He was accused of misleading the public over his insistence that he had not helped a former pub landlord win a lucrative coronavirus contract. Mr Hancock had previously claimed that he 'had nothing to do with' the 30million deal for Alex Bourne, who used to run the Cock Inn near his old constituency home in Thurlow, West Suffolk, to supply test tubes for Covid tests. Mr Hancock speaking during a Downing Street press conference on May 27, 2021 Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said she welcomed the investigation, writing on Twitter: 'This is very serious, and I welcome this announcement after I wrote to the Information Commissioner calling for an investigation' It follows claims that the former Health Secretary had routinely used a Gmail account since March last year, meaning there are few records of his crucial decisions on PPE contracts, Covid tests for care home residents or the 37billion Test and Trace system. Mr Hancock is now under investigation by Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone over his shareholding in a family firm that has won NHS contracts. He has already been found to have committed a 'minor' breach of the Ministerial Code for not immediately declaring an interest when document-shredding firm Topwood Ltd first won the right to bid for health deals. Meanwhile a House of Lords spokesman has said the Commissioner for Standards was investigating a complaint regarding Lord Bethell's sponsorship of a pass for Miss Coladangelo. A long-term friend of Mr Hancock, Miss Coladangelo was brought into the DHSC first as an unpaid adviser before being made a non-executive directors receiving 15,000-a-year for three days work. Members of the House of Lords can sponsor passes for secretaries and research assistants if they 'genuinely and personally' fulfil those roles for the sponsoring member. The sponsor has to sign a declaration to that effect, and it would be against the rules if the individual did not work for the peer. Passholders have free access to the Palace of Westminster, where they can mingle with ministers and MPs and use the estate's facilities such as bars and restaurants. Miss Coladangelo is no longer listed as a member of staff for Lord Bethell on his parliamentary web page. But an online archive showed she was listed as a staff member in May last year as 'Mrs Gina Tress', a marketing and communications director for Oliver Bonas. The Opposition had called for an inquiry, saying Lord Bethell was Mr Hancock's 'chum' and 'dished her out a pass', raising the prospect that there was 'one rule for the Conservatives and their friends and another for everyone else'. Double-jabbed British travellers could be allowed to return from amber list countries quarantine-free under new plans expected to be set out by the Government later this week. But British travellers will still face entry requirements when travelling to some of the most popular holiday destinations, while countries such as Australia and New Zealand continue to ban holidaymakers completely. Here is a list of entry requirements UK travellers face when arriving at top holiday destinations: Europe France The UK is currently on the French amber list. If travelling to France from a country on the amber list, those who are not fully vaccinated will only be permitted to travel for essential reasons. Travellers who are not fully vaccinated will need to self-isolate for 7 days after arrival, then take another PCR test following this period of self-isolation. Spain From 2 July, the Spanish government requires all arrivals to Spain from the UK to present on entry one of the following: a negative COVID-19 test; or proof of vaccination. Italy From 21 June to 30 July, on arrival in Italy travellers who have been in the UK in the previous 14 days must present a negative antigen test taken in the 48 hours preceding entry into Italy and fill in a digital localisation form. They must also self-isolate for 5 days, at the end of which they must take a rapid antigenic or molecular swab test for COVID-19 and test negative for release. Greece Arrivals from the UK must provide either: proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test, undertaken within the 72 hour period before arrival into Greece; proof of a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test from an authorised laboratory, undertaken within the 48 hour period before the scheduled flight; or proof of two COVID-19 vaccinations completed at least 14 days before travel. Greece will also accept proof of recovery from COVID-19 for entry. Portugal All travellers, apart from children under 12, must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test to travel to or through mainland Portugal. If you have travelled from the UK to mainland Portugal, you must quarantine for 14 days in the place you are staying or at a place indicated by the Portuguese health authority, unless you can show you have been fully vaccinated with an EU approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to travel. Germany From 7 July the UK is designated as a high-incidence area, which means that you may only enter Germany from the UK if you are fully vaccinated (for any travel purpose), or, if not, you are a German citizen or, resident, or their spouse/partner/child under 18 serve in an important role, or have an urgent need to travel. Otherwise travellers may not enter Germany from the UK. Cyprus The UK entered Cyprus Amber category on 29 April.Passengers coming from Amber Category countries are required to undergo a PCR test within 72 hours prior to departure and provide proof of a negative result. Travellers with proof of two COVID-19 vaccinations are not required to take a PCR test before departure. Malta From 30 June 2021, the Maltese authorities require all arrivals from the United Kingdom to present proof of full vaccination. This must show that you received a full course of vaccination at least 14 days prior to your arrival. Only fully vaccinated people from the UK will be able to travel to Malta. Turkey All arrivals into Turkey, except Turkish citizens or residence permit holders, must complete an online form within 72 hours of travel. This is not required for those passengers transiting Turkey en route to another country. From 1 June, passengers arriving from the UK will require a negative PCR test taken within the 72 hours prior to arriving in Turkey. Croatia UK nationals travelling to Croatia are subject to strict epidemiological measures and must carry evidence of their negative COVID-19 health status, to present on arrival to Croatia (a negative COVID-19 antigen test not older than 48 hours or a PCR test result not older than 72 hours, proof of full immunisation, or a certificate of recovery following a positive test result between 11 and 180 days prior). Without this evidence, you will be required to self-isolate until a negative test result has been obtained locally North America USA Since 16 March 2020, it is not possible for most British nationals to enter the USA if they have been in the UK . US citizens and permanent residents of the USA, certain specified close family members and certain other limited categories of visas holders (such as UN staff and diplomats) are exempt. They will still be able to enter the USA. Caribbean Jamaica All travellers from 12 years and upwards arriving in Jamaica must present a negative COVID-19 molecular (PCR, NAA, RNA) or Antigen test, which was conducted within the 72 hours prior to the date of travel. Tourists will be screened on arrival and may still be required to be tested at the airport or designated facility. If the test is negative, you will remain at your hotel/resort. Barbados All travellers from the UK must present on arrival a valid COVID-19 PCR negative test result taken no more than 3 days in advance of your flights arrival. If you live in England, Barbados will accept the NHS COVID Pass or your NHS letter to demonstrate your COVID-19 vaccination status. If you are fully vaccinated you will have to take a PCR test on arrival, and will have to remain in quarantine until the result comes back positive which is usually within 24 hours. Grenada Effective from 1 May persons providing proof of full vaccination will only be required to quarantine for up to 48 hours, pending a negative result from a PCR test, administered on entry, and paid in advance. Cuba From 10 January 2021, everyone travelling to Cuba must have a certified proof of a negative result of a PCR test taken within 72 hours before travel. Non-residents will be given a PCR test on arrival and will have to stay at a designated isolation centre (may be a hotel) until they have a second negative PCR test (the test may be on fifth day). Africa Egypt From 1 September 2020, all persons (including those who hold Egyptian nationality) arriving from overseas, to any part of Egypt, will be required to present a negative PCR test certificate on arrival, and an indication of when the test was taken. The Egyptian authorities have advised that PCR tests must be conducted no more than 72 hours prior to flight departure. Passengers arriving from London Heathrow only are permitted to have their PCR test conducted no more than 96 hours prior to flight departure. Asia UAE Residents, tourists and visitors travelling from or through the UK and arriving in Dubai and Abu Dhabi must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test which was taken no more than 72 hours before departure and present the certificate at check in. Travellers arriving in Abu Dhabi will also be required to undertake a COVID-19 PCR test on arrival. Travellers arriving in Dubai may be required to undertake a further COVID-19 PCR test on arrival and will have to isolate pending the result of the COVID-19 PCR test. All arrivals in Abu Dhabi must isolate for up to 10 days on arrival. Thailand Most travellers to Thailand, including all British nationals travelling from the UK, are required to complete 14 days quarantine at a State Quarantine centre. Japan British nationals with Status of Residence in Japan and who leave or have left Japan with a valid re-entry permit are allowed to re-enter Japan. However, you will need to follow appropriate arrival and quarantine rules as set out below, and provide written evidence of a negative COVID-19 test conducted within the 72 hours before your flight departure time. Maldives All visitors must present a negative PCR test for COVID-19 on arrival to Maldives. The test and negative PCR certificate must be issued no more than 96 hours prior to departure. Temperature checks and screening procedures will be in place on arrival. Quarantine facilities have been set up to isolate any suspected cases of COVID-19. Australia and New Zealand Australia Entry to Australia is currently closed to most arrivals. Australian citizens and returning permanent residents and their immediate family members are permitted to enter Australia without an exemption. All international travellers entering Australia need to undertake a mandatory 14-day quarantine at a designated facility (for example a hotel). New Zealand From 28 April 2021, travellers to New Zealand from very high risk countries are temporarily restricted to New Zealand citizens, their partners, dependent children, the parent of a dependent child who is a New Zealand citizen, and those with significant humanitarian reasons. Anyone entering New Zealand (except from within a quarantine-free travel bubble, currently arranged with Australia and the Cook Islands) needs to undergo quarantine or managed isolation in an approved facility for a minimum of 14 days. A full list of entry requirements for 226 countries and territories is available on the Government's website. Ministers hope an 'element of herd immunity' will help slow the spread of Covid infections among the young, sources have told the Daily Mail. The controversial policy of trying to build up immunity by allowing the virus to rip through part of society has never been acknowledged by ministers. The concept became so toxic last year that Downing Street banned its use in internal government discussions. Sources told the Mail that Department of Health officials now refer to a strategy of 'hybrid immunity', involving vaccinating older, more vulnerable people, combined with a mixture of vaccinations and infections for the young. A young woman receives the Covid-19 vaccine at a walk-in vaccine clinic at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium People wait to receive their Covid-19 vaccine at the NHS vaccine centre that has been set up at the Millennium Point centre in Birmingham A Whitehall source said: 'There is an element of herd immunity in what we are doing. Obviously, the most vulnerable people, including all over-40s, will have been offered both doses by the time we open up. Younger people are less at risk from serious problems with Covid. 'All adults will have been offered a jab by July 19, but with cases running so high, it is inevitable that some people are going to acquire immunity through infection. It is not so much a policy aim as a consequence of the fact that we are having a third wave.' Herd immunity is a common concept in science and refers to establishing such a high proportion of the population with antibodies that a virus finds it impossible to spread. It became controversial last year as the pandemic began when it was realised that letting Covid run through the population would mean hundreds of thousands of deaths. People talk to healthcare workers before they receive their Covid-19 vaccine in Newcastle The Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters yesterday that herd immunity 'is not a policy goal of the government'. But a senior government adviser said herd immunity was a legitimate aim. Professor Robert Dingwall, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, told Sky News: 'It may sound like a hard and callous thing to say, but every person who gets infected is taking us towards that target of a level of population immunity where we are all protected against the most serious infections.' The Biden administration is moving $860 million in COVID funds to cover pandemic-related expenses of housing children who have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. Bloomberg News reported Tuesday that Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra notified members of Congress that the HHS-designated funds would be moved from the National Institutes of Health to the unaccompanied children program. In Becerra's letter to lawmakers he said the money would ensure the safety of unaccompanied minors who have shown up at the border and the staff attending to them at shelters. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra informed Congress Tuesday that HHS would be moving $860 million in COVID relief funds from National Institutes of Health to the unaccompanied children program A child holds hands with workers at an emergency shelter for migrant children in Pomona, California last week. The cost of housing migrant children has gone up at least $1.7 billion due to the government having to take pandemic-related precautions Children sit inside a dining tent at an emergency shelter for migrant children in Pomona, California. The government has had to spend more money housing migrant children because of having to follow social distancing protocols A Biden administration official told Bloomberg that because HHS has had to take precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic the cost of housing migrant children has gone up by at least $1.7 billion. In the letter to House and Senate Appropriations committees leaders, obtained by Bloomberg, Becerra notes the uptick in the program's cost. He explained that more space was needed because children arriving in the U.S. have to quarantine. Additionally, intake shelters have had to ensure proper social distancing of children and staff. The number of usable beds to house children is thus down, with Becerra arguing that the number needs to go up. The HHS secretary also argued the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 grants him the power to shuffle the funds. He said the move 'does not disrupt or impede planned NIH activites.' Becerra also said in the letter that the White House's Office of Management and Budget had been consulted. The administration official told Bloomberg that using reallocated funds for the HHS program isn't unusual, with the Trump administration requesting nearly $3 billion in supplemental funding from Congress in 2019. Erbil Airport in northern Iraq was reportedly attacked by a drone armed with explosives while hosting US troops, it has been reported. The drone 'came down outside Erbil Airport' and started a fire, according to BBC correspondent Nafiseh Kohnavard. Reuters reported that the drone had been aimed at a U.S. base on the airport grounds. It was previously reported that at least three drones and 20 rockets were used in the attack, though security sources have now said there were no rockets and just one drone used, Kohnavard reported. Col. Wayne Marotto, spokesman for U.S. Operation Inherent Resolve, tweeted: 'Initial report: At approx. 11:15 PM local time, one UAS impacted in vicinity of Erbil Air Base, Iraq.' The abbreviation UAS typically stands for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or a drone, indicating that the drone may have exploded upon impact. He added: 'At this time initial reports indicate no injuries, casualties or damage. We will update when we have further information.' Scroll down for video Erbil Airport in Iraq was allegedly under 'a massive rocket attack' while hosting US troops, it has been reported It was reported that at least three drones and 20 rockets were used in the attack and that a with a fire broke out at the site Col. Wayne Marotto, spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, said initial reports indicated that there were no casualties after the attack The attack occurred at the Erbil International Airport in Iraq, shown on this map A U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson told Politico reporter Lara Seligman that the agency was 'aware' of reports of the attack. 'We are aware of reporting of a UAS incident in the vicinity of Erbil, Iraq. At this time, initial reports indicate no structural damage, injuries or casualties,' the spokesperson said. A video allegedly released by Kurdistan Counter Terrorism Forces and posted to Twitter by the account Aurora Intel appears to show Erbil Airport after the attack. The video shows flames billowing into the night sky while other videos posted posted to social media purport to show the airport going dark after the alleged rocket attack. News outlet Rudaw tweeted: 'The counterterrorism directorate said the airport was attacked by a drone around 10:30pm, with a fire breaking out at the site.' No casualties have been reported, according to the news outlet. The Rudaw Turkey account on Twitter also posted that the 'small-scale fire that occurred after the attack on the airport was extinguished.' Video posted by the same account to Twitter claims to show sirens being sounded at the US consulate in Erbil. Erbil International Airport is pictured in February after flights restarted, following another rocket attack outside the international airport In another video posted to Twitter, independent journalist Raveen Aujmaya tweeted that the airport had already reopened 'after a brief closure following rocket attack.' The Iraqi satellite television channel Dijlah reported that the airport's director said air traffic wasn't affected by the attack, according to the Twitter account @Archer83Able. Despite reports indicating no injuries, Newsweek reported that a group which calls itself Saraya Awliya al-Dam issued a warning after the attack. 'If the enemy does not admit its losses, we will tell him the number of Zionists who were killed in the Erbil operation tonight,' the statement reads. According to Newsweek, the Saraya Awliya al-Dam group 'previously claimed attacks against U.S. positions in the area.' The attack comes a day after rockets and a drone targeted Ain al-Asad air base, which houses U.S. troops, and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. In April, a drone dropped explosives near the U.S. forces stationed at Erbil airport. That was the first known attack carried out by an unmanned aerial drone against U.S. forces in Erbil, amid a steady stream of rocket attacks on bases hosting U.S. forces and the embassy in Baghdad that Washington blames on Iran-backed militias. Joel Greenberg is seeking more time to cooperate before he faces sentencing Rep. Mat Gaetz's former 'wingman' Joel Greenberg is seeking more time to cooperate with federal prosecutors before he faces sentencing. Greenberg's attorney filed a motion on Tuesday in Florida federal court seeking a 90-day delay to his sentencing hearing, which had been scheduled for August 19. Greenberg, 36, pleaded guilty in May to six of the nearly three dozen charges he faced, including sex trafficking of a minor, and he admitted that he had paid at least one underage girl to have sex with him and other men. Now he is cooperating with the FBI in a broader probe. The Justice Department is examining allegations that Gaetz paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl in Florida, where the age of consent is 18. Gaetz, a Florida Republican, has repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them a smear job, and has not been criminally charged. Greenberg is the former 'wingman' of Rep. Matt Gaetz (above), who is currently under FBI investigation into allegations of paying for sex with a 17-year-old girl, which he denies Greenberg's attorney filed this motion on Tuesday in Florida federal court seeking a 90-day delay to his sentencing hearing, saying he needs more time to cooperate with prosecutors In Tuesday's motion, Greenberg's attorney argued that his client needed more time to offer up information to the Justice Department, which he agreed to do as part of his plea deal. 'Pursuant to his plea agreement with the Government, Mr. Greenberg has been cooperating with the Government and has participated in a series of proffers,' the motion said. A proffer agreement, also known as 'Queen for a Day', is an agreement that allows defendants to divulge information about crimes to prosecutors, while limiting the ability of prosecutors to use the information against the informant. 'The parties expect that Mr. Greenberg will participate in additional proffers, and a continuance would provide Mr. Greenberg with additional time to do so prior to his sentencing,' the motion added. Greenberg's lawyer said that in addition to the extra time needed to cooperate with investigators, the delay was also needed to iron out restitution and sentencing guideline recommendations. The motion claimed that prosecutors in the case do not object to delaying Greenberg's sentencing. A judge has not yet ruled on the request. Gaetz (center) is seen with Roger Stone (left) and Joel Greenberg. Greenberg, 36, pleaded guilty in May to six charges, including sex trafficking of a minor Rep. Matt Gaetz and his fiancee, Ginger Luckey arrive at a rally of Former U.S. President Donald Trump at the Sarasota Fairgrounds on Saturday in Sarasota, Florida Gaetz has not avoided the spotlight despite the ongoing investigation, appearing at a rally with Donald Trump on Saturday in Florida, where he again denied the allegations. 'They always come out to the fighters,' he said. 'I'm a canceled man in some corners of the internet but in the core of my bones I'm a Florida man and it feels good to be home.' Gaetz, a loyal ally of Trump, pledged at the rally to vote for Trump as House speaker if Republicans retake the House next year. Trump has not expressed interested in running for the House, but the Constitution does not explicitly state that the speaker must be a member of Congress. However, nobody has ever been selected for the post who was not a sitting U.S. representative. Gaetz has repeatedly insisted on his innocence of any sex crimes, and says that he is not worried that his former pal Greenberg will turn on him. Gaetz is seen at the Trump rally on Saturday. 'They always come out to the fighters,' he said at the rally, dismissing the allegations as a political attack against him Asked last month if he or his lawyers had been approached by investigators in his home state regarding sex crime allegations, Gaetz swerved and said: 'Well, I think there's a lot going on in Florida, my focus is on what's going on here in Washington.' Reporters also asked the congressman if he has spoken to his ex-girlfriend about the investigation in Florida, but Gaetz said he wouldn't divulge personal information to reporters. 'I would love to be able to share all the people in my life that I talk to and don't talk to, but unfortunately the people in your profession have doxxed, harassed, threatened people that have been in my life, and so I don't get into who I talk to and don't talk to, because I don't want to put people in jeopardy.' Gaetz's ex, who has not been named, is said to have been with him in 2017 - the period investigators are probing. She is said to be cooperating with prosecutors. April Powers spoke to Bari Weiss's newsletter to describe how she was hounded from her job by an online mob after she posted a Facebook message, in her role as chief inclusion officer, condemning anti-Semitism A black Jewish woman has described being 'terrorized online' for writing a Facebook post condemning anti-Semitic attacks - a post which ultimately forced her from her job. April Powers was appointed the first chief equity and inclusion officer of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators in June 2020. On Tuesday she spoke to Common Sense with Bari Weiss to describe how she was hounded out of her job within a year of being appointed, because of her religion. 'It was, 'You're Jewish, you can't be in a role like this,' she told Weiss' newsletter. 'I lost credibility in that exchange because I'm Jewish.' The story began in May, as the Israel-Palestine conflict was unfolding and Jewish Americans were being targeted by pro-Palestine protesters. Powers, horrified by scenes in Los Angeles of Jews being attacked in the street, decided to post a statement condemning anti-Semitism. Powers' post, on June 10, was in response to a spate of attacks on Jews in the United States Heres how it started Eve :( pic.twitter.com/dHOCyvA0ag Self Declared Zionists (@SussexFriends) May 19, 2021 'The SCBWI unequivocally recognizes that the world's 14.7 million Jewish people (less than 0.018% of the population) have the right to life, safety, and freedom from scapegoating and fear,' she wrote. 'No person should be at risk because of their heritage, religion, disability, or whom they love.' Powers pointed out that anti-Semitism has seen a marked increase in recent years, and added: 'As writers, illustrators, and translators of children's literature, we are responsible for promoting equity and humanizing people in our work-all children and all families. 'Silence is often mistaken for acceptance and results in the perpetration of more hatred and violence against different types of people.' Powers's June 10 post was intended as a move towards tolerance and peace - yet backfired Yet the response to her June 10 post surprised her. 'I was terrorized online,' she said. 'I'm still receiving horrible messages. I wasn't willing to endure that for any job.' Her post initially drew the ire of Razan Abdin-Adnani, a Montessori teacher from Arkansas and member of the society, who identified herself as the daughter of Palestinian refugees. She commented on the post asking if the organization also planned to denounce violence against Palestinians. Powers replied: 'As a new member, you may not have noticed our statements are very recent & reflect surges in hate crimes & violence around the world. If we see a surge against Muslims globally as we have w/ other groups, expect us to speak out.' Powers told the newsletter that, in hindsight, said she should not have replied. 'If I had it to do over again, I would have turned off comments for the statement,' she said. 'We were attempting to create a safe space.' Powers initially debated with Abdin-Adnani in the comments, but then stopped and deleted several comments. Powers's post drew the ire of Razan Abdin-Adnani, a Montessori teacher from Arkansas and member of the society Abdin-Adnani took to Twitter, accusing the organization of being anti-Muslim and demanding a refund of her membership dues, writing: 'I had no idea this was a Zionist/politically motivated organization that doesn't serve ALL children.' Powers said she had no regrets about the statement. 'I will not apologize for making a statement on anti-Semitism,' she told the newsletter. 'It needed to be said and it still needs to be said. The silence is deafening.' Yet the executive director of the society, Lin Oliver, wrote an apology two weeks later - and announced that Powers had resigned. She expressed her remorse to 'everyone the Palestinian community who felt unrepresented, silenced, or marginalized.' Oliver apologized 'the pain our actions have caused to our Muslim and Palestinian members.' Lin Oliver, the executive director of the society, accepted Powers's resignation She continued: 'I also want to offer my apologies to Razan Abdin-Adnani for making her feel unseen and unheard by blocking her. She has been unblocked from our feed.' Powers insisted that SCBWI did not force her to resign, but they stated: 'As a remedy to these events, we have taken some initial steps: 1. Effective immediately, we have accepted the resignation of April, our Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer.' Powers herself concluded with an apology. 'By posting an antisemitism statement, our intention was to stay out of politics,' she wrote. 'I neglected to address the rise in Islamophobia, and deeply regret that omission. 'While this doesn't fix the pain and disappointment that you feel by my mishandling of the moment, I hope you will accept my sincerest apologies and resignation from the SCBWI.' Abdin-Adnani defended her role in the controversy, saying: 'I never attacked anyone. Most people noticed Ms. April Powers got caught silencing Palestinian and Muslim voices AND she actively denied that there was anti-Muslim violence happening "globally," in her words. She denied. She silenced. She deleted comments that were not to her liking. 'I was extraordinarily polite. More polite and eloquent than they deserved after their dismissive and disrespectful behaviors and attempts to silence paying members of their non profit org who were saying things they didnt like. 'In short, I was undoubtedly mistreated by the organization.' The Republican National Committee is denying its computer systems were breached by Kremlin-backed hackers. On Tuesday evening, a spokesperson for the RNC slapped down reporting from Bloomberg that said members of the hacker group 'Cozy Bear' breached the political party's computer systems last week. 'Over the weekend, we were informed that Synnex, a third party provider, had been breached,' RNC Chief of Staff Richard Walters said in a statement. 'Our team worked with Microsoft to conduct a review of our systems and after a thorough investigation, no RNC data was accessed.' The Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C. The RNC pushed back on a report out Tuesday that its computer systems were breached by Kremlin-linked hackers Republican National Committee Chief of Staff Richard Walters said Tuesday night that 'no RNC data was accessed' after a Bloomberg report came out saying that the third-party company Synnex had been targeted by Kremlin-backed hacker group 'Cozy Bear' 'We will continue to work with Microsoft, as well as federal law enforcement officials on this matter,' Walters added. 'Cozy Bear' is tied to Russia's foreign intelligence service. The group was previously accused of breaching the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 presidential election cycle. It was also blamed for December's SolarWinds Corp. attack, which breached nine U.S. government agencies. Bloomberg reported the Synnex connection, with the company saying in a press release that 'it is aware of a few instances where outside actors have attempted to gain access, through Synnex, to customer applications within the Microsoft cloud environment.' The company Synnex had been breached, but the RNC's chief of staff said Tuesday that 'no RNC data was accessed' 'As our review continues, we are unable to provide any specific details,' Synnex's Michael Urban told Bloomberg News. 'As with any security issue, a full review of all companies, systems, third-party applications and related IT solutions must be completed before final determinations can be made.' Bloomberg reported that Russian government-backed hackers are taking advantage of the global ransomware attack to go after valuable intelligence targets. It is unclear if targeting Synnex was related to the ransomware attack. On Friday, hackers exploited a powerful remote-management tool run by Miami-based software company Kaseya in what is known as a supply-chain attack. Friday's attack hobbled businesses in at least 17 countries. It shuttered most of the 800 supermarkets in the Swedish Coop chain over the weekend because cash registers stopped working, and reportedly knocked more than 100 New Zealand kindergartens offline. Kaseya said it believes only about 800 to 1,500 of the estimated 800,000 to 1,000,000 mostly small business end-users of its software were affected. They are customers of companies that use Kaseya's virtual system administrator, or VSA, product to fully manage their IT infrastructure. Cybersecurity experts said, however, it is too early for Kaseya to know the true impact given its launch on the eve of the Fourth of July holiday weekend in the U.S. Ransomware criminals infiltrate networks and sow malware that cripples them by scrambling all their data. Victims get a decoder key when they pay up. Most ransomware victims don't publicly report attacks or disclose if they've paid ransoms. In the U.S, disclosure of a breach is required by state laws when personal data that can be used in identity theft is stolen. Federal law mandates it when healthcare records are exposed. Security researchers said that in this attack, the criminals did not appear to have had time to steal data before locking up networks. That raised the question whether the motivation behind the attack was profit alone, because extortion through threatening to expose sensitive pilfered data betters the odds of big payoffs. President Joe Biden said Tuesday that damage to U.S. businesses in the biggest ransomware attack on record appears minimal, though information remained incomplete. Answering a reporter's question at a vaccine-related White House event, Biden said his national security team had updated him Tuesday morning on the attack. 'It appears to have caused minimal damage to U.S. businesses but were still gathering information,' Biden said. 'And I'm going to have more to say about this in the next several days.' An official at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, speaking on condition they not be further identified, said no federal agencies or critical infrastructure appear to have been impacted. Universities could face fines of up to 500,000 if they do not return to in-person teaching and have poor quality online lectures, it was revealed yesterday. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told the Commons that there would be no restrictions on the resumption of face-to-face teaching at universities from July 19. The higher education regulator, the Office for Students (OfS) is monitoring the quality of teaching at universities amid record levels of student dissatisfaction. Universities could face fines of up to 500,000 if they do not return to in-person teaching and have poor quality online lectures Undergraduates are still paying full fees of 9,250 a year despite being forced to learn remotely during most of the pandemic. Some institutions have already signalled they will continue online provision into 2022, with thousands of students protesting at the University of Manchester. But Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of the OfS, last night fired a warning shot to institutions over online learning. She said: 'While they can decide to move some teaching like large-scale lectures online, they must be clear that standards are not being compromised. 'We are monitoring the quality of teaching across universities and colleges in England and are ready to intervene where necessary.' The OfS has statutory powers to act if there has been a breach of 'conditions of registration'. This could occur if the watchdog believes there has been a massive drop in quality of teaching. It can impose 'additional requirements' on institutions, restrict their access to sources of funding, or impose fines as high as 500,000. However, it is unlikely fines would be administered for keeping large-scale lectures online when students' concerns have been heard. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told the Commons that there would be no restrictions on the resumption of face-to-face teaching at universities from July 19 An analysis by the Observer last month suggested most universities are already planning to offer a mix of in-person seminars and online lectures. The University of Manchester says blended learning will be the 'default model of teaching' in future, with no reduction in fees. In-person sessions would be reserved for 'labs, seminar discussions or in-depth Q&As'. Professor Danielle George, head of blended learning, told student newspaper The Tab that large lectures would stay online since they are 'didactic and non-interactive'. A petition signed by more than 4,000 students says: 'If we wanted an online degree we would have paid 1/3 of the price to go to the Open University.' Research by the Higher Education Policy Institute found student satisfaction is at an 'historic low' with almost half of 10,000 young people surveyed claiming they had 'poor or very poor' value for money this year. Australians working for big companies may be able to get a Covid-19 vaccine at work after September. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is meeting business leaders at 10am to discuss how they can help boost the nation's sluggish rollout with only nine per cent of adults double jabbed. Several corporations such as Commonwealth Bank already offer employees the flu vaccine at work and are keen to offer Covid jabs once more supply enters Australia. A nurse administers the Pfizer vaccine to a client at the St Vincent's Covid-19 vaccination clinic on July 1, 2021 in Sydney Mr Frydenberg told ABC radio: 'Because these businesses have experience in delivering the flu vaccination, these businesses have real resources at their disposal, be it premises, logistics, community engagement strategies, the broader communication strategy. 'They will be really willing and able partners for the Federal Government, as they have been from day one of this pandemic.' On Tuesday, Lieutenant General John Frewen, head of the Covid-19 taskforce, said workplaces could offer jabs from September. 'Around September and October, when we have greater access to the vaccine that's when workplace vaccination can open up,' he told reporters. Which companies could offer Covid-19 vaccines at work? These are the companies meeting with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Wednesday: Coles Group Woolworths Group Wesfarmers Commonwealth Bank of Australia Westpac Group NAB ANZ Bank Virgin Qantas Telstra Optus Ernst and Young Deloitte PWC KPMG Melbourne Airport Advertisement 'It takes burden off both the primary healthcare system and some of the state mechanisms. 'Many of these industries already do anti-flu vaccinations.' Meanwhile, Australians under 40 are expected to be offered Pfizer vaccines from September when more supply arrives from overseas. Mr Frewen said young people will be able to chose which jab they get later this year. Currently, Aussies under 40 can only get the abundant AstraZeneca vaccine via their GPs because the government is prioritising scare Pfizer jabs for people aged 40 to 60. Australians under 40 are expected to be offered Pfizer vaccines from September when more supply arrives from overseas. Pictured: Vaccine queues in Sydney on Thursday 'I think when we get to September and October, if we've got the amounts of supply that we are forecast to have at those stages, that's around about the time we may be able to look at bringing more choice into the program,' Mr Frewen said. 'But we can't put a hard time on that just yet. 'Because of supply issues, we're prioritising Pfizer for certain age groups. 'For those below 40, if they wish to take up AstraZeneca now, they can under informed consent. 'When we have supplies of both we offer choice to individuals,' he added. Australia expects to receive up to 750,000 Pfizer doses a week in July and August, up to 1.3million in September and up to 2.3million from October. The country is also due to receive up to 125,000 Moderna doses per week in September and up to 615,000 after that. Almost 8,000 under 40s have received their first AstraZeneca dose since Prime Minister Scott Morrison highlighted it as an option last week. AstraZeneca, which is only recommended for Australians over 60 because of extremely rare but serious blood clots, has a 12-week gap between doses, while Pfizer has a three-week space. Lieutenant General John Frewen (right) speaks alongside Colonel Spencer Norris (left) during a zoom meeting with state premiers and chief ministers at Scarborough House on July 6 in Canberra State and federal health officials met on Tuesday to discuss potential problems with the rollout, including possible staff shortages. Some officials are concerned there may not be enough workers available to roll out vaccines quickly and easily when tens of millions of Pfizer and Moderna doses arrive later this year. They are considering options including drafting in trainee paramedics or final year medical students. 'We're looking for every opportunity we can to accelerate the rollout,' Mr Frewen said. Mobile mass vaccination hubs will also be considered. Jane Halton, who chairs the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, said Australia needed to be prepared for glitches in vaccine delivery. 'This is not something that you can just stick on general practice across the country and then get that huge number of people through,' she told ABC radio. 'The federal government is starting to sit in a really co-operative way, not just with the states, but working with industry, who are really desperate to help their workforces get vaccinated as well.' NASA's Kepler Space Telescope has found a mysterious population of 'free-floating' or 'rogue' planets that aren't bound to any host star. Based on a technique called gravitational microlensing, researchers reveal there are four new rogue planets in total, which likely have similar masses to that of Earth. Gravitational microlensing relies on chance events where from a certain viewpoint, one star passes in front of another star. The planets may have originally formed around a host star before being ejected by the gravitational tug of other, heavier planets in the system, the experts say. The host star is likely still burning brightly in space, but just with fewer planets in its orbit. Scroll down for video The four newly discovered planets that are consistent with planets of similar masses to Earth (stock image) 'We don't know exactly how far away they are,' study author Professor Iain McDonald at the University of Manchester told MailOnline. 'They are not among the nearest stars, but closer than the centre of our Galaxy. So it's probably most accurate to say they are several thousand light years away. Professor McDonald said they're not sure exactly what these planets are like, but are 'probably rocky' with frozen oceans. 'If a planet like the Earth was flung out into deep space, far from the heat of a star, we'd expect the oceans to freeze over and the atmosphere to condense out onto the surface,' he said. 'Life could still continue, but only in places like hydrothermal vents, where there is another energy source.' This is an artist impression of the Kepler Space Telescope that was decommissioned by NASA in 2018 after nearly a decade of service The now retired Kepler telescope spent nearly a decade in space looking for Earth-size planets orbiting other stars, but scientists are still analysing its data. Kepler launched in 2009 and was decommissioned by NASA in 2018 when it ran out of fuel needed for further science operations. It was launched specifically by NASA with the aim of identifying planets outside of our own Solar System, known as exoplanets. For this project, researchers used data obtained in 2016 during the K2 mission phase of NASAs Kepler Space Telescope an extension of its original mission. During its two-month K2 campaign, Kepler monitored a crowded field of millions of stars near the centre of our Galaxy every 30 minutes in order to find rare gravitational microlensing events. WHAT IS MICROLENSING? Predicted by Albert Einstein 85 years ago as a consequence of his General Theory of Relativity, microlensing describes how the light from a background star can be temporarily magnified by the presence of other stars in the foreground. This produces a short burst in brightness that can last from hours to a few days. Roughly one out of every million stars in our Galaxy is visibly affected by microlensing at any given time, but only a few per cent of these are expected to be caused by planets. Advertisement During gravitational microlensing, a viewpoint, a close star and a brighter and more distant star come into close alignment for a few weeks or months. Gravity from the closer star acts as a lens and magnifies the distant star over the course of the transit. The study team found 27 short-duration candidate microlensing signals that varied over timescales of between an hour and 10 days. Many of these had been previously seen in data obtained simultaneously from the ground. However, the four shortest events are new discoveries that are consistent with planets of similar masses to Earth. These new events do not show an accompanying longer signal that might be expected from a host star, suggesting that these new events may be free-floating planets. 'These signals are extremely difficult to find,' said Professor McDonald. 'Our observations pointed an elderly, ailing telescope with blurred vision at one the most densely crowded parts of the sky, where there are already thousands of bright stars that vary in brightness, and thousands of asteroids that skim across our field. Artist's impression of a free-floating planet. Such planets may perhaps have originally formed around a host star before being ejected by the gravitational tug of other, heavier planets in the system 'From that cacophony, we try to extract tiny, characteristic brightenings caused by planets, and we only have one chance to see a signal before its gone. 'Its about as easy as looking for the single blink of a firefly in the middle of a motorway, using only a handheld phone.' Since its launch in 2009, Kepler spotted thousands of exoplanets outside our solar system, despite experiencing mechanical failures and being blasted by cosmic rays. In 2013, Kepler's primary mission was concluded when a second reaction wheel broke, which meant that the space craft couldn't hold a steady gaze at its original field of view. But Kepler was given a 'new lease on life' by NASA on its K2 mission, which required it to shift its field of view to new portions of the sky about every three months. NASA initially assumed that K2 would only be able to conduct 10 campaigns with the remaining fuel, but it went on to complete an astonishing 16 campaigns. Confirming the existence and nature of free-floating planets will be a major focus for NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and possibly the ESA's Euclid mission both expected to detect microlensing events. 'Kepler has achieved what it was never designed to do, in providing further tentative evidence for the existence of a population of Earth-mass, free-floating planets,' said study author Eamonn Kerins at the University of Manchester. 'Now it passes the baton on to Roman that will be designed to find such signals, signals so elusive that Einstein himself thought that they were unlikely ever to be observed.' The results have been published today in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Advertisement The family tree of the Renaissance-era Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci has been traced across 690 years and 21 generations revealing 14 living male descendants. Historians Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato have spent a decade delving through records to piece together the male line of the da Vinci family. This began with Michele (born in 1331), and covered five family branches, including the one which yielded his great-great-great grandson Leonardo (born 1452). The work, the duo explained, fills gap and corrects errors into previous genealogical work around the da Vinci family and may inform future studies of Leonardo's DNA. The 14 living descendants include children, farmers, office workers, an upholsterer, porcelain seller and even an artist, who say they are proud to be related to the great man. The family tree of the Renaissance-era Italian polymath Leonardo Da Vinci has been traced across 690 years and 21 generations revealing 14 living male descendants. Pictured: Part of the duo's reconstruction of da Vinci's family tree, from progenitor Michele (born 1331) down to Tommaso Gaspero Maria, 14 generations later. Leonardo can be seen on the side branch The researcher's tree began with Michele (born in 1331), and covered five family branches including the one that yielded his great-great-great grandson Leonardo (pictured, born 1452) Descendants 'honoured' to be related to the great man Paulo Vinci, 85, described the news as a 'surprise and an honour' when hearing he was related to Leonardo. Paulo said: 'Leonardo is the incomparable genius and it is an honour for me to share an infinitesimal part of his genetic heritage.' Bruno Vinci, 77, felt 'honoured' - and did not know how to put his joy into words when hearing the news. He compared it to the joy of arriving in New York in 1964 when he was in the Navy aboard the warship Impavido, and seeing the Statue of Liberty. Geovanni Vinci, 62, also became an artist - but does not think he has 'anything in common with Leonardo,' saying at most it made him 'a bit more of a technician'. Geovanni joked: 'Maybe for some of my work Leonardo turned in his grave - but for the rest I hope he is proud.' Milko Vinci, 44, also said 'honour and immense pride' were the first reactions - but then he felt 'small and unprepared in practice for everything.' He said: 'Leonardo is not comparable to any other man for ability, ingenuity, intuition and art. Without forgetting the respect and admiration for the study that led to this discovery.' Advertisement According to the researchers, Leonardo while having no children himself had a whopping 22 half-brothers. The team traced the five branches of his family tree from Leonardo's father, ser Piero, and one of his half-brothers, Domenico. Below the 15th generation of the family, the researchers have collected data on more than 225 different individuals making up the da Vinci family tree. Dr Sabato said the elderly are retired, the youngest are employed and one of those they found is currently working as a freelancer. None of the living descendants live in Vinci, the Tuscan town where Leonardo came from, but do reside in various Tuscan municipalities - from Montelupo Fiorentino to Lastra a Signa and Versilia. The family is now known as Vinci - having dropped the 'da', with 85-year-old Paulo Vinci describing the news as a surprise and a 'source of great pride'. Asked if there were any papers or documents about his lineage, he explained: 'No, this topic has never been dealt with in my family. 'Perhaps it seemed impossible that there was a direct lineage. About 60 years ago, at the age of 25, on the occasion of a visit to the Vinci museum, I was told my family descended directly from that of Leonardo. 'But it all ended there, without any further study. Then, only this year, I was contacted by the historians Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato, who showed me, following in-depth research, that the lineage was certain. 'Leonardo is the incomparable genius and it is an honour for me to share an infinitesimal part of his genetic heritage.' Bruno Vinci, 77, felt 'honoured' - and did not know how to put his joy into words. He was grateful to the researchers for shedding light on the genealogy of his family,' saying he has two sons and four male grandchildren to continue the lineage. Historians Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato (pictured with their genealogical tree) have spent a decade delving through records to piece together the male line of the da Vinci family Leonardo da Vinci's 14 living male relations Paulo di Leonardo (b 1935) Giovanni di Otello (b 1958) Bruno di Guiseppe (b 1943) Mauro di Guiseppe (b 1946) Alessandro di Bruno (b 1975) Paulo di Bruno (b 1981) Xy di Alessandro (b 2012) Xi di Alessandro (b 2012) Xi di Paulo (b 2018) Xi di Paulo (b 2020) Xy di Ilio (b 1955) Xy di Xy (no birth date) Xy di Xy (no birth date) Milko di Mario (b 1976) Advertisement Bruno compared it to arriving in New York in 1964 when he was in the Navy aboard the warship Impavido, and seeing the Statue of Liberty from the bow. Geovanni Vinci, 62, also became an artist - but does not think he has 'anything in common with Leonardo,' saying at most it made him 'a bit more of a technician'. Geovanni joked: 'Maybe for some of my work Leonardo turned in his grave - but for the rest I hope he is proud.' When he found out, at first there was an 'initial amazement' - but then 'an undeniable pride,' saying he'd been asked if he was a 'descendant of Leonardo' since childhood. 'I never thought I would be able to answer yes, even if perhaps there was this hope in a far corner of my mind,' Geovanni said. He added: 'The lineage from Leonardo's brother, Domenico, who chooses to live in the countryside of Vinci, in a quiet place, dealing with agriculture and aspects less related to material heritage, makes me connect him to my father Otello. 'I remember his desire to live an honest, calm and orderly life in harmony and serenity and with great pride in his work as a glass worker. 'I would say to my grandchildren that I have always thought about the possibility of being an heir of Leonardo Da Vinci. 'And that one day Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato showed up and told me that most likely I was one of Leonardo's descendants. 'I would say that my initial disbelief then turned into pride; and they too should feel proud and honour this legacy. 'But what I would try to convey to him is that we certainly did not inherit wealth and material goods but the simplicity, serenity and passion for beauty that I believe Leonardo had.' Leonardo Da Vinci is regarded as one of the greatest men in history, including for his magnificent artowkr such as the Mona Lisa Milko Vinci, 44, also said 'honour and immense pride' were the first reactions - but then he felt 'small and unprepared in practice for everything.' He said: 'Leonardo is not comparable to any other man for ability, ingenuity, intuition and art. Without forgetting the respect and admiration for the study that led to this discovery.' 'I would like to know what triggered his insatiable hunger for knowledge, the constant search for answers through art and technique, putting Man at the centre of the Universe,' he added. 'Paradoxically, I would ask Leonardo to make a list of three of his inalienable passions.' One of his indirect descendants was the acclaimed Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli (pictured). He died in 2019 at the age of 96 Professor Vezzosi said the work fills gaps and corrects errors in previous genealogical research into Leonardo's family. The study expands on earlier work by the duo, first released in 2016, which revealed two direct living male descendants and numerous indirect living relations from a single branch of the da Vinci family. They included a policeman, a pastry chef, an accountant and a retired blacksmith. One of his indirect descendants was the acclaimed Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli. He died in 2019 at the age of 96. Prof Vezzosi said: 'It also provides for the first time the documentary data and information sources over seven centuries to the present day registry office, with work on additional family branches ongoing.' The work will inform scientific works that Dr Vezzosi and Mrs Sabato are undertaken in tandem with the international Leonardo aa Vinci DNA Project. This programme aims to reconstruct da Vinci's DNA, from which investigations can begin into the genetic components of his genius, physical prowess, premature aging, believed left-handedness and his health, including his extraordinary vision. As the Y chromosome, passed down by male descendants, can remain almost unchanged across as many as 25 generations, studying this genetic data in modern men of the da Vinci family could help to confirm Leonardo's own Y chromosome. It could also help to verify the uninterrupted family line by means of analysis of DNA in both ancient of modern burial sites. In addition, the researchers said, comparison of biological data could help to verity the authenticity of artworks and materials supposedly handled by da Vinci. The full findings of the study were published in the journal Human Evolution. With their colourful bodies and glistening wings, dragonflies are without a doubt one of the most striking insects in the animal kingdom. But a new study has warned that rising global temperatures could be having a devastating effect on male dragonflies' 'bling'. The 'bling' dark patches on the wings is disappearing in response to rising temperatures in an effort to keep the insects cool. However, the patches are integral for males to attract a mate, and their loss could affect the insects' ability to breed, according to the researchers. Michael Moore at Washington University in St Louis, who led the study, explained: 'Our study shows that the wing pigmentation of dragonfly males evolves so consistently in response to the climate that it's among the most predictable evolutionary responses ever observed for a mating-related trait. 'This work reveals that mating-related traits can be just as important to how organisms adapt to their climates as survival-related traits.' Scroll down for video The 'bling' dark patches on males' wings is disappearing in response to rising temperatures in an effort to keep the insects cool Many species of dragonfly have dark patches on their wings, which they use to attract potential mates and intimidate rivals. 'Beyond its function in reproduction, having a lot of dark pigmentation on the wings can heat dragonflies up by as much as 2 degrees Celsius, quite a big shift,' Mr Moore said. 'While this pigmentation can help dragonflies find mates, extra heating could also cause them to overheat in places that are already hot.' In the study, the team created a database of 319 dragonfly species, examining their wings from photos submitted to iNaturalist and comparing these to climate information on the locations where the insects were spotted. Their analysis revealed that male dragonflies nearly always responded to warmer temperatures by evolving less wing pigmentation. Mr Moore explained: 'Given that our planet is expected to continue warming, our results suggest that dragonfly males may eventually need to adapt to global climate change by evolving less wing coloration.' Many species of dragonfly have dark patches on their wings, which they use to attract potential mates and intimidate rivals Strangely, only the male wing pigmentation appears to be affected by warming climates, and females' wings are unaffected. 'Unlike the males, dragonfly females are not showing any major shifts in how their wing coloration is changing with the current climate,' Mr Moore added. 'We don't yet know why males and females are so different, but this does show that we shouldn't assume that the sexes will adapt to climate change in the same way.' Worryingly, the changing male wing colouration could make it trickier for females to find males of the same species to mate with. Mr Moore concluded: 'Rapid changes in mating-related traits might hinder a species' ability to identify the correct mate. 'Even though our research suggests these changes in pigmentation seem likely to happen as the world warms, the consequences are something we still really don't know all that much about yet.' Meat from 'super pigs' could hit British supermarket shelves within five years after scientists sign an agreement to breed the disease-resistant animals. University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute and genetics company Genus will produce pigs that are resistant to a respiratory disease affecting livestock worldwide. Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) harms the animals' welfare and is one of the most costly animal diseases in the world, with around $2.5 billion (1.8 billion) revenue lost each year in the US and Europe alone. The disease causes breathing problems and deaths in young animals and can result in pregnant sows losing their litters, with vaccines mostly failing to stop the spread. The University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute has produced pigs that can resist the disease by editing their genetic code, and hope the new licensing agreement will make it possible for the pigs to be available to global pork-producing markets. It isn't possible to say exactly when the pigs will be available as it depends on regulatory approval, but the team hopes it could be within five years. The agreement comes 25 years after the Roslin Institute made history with the cloning of Dolly the sheep, 'opening the door to the gene editing industry'. Meat from 'super pigs' (pictured) could hit British supermarket shelves in the next few years after scientists sign an agreement to breed the disease-resistant animals. Stock image PORCINE REPRODUCTIVE AND RESPIRATORY SYNDROME (PRRS) Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is a disease affecting livestock around the world. The disease causes breathing problems and deaths in young animals and can result in pregnant sows losing their litters, with vaccines mostly failing to stop the spread. It is is one of the most costly animal diseases in the world, with around $2.5 billion (1.8 billion) revenue lost each year in the US and Europe alone. It occurs in all age groups but is seen more often in young growing pigs. It has been spreading since the 1980s and is at epidemic proportions in some pig producing nations. The syndrome is caused by an RNA virus referred to as PRRS virus. Advertisement The PRRS virus works to infect pigs using a specific receptor on the surface of their cells known as the CD163 receptor. The Roslin Institute's breakthrough came by removing a small section of the gene that codes for this receptor. The team focused on the section of the receptor that the virus attaches to, leaving the rest of the molecule intact. Working with Genus, they were then able to produce generations of pigs with this specific DNA change. Genus are working with the FDA to submit required studies and will have them completed by the end of 2023. They are doing similar work with other countries that have less advanced laws surrounding genetically edited livestock. They can't say when it will be available on the market as it depends on the landscape and regulation in each country. Genetically modified animals are banned from the food chain in Europe. It is not clear what regulations would apply to gene-edited animals, however, as the approach is different. GM techniques have been controversial because they can involve introducing genes of other species into an animal. In contrast, gene editing speeds up processes that could occur naturally through breeding over many generations, without introducing genes from other species. 'This is not a theory about something in the future, the proof of concept is done, so in this case five years is a realistic estimate, but it may be shorter,' said Professor Bruce Whitelaw, Interim Director of the Roslin Institute. Genus are working with the FDA to submit required studies - including testing multiple generations of gene edited pigs (pictured) and will have them completed by the end of 2023 The gene edited trait will be sold by Genus globally to 'as many people as possible' as it will help to reduce the spread of the virus. Before the meat can hit shelves in as little as five years, the quality and safety of the product has to be tested over multiple generations of gene edited pigs. Dr Elena Rice, Chief Scientific Officer at Genus PLC, said they have to work closely with the FDA to gain approval to sell the pigs. 'A recent trial revealed that gene edited pigs were 100 per cent resistant to the virus. 'We already have data showing the trait can be passed on through generations, what we need now is evidence for the FDA is the animal is exactly the same as a non-edited control animal over several generations. 'We also need to show there is no environmental impact of introducing gene edited animals into the farm. We are confident it is safe.' Dr John Lonsdale, Head of Enterprise at Edinburgh Innovations, that facilitated the agreement, said: 'Animal health is a keystone of animal welfare as well as bringing benefits to food-producing economies and global food security.' 'The strong, productive and durable partnership with Genus has been a key aspect in seeing academic endeavour translate to useful and useable translational projects for the livestock sector,' Professor Whitelaw explained. Genus will bring a relationship with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), insights into the pork sector, access to a supply chain and distribution channels. They will also be responsible for testing multiple generations of the pigs and conduct studies required to get approval for sale from the FDA. Professor Jon Oatley, Associate Dean for Research, Washington State University, not involved in the study, said the future of animal food production will be producing more with less, including less antibiotics to mitigate disease. University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute and genetics company Genus will produce pigs that are resistant to a respiratory disease affecting livestock worldwide. Stock image EPIGENETICS: THE SCIENCE OF ALTERING EXPRESSIONS OF CERTAIN GENES Epigenetics is a field of molecular science which involves altering the expression of certain genes. It is defined as: 'The study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself.' Instead of changing the genes present in a living thing, it changes which of its genes are 'turned on'. Although it is the genetic code which forms the foundations for every living organism, it is the combination of activated genes which defines it. This gene expression can be complex or simple and can control a wide range of features. As some features and behaviours are controlled by single genes, these can be easily altered by turning this gene off, for example. Some genes inhibit growth and limit cell proliferation, by deactivating these genes things can be grown which do not have the same natural limitations as before. Advertisement 'That is what gene editing allows us to do quickly and today we can generate real world impact through genomic strategies,' he said. 'When we think how fast we can get some of these discoveries from the lab bench to the public domain, we have to think about concept, scaling and regulatory approval. 'Once all of those boxes are checked, then we have to think about how we get widespread dissemination as we can have perfect genetics but you have to transmit, at scale, those precision genomes through sperm and eggs.' Professor Joyce Tait, Founding Director of the Innogen Institute, University of Edinburgh, said it takes a long time for these products to come to market. 'We are now seeing different fields of science coming together to create an important opportunity in the field of animal biotechnology,' she explained. 'The biggest disincentive so far to developing new technologies in the animal husbandry area is the lack of regulation in any countries. 'In some government quarters there is still nervousness, but I'm hoping we will be able to make this work in a more evidence based way than in the past. 'It is not a good idea to make decisions on the result of a public opinion polls, it does matter but can change and it is changing in this matter. I think the benefits vastly outweigh the risks. 'I think it should go ahead as rapidly as possible'. Professor Whitelaw said the Roslin Institute is 'rightly recognised' for pioneering animal biotechnology, including cloning Dolly the sheep 25 years ago. Dolly was a paradigm shift in science, prior to that it wasn't clear if it was possible to re-program cells, after that it was known it was possible. Just the discovery of Dolly, and the ability of the mammalian cell to be re-programmed opened up a whole new field of research. The technically difficult research behind Dollys birth in 1996 has supported new understandings of stem cells. Scientists are researching how to control their development, and how mature cells may revert to behave once more as undeveloped cells. Insights from Dolly have also enabled advances in gene modification and gene editing - which is what the institute have used to solve the virus problem. It was a seminal breakthrough at the time and scientists are still learning from it today, using a combination of gene editing and cloning. Lapland, Finlands northernmost region, has registered its hottest day in more than a century. Kevo, a protected nature reserve near to the border with Norway, reached highs of 92.3F (33.5C) on Sunday. This is the highest recorded temperature in Lapland since 94.4F (34.7C) was registered at Thule weather station in western Inari back in 1914. This remains Lapland's highest ever temperature since records began in 1844, but authorities are concerned it could soon be broken. One expert says the unusually high temperatures could be linked to the ongoing, fatal North American heatwave. Clear water in Kevo National Park in Lapland, Northern Finland. Kevo reached highs of 92.3F (33.5C) on Sunday 92.3F (33.5C) is the second highest temperature in Lapland since records began, after 94.4F (34.7C) was registered at Thule weather station in western Inari back in 1914 Utsjoen Kevolla on mitattu havaintoaseman uusi lampoennatys 33,5 astetta. Lukema saattaa viela paivan edetessa nousta. Tama on tiettavasti toiseksi korkein Lapissa mitattu lampotila. Ykkossijalla on Inarin Thulen 34,7 astetta vuodelta 1914. pic.twitter.com/oUB2d07keZ Ilmatieteen laitos (@meteorologit) July 5, 2021 LAPLAND HIGHEST TEMPERATURES 1. Inari Thule in 1914 - 94.4F (34.7C) 2. Kevo in 2021 - 92.3F (33.5C) According to Mika Rantanen, a Finnish Meteorological Institute researcher, it has been discussed if the 1914 reading is reliable, but 'it seems to be so'. Source: Finnish Meteorological Institute Advertisement 'A new heat record of 33.5 degrees has been measured at Kevo, Utsjoki,' tweeted the Finnish Meteorological Institute. 'The reading may still rise as the day progresses. This is known to be the second highest temperature measured in Lapland.' Finnish Meteorological Institute previously announced that June 2021 was the warmest June on record in Finland, with a national average temperature of 61.7F (16.5C). Meanwhile, Banak in Norway's far north registered 93.7F (34.3C) a level of heat that has never been observed above 70 degrees north in Europe before, according to UK meteorologist Scott Duncan. Duncan said Lapland is 'under extreme heat right now' and that 'Scandinavia has been in the oven for a while'. 'While these northern latitudes can get surprisingly hot (much hotter than many people might realise), there has been profound and long-standing records broken here,' he tweeted. Elsewhere in Norway, Makkaur Lighthouse on the coast of Arctic ocean reached 87.4F (30.8C) and the village of Tanabru hit 92.1F (33.4C), both on Monday. Lapland under extreme heat right now. 34.3C at Banak, Norway This level of heat has never been observed above 70 degrees north in Europe before. Scandinavia has been in the oven for a while. A very hot June followed by a hot start to July. Widely 10-15C hotter than average. pic.twitter.com/dYLHOMrhLQ Scott Duncan (@ScottDuncanWX) July 5, 2021 Once more about the extreme heat in the Arctic Fennoscandia today: 34.3C Banak, the coast of Porsangerfjorden, Norway 30.8C Makkaur Lighthouse, the coast of Arctic ocean, Norway 33.4C Tanabru, Norway 33.6C Utsjoki Kevo, Finland pic.twitter.com/oZ0LvzRVrq Mika Rantanen (@mikarantane) July 5, 2021 The soaring Scandinavian temperatures come as North America struggles to deal with heatwaves and wildfires. After hitting 116F on June 27 and 118F on June 28, the thermometer peaked in Lytton, British Columbia, on June 29 at 121.3F, the highest on record in Canada. The previous high was a mere 113F. North Americans are having to flee their homes and hundreds are believed to have died as a direct consequence of the unbearable heat. Smoke and flames are seen during the Sparks Lake wildfire at Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia, Canada, June 29, 2021 WHAT IS A ROSSBY WAVE? Rossby waves naturally occur largely due to the Earth's rotation. They affect the planet's weather and climate. As Earth spins on its axis, Rossby waves - huge rivers of air - meander around the globe in a westerly direction. Currents in the centre of these waves form the jet streams, fast-moving columns of air that push weather systems from west to east. They are so large and massive that they can change Earth's climate conditions Source: NASA/NOAA Advertisement Michael Reeder, a professor of meteorology at Australias Monash University, said temperature records in Scandinavia and North American are linked. They're due to an upper-level river of wind starting in East Asia that moves west to east across the globe, carrying with it an atmospheric phenomenon called a Rossby wave. 'The wave was guided eastwards by the jet stream towards North America,' Professor Reeder wrote for the Conversation. 'Along the way the wave amplified, until it broke just like an ocean wave does when it approaches the shore. 'When the wave broke it created a region of high pressure that has remained stationary over the North American northwest for the past week.' The locked region of high pressure air set off 'one of the most extraordinary heatwaves we have ever seen', Professor Reeder told the Guardian. It also kicked off another wave over the north Atlantic that produced the conditions for high temperatures in the Nordic regions, like 'plucking a guitar string'. Elsewhere, New Zealand managed to record its hottest June in history, according to Duncan, while Sweden experienced the third-hottest June ever in the country. Last week, the UN's World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) revealed that Antarctica experienced its highest temperature on record last year. The record of 64.9F (18.3C) was set on February 6, 2020 at the Esperanza Base, an Argentine research station on the Antarctic Peninsula. WMO scientists blamed global warming and said the reading is another reminder that 'climate change requires urgent measures'. 2020 has already set several worrying climate records according to data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, 2020 was the warmest year on record for Europe. 2020 temperatures in the continent were more than 2.8F (1.6C) above the average for between 1981 and 2010, C3S revealed in April. They were also at least 0.72F (0.4C) warmer than the next five warmest years on record, which all occurred during the last decade 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015 and 2014. Globally, 2020 was also one of three warmest years on record, according to a previous report from the WMO. Planting 20 percent more trees throughout Europe would not only help stave off the effects of climate change, but it would boost the continent's rainfall too, a new study suggests. Changes to land cover - by adding forests - can have a 'substantial' impact on the dry conditions that are associated with changing weather patterns, while also changing rainfall patterns by an average of 7.6 percent in the summer, researchers say. 'We conclude that land-cover-induced alterations of precipitation should be considered when developing land-management strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation,' the authors wrote in the study published in Nature. Trees store carbon and an increase of this magnitude on the continent could remove a significant portion of the nearly 43 billion tons of carbon dioxide that humans emit annually, according to 2019 data. 'Forestation-induced precipitation changes appear to be subject to spatial trade-offs due to downwind effects,' the authors added. 'While we find a local increase in precipitation due to forestation across Europe, forestation might reduce precipitation further downwind in winter. However, forestation increases precipitation downwind in summer, probably due to higher moisture supply by forests than by [agricultural land].' They continued: 'Overall, our results highlight that [land-cover changes], such as forestation, can considerably alter precipitation in the mid-latitudes, both locally and further downwind. Hence, the consequences of human land use for water availability should be considered alongside biogeochemical effects and the biogeophysical alteration of temperatures. Planting 20 percent more trees throughout Europe could help stave off the effects of climate change, a new study says Rainfall patterns would also rise by an average of 7.6 percent in the summer The area that would most benefit is the Mediterranean, as changes to land cover can have a 'substantial' impact on dry conditions associated with changing weather patterns Rainfall might increase because of the way trees interact with cloudy air, though researchers are still not clear of the exact reason 'As droughts are projected to become more severe with changing climate in Europe, the interplay between [land-cover] and water availability deserves more attention.' The researchers acknowledge that not every European country can realistically increase its forest land by 20 percent, pointing out some countries are better suited than others. As such, the researchers looked at the potential according to the Global Reforestation Map and found that 14.4 percent of land surface is suitable for forestation, specifically in the British Isles, western and southern France, Portugal, Italy and Eastern Europe. The researchers are not yet certain why planting more trees would increase rainfall, but it could be due to the way they interact with cloudy air, according to the BBC. One of the study's co-authors, Ronny Meier from ETH Zurich, said areas like the Mediterranean need an increase in tree population the most. 'Probably the most threatening climate change signal that we expect in relation to precipitation, is this decrease in summer precipitation that is expected in the southern parts of Europe like the Mediterranean,' he told BBC News. 'And there, according to our study, forestation would lead to an increase in precipitation. So the forestation would probably be very beneficial in terms of adapting to the adverse effects of climate change.' Some of the trees would be planted on agricultural land, which could negatively impact food production Woodland covers 13 percent of the UK landmass, compared with 31 percent in France and 30 percent in Germany 'As droughts are projected to become more severe with changing climate in Europe, the interplay between [land-cover changes] and water availability deserves more attention,' researchers wrote Researchers looked at the Global Reforestation Map and found that 14.4 percent of land surface is realistically suitable for forestation, specifically in the British Isles, western and southern France, Portugal, Italy and Eastern Europe In May, the UK said it would boost the number of trees it plants every year until 2035 to 143 million per year to meet climate targets. That would double the planting of woodland to almost 80 million in the next four years, with the initial focus being on cities and towns. Woodland covers 13 percent of the UK landmass, compared with 31 percent in France and 30 percent in Germany. In October 2020, the Trump administration signed an executive order that reiterated its efforts to help the World Economic Forum's One Trillion Trees Initiative, growing and conserving one trillion trees worldwide by 2030. The new study is not without its criticism, given that there is an inevitable impact converting some agricultural land into forests. In 2019, DailyMail.com reported on a separate study that said taking agricultural land and turning them into forests could lead to starvation of the human population, as population numbers continue to rise around the world. However, the new study notes that 20 percent is the right figure to impact climate change, while not negatively impacting agricultural land. 'Foresting 20% of the land surface decreases winter downwind precipitation over northern Europe, exhibits a weak signal in central and eastern Europe and increases precipitation in coastal areas of western and southern Europe,' the researchers added in the study. It's also possible that the increased rainfall could have negative side effects, given that forests are a 'much rougher surface than agricultural land,' Meier added to the BBC. 'So, it induces more turbulence at the land-atmosphere interface, and also, the forest exerts more drag on to the atmosphere than agricultural land.' 'We think that this drag, this higher turbulence over the forests is probably the main reasons for the fact that we find more precipitation in regions with more forests.' Free University of Brussels Belgium professor Wim Thiery said planting trees is not the sole solution to help countries stay under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement mandate of an increase 1.5 degrees Celsius, but it can help. 'But cutting back on our emissions won't be enough: we will also need to actively remove carbon from the atmosphere should we wish to stay below 1.5C of warming,' Thiery told the BBC. 'From that perspective, tree planting emerges as a potential candidate for generating these negative emissions, but planting trees should never be an excuse for not acting on reducing our carbon emissions by all means possible.' The new study was published in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience. Swedish archaeologists have recovered seven tombs of Viking adults and infants from the 10th century who likely converted to Christianity prior to their death. The tombs which hold the remains of four adults and four infants were found in the Swedish town of Sigtuna, just north of Stockholm. Two of the infants that were buried together may have been twins and were possibly miscarried, according to the researchers. Their cause of death is currently unknown, but the experts hope to reveal more in scientific paper yet to be published. The eight people - four adults and four infants - were laid flat on their backs to rest in the Swedish town of Sigtuna. Pictured, one of the adults The skeleton of a child. Two of the infants were buried separately, and another two, possibly miscarried twins, were buried together In Sigtuna north of Stockholm, archaeologists are conducting a survey of some of the 'Christian graveyard' from the late Viking age The excavations have been led by Uppdrag Arkeologi, a Swedish archaeological company based in Stockholm. 'The Christian character of the now-excavated graves is obvious because of how the tombs were laid out,' Johan Runer, a project manager with Uppdrag Arkeologi, told Live Science. 'In one tomb, there were two very small infants of seemingly the exact same age,' he said, which may be 'the tragic result of a late miscarriage of a couple of twins'. Uppdrag Arkeologi said on its Facebook page that the Christian graveyard dates prior to the construction of churches with associated cemeteries in the region. Uppdrag Arkeologi said: 'We do not have the opportunity to offer any views of the site, but will continually inform about the results. Pictured, burial under a man-made pile of stones known as a 'cairn' Archaeologist and project manager Dr Johan Runer at Uppdrag Arkeologi at the excavation site They may be some of the very first Christian funerals in Sigtuna, possibly from the time it was established in the late 900s. A couple of clues suggest the people were Vikings who transitioned to Christianity. Firstly, a man-made pile of stones known as a 'cairn' was found on top of four of the tombs, one of which was also surrounded by a stone cist stones positioned in a box shape. These features are previously not known in Sigtuna, according to Runer, but they are common among early Christian graves in the area. Results of the Sigtuna dig are set to be presented in full in a report, according to Uppdrag Arkeologi. Pictured, burial of a male adult surrounded by a stone cist - stones positioned in a box shape Archaeologists Rebecka Jonsson and John Wandesjo pictured excavating one of the burials at the site The excavation site in the town of Sitguna, north of Sweden's capital city Stockholm, from above As well as this, Vikings during this time period tended to be cremated rather than buried like these people, who were laid on their backs in an east to west orientation. The researchers also found deposits of charcoal and partially burnt caskets, suggestive of Christian fire rituals. The graves are also not far from one of Sigtuna's few known pre-Christian iron age graves. 'Possibly there is a connection here,' Uppdrag Arkeologi said. The site is closed to the public, according to the firm, but results of the dig will be presented in an upcoming report. Uppdrag Arkeologi said: 'We do not have the opportunity to offer any views of the site, but will continually inform about the results.' Fish are in danger of becoming addicted to methamphetamine when traces of the drug enter our rivers, a new study warns. Researchers in the Czech Republic performed lab experiments with the brown trout (Salmo trutta) in waters contaminated with the illegal drug. After immersion in the meth-contaminated waters, the team found the fish became less active, but also displayed disturbing levels of dependence. Meth which comes in several different forms including tablets, powder and crystals enters our waterways directly from the drug user in their home. Researchers at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague performed experiments the brown trout (Salmo trutta, pictured) The research has been conducted by experts at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague in the Czech Republic. 'Methamphetamines, as well as other contaminants of emerging concern, are similarly introduced to surface waters through discharge from wastewater treatment plants,' study author Pavel Horky told MailOnline. 'Users of these substances excrete them into the sewage collection systems, then the substances enter the wastewater treatment plants that were not designed to treat such contamination. 'Finally, contaminants enter the freshwater ecosystems at relatively low, but detectable and biologically efficient levels.' Drug addiction could potentially drive fish to congregate near unhealthy water treatment discharges 'in search of a fix'. Methamphetamine can come in several different forms - including tablets, powder, or crystals. The tablets are sometimes referred to as yaba and the smokeable crystals are often called crystal meth or ice WHAT IS METH? Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. The illegal drug can come in several different forms - tablets, powder or crystals. The tablets are sometimes referred to as yaba and the smokeable crystals are often called crystal meth or ice. Depending on its form, methamphetamine can be swallowed, snorted or injected. Meth use can lead to very strong psychological and physical dependence. Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse/FRANK Advertisement In humans, methamphetamine causes increased activity and talkativeness, decreased appetite, and a pleasurable sense of well-being or euphoria. While meth is illegal, prescribed drugs such as fluoxetine also known as Prozac can 'embolden' fish and alter their behaviour when in our waterways, studies show. 'Whether illicit drugs alter fish behaviour at levels increasingly observed in surface water bodies was unclear,' Horky said. For their study, the researchers isolated brown trout in a water tank for two months laced with one microgram (g) of methamphetamine a level of meth that has previously been found in freshwater rivers. They then transferred the fish to a freshwater tank, but offered them a choice between freshwater or water containing methamphetamine every alternate day for 10 days. The researchers thought that if the fish had become addicted to the low levels of meth in their water, they would be feeling the effects of withdrawal and would seek the drug when it was available. For the first four days, fish that had been in the drug-laced tank for two months were more likely to choose to return to a meth-laced tank than fish who had not had the long exposure to meth, the team found. During that time, the fish with long term drug exposure were less active than the control fish, and researchers found evidence of the drug in their brains 10 days after significant exposure. From the results, it seems that even low levels of illicit drugs in our waterways can badly impact the animals that reside there. 'The elicitation of drug addiction in wild fish could represent another example of unexpected pressure on species living in urban environments,' Horky said. The study has been published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. Barcelona's financial troubles are so bad that they are currently unable to register any of their summer signings, according to reports in Spain. Goal report that the Nou Camp side have exceeded LaLiga's strict salary limit and so until players are moved on, new arrivals such as Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia cannot be officially registered with the league. Emerson has also arrived this summer as president Joan Laporta is having to get creative with mainly free transfers, all while moving on high earners and those out of favour. Sergio Aguero (left) and Eric Garcia (right) both joined Barcelona on free transfers this summer Memphis Depay has joined for nothing but Barcelona need to free up space on their salary bill Lionel Messi is also currently a free agent after his Barcelona contract expired on June 30 and while negotiations remain ongoing with the Argentine, they need to clear salary space to re-register him. Players are being pushed to the exit, some by choice and some out of sheer necessity for the urgent salary-cap situation. Junior Firpo is close to joining Premier League side Leeds United in a deal worth just shy of 13million. The full-back's exit would save Barca in the region of 8m per season. Francisco Trincao has also been sent to England, in a loan deal with Wolves, who hold an option to buy. Miralem Pjanic is among a long list of players that could be shipped out of Barcelona soon Barcelona are reportedly willing to accept a bid as low as 21million for Philippe Coutinho Konrad De La Fuente has been sold to Marseille while Jean Claire-Todibo has been moved to Nice, the combination of which saves the club around 9m in wages and deal payments. Matheus Fernandes saw his deal dramatically expunged recently and he is now said to be chasing loss of earnings at court for what he feels is unfair termination. Those exits are not enough and the club know it, which is why the immediate focus is on a trio of players that are surplus to requirements. Samuel Umtiti, Philippe Coutinho and Miralem Pjanic are all being shopped around by Barcelona in their ambitious bid to shed 200m (171m) from the wage bill. Much of the need to reduce the wage bill focuses on being able to re-sign Lionel Messi (left) Much of the wage-cutting is in order to secure a new deal for Messi, who is currently out of contract and at the Copa America with Argentina. The club legend is expected to continue at the Nou Camp, but his wages are extortionate and there will be no shortage of suitors for his signature if Barcelona don't offer him what he is asking for. Next season is a big one for Koeman and Barca after they dropped out of the LaLiga title race with games to spare last time out. They finished third behind Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, and Koeman's job will certainly be under threat if they don't improve on that position this time around. Advertisement I needed to prove to myself that I can still do it, says Alex Polizzi, who, after a decade telling hapless hoteliers how to up their game in Channel 5s The Hotel Inspector, is putting the finishing touches to her new project. And, she adds, it was a chance to do something with my mother. Few hoteliers have been as influential as Alexs mother Olga. Tresanton, which opened in St Mawes in 1998, was instrumental in giving Cornwall its high style reputation. And The Endsleigh in Devon, which Alex opened for her mother in 2005, brought significant verve to the country house hotel scene. Alex Polizzi's latest project is The Star in the East Sussex village of Alfriston I needed to prove to myself that I can still do it, says Alex, who has spent a decade telling hapless hoteliers how to up their game in Channel 5s The Hotel Inspector. Pictured is The Star's library The Star is a truly British melange of a 15th Century inn plus later additions and modern extensions, writes Sarah The food? Chef Tim Kensett has cast his net over nearby countryside and coast for his menu, says Sarah Sarah describes the rooms as a love letter to the English countryside and its craft traditions For the past 18 months, the pair have been renovating The Star, a truly British melange of a 15th Century inn plus later additions and modern extensions in the East Sussex village of Alfriston. It was once part of Trusthouse Forte, the group owned by Charles Forte, Olgas father and Alexs grandfather. The Star isnt just a family affair its a village affair too. The local blacksmith has made the table lights, the curtain-maker lives nearby, and the books in the hotel library come from Much Ado, the bookshop four doors down. The backbone of The Stars employees are local as well. My assistant manager has five grandchildren and theyre all working here, says Alex. So is our painters daughter and the plumbers son. The Star has 30 bedrooms, all different and decorated with wallpaper and gentle spring colours The Star is in one of Sussexs key wine-growing regions and to help guests explore it, the hotel has Panama hats and Rockfish wellington boots in every size to borrow The furniture goes from antique to mid-century and modern with complete confidence, Sarah enthuses Alex and her mother have chosen the art, from Glyndebourne programmes to lino cuts Alex, left, says that The Star project 'was a chance to do something with my mother'. Sarah describes the bathrooms as being beautifully balanced between grey marble and sage-painted weatherboarding TRAVEL FACTS The Star, Alfriston, East Sussex. B&B from 190 per night. Visit thepolizzicollection.com for more information. Advertisement The furniture goes from antique to mid-century and modern with complete confidence. Alex and her mother have chosen the art, from Glyndebourne programmes to lino cuts, and commissioned an intricate floor painting for the restaurant. Theres wit too the library has a secret door that leads to the restaurant and a shelf is propped up by a giant wooden hares head. If The Star has evolved over the centuries, so has the area. The fields are still dotted with sheep but this is now one of Sussexs key wine-growing regions and to help guests explore it, the hotel has Panama hats and Rockfish wellington boots in every size to borrow. The USP: Consummate style within a community. Step outside and there are churches, the village green and the National Trusts very first property. The Stars bar, still in the oldest part of the building, is companionable, with ancient beams and strongly chosen wines and beers. Dogs are welcome. The rooms: With wallpapers and gentle spring colours, the 30 bedrooms all different feel like a love letter to the English countryside and its craft traditions. The bathrooms are beautifully balanced between grey marble and sage-painted weatherboarding. There are flowers everywhere. The food: Chef Tim Kensett has cast his net over nearby countryside and coast for his menu, with mackerel married with rhubarb, chilli and horseradish, South Downs spring lamb, and turbot and Jerusalem artichoke. Breakfast is served from a vast 16th Century sideboard, with local honey and yogurt alongside sausages, smoked salmon and granola. Mariska Hargitay is recovering from a broken right ankle after suffering a hard fall following a screening of Black Widow in The Hamptons over the long 4th Of July weekend. The actress, who was making her way home to host an after party for attendees, tripped on the slick rainy street moments after the star-studded Cinema Society screening of the new Marvel release at the Regal UA East Hampton Cinema. And to make matters worse, accident-prone Hargitay, 57, was already on the mend from multiple leg injuries she suffered in May, which she documented on her Instagram page. On the mend: Mariska Hargitay, 57, is recovering at home in The Hamptons after breaking her right ankle during a fall on a slick rainy street following a screening of Black Widow For her latest mishap, an ambulance was called to the scene, which was on a street right outside the movie theater. 'She was taken to Southampton Hospital by ambulance with her husband Peter Hermann,' a source told Page Six. 'She [Hargitay] stayed there for several hours and ended up with a bandaged leg.' As a result, the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit actress 'didn't make it back to her house until after midnight when the party had mostly wound down.' 'Mariska was amazing. Rather than worrying about herself, she was more concerned that everything had gone well and that everyone had a good time at the party,' the source added. Her 'summer look': The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit actress posted a photo of her ankle in a cast on Monday along with a number of hashtags describing her busy holiday weekend Supportive: Peter Hermann was by his wife's side when she was taken to the Southampton Hospital by ambulance on Friday moments after the screening Among the high-profile guests at the Cinema Society screening and after-party included Black Widow star David Harbor, Brooke Shields, Drew Barrymore, Gayle King, Ellen Pompeo, Don Lemon, Zachary Quinto, Cynthia Nixon, Kyle MacLachlan, Jennifer Esposito, John Leguizamo, Donna Karan, Bruce Weber, Laurie Anderson, and Christie Brinkley. The following day, after all the drama subsided, Margitay took to Instagram to update her 2.2 million fans and followers by posting a photo of the cast and wrap on her newly injured right ankle. 'My summer look,' she wrote in the caption along with the hashtags: '#breakingnews #specialankleunit #castandcrew #cantcatchabreak #captaincrutch #crackingthecase #wrapparty #castparty #summerbummer #prettyinpink #agonyofdefeet #calledabus #theselittlepiggieswenttotheER #ouch #enjoyingmybreak #wrappedforthesummer' Earlier on Sunday, the injured mother of three shared a selfie snap of herself laying back and relaxing in honor of the 4th Of July holiday. 'Happy fourth xx M,' she wrote in the caption along with red, white, and blue heart emojis. Rash of injuries: Just six weeks ago, Hargitay suffered a broken right knee, a hairline fracture in her left anklet and a torn ligament, which she documented on Instagram on May 19 It has been a rough ride in recent times when it comes to the California native's health. Just about six weeks ago, Hargitay had an accident and suffered a broken right knee, a hairline fracture in her left anklet and a torn ligament She shared some of the details and a picture of herself leaving the Hospital For Special Surgery wearing a leg brace on May 19. '#ThatFeelingWhen, you go to the doctor, get an MRI and find out that you have a broken knee, a hairline fracture in your ankle, and a torn ligament. It's always a good idea to go to the doctor. Immediately,' she explained at the time. '#ListenToYourBody #TrustTheExperts #StayStrong #InOtherKneeNews #BustingPerpsWithBustedKnees #BraceYourself #NotTheBeesKnees #TheQueenBeesKnees Great news is I don't need surgery #YouShouldSeeTheOtherGuy thanks for all the love folks! Just so you know this did NoT happen at work!' Along with her leading role in The Law & Order: SVU, the actress also recently reunited with her longtime co-star Christopher Meloni on the set of his new show, "Law & Order: Organized Crime Alan Jones has indicated he's open to a return to radio. The veteran broadcaster, 80, who retired last year after claiming the workload was 'detrimental' to his health, told The Australian he was pondering a talkback return. 'If someone wants to put a piece of paper in front of me I'll be able to give them a "yes" or a "no" in five days,' said the former 2GB star. Coming back? Alan Jones (pictured in May) has indicated he's open to a return to radio in an interview with The Australian on Monday Jones also railed against his former contemporaries, claiming many are 'too intimidated to say what needs to be said' in the face of 'cancel culture warriors'. It's a topic with which Jones has some experience, with 'about 80 advertisers' publicly distancing themselves from the former talkback king in the wake of comments he made about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. In 2019, Jones said the politician should have a 'sock [shoved] down her throat'. Going down: Jones' comments come as his successor, Ben Fordham, continues to slide in the breakfast radio ratings The Sky News host told The Australian the country was 'screaming out' for more conservative voices, with many commentators 'too intimidated' to speak up. 'There's no point to being in the chair or behind the microphone if you havent got any balls, and thats what the public expect,' he said. Jones' comments come as his 2GB successor, Ben Fordham, continues to slide in the breakfast radio ratings. The former drive-time host, 44, has held onto Jones' top spot in the AM rankings, but ABC Sydneys breakfast duo Wendy Harmer and Robbie Buck have significantly closed the gap between first and second place. Meanwhile, KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O Show beat Fordham in the ratings for the first time ever, making them Sydney's number-one show across both AM and FM bands. Shots fired: 'Theres no point to being in the chair or behind the microphone if you havent got any balls, and thats what the public expect,' said Jones. Pictured here in 2008 Meanwhile Triple M star Steve Price insists there is no bad blood between him and 2GB's Ray Hadley after a deal saw him replace the talkback king on regional radio. The 66-year-old told The Daily Telegraph on Saturday: 'There's no personal animosity between stuff at all. I consider Ray to be one of the good guys left at 2GB.' The deal, which came into effect last week, saw Price - who moved to Southern Cross Austereo in 2019 - and his talk show take over The Ray Hadley Morning Show across Triple M's regional networks. It's all good: Steve Price (right) told The Daily Telegraph there is 'no animosity' between himself and 2GB host Ray Hadley (left) after replacing the talkback king on regional radio Australia Today with Steve Price will broadcast in markets such as Mt Gambier, Toowoomba, Dubbo and Maryborough. The former I'm A Celebrity star said: 'We texted (when it was announced) but we haven't spoken directly about it.' He said that his long-time friend was likely not happy about loosing his regional audience, but said it was business deal made by their bosses. Regional radio take over: The deal, which came into effect this week, saw Price - who moved to Southern Cross Austereo in 2019 - and his talk show take over The Ray Hadley Morning Show across Triple M's regional networks 'So it may not be something that will sit that easily with him initially but Southern Cross made a business decision,' he said. 'They had a contract with Nine that expired on June 30 and they decided to put their own talent in that slot and that's just the way it goes.' Daily Mail Australia has contact Nine Radio for comment. She recently welcomed her first daughter Lilly Rose. And on Monday, Below Deck Sailing Yacht star Dani Soares took a trip to the supermarket with baby Lilly in tow. The 33-year-old kept the tiny tot strapped to her chest in a carrier, and did her own hair and makeup for the first time since welcoming Lilly in late May. Stepping out: Below Deck Sailing Yacht star Dani Soares took a trip to the supermarket with baby Lilly in tow for the first time since her daughter's birth 'A selfie to celebrate the first time I managed to put a bit of make up on and fix my hair by myself since giving birth,' Dani wrote. 'Cause you know, I'm Lilly's mum but I still me and needed a reminder.' In another post, she said that going to the supermarket was the furthest she'd taken Lilly from their house. Glam: 'A selfie to celebrate the first time I managed to put a bit of make up on and fix my hair by myself since giving birth,' Dani wrote So far, Dani has resisted sharing the father's identity, despite the rampant speculation that it's co-star Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux's baby. 'He thinks it's not his child, he doesn't want to have anything to do with it,' she told People magazine of the unnamed man. Now Dani says she's trying to keep things as cordial as possible between herself and her daughter's father. Journey: In another post, she said that going to the supermarket was the furthest she'd taken Lilly from their house The Brazilian-born yachtie is currently based in Sydney, Australia, where she works as a beauty therapist. She's also studying part time to be a nurse, but is taking some time off to focus on Lilly. Meanwhile, her Sailing Yacht co-star Alli Dore recently fell pregnant to boyfriend Ben Thompson. Is he? So far, Dani has resisted sharing the father's identity, despite the rampant speculation that it's co-star Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux's baby And she recently revealed that she was actually on the pill when she fell pregnant. Speaking to the Unpopular podcast, the 32-year-old admitted that she'd been taking a budget pill she purchased in Spain, which had concerned Ben right off the jump. She also said that her Below Deck co-star Dani was also on the pill when she fell pregnant last year. Oops! Below Deck Sailing Yacht's Alli Dore recently announced her pregnancy to boyfriend Ben Thompson. And now she's revealed that she was actually on the pill when she fell pregnant 'We must both be the most fertile women in the country!' she joked. Alli admitted that she made the mistake of not taking the pill at the same time each day, which led to her surprise pregnancy. 'I'm a bit slack...' she admitted with a laugh. 'I think you get a bit comfortable when you're in a relationship.' 'I'm a bit slack': Alli admitted that she made the mistake of not taking the pill at the same time each day, which led to her surprise pregnancy She added: 'My only form of contraception was relying on the pill. I would always try to take it as soon as I would wake up, but sometimes it wouldn't be until later in the day. 'I didn't realise that was such a sensitive thing. Now I've learned!' Alli and Ben recently moved in together in Melbourne ahead of the birth of their first child. Married at First Sight star Ryan Gallagher has revealed some naughty details about his upcoming comedy tour. On Friday, the 33-year-old confirmed he will be will be roasting 'everyone and everything' in his no-holds-barred 'Reality's Ducked' shows, which will kick off in NSW in October. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Ryan said: 'The people that are in the jokes are more than welcome to come and sit in the audience; I don't care. As long as they just shut up and sit there!' Hitting the road: Married at First Sight star Ryan Gallagher has revealed some naughty details about his upcoming comedy tour 'I joke about everyone and everything equally, and I joke about myself 90 per cent more than anyone else. There's definitely some bloody funny things that go on behind the scenes.' While Ryan isn't afraid to make a few cheeky digs - mainly, at himself - the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! star is adamant that he's 'not out to bully anyone or reveal anything about people no one knows'. 'At the end of the day they're jokes. They're meant to make people laugh,' Ryan, who was married to unfaithful bride Davina Rankin on MAFS, said. 'It's literally for people to come and have some fun. 'You don't even have to be a reality TV fan to get it. You just have to come with an open mind, and be prepared to have a laugh.' On tour: The 33-year-old confirmed he will be will be roasting 'everyone and everything' in his no-holds-barred 'Reality's Ducked' shows, which will kick off in NSW in October When asked if someone like fellow MAFS star Nasser Sultan - who has slammed Ryan on multiple occasions in the past - would feature in the show, Ryan joked: 'I don't even know who that is. 'Like I said, it's about people who are relevant. Anyone that was in my series - they need to know who the people are as you do it. Saying who you are then doing the joke - that's stupid.' Ryan had announced his upcoming shows on Instagram, saying he had been writing the tour for two years. Not included: When asked if someone like fellow MAFS star Nasser Sultan (left) - who has slammed Ryan on multiple occasions in the past - would feature in the show, Ryan (right) joked: 'I don't even know who that is' Former flames: Ryan rose to fame on Married At First Sight in 2018, alongside his unfaithful bride Davina Rankin (right) 'It's a comedy show about what people love to hate and something I've had a lot of experience in good old reality TV,' he said. 'I roast all shows all casts, not just ones I've been on, but DUCKIN ALL OF EM! and most of all myself without any ducks given, jokes and stories that can only be told on stage!' he added. Ryan will kick off his comedy tour in NSW, playing a show in Armidale on October 15, before heading to East Cessnock on October 16. He will then perform one show at Kings of Comedy Colonia Hotel in Victoria on October 21, before speaking in Adelaide on October 22. Ryan will conclude his tour with a gig in Perth on November 11 before performing in Sydney on November 19. Tickets vary between $30-$35 and can be purchased here. Annie Mac explained her decision to leave Radio 1 on Tuesday as she admitted to feeling like the 'oldest person in the room' at work, while reflecting on tokenism she has faced during her long-standing career. The Irish DJ, 42, announced she would be leaving the BBC station in April after 17 years on-air and declared it would be the 'end of an era'. And on 30 July, she will present her final Radio 1 show before bidding farewell, as she noted personal and professional reasons for her departure. 'It wasn't sustainable': Annie Mac explained her decision to leave Radio 1 on Tuesday as she admitted to feeling like the 'oldest person in the room' while reflecting on tokenism she has faced during her career 'Having a show every evening is just not sustainable,' she said to Radio Times. 'I wanted to be around in the evenings as my youngest kid starts school in September but really, lots of things have come together to make this decision feel very easy. 'It was definitely not spontaneous, it had been on my mind for a while. Theres something very nice about the feeling of steering your own ship.' Annie, who shares two sons with her husband DJ Tom Bell, said shes felt for some time that her work schedule was impinging on her domestic life, but hopes to continue working with the BBC in a different capacity. She added: 'I love the BBC and hope at some point I can come back. Its not walking away from radio, its just walking away from that slot.' Looking ahead: The Irish DJ, 42, announced she would be leaving the BBC station in April after 17 years on-air and declared it would be the 'end of an era' Honest: 'Having a show every evening is just not sustainable,' she said to Radio Times . 'I wanted to be around in the evenings as my youngest kid starts school in September' Annie presents the new music show Future Sounds on weekdays between 6pm and 8pm, in addition to a dance music-oriented show on Friday night. She joined the BBC as a production assistant in 2002 before securing her first solo show, Annie Macs Mashup, two years later. Acknowledging how quickly time has gone by, she added: 'I was always the youngest one, the kid, and then somewhere along the way I became the oldest one in the room. How did that happen?' Outside of the world of radio, the star published Mother Mother, her Sunday Times bestseller novel in May about family, womanhood and addiction. Priorities: Annie, who shares two sons with her husband DJ Tom Bell, said shes felt for some time that her work schedule was impinging on her domestic life, but hopes to continue working with the BBC in a different capacity Adversity: Tallying a long list of accomplishments in and out of the world of radio, she was asked by if she ever experienced sexism as she made her way up through the ranks She also launched a successful podcast series called Changes with Annie Macmanus where she talks to artists, writers and musicians about change. Tallying a long list of accomplishments, she was asked by the publication if she ever experienced sexism as she made her way up through the ranks. 'I never suffered personally,' Annie responded. 'It might have happened behind my back, but I dont remember it that way. However, Ive seen over the years that tokenism idea of, "Well, as long as weve got Annie there, the box is ticked."' 'I feel annoyed being grateful that we have a female breakfast show presenter on Radio 2 or 6 Music. We shouldnt be grateful. It should be a given, not an anomaly.' Read Annie Mac's full interview in this week's edition of Radio Times Real: 'I never suffered personally,' Annie responded. 'It might have happened behind my back, but I dont remember it that way. However, Ive seen over the years that tokenism idea of, "Well, as long as weve got Annie there, the box is ticked."' The Kyle and Jackie O Show has dethroned 2GB's Ben Fordham to become Sydney's most popular breakfast radio show across both AM and FM bandwidths. The KIIS FM duo's historic victory - the first time they can claim the No. 1 position in both markets - comes as Fordham's ratings continue to slide after he replaced talkback king Alan Jones as host of 2GB breakfast last year. It marks another successful survey for co-hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson, who last month took out their nineteenth consecutive FM top spot with a 12.9 per cent audience share. The king and queen of radio! The Kyle and Jackie O Show has dethroned 2GB's Ben Fordham to become Sydney's most popular breakfast radio show across both AM and FM bandwidths The pair have grown their audience by 2.6 points to an unprecedented 15.5 per cent share - their highest ever. The latest ratings also mark their 20th consecutive No. 1 spot on the FM bandwidth. Fordham, 44, dropped to a 13.3 per cent share, while ABC Radio's Wendy Harmer and Robbie Buck are snapping at his heels at 11.9 per cent. He had recorded a 13.5 per cent share in the last radio survey. Toppled: The KIIS FM duo's historic victory - the first time they can claim the No. 1 position in both markets - comes as Fordham's ratings continue to slide after he replaced talkback king Alan Jones as host of 2GB breakfast last year Slipping: Fordham, 44, dropped to a 13.3 per cent share, while ABC Radio's Wendy Harmer and Robbie Buck are snapping at his heels at 11.9 per cent Success: Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson have grown their audience by 2.6 points to an unprecedented 15.5 per cent share - their highest ever Kyle and Jackie O, who are currently on holiday, thanked their listeners on Instagram on Tuesday, writing: 'Thanks for making us #1 breakfast in Sydney! We're back live Monday at 6am! Can't wait to celebrate with you all!' ARN's Chief Content Officer Duncan Campbell said the company 'couldn't be prouder' of its flagship breakfast duo. 'Kyle and Jackie O are world-class operators and the show's ongoing relevance in an ever-changing market shows their strength of connection with the people of Sydney,' Mr Campbell said. Thrilled: Kyle and Jackie O, who are currently on holiday, thanked their listeners on Instagram on Tuesday, writing: 'Thanks for making us #1 breakfast in Sydney!' Jake Challenor, the publisher of Radio Today, revealed last month Kyle and Jackie are paid $5million a year each to host Sydney's top-rated breakfast show. While they easily have the most generous pay packet, there are plenty of other anchors who command seven-figure salaries. Mr Challenor said the likes of Marty Sheargold, Amanda Keller, Dave Hughes, Ray Hadley, Neil Mitchell, Fifi Box, Sam Pang and Mick Molloy all earn 'in the millions'. Advertisement Blake Shelton not only built a custom chapel for his wedding with Gwen Stefani over the 4th of July holiday weekend, but he also built her a massive mansion on the property as well. Pictures have emerged capturing both the lovely chapel where Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton said 'I do' at over the holiday weekend, and the newlywed mansion in Tishomingo, Oklahoma (via The New York Post). Gwen, 51, and her husband, 45, said 'I do' on Saturday in a beautiful and intimate church on Blake's Oklahoma ranch, with the chapel said to be roughly a mile from their new mansion on the same sprawling property. Custom chapel: Blake Shelton not only built a custom chapel for his wedding with Gwen Stefani over the 4th of July holiday weekend, but he also built her a sprawling mansion on the property as well Man and wife! The power couple said 'I do' at a quaint and charming chapel built by Blake on his Oklahoma ranch Newlywed mansion: Gwen, 51, and her husband, 45, said 'I do' on Saturday in a beautiful and intimate church on Blake's Oklahoma ranch, with the chapel said to be roughly a mile from their new mansion on the same sprawling property. The home and the chapel are both said to be on the Ten Point Ranch, a 1,400-acre estate that Shelton owns, where Shelton also proposed to Stefani. The compound is also close to the Ole Red bar and restaurant that the singer owns, which was also the site of a family dinner just a day before the wedding. The home is situated just off a lake, with the long driveway leading up to the home and its four-car garage lined neatly with trees on each side of the road. The front area of the home features Roman columns with a large front porch and balcony, with the home seemingly split into three main sections, with the main area flanked by two smaller areas. The backyard features an elegant pool situated not too far from the lake. Stunning: The breathtaking home had an exquisite porch and was surrounded by tons of land Making a splash! A pool could be seen built into the backyard The tent appeared to serve as the site of the couple's reception. Though small for a celebrity wedding, more seating was available nearby beneath white umbrellas. The photos captured guests wandering around the lush green yard, preparing to celebrate the big couple on their special day. Among the VIPs in attendance were Gwen's parents Dennis Stefani and Patti Flynn, her sister Jill Stefani, and her brother Eric Stefani, who was also a founding member of No Doubt. Also photographed was the brand new home Blake had built for himself and Gwen, a lavish mansion complete with pool. Blushing bride! Stefani showed herself getting ready for her big day on Monday Intimate affair: The tent appeared to serve as the site of the couple's reception. Though small for a celebrity wedding, more seating was available nearby beneath white umbrellas Ready to party! The photos captured guests wandering around the lush green yard, preparing to celebrate the big couple on their special day Party dress: Gwen also showed off her short white 'party dress' designed by Vera Wang Bouquet: Gwen gets ready to throw the bouqet The chapel Blake and Gwen had tied the knot at was built by the country crooner himself with 'input' from the No Doubt songstress. 'Blake built a chapel on the grounds of his Oklahoma ranch. He did it himself with help,' a source told Us Weekly in December 2020. 'It's really a tribute to their love. They are going to get married in the chapel, most likely early next year.' Picturesque: The happy couple celebrate their nuptials with a picturesque Oklahoma view Cut the cake: The newlyweds share a kiss before cutting the tiered white wedding cake XOXO: The charming chapel, which is located on Blake's ranch, and adjacent party tent were decorated with garlands of white flowers, perfect for the couple's special day Beautiful: The chapel served as an incredible venue for the power couple Gwen and Blake got engaged in October 2020 after five years together. The two met in 2014 when Stefani became a judge on The Voice. Blake has been a judge on the NBC show since its inception in 2014. The marriage occurred several months after Gwen and her ex-husband Gavin Rossdale were granted an annulment from the Catholic Church. 'Gwen was told the decision was made by the Vatican tribunal,' a source told Us Weekly back in January 2021. 'She will be receiving the notification in writing in the next few weeks, but its official.' His and hers: The chapel Blake and Gwen had tied the knot at was built by the country crooner himself with 'input' from the No Doubt songstress VIPs! Gwen's parents Dennis Stefani and Patty Flynn were among those witnessing the nuptials 'It was a huge relief for Gwen because she wanted to get married by her priest and have the marriage recognized by the Catholic church.' Gwen and Blake filed for a marriage license in Oklahoma on Thursday, according to TMZ. The move made it clear that the couple were likely to wed soon, as the license was only valid for 10 days. Sister act! Gwen's sister Jill Stefani was spotted wearing a white lace dress Music maker: Gwen's brother and No Doubt founder Eric Stefani was seen all ready for the wedding While the nuptials took place over the Fourth Of July weekend, sources have told the site that the couple didn't plan on going all out. Instead of a big bash, it was reported they would be sticking with an intimate affair for family and close friends, which was safer as coronavirus continues to spread and the more contagious delta variant makes its way across the country. That doesn't mean it wasn't intricately planned, though. In May, Blake joked to USA Today that it would be a 'pretty classless wedding' if he planned it, which was why Gwen was taking charged. Expansive: More shots of the spacious property showed off an arrangement of umbrellas, likely for the wedding 'I want her to do all of that stuff and handle it because it's going to be great. She's in the middle of planning the thing, and she's always so mindful of me. 'She's like, "Hey, I don't want to just take this thing over." I think she's having a blast doing it. I mean, I know she's having a blast doing it.' Blake was married to fellow country singer Miranda Lambert, 37, for four years but the former couple separated in July 2015. Gwen wed Bush singer Gavin Rossdale, 55, in 2002 after seven years of dating. She filed for divorce in August 2015. Gwen shares three boys with her ex-husband: 15-year-old Kingston, 12-year-old Zuma and seven-year-old Apollo. She said yes! Gwen announced their engagement back in October 2020 Before the wedding vows were exchanged on Saturday, multiple sources claimed that Shelton and Stefani gathered their families for a celebration at the Ole Red restaurant he owns in Tishomingo. 'They looked really happy together and definitely in love,' an onlooker told People, adding the gathering included Stefani's sons, Kingston, 15, Zuma, 12, and Apollo, 7. The family members reportedly dined on burgers, fries, tacos and more. Heading home: On Monday, Gwen's mother Patti and her father Dennis were seen leaving their Tishomingo, Oklahoma, accommodations and heading home. Patti wore cat-eye sunglasses with a gold patterned shirt and dark jeans Departures: The bride's parents stayed at a converted historical building in town, which Blake used to let friends and family stay at when they're in the area. Blake's private jet was seen heading back toward California, while another plane flew east TIMELINE OF GWEN AND BLAKE'S ROMANCE April 2014: First meeting Gwen and Blake meet as coaches on The Voice alongside Pharrell Williams and Adam Levine. November 2014: First selfie together Gwen posts her first selfie with Blake along with the caption '[heart] him'. July 2015: Blake gets divorced Blake gets divorced from Miranda Lambert after four years together. In a joint statement they said: 'We are real people, with real lives, with real families, friends and colleagues. Therefore, we kindly ask for privacy and compassion concerning this very personal matter.' August 2015: Gwen gets divorced Gwen splits from Gavin Rossdale after 13 years together. 'While the two of us have come to the mutual decision that we will no longer be partners in marriage, we remain partners in parenthood and are committed to jointly raising our three sons in a happy and healthy environment.' they said in a joint statement. September 2015: Bonding The duo appear to be bonding as they each go through divorce together. Gwen shares another selfie of the duo with a heart emoji. October 2015: Rumors heat up Rumors swirl that Gwen and Blake are dating after they put on a chemistry-packed rendition of Drake's Hotline Bling during Jimmy Kimmel Live! Later that month the couple are spotted holding hands while leaving Jared Leto's Halloween party. November 2015: It's confirmed The couple confirm their romance as a rep for Blake says 'Gwen and Blake are longtime friends who have very recently started dating.' In an interview with Ryan Seacrest Gwen revealed that they bonded over their divorces. 'To be super honest, it is kind of crazy we both went through the same thing at the same time,' she said. February 2016: Red carpet debut The couple make their red carpet debut at the Vanity Fair 2016 Oscars afterparty. June 2016: Blake opens up Blake opened up about his split from Miranda and finding love with Gwen. 'Gwen saved my life. Who else on earth could understand going through a high-profile divorce from another musician? You cant even imagine the similarities in our divorces.' he told Billboard. October 2017: Pal Adam Levine weighs in Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine discussed the couple's romance, telling Howard Stern 'it's real'. 'It's so funny. They found each other at really interesting times in their lives. It's really beautiful. Because it's in the public eye, a lot of people want to have their own bullshit opinions about it, but I'm, like, there. I see it every day. I have a pretty unique perspective on it, and it's real, man.' he said. September 2019: Gwen gushes about the country star 'Hes so good at the show, I mean, hes just so magical,' Gwen told Andy Cohen while discussing working with Blake on The Voice. 'Blake is literally a unicorn. Like anywhere he goes, people are just attracted to him, and hes such an incredible talent. 'I cant imagine before, I didnt even know he existed, like before the show. I didnt even know he was a human being on this planet, and I didnt know much about country. He is literally a country jukebox. He knows every single song forever, hes incredible like that. But I just love that were so from different genres.' October 2020: They're engaged! The couple announce their engagement after five years together. In matching photos shared to Instagram, the couple could be seen kissing as the singer held up her hand to show off her ring. "I heard a YES!" Blake captioned his post. July 2021: They're married! The couple tie the knot in an intimate ceremony at Shelton's Oklahoma ranch surrounded by 40 of their closest friends and family on the Fourth Of July. The ceremony was officiated by their The Voice colleague Carson Daly and Stefani stunned in two custom Vera Wang wedding dresses. Mr. and Mrs.! The couple tie the knot in an intimate ceremony at Shelton's Oklahoma ranch surrounded by 40 of their closest friends and family on the Fourth Of July Advertisement Model Lucciana Beynon is a rising star on Instagram. And the 19-year-old starlet joined forces with British social media king Max Wyatt while partying in Miami over the weekend. Lucciana, who recently holidayed in Mexico, surprised fans as she cuddled up to the hunky Brit, 22, at a pre-Fourth of July party. Who knew they were friends? Model Lucciana Beynon, 19, was spotted partying with super-fit social media king Max Wyatt, 22, in Miami over the weekend The Australian model flaunted her curves in a Colombian-flag bikini top and black string bottoms. Meanwhile, a shirtless Max showcased his own perfect physique as he posed in a pair of striped boardshorts. 'Ready for the boy,' Max wrote, referring to musical artist Purple Miami. The pair later shared clips of themselves dancing together at the party. Globetrotter! Lucciana, 19, a rising social media star with more than 100,000 followers on Instagram, had been holidaying in Cancun before heading off to Miami Lucciana had been holidaying in Cancun before heading off to Miami. While she certainly looks sensational in skimpy swimwear, Lucciana revealed last month that was as far as she was prepared to go. During an Instagram Q&A on June 1, she shut down rumours she was about to join the subscription-based adult website OnlyFans. Not happening! During an Instagram Q&A on June 1, Lucciana shut down rumours she was about to join the subscription-based adult website OnlyFans She responded with a simple 'no' when asked about starting an OnlyFans account. In April last year, Lucciana showed off her jaw-dropping bikini body while self-isolating at her family's Gold Coast mansion. The teen model flaunted her curves in a yellow bikini in a sizzling Instagram selfie. Rising star: Lucciana is already an international model and often jets around the world for photo shoots and runway shows. She was most recently in Mexico She is already an international model and jets around the world for photo shoots and runway shows. Lucciana, who looks like a long-lost Kardashian sister, previously spoke of her plans to permanently relocate to the U.S. after finishing high school. She told the Gold Coast Bulletin back in 2017: 'When I finish school I'll still be 17, so as soon as I turn 18, I'm going to move to America forever.' First look: Lucciana modelled a lilac bikini during her busy day on set in October 2019 'I want to become a Victoria's Secret Angel and then ultimately become a supermodel,' she added. Lucciana, whose mother is Venezuelan former beauty queen Ninibeth Leal, has a contingency plan to get into real estate investments. Her father is Australian tobacco tycoon Travers Beynon, who is known for his polyamorous lifestyle and wild parties at his Gold Coast mansion. Tim Bailey has quit his job at 2GB, ten months after joining Ben Fordham's radio show as a weather presenter. Announcing the news on Tuesday's broadcast, the media icon, 58, said he's decided to hang up the microphone after recently relocating from Sydney to the Gold Coast with his wife Samantha. 'I'm very fortunate, my beautiful and brilliant wife has a very big job in medical technology and she liked the sound of living on the Gold Coast, so she found us a house that is basically the house of our dreams,' Bailey told Fordham. Hanging up his microphone: Tim Bailey, 58, (pictured) has quit his job at 2GB, ten months after joining Ben Fordham's radio show as a weather presenter 'Benny, I love you, but i love wife, wine, bike and board a little bit more,' he mused. The weatherman went on to thank his colleagues at 2GB, saying he 'loved every second' of his time working at 2GB. He made special mention of Fordham, who famously offered him a job at 2GB just 20 minutes after he was sacked by Channel 10 last August. 'Thank you for picking the phone up, mate': Bailey also praised Fordham (left) for offering him a job at 2GB when he was 'at his lowest' - after being was sacked by Channel 10 last year 'Thank you for picking the phone up, mate, when I was at my lowest. And thank you for picking the phone up today. Good on ya, Benny boy!' he gushed. Bailey began reading the weather bulletin at 2GB in September last year, weeks after Channel 10 fired him as part of the network's swathe of budget-cutting layoffs. The journalist, who had worked at Channel 10 for 28 years, later described his boning as a deep betrayal that rattled him immensely. End of an era: Tim began reading the weather bulletin at 2GB in September last year, weeks after Channel 10 fired him as part of the network's swathe of budget-cutting layoffs Swooping in: However, Bailey wasn't left unemployed for long - as he received a call from Fordham and offered a job at 2GB just 20 minutes after Ten announced he'd been sacked 'A knife through the back and through the heart, it's the best description of it,' Bailey said during an interview with Nine Honey. However, Bailey wasn't left unemployed for long - as he received a call from Fordham and offered a job at 2GB just 20 minutes after Ten announced he'd been sacked. Describing his job at 2GB as a 'second chance', Tim told The Sunday Telegraph: 'Ten letting me go turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me in a way.' 'Which is kind of funny when you think about it but also goes to show, if you stay positive, you never know what's around the corner.' She entered the 2019 series of Love Island as a Casa Amor bombshell. And as the new series kicks off, Joanna Chimonides was seen looking colourful in a bright yellow tracksuit as she arrivesd on a train into Manchester on Monday. The reality personality, 24, cut a casual fifure in a loose-fitting sweatshirt, which she teamed with a pair of matching tracksuit bottoms. Off-duty style: Joanna Chimonides was seen looking colourful in a bright yellow tracksuit as she arrivesd on a train into Manchester on Monday Joanna added a pair of black and grey trainers her look, while carrying her essentials in a small black Prada crossbody bag. She pushed along a small suitcase and carried a water bottle and her phone in her hand. The blonde beauty wore her blonde locks in glamorous cuts, while opting for light touches of make-up. Relaxed: The reality personality, 24, cut a casual fifure in a loose-fitting sweatshirt, which she teamed with a pair of matching tracksuit bottoms Arrival: Joanna added a pair of black and grey trainers her look, while carrying her essentials in a small black Prada crossbody bag Joanna was one of many celebrities to jet off to the beach during the UK's national lockdown. Joanna returned from the Maldives with her fellow Love Island alum Georgia Steel, 22, in February. The pair had been busy documenting their lavish getaways with pals including Francesca Allen and Hayley Hughes in a series of snaps, while most of the UK was ordered to stay at home. Travel abroad was banned from the UK without a legally permitted reason. And Home Secretary Priti Patel criticised those who had been holidaying in the sun when they have been told to stay at home. Members of the public took umbrage with influencers' tone deaf posts from warmer climates like the Maldives and Dubai - now dubbed 'Covid Cosablanca.' Hostile messages on Instagram and Twitter pages are accused them of recklessly spreading the virus and putting the NHS under increasing strain. Many claim they jetted off for 'unavoidable work trips' - with some even going so far as to suggest that their social media posts should make them 'key workers'. Grant Denyer battled a highly-publicised painkiller addiction after breaking his back during a freak monster truck accident in 2008. And on Tuesday, the TV personality revisited the traumatic period as he announced he's teamed up with the charity Carers Australia to help give advice to those who are caring for a loved one managing severe pain. 'I've been open in the past about how awfully embarrassed I am about the crazy things I did and said while trying to navigate [opioids],' the 43-year-old wrote in a post on Instagram. Speaking out: On Tuesday, Grant Denyer spoke out about his highly-publicised battle with a painkiller addiction - saying the 'crazy things' he did during recovery 'still haunts him'. Pictured with wife Chezzi Denyer 'We can laugh about it now but the things I said to my gorgeous wife [Chezzi Denyer], who was trying her best to help me through a dark period, still haunts me. I couldn't control my behaviour. 'Its tough on the patient and can be equally tough on the loved one caring for them. But with some good advice, she could make sense of things, even when I wasn't making sense.' The monster truck crash left Grant with a vertebrae that was shattered in 11 pieces, and doctors feared he may never walk again. Scary time: The incident occurred in 2008 after Grant broke his back in a monster truck accident at the Dapto Showground However, the popular presenter made a remarkable recovery, triumphantly returning to TV screens and eventually winning a Gold Logie. Grant previously spoke about his addiction during a discussion with his campmates on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! The TV star explained that he once pelted eggs at his wife when he was hungry during his recovery. 'Mate, I pelted eggs at her [Chezzi] one night. I cracked it for some reason. I was hungry and was in pain and was confused and I just started throwing eggs at her,' Grant told Abbie Chatfield, Alli Simpson and Toni Pearen on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! 'I decided to crash off it which was when I went missing' he told Abbie Chatfield, Alli Simpson and Toni Pearen. 'Mate, I pelted eggs at her [Chezzi] one night. I cracked it for some reason. I was hungry and was in pain and was confused and I just started throwing eggs at her. 'She doesn't deserve this but you just can't stop.' For more information on Carers Australia and opioid addiction, visit carersaustralia.com.au. She's famous for her flawless red carpet fashion. But on Monday it was all about keeping cool for Regina King as she ran errands with her dogs in Los Angeles. The actress and director, 50, opted for a bandeau top and knee-length shorts for her outing. Out and about: She's famous for her flawless red carpet fashion. But on Monday it was all about keeping cool for Regina King as she ran errands with her dogs in Los Angeles King wrapped a colorful turban around her hair and was makeup-free. She added a pair of black trainers and had a pair of sunglasses to hand. The star drove herself around town in a large SUV. Casual: The actress and director, 50, opted for a bandeau top and knee-length shorts for her outing. King wrapped a colorful turban around her hair and was makeup-free A couple of weeks ago, the Oscar winner who also has four Emmys to her name, was the honoree at the 2021 Moth Ball in New York City. She showcased her fabulous style in a gorgeous black mini dress with dramatic sleeves. King's off-the-shoulder frock was a mix of brocade and semi-sheer fabric that formed horizontal lines across her body and it had a slightly ruffled neckline. The If Beale Street Could Talk actress wore her hair piled on top of her head and she went bare-legged in pointy toe black heels. Joining King at the red carpet event was Kemp Powers who wrote the screenplay, adapted from his own play, for her directorial feature debut One Night In Miami. Both were selected to be honored at the charity gala for elevating 'more inclusive and diverse stories through their brilliant and important work.' Dazzling: The Oscar winner, who also has four Emmys to her name, was the honoree at the 2021 Moth Ball in NYC last month and put on quite a show in a gorgeous black mini dress Big night: Joining King at the red carpet event was fellow honoree Kemp Powers who wrote the screenplay, adapted from his own play, for One Night In Miami, her acclaimed directorial debut One Night In Miami, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video in January, imagines what might have happened had Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown met up and talked about their parts in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. King is following it up by directing a film adaptation of the comic book series Bitter Root, about a family of Black monster hunters. The film, set amid the Harlem Renaissance, will be produced by Black Panther director Ryan Coogler, according to Variety. The Image Comics story is set in 1924 in Manhattan's Harlem neighborhood and follows a fractured family of once-great monster hunters confronted with an overwhelming evil force that arrives in New York City. Hugh Jackman ignited the hopes of many Marvel fans after a seemingly casual post to his Instagram Stories. Superhero buffs started thinking the Australian actor was getting ready to reprise his role as Wolverine as he shared a photo posing with Marvel boss Kevin Feige. He also shared a shot of the character's signature claws from an artist-made poster design. Fan frenzy: Hugh Jackman, 52, sparked speculation that he reprise his role as Wolverine/Logan for a new Marvel project by posting a photo of himself with Marvel boss Kevin Feige The art was designed by famed Australian graphic design artist Kode Abdo, otherwise known as Boss Logic, and did not appear to be officially commissioned by Marvel. But that didn't stop fans from getting optimistic. Comments like 'alright!!!' and 'don't give me hope !!' summed up what many people were thinking when they got a first look at Jackman's post. Someone else wrote, 'we need another film hahaha @thehughjackman', while a couple of apprehensive fans added, 'Dont do that, don't give me hope' and 'Why he playing with us.' One person speculated about the 'III' in the caption with the question: 'Deadpool 3?' There was also a fan who looked at the decision Marvel would have to make if and when Wolverine makes a triumphant return: 'A new Wolverine reveal? The amazing Hugh Jackman possibly making a return??!!!' Making history: Jackman holds the Guinness World Record for 'longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero' by playing the character in the X-Men film series from 2000 through 2017; he is pictured in a scene from X-Men (2000) Sharp: Australian graphic design artist Kode Abdo, or Boss Logic created the art which the Aussie actor riled up fans with Iconic: Jackman last stepped into the shoes and claws of Wolverine in the superhero film Logan (2017) four years ago; he's pictured in feature film Jackman last stepped into the shoes and claws of Wolverine in Logan (2017) four years ago. Afterwards, the 52-year-old actor told press that he thought he would be back as Wolverine in an Avengers movie. 'Every time I saw an Avengers movie, I could just see Wolverine in the middle of all of them like punching them all on the head. But it was like, "Oh well, that's not gonna happen,"' he said at the time. 'I think, unfortunately, the ship has sailed for me, but for someone else I would like to see Wolverine in there,' he added. Jackman holds the Guinness World Record for 'longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero' by playing the character, beginning with the X-Men film, from 2000 through 2017. Celebrities have paid homage to actor Daniel Mickelson after he tragically passed away aged 23 on July 4. Mickelson's heartbroken sister Meredith, a model and fashion designer, announced the rising star's death yesterday, posting a picture of them as children and saying: 'There wasn't a person I loved more on this earth. There's no words that can do him justice.' It has not been revealed yet that the actor - who was best known for his roles in the 2019 TV series Mani and indie horror film The Killer Clown Meets the Candy Man - died of. Mickelson was born in Atlanta, Georgia and recently announced the launch of his clothing company, Kids Back Home, in January. Gone too soon: Kaia Gerber has joined a slew of stars paying tribute to rising actor Daniel Mickelson, after learning he tragically passed away at the age of 23 on Sunday Daniel Mickelson, 23, is best known for his appearance in 2019 TV series Mani (pictured) The rising star, who was born in Atlanta, Georgia, also starred in indie horror film The Killer Clown Meets the Candy Man (pictured) Tributes poured in for the young actor. Kaia Gerber led celebrity homages to Mikelson with an emotional tribute to the late actor. The supermodel, 19, reflected on their close friendship and all the 'laughter and happiness' he brought to this world for the past two decades in a heartfelt Instagram Story. Sharing a screenshot from a FaceTime call, Kaia wrote: 'I remember that time we sat on the couch and spent the whole day coming up with our own secret language that we continued to speak every time we saw each other.' She added: 'I wish we could go back there. I wish we were still talking in sentences that probably annoyed everyone else but made us crack up every time.' Gerber went on to confess she wishes they could still FaceTime as she sat on the bathroom floor because it's 'the only place' she has Wi-Fi and she 'never wanted to miss a call from' him. 'Thank you for being the reason for so much laughter and happiness in the world. It won't be the same without you here. I love you Daniel,' she concluded on Monday night. Tragic: In her emotional tribute shared to her Instagram Story, the model reflected on their close friendship and all the 'laughter and happiness' he brought to the world Kaia Gerber led celebrity homages to Mikelson with an emotional tribute to the late actor on her Instagram His sister Meredith said her heart was 'shattered' and that she had lost her 'brother, best friend & the other half of my heart'. On the post with the childhood photo of the pair, Meredith wrote: 'There wasn't a person I loved more on this earth. There's no words that can do him justice that I could write. To know him was to love him. 'He was the happiest brightest smiley most sunshine human to exist and I'm so happy God chose me to be his sister for his whole amazing life.' Heart-wrenching: Mickelson's younger sister, model Meredith Mickelson announced the devastating news of his passing on July 4 Tributes have poured in for the young actor. Meredith's comment section was flooded with messages from celebrity friends who were mourning Daniel. 'I love you forever big brother,' Amelia Hamlin, 20, wrote. 'I can't believe this is real.' Patrick Schwarzenegger commented he was 'praying' for Meredith as she grieves. Upsetting: Among the first stars to pay tribute to Daniel was Patrick Schwarzenegger, who said he was 'praying' for his devastated sister Meredith Tragic: Meredith's comments was flooded with messages from celebrities including Paris Hilton and Madison Beer, who were mourning Daniel 'Thank you for being the reason for so much laughter and happiness in the world. It won't be the same without you here. I love you Daniel,' she wrote (Mickelson pictured in 2019) Touching tribute: Haley posted multiple photos and recordings of him on her Instagram, which showcased their relationship over the past year His last few Instagram posts show him hiking, on a recent trip to Hawaii and with his girlfriend Maddie Haley. Haley posted multiple photos and recordings of him on her Instagram, which showcased their loving relationship over the past year. 'I don't want this to be real. Words can't even describe how I'm feeling right now. Last night I lost my best friend in the whole world. I feel like my hearts been ripped out of my chest. Daniel you were the kindest person I have ever met,' she wrote. She continued: 'You lit up every room with your contagious smile and never failed to make anyone happy. There wasn't one day that went by where you didn't go out of your way to make me feel special and loved. I wish I could call you right now and hear you tell me everything is going to be okay.' 'I don't want this to be real. Words can't even describe how I'm feeling right now. Last night I lost my best friend in the whole world. I feel like my hearts been ripped out of my chest. Daniel you were the kindest person I have ever met,' she wrote Haley also wrote that she wished their 'plans to spend the rest of' their lives together 'weren't stripped away.' 'I wish I could tell you how much I love you and I wish I got the chance to say goodbye. I'm not sure how I'm going to get through this but I'm going to be strong for you because I know it's what you would have wanted,' she wrote. She concluded her tribute by stating: 'Everything I do now is for you. Now I have a guardian angel by my side for the rest of my life. I am going to make you so proud. I love you forever babe.' Daniel's sister commented on the sweet post to write, 'he loved you more than anything and i love you more than anything .' Kyle Sandilands has shared his thoughts on surpassing 2GB rival Ben Fordham in the ratings. During an appearance on Studio 10 on Tuesday, Kyle celebrated KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie O Show beating 2GB's breakfast show in the ratings for the first time in 17 years. 'I must say, Ben Fordham was very sweet about the defeat,' the 50-year-old told told host Angela Bishop. Good times: Kyle Sandilands shared his thoughts on surpassing 2GB rival Ben Fordham in the ratings during an appearance on Studio 10 this week 'He was one of the first people that rang me with a congratulations,' he added. Kyle also offered some words of advice for the 2GB newcomer. 'I told Ben, "Look, radio ratings go up and down. You're taking over from a true legend in Alan Jones",' he said. Kyle also explained that radio ratings are a 'slow creep', comparing it to The Tortoise and the Hare. Speaking of his own show, Kyle said that he and co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson have had a 'great run' together before praising the 'incredible staff' behind the scenes. 'I must say, Ben Fordham was very sweet about the defeat,' the 50-year-old told told host Angela Bishop The Kyle and Jackie O Show dethroned 2GB's Ben Fordham to become Sydney's most popular breakfast radio show across both AM and FM bandwidths this week. The KIIS FM duo's historic victory - the first time they can claim the No. 1 position in both markets - comes as Fordham's ratings continue to slide after he replaced talkback king Alan Jones as host of 2GB breakfast last year. It marks another successful survey for co-hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson, who last month took out their nineteenth consecutive FM top spot with a 12.9 per cent audience share. The king and queen of radio! The Kyle and Jackie O Show has dethroned 2GB's Ben Fordham to become Sydney's most popular breakfast radio show across both AM and FM bandwidths The pair have grown their audience by 2.6 points to an unprecedented 15.5 per cent share - their highest ever. The latest ratings also mark their 20th consecutive No. 1 spot on the FM bandwidth. Fordham, 44, dropped to a 13.3 per cent share, while ABC Radio's Wendy Harmer and Robbie Buck are snapping at his heels at 11.9 per cent. He had recorded a 13.5 per cent share in the last radio survey. Slipping: Fordham, 44, dropped to a 13.3 per cent share, while ABC Radio's Wendy Harmer and Robbie Buck are snapping at his heels at 11.9 per cent Success: Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson have grown their audience by 2.6 points to an unprecedented 15.5 per cent share - their highest ever Kyle and Jackie O, who are currently on holiday, thanked their listeners on Instagram on Tuesday, writing: 'Thanks for making us #1 breakfast in Sydney! We're back live Monday at 6am! Can't wait to celebrate with you all!' ARN's Chief Content Officer Duncan Campbell said the company 'couldn't be prouder' of its flagship breakfast duo. 'Kyle and Jackie O are world-class operators and the show's ongoing relevance in an ever-changing market shows their strength of connection with the people of Sydney,' Mr Campbell said. Thrilled: Kyle and Jackie O, who are currently on holiday, thanked their listeners on Instagram on Tuesday, writing: 'Thanks for making us #1 breakfast in Sydney!' Jake Challenor, the publisher of Radio Today, revealed last month Kyle and Jackie are paid $5million a year each to host Sydney's top-rated breakfast show. While they easily have the most generous pay packet, there are plenty of other anchors who command seven-figure salaries. Mr Challenor said the likes of Marty Sheargold, Amanda Keller, Dave Hughes, Ray Hadley, Neil Mitchell, Fifi Box, Sam Pang and Mick Molloy all earn 'in the millions'. Kyle Sandilands couldn't resist taking a swipe at his former employer 2Day FM while celebrating his KIIS FM show being named Sydney's No. 1 breakfast program on Tuesday. The fourth radio survey of the year ranked The Kyle and Jackie O Show ahead of 2GB's Ben Fordham, marking its first-ever win across both AM and FM bandwidths. The shock jock, 50, told The Daily Telegraph it was a particularly satisfying day for him after he was told by 2Day FM execs eight years ago he was past his prime. Having the last laugh: Kyle Sandilands (pictured with co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson) couldn't resist taking a swipe at his former employer 2Day FM while celebrating his KIIS FM show being ranked Sydney's No. 1 breakfast program on Tuesday 'I'm thrilled at having our biggest result ever in the 21 years that Jackie [Henderson] and I have done the show together,' Kyle said from his holiday home in Queensland. 'The result comes down to the show's broad appeal with both the young hip listeners and the on-their-way-out oldies enjoying what we're doing. 'A special shout-out today to the radio executives that told Jackie and I in 2013 that our show had peaked and would no longer rate. [And] thank you to most of our listeners for making this the greatest show in the world.' Undisputed: The fourth radio survey of the year ranked The Kyle and Jackie O Show ahead of 2GB's Ben Fordham (pictured), marking its first-ever win across both AM and FM bandwidths Kyle and Jackie left 2Day FM in late 2013 after a long run as Sydney's No. 1 FM breakfast show, and joined the rebranded KIIS 106.5 the next year. Southern Cross Austereo execs had expected to retain the duo's audience after their exit, but listeners instead migrated to KIIS FM. This resulted in a sharp decline in ratings from which 2Day FM has yet to recover, despite trying numerous breakfast show line-ups. Confident: 'I'm thrilled at having our biggest result ever in the 21 years that Jackie [Henderson] and I have done the show together,' Kyle said. 'A special shout-out today to the radio executives that told Jackie and I in 2013 that our show had peaked and would no longer rate' Former station: Kyle and Jackie left 2Day FM in late 2013 after a long run as Sydney's No. 1 FM breakfast show, and joined the rebranded KIIS 106.5 the next year The hosts' split from 2Day FM was an acrimonious one: SCA was happy to reap the benefits of Kyle and Jackie O's audience when business was good, but rarely defended them during scandals when faced with threats of advertiser boycotts. They even sacked the show's executive producer in 2012 over drunken tweets. By contrast KIIS FM has been more supportive of its breakfast hosts, standing by them during times of bad press - such as Kyle's Virgin Mary gaffe from 2019. She says she's at the 'best time of her life' amid her rekindled romance with Ben Affleck. And on Monday, Jennifer Lopez posed for a selfie while sitting in a bubble bath which was then shared on Instagram by her company JLo Beauty. The pop star and actress stared directly into the camera as she posed with her bare shoulders and top of her bare breasts visible. 'My drive is limitless.': Jennifer Lopez posed for a bubble bath selfie on Monday, revealing her bare shoulders and the top of her bare breasts while sharing a motivational message Her long hair was piled high on top of her head and she wore a delicate pendant necklace. Her face which was framed with a few stray tendrils was lightly made up with mascara, a touch of blush and some matte lip color. In the caption, JLo, 51, shared some words of wisdom and motivation for her fans: 'Dreams are merely goals for those who believe in themselves. Creative energy flows through me and inspires new ideas. My drive is limitless.' Never better: JLo, 51, was spotted out and about in the Hamptons on Monday without beau Ben Affleck after revealing she's 'super happy' amid the couple's rekindled romance New music: Monday also saw the release of Jen's latest single, Cambria El Paso, a collaboration with Puerto Rican rapper Rauw Alejandro, as well as an accompanying music video Monday also saw the release of Jen's latest single, Cambria El Paso. It's a collaboration with Puerto Rican rapper Rauw Alejandro. In an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 to promote the song, Lopez explained: 'It is about change and it is about taking a step. And it's like, at once I just advance, just take one step. It doesn't matter. Right. Left. Whatever. Take a step. When things don't feel right. When you need to change, Cambia El Paso, that's it.' Although she didn't mention Affleck by name, she spoke about how she is 'super happy.' 'I've never been better,' Jennifer said. 'And I think once you get to that place, then amazing things happen to you that you never imagine in your life happening again. And so that is where I'm at.' She added: 'And I just want everybody to know that it's the best time. It's the best time of my life.' In love: 'I just want everybody to know that it's the best time. It's the best time of my life,' JLo said in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 to promote the song The star started dating former fiance Ben following the breakup of her four-year relationship with Alex Rodriguez in May. The renewed romance seems to be a kind of wish fulfillment for the Out Of Sight actress, who regards the Argo Oscar winner as 'the one that got away,' a source told Page Six last month. 'Jennifer always saw Ben as the one that got away. She was crushed after they broke up, though she felt at the time that she had no other choice but to call off their engagement,' the insider said. The couple - dubbed Bennifer - called off their marriage just a couple of days before their planned wedding in September 2003 and then split for good in January 2004. Geoffrey Edelsten's widow Gabi Grecko has been rushed hospital with coronavirus symptoms after attending Pride celebrations over the weekend. The New York-based rapper, 32, told fans on Monday she'd checked into the ER after developing symptoms including exhaustion, disorientation and a sore throat. Speaking in a raspy voice as she sat in the waiting room, Gabi said on Instagram Stories: 'I'm at the ER. I'm not sure what's wrong. I'm going to get a Covid test.' 'I'm not sure what's wrong': Geoffrey Edelsten's widow Gabi Grecko, 32, has been rushed hospital with coronavirus symptoms after attending Pride celebrations over the weekend The model, whose husband died on June 11, said she'd been feeling 'super stressed' of late, and had also been struggling to cope with New York's summer heatwave. She continued: 'I know the ER is the last place that most people right now, but hopefully everything's okay. 'It's also been a rough week, my mum is visiting... so I don't know if I'm just mentally overloaded or something, but I'm going to be stuck here for a while.' While she didn't rule out the possibility of coronavirus, Gabi said she could be suffering from sunstroke after attending several outdoor events as part of New York City's Pride celebrations. 'Hopefully everything's okay': The New York-based rapper told fans on Monday she'd checked into the ER after developing symptoms including exhaustion, disorientation and a sore throat 'It's been a lot of stress because of what happened this past week; there was a lot going on with Pride and stuff,' she explained. 'I think maybe my body is overworked and stuff... I just feel a little bit disoriented and weak, like I'm going to faint.' Gabi's visit to the emergency room comes 48 hours after she filmed herself bouncing in a bikini at NYC's Pride march. Partying hard: Gabi's visit to the emergency room comes 48 hours after she filmed herself bouncing in a bikini at NYC's Pride march In a series of Instagram videos, a glitter-covered Gabi could be seen dancing through the streets with a rainbow flag in hand. She is currently mourning the loss of her late husband, Australian multimillionaire businessman Geoffrey Edelsten. Despite having lost contact with Geoffrey in the years before his death, Gabi claims she has every right to call herself a 'grieving widow' because she never legally divorced him following their separation in 2015. 'For people who have asked. No, me and Geoffrey were still married when he passed away, no divorce, widowed,' she recently wrote on Instagram. Too hot to handle? In a series of Instagram videos, a glitter-covered Gabi could be seen dancing through the streets with a rainbow flag in hand She's currently filming Stan Original Series The Tourist alongside Fifty Shades actor Jamie Dornan in South Australia. But on Monday, Shalom Brune-Franklin recorded scenes without the Irish hunk in the small town of Hallett, two hours north of Adelaide. The 26-year-old Line of Duty star - who is set to play waitress Luci in the outback thriller - was pictured wearing a '70s-style ensemble as she sauntered down the street, before filming at a local cafe with a mystery actor. Coming soon! On Monday, Shalom Brune-Franklin recorded scenes for The Tourist without Irish hunk Jamie Dornan in the small town of Hallett, two hours north of Adelaide Her ensemble included high-waisted denim jeans, a pair of Converse trainers, a corduroy jacket and a brown top. She wore minimal makeup for the shoot, and no accessories. While Jamie has been spotted on set recently, he was otherwise elsewhere for this particular shoot. In the six-part thriller, Jamie's character is known as 'The Man' and is pursued in the Australian outback. Scenes: The 26-year-old Line of Duty star - who is set to play waitress Luci in the outback thriller - was pictured wearing a '70s-style ensemble as she sauntered down the street, before filming at a local cafe with a mystery actor His character is driven off the road by a tank trunk and ends up in hospital. Upon waking, he struggles to make sense of his identity as those from his past continue to hunt him down. Jamie will star alongside Danielle Macdonald as Helen Chambers, a fledgling Probationary Constable, and Shalom, whose character Luci is swept into The Man's journey for answers. Plot: In the six-part thriller, Jamie's character is known as 'The Man' and is pursued in the Australian outback Damon Herriman has replaced Hugo Weaving's role as Agent Lachlan Rogers. Hugo pulled out of the project due to scheduling issues. Jamie previously said of the role: 'The Tourist are some of the most exciting scripts I've ever read. I can't wait to go to Australia with such a talented group of people.' He is best known for playing Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, and for his star turn in TV series The Fall. Stan Original series The Tourist is coming soon, exclusively on Stan in Australia. Robyn Lawley has shown her support for a vegan activist group that targeted a Melbourne KFC on Monday. The 32-year-old plus-size model shared a video of the group, led by infamous activist Tash Peterson, storming the fast food joint to her Instagram page on the Tuesday. In the post she said, 'This would've taken some nerve! Mad respect for you Tash and the team involved.' Robyn Lawley has shown her support for a vegan activist group that targeted a Melbourne KFC on Monday 'I hate KFC - it's disgusting,' she continued. 'Terrible for you and the planet.' Robyn then said her 'veggie tenders' are 'way tastier' than the food served at KFC and that they 'don't abuse poor, helpless animals'. The video, titled 'KFC ARE ANIMAL ABUSERS', shows protestors entering the establishment, playing audio of animals screaming and holding placards. 'I hate KFC - it's disgusting': The 32-year-old plus-size model shared a video of the group, led by infamous activist Tash Peterson, storming the fast food joint to her Instagram page on the Tuesday Among the six irate herbivores covering the floor of the Melbourne fast food store with red liquid was Tash Peterson, an influencer who was recently banned from every pub in Western Australia for a string of similar demonstrations. The 26-year-old activist, known as Vegan Booty online, can be seen yelling at diners with a megaphone, accusing them of being complicit in an 'animal holocaust'. 'If you are not vegan you are an animal abuser and you are paying for a holocausts. The largest and longest holocaust in history,' she can be heard saying. Ringleader: Among the six irate herbivores covering the floor of the Melbourne fast food store with red liquid was Tash Peterson, an influencer who was recently banned from every pub in Western Australia for a string of similar demonstrations The protestors can then be seen standing next to customers ordering food, playing videos captured inside slaughterhouses on full volume. At one stage, Tash was approached by a woman who said the activists were being 'really forceful.' 'No wonder people hate vegans,' the woman added before walking away. The group was eventually moved on by two police officers. Netflix's influencer-led reality show Byron Baes has been plagued by waves of backlash from local residents and Indigenous leaders. But the cast looked anything but downtrodden as they filmed outdoor scenes at Shelly Beach on Monday. Despite the plummeting winter temperatures, the glamorous influencers looked completely at ease as they galavanted on the sand in skimpy swimwear. Bombshell: The cast of Byron Baes, including Lauren Bell (pictured), were spotted filming scenes for the controversial Netflix reality show on Shelly Beach During the filming session, cast-members were filmed spending time socialising on the sand, posing for selfies, and hitting the waves for a surf. Producers and camera operators meanwhile swarmed the beach, making sure to capture every single moment of TV gold. Among the genetically-blessed cast was Elias Chigros, who rose to fame on Love Island Australia back in 2018. Style: Lauren was the epitome of chic in a white bra and a pair of cream linen pants Shady lady: Sarah St James entered the scene in an orange bra and pair of shorts Perfect pout! Her luscious pout was on full display for all to see Elias, who goes by the online moniker Elias Black, flaunted his ripped physique in a wetsuit as he went surfing with fellow cast-member and model Lauren Bell. The pair looked like they were having a whale of a time as they carried their surfboards down the shore together. Lauren meanwhile showcased her long legs in a black swimming costume, while allowing her sopping blonde mane to fall loosely by her shoulders. Peace out! The bubbly brunette flashed a double peace sign for the cameras Beaming: Instagram model Elias flashed a big smile on the sand Time to dry off? The former Love Island Australia star waved a towel around She later stripped down to a white bikini while wrapping up from the cold in a blue-and-white beach towel. At one stage, Lauren was also spotted catching up with fellow castmate Nathan Favro, who is best remembered for his stints on The Bachelorette and Bachelor In Paradise. Nathan also carried a surfboard, and showed off his physique in a long-sleeved rash vest and printed board shorts. No go: Last month, according to independent newspaper Echo, the Byron Council 'passed an urgency motion' that would require producers to get permission before any further filming Speaking to the paper, independent Councillor Cate Coorey said: 'We need to stand up for our community.' Piggyback! Sarah jumped on Alex's back and allowed him to carry her through the shore Sunny days: The pair were having the time of their lives on the beach Byron Bay's traditional owners have rejected a donation offer from Netflix amid controversy over their planned influencer reality series, Byron Baes. The donation was offered following an outcry that the streaming giant had not consulted with local Indigenous groups before planning the series. In a statement issued last month, The Arakwal Corporation, representing the Bundjalung people of Byron Bay, revealed they unanimously agreed to 'not accept a donation from Eureka Productions or Netflix'. Pucker up: Lauren and Alex shared a kiss together as they stood on a footpath How romantic! Lauren twirled and flirted with pal Alex by the green grass Showing off? Lauren pulled her pants down a bit to show Alex something Fun times! Jade Kevin Foster picked Lauren up in his arms and swung her around for fun 'We were not consulted prior to the filming of Season 1 of Byron Baes or consulted before the production was announced,' the statement read. 'We are not in agreement with the nature of the series concept as it does not respect our community, cultural practices and values.' According to Sydney Morning Herald, Netflix confirmed that they did indeed offer a donation but that per a source, 'the sum was not large'. Wild thing! Cai Leplaw soaked up the spotlight by giving the middle finger to the cameras Trouble: The lively reality star made some outrageous gestures in the sand Thirsty? Sarah St James and a friend enjoyed beers on the beach Hello! Elle Watson was waving at a friend as she walked along the beach Bored? The ladies looked bored as they waited for filming to resume Chit chat: Lauren was spotted with co-star Elle Watson, who wore sunglasses and a hat In May, according to independent newspaper Echo, the Byron Council 'passed an urgency motion' that would require producers to get permission before any further filming. Speaking to the paper, independent Councillor Cate Coorey said: 'We need to stand up for our community.' 'They havent sought clearances, they havent considered the relevant stakeholders, and so far weve seen no consultation, and yet filming has gone ahead,' she added. Not mincing words, Deputy Mayor Sarah Ndiaye said: 'This corporation, Netflix, has basically come in and s**t on us'. Pictured Jade Kevin Foster and Jess Bell Anticipated: Byron Baes is one of the most anticipated shows coming to Netflix Stars: Rounding out the cast is Kyle Sandilands' former assistant-turned-manager Alex Reid Not happy: Byron Bay's traditional owners have rejected a donation offer from Netflix amid controversy over their planned influencer reality series, Byron Baes Just hanging out: Nathan and Dave Frim relaxed on the beach Producers may now be forced to seek permission before any further filming can take place, which includes filming on both private property or public spaces. Not mincing words, Deputy Mayor Sarah Ndiaye said: 'This corporation, Netflix, has basically come in and s**t on us.' While the Council have kicked up a fuss, the Byron Baes production could fall into the Ultra Low Impact category as outlined in the Local Government Filming Protocol. Surf's up! The leggy blonde held a large surfboard underneath her arm Slim: The blonde beauty showed off her trim figure and long legs in a wetsuit All smiles: Lauren flashed a beaming smile as she chatted with Nathan Favro A little help? A production assistant stepped forward to adjust a detail on Nathan's wetsuit Lights, camera, action! A large crew stood around to film scenes for the reality show. Pictured, centre, Dave Frim Ultra Low Impact means there are ten or less people in the cast and crew. If Byron Baes meets this requirement, then they would not require filming permits from the Council. Joining the cast are former reality stars Nathan Favro, from The Bachelorette, and Elias Chigros, from Love Island Australia. Selfie time: The cast whipped out their mobile phones to snap some cute selfies Retro: Photographer and model Cai Leplaw sported a classic '80s mullet and jet black dyed hair Permission: Producers may now be forced to seek permission before any further filming can take place, which includes filming on both private property or public spaces 'They havent sought clearances, they havent considered the relevant stakeholders, and so far weve seen no consultation, and yet filming has gone ahead,' Corey added Cast photo! The cast sat down to get a group photo together Crew: There was a large crew assembled to shoot the show Co-creative director of local boutique BISQUE Hannah Brauer will also appear, alongside Byron Bay 'It couple' Dave Frim and Saskia Wotton. Others in the cast include investment company employee Elle Watson, influencer Jade Kevin Foster and spiritualistic therapist Simba Ali. Rounding out the cast is Kyle Sandilands' former assistant-turned-manager Alex Reid, fashion designer Jess Bell and her model sister Lauren. Advertisement After Kevin Hart, 42, told the Property Brothers about how his best friend and trainer Ron 'Boss' Everline helped him walk again after his serious 2019 car crash, they pitched in to help Kevin transform Boss ' back house into a sleek man cave. Hart told the brothers, 39-year-old twins Drew and Jonathan Scott, that he credited Boss with helping to rehabilitate him after his near fatal car accident. He said Boss has been his trainer for more than six years and after the accident that he had lost all his muscle mass. He said once he could take his back brace off and he was approved for physical therapy that he put Boss in charge. Pitched in: After Kevin Hart, 42, told the Property Brother's about how his best friend and trainer Ron 'Boss' Everline helped him walk again after his serious car crash, they pitched in to help Kevin transform Boss ' back house into a sleek man cave Property Bros: Hart told the brothers, 39-year-old twins Drew and Jonathan Scott, that he credited Boss with helping to rehabilitate him after his near fatal car accident Boss in charge: He said once he could take his back brace off and he was approved for physical therapy that he put Boss in charge Kevin described Boss as basically having turned into his brother after he met him 16-years ago at a barber shop. He said they have the same barber and built a nice rapport from there. Hart said, though, that his friend's house was 'tough on the eyes.' Boss also said in a confessional that the two had a 'brotherhood.' He said he met Kevin back in 2003 when he was in college. Boss said now they are together 'everything single day' to train in the early morning. Brothers: Kevin described Boss as basically having turned into his brother after he met him 16-years ago at a barber shop. He said they have the same barber and built a nice rapport from there Tough on the eyes: Hart said, though, that his friend's house was 'tough on the eyes' Train: Boss also said in a confessional that the two had a 'brotherhood.' He said he met Kevin back in 2003 when he was in college. Boss said now they are together 'everything single day' to train in the early morning 'The relationship came full circle years later,' Kevin told the camera of his bond with Boss. 'He was a motivating force that was much needed at that time.' Boss said that morning of the crash that he actually called Kevin to work out. Then later he said that got a phone call and was told that Kevin was in the hospital. Kevin said he basically had to start over and to rebuild himself after the accident. 'Boss was with me every step of the way,' said Kevin. Full circle: 'The relationship came full circle years later,' Kevin told the camera of his bond with Boss. 'He was a motivating force that was much needed at that time' Crash: Then later he said that got a phone call and was told that Kevin was in the hospital Rebuild: Kevin said he basically had to start over and to rebuild himself after the accident. After inspecting Boss' dilapidated back house and with Boss away on a month-long trip, the brother's met Kevin at the house to get started. Drew asked Kevin if he was 'good to do some demolition.' 'Am I good to do some demolition? Don't threaten me with a good time,' Kevin said. Kevin wanted to change Boss' back house into a sleek designed man cave with its own barber shop. Back house: After inspecting Boss' dilapidated back house and with Boss away on a month-long trip, the brother's met Kevin at the house to get started. Drew asked Kevin if he was 'good to do some demolition' Demo: 'Am I good to do some demolition? Don't threaten me with a good time,' Kevin said Kevin kicked in with the demo taking apart floors and cabinets with a sledgehammer. They also played 'brick-tac-toe' and smashed bricks through the window of the house. Hart said he wore his construction boots because he 'wanted to look the part.' Kevin also helped them pick out tile and floor colors. Kevin told them that he has watched a lot of design shows. 'I'm a 1,000 percent confident in all my choices,' said Kevin. 'I love my guy to the moon and back. He needs a space of calm. He's always intense.' Sledgehammer: Kevin kicked in with the demo taking apart floors and cabinets with a sledgehammer. They also played 'brick-tac-toe' and smashed bricks through the window of the house Tile: Kevin also helped them pick out tile and floor colors. Kevin told them that he has watched a lot of design shows Confident: 'I'm a 1,000 percent confident in all my choices,' said Kevin. 'I love my guy to the moon and back. He needs a space of calm. He's always intense' Jonathan went to Kevin's barber Greg and got his haircut to learn how to design the barber shop room at Boss' house. Greg told Jonathan that Kevin met his best friend Boss at his barber shop and then Jonathan told Greg that he met his best friend, his twin brother, in the womb. The day before the big reveal, Kevin came to the house to help finish staging the home and to make every detail perfect. Greg: Jonathan went to Kevin's barber Greg and got his haircut to learn how to design the barber shop room at Boss' house Shop: Greg told Jonathan that Kevin met his best friend Boss at his barber shop and then Jonathan told Greg that he met his best friend, his twin brother, in the womb Staging: The day before the big reveal, Kevin came to the house to help finish staging the home and to make every detail perfect 'It's upscale, clean and comfortable,' Kevin said of the finished design. When Boss arrived back at his house after the month-long design redo, Kevin surprised him and told he was waiting for him back at his house. Kevin told him that he wanted to get in a quick workout. Kevin took him to the back house and Boss was shocked at the transformation. 'I love you but this is beyond,' said Boss. Upscale: 'It's upscale, clean and comfortable,' Kevin said of the finished design Boss home: When Boss arrived back at his house after the month-long design redo, Kevin surprised him and told he was waiting for him back at his house 'I did this with my bare hands, brick by brick, log by log, every day,' Kevin told him before the Property Brothers appeared. Boss told that he was at a loss for words and was humbled on what they did to transform his house. 'This is incredible,' Boss said. The Property Brothers and Kevin even had an important quote for Boss that said 'just train the mind and the body will follow' made into a neon sign and hung in the kitchen. Then they showed him the ultimate surprise that Kevin had insisted on the creation of a barbershop room. Boss was blown away. Property Brothers: 'I did this with my bare hands, brick by brick, log by log, every day,' Kevin told him before the Property Brothers appeared Kitchen quote: The Property Brothers and Kevin even had an important quote for Boss that said 'just train the mind and the body will follow' made into a neon sign and hung in the kitchen Barbershop: Then they showed him the ultimate surprise that Kevin had insisted on the creation of a barbershop room 'We met at the barbershop when I was 19 so this is a full circle moment,' he said 'It's crazy right,' said Kevin. Boss told Kevin he was super grateful. 'I love you to death man,' Kevin told him Celebrity IOU will return next Monday night at 9 PM ET on HGTV. Full circle: 'We met at the barbershop when I was 19 so this is a full circle moment,' he said Love you: 'I love you to death man,' Kevin told him She often turns heads with her vibrant style. And Kate Ferdinand looked picture perfect in an eye-catching green ensemble as she headed for drinks with friends in at The Ivy St Paul's in London on Monday night. The former TOWIE star, 30, put on a busty display as she posed for pictures wearing a green crop top and a matching oversized shirt. Wow! Kate Ferdinand puts on a busty display in green crop top and matching oversized shirt as she heads for drinks with friends in London at The Ivy on Monday night Kate was hard to miss in the colourful satin shirt and bralette combination from the Nasty Gal collaboration with Drag Race UK star Tayce. The mother-of-one, who gave birth to six-month-old Cree in December, also showed off her taut figure in the small crop top. Getting glammed up for her evening with her friends, Kate paired the tops with some wide leg white trousers and strappy heels. Adding another pop of colour to her look, she carried a tiny but unmissable bright orange clutch bag. Beautiful: Kate was hard to miss in the colourful satin shirt and bralette combination, showing off her taut figure after giving birth to son Cree in December Gorgeous: Getting glammed up for her evening with her friends, Kate paired the tops with some wide leg white trousers and strappy heels It comes after Kate shared an insight into the highs and lows of being a step-parent as she admitted it 'can be the hardest thing you'll ever do'. The reality star has formed a close bond with husband Rio's three children; Lorenz, 14, Tate, 12, and Tia, 10, but says being a step-parent is not always easy. She took to her Instagram stories on Wednesday to ask others in her position how they were finding it. Kate wrote on Instagram: 'Even if you are a totally confident parent, being a step-parent can be the hardest thing you'll ever do. 'Don't give up. You make an important difference. It may take years, but you'll learn things and said that changed their lives for the better. You've been placed in their lives for a reason.' Hard: The former TOWIE star, 30, has formed a close bond with husband Rio's three children; Lorenz, 14, Tate, 12, and Tia, 10, but says being a step-parent is not always easy Honest: Kate wrote: 'Even if you are a totally confident parent, being a step-parent can be the hardest thing you'll ever do' 'I always think and wonder how other step parents are doing, are you all ok?? Keep going'. Kate took to Instagram on Thursday morning after being inundated with messages from her followers. She wrote: 'Morning, I've been reading through all of your responses from last night and wow... sending all my fellow stepparents lots of love and support. 'Many of you are feeling grateful but overwhelmed, stressed, pushed out and are struggling. '1 more question for you all... Where do you go to for support when you're feeling 'stuck'? 'Do you speak to friends? Any specific social pages that help? I salute you all. It can be tough but remember you are doing the best you can'. She has been busy filming season two of Emily In Paris in the French capital. And Lily Collins enjoyed a well-earned break on Tuesday as she shared a series of sweet snaps from Denmark with her fiance Charlie McDowell, 37. Looking loved-up as she nestled under Charlie's arms in a speed boat, the actress, 32, told her fans on Instagram: 'Copenhagen on the water = summer hygge' Cute: Lily Collins shared a series of sweet snaps with her fiance Charlie McDowell, 37, looking loved-up as she nestled under her beau's arms in a speed boat in Copenhagen on Monday Lily beamed as she cosied up to Charlie in a chic floral dress with a Peter Pan collar. Clearly still in a Paris state of mine, she accessorised with a red neck scarf, which she'd tied in a knot at the front. She then added a pair of glamorous dark sunglasses and a dark brown bucket hat to complete her look. Grinning next to her fiance with her engagement ring and a Cartier watch on full display she sweetly called Charlie 'My captain' in a post to her stories. Happy holidays: Grinning next to her fiance with her engagement ring and a Cartier watch on full display she sweetly called Charlie 'My captain' in a post to her stories 'No one is happier in Copenhagen than @charliemcdowell,' the actress told her fans alongside a picture of her beau gazing across the water. Charlie cut a laid-back figure in a pair of green shorts, a black graphic T-shirt and socks and sandals. The film director completed the casual outfit with a khaki cap and a pair of dark sunglasses to keep the sun out of his eyes. 'No one is happier in Copenhagen than @charliemcdowell': Her beau gazed across the water in a pair of green shorts and a black graphic T-shirt 'And ME!' Lily added as she showed her appreciation for the city with an orange heart emoji. Lily looked ecstatic to be exploring Denmark as she beamed amongst the tourist sites in a camel-coloured waterproof jacket. The Emily In Paris star completed the rain ready outfit with a chic straw cross body bag with a leather strap and a park of dark brown boots. 'And ME!' : Lily showed her appreciation for the city with an orange heart emoji in a camel-coloured waterproof jacket surrounded by tourist attractions At the end of last year, Charlie and Lily adopted their rescue dog and were living together in Los Angeles amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The happy couple started dating in 2019 and they got engaged in September 2020. Announcing the happy news, Lily wrote on Instagram: 'Ive been waiting my lifetime for you and I cant wait to spend our lifetime together...'. Charlie said in a separate post: 'In a time of uncertainty and darkness you have illuminated my life. I will forever cherish my adventure with you.' Working from home can be tough for parents with young children. And on Tuesday TV chef Colin Fassnidge, 47, experienced the challenges first-hand when his two daughters, Lilly, 10, and Maeve, 9, unexpectedly popped up in the background of a live interview. During a stint on The Morning Show, the former My Kitchen Rules judge found himself photobombed during a chat with hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies. Funny photobomb: During a stint on The Morning Show, Colin Fassnidge (pictured) was surprised when his children photobombed his chat with hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies The little girls are seen looking straight into the camera as they pass through the family kitchen. After the segment, Colin shared a video on his Instagram, writing: 'When your kids bomb live tv! And smile at Camera.' Colin is a proud dad of his two daughters, who he shares with wife Jane Hyland. During Australia's first Coronavirus lockdown period in 2020, Colin launched an online cooking show, alongside his wife Jane and their daughters. He's onto it! After the segment, Colin shared a video on his Instagram, writing: 'When your kids bomb live tv! And smile at Camera' At the time of launching the DIY show, Colin and his family posed up a storm in the kitchen of their Sydney home. It appears that Jane helped do the filming, as she was seen holding a camera in some of the frames. The kids were naturals in the kitchen like their dad, following his instructions as he whipped up some ingredients. Thoughtful! During Australia's first Coronavirus lockdown period in 2020, Colin launched an online cooking show, with his wife Jane and their daughters Lily, 10, and Maeve, 9 (all pictured) Colin is best known for his previous role on My Kitchen Rules. Earlier this year, he won over a legion of fans after competing on Channel Ten's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! He made the top five on the show, before being eliminated. She starred as DI Kate Fleming in Jed Mercurio's much-loved drama Line of Duty for the past nine years. And Vicky McClure looked ready for action as she prepared to tackle her new role in the esteemed director's latest drama Trigger Point in east London on Monday. The actress, 38, is set to play a bomb disposal officer called Lana Washington and looked the part in an all black outfit complete with cargo trousers and boots, while she pulled her trademark short locks into a high ponytail. New drama: Vicky McClure looked ready for action as she prepared to tackle her role in Jed Mercurio's new drama Trigger Point in east London on Monday The new drama will focus on counter terrorism policing and the extraordinary work of the Metropolitan Police Bomb Disposal Squad. Trigger Point will see a terrorist campaign threaten the capital over the summer with the bomb disposal operatives, known as 'Expos', at the forefront of urgent efforts to find out who is behind the bombings before fatalities escalate. Despite the serious nature of the role, Vicky seemed to having a good time and was laughing with her co-stars while filming the upcoming series. High spirits: The actress, 38, is set to play a bomb disposal officer called Lana Washington and looked the part in an all black outfit complete with cargo trousers and boots, while she pulled her trademark short locks into a high ponytail Tailing up: She pulled her locks into a ponytail in a departure from her usual short quiff look (pictured right earlier this year) The uniform: Her co-star was clad in similar clothing, and wore a navy blue T-shirt and trousers with black protective boots Her co-star was clad in similar clothing, and wore a navy blue T-shirt and trousers with black protective boots. Vicky smiled and laughed as the crew prepared for the next scene to be filmed. She is starring in Trigger Point alongside Adrian Lester, who will play fellow bomb disposal operative Joel Nutkins. Police drama: Trigger Point will see a terrorist campaign threaten the capital over the summer with the bomb disposal operatives, known as 'Expos', at the forefront of urgent efforts to find out who is behind the bombings before fatalities escalate In between takes: She later walked through the set with a a ponytail on the top of her head Starring role: She starred as DI Kate Fleming in Jed Mercurio's much-loved drama Line of Duty for the past nine years (pictured in 2012 with Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston) Vicky's character Lana and Adrian's Joel are both ex-military with the two close friends after serving together in Afghanistan. Last week, upon the release of first look pictures from the show, Vicky rushed to Twitter to show her excitement for the project. She wrote: 'Meet Lana Washington & Joel Nutkins! Were off to an explosive start!! Cant wait to reveal more as we go alongweve got an incredible cast!! 'And the crew are creating absolute gold! Trigger Point!! @ITV @HTMTelevision @AdrianLester #triggerpoint.' The six-part thriller series has been commissioned for ITV by Head of Drama, Polly Hill, who will oversee production from the channel's perspective. Exciting new project: Last week, when first look pictures from the show were announced Vicky rushed to Twitter to show her excitement for the project Their on-again, off-again romance has played out on TOWIE screens. And Ella Wise, 20, suffered a potentially awkward moment on Monday evening when she bumped into her rumoured ex Pete Wicks, 32, on a swanky night out. The pair were spotted outside London cocktail bar Jin Bo Law where they appeared to indulge in a heated discussion before they were separately seen getting up close with a hunky male companion and a stunning brunette respectively. Awkward: Ella Wise, 20, suffered a potentially awkward moment on Monday evening when she bumped into her rumoured ex Pete Wicks, 32, on a swanky night out Ella attempted to keep her beauty look intact by pulling her green blazer over her head, which meant her white bralet and denim shorts were on display. She stood tall in a pair of knee-high slouchy crimson boots. Pete went for his usual edgy style in a vest top and loose-fitting shirt, while he wore his tousled long locks loose and paired the getup with thick rimmed glasses. Soon after the encounter with Ella, Pete was spotted chatting to a mystery brunette who wore a long white blazer, mini shorts and knee length black boots. Getting cosy: After her chat with Pete, Ella was seen getting cosy with a mystery man who picked her up in saucy style Rumoured exes: Their on-again, off-again romance has played out on TOWIE screens (pictured in 2019) It looked like Pete was on the charm offensive as they appeared to swap numbers before sharing a smoke outside the bar Meanwhile, Ella got extremely cosy with a mystery man, who hoisted her up and carried her around his waist. The next day on her Instagram story she shared a cryptic post which said: 'The wise man said: Do not take revenge, the rotten fruits will fall by themselves.' Ella and Pete dominated the last series of ITV's The Only Way Is Essex with their undeniable chemistry. Moving on: Soon after the encounter with Ella, Pete was spotted chatting to a mystery brunette who wore a long white blazer, mini shorts and knee length black boots Daring combo: Ella stepped out to the London hot spot wearing a a busty white crop top, a long-line lime green blazer and denim hot pants and a pair of revenge-worthy knee-high slouchy crimson boots Cryptic message: The next day on her Instagram story she shared a post which said: 'The wise man said: Do not take revenge, the rotten fruits will fall by themselves.' The pair never made it official. The will-they, won't-they couple then decided they were a better match as 'flirty friends' after they shared an off-screen kiss. He also admitted he wasn't looking for a relationship after three failed relationships with Megan McKenna, Shelby Tribble and Chloe Sims in recent years. In an interview with Closer Magazine in April, Ella said: 'When I said to the girls, "we're quite flirty," I think they took it as a little thing; they didn't realise how flirty we were. Even the show producers said, "we can sit there and watch you look at each other."' But nonetheless, Ella has decided she needs to do what's best for her, for now. 'Pete hasnt got the best track record when it comes to that and Ive been hurt before, so Im focusing on myself right now.' Strictly platonic: The pair agreed they were better as 'flirty friends' after they shared an off-screen kiss She added: 'But never say never if it happens, it happens. Im not going put pressure on the situation. If its meant to be, itll find its way.' At the end of April, she was seen to have a new love interest on the show - Roman Hackett, 18. Ella was confronted by her new beau for flirting with Pete yet again on The Only Way is Essex, which aired on 25th April 2021. New beau: At the end of April, she was seen to have a new love interest on the show - Roman Hackett, 18 Attending a Bridgerton-inspired event with the rest of their co-stars, Roman approached Ella and told her Liam 'Gatsby' Blackwell had warned him she was still flirting with Pete. He said: 'Last night I heard you were flirting with Pete still. I spoke to Gatsby and he was like, "If you do like the girl, I don't think you should go there because you're going to get hurt."' Ella admitted she had flirted with Pete again but insisted that she would stop flirting with him for good if things were to get serious between her and Roman. Uh oh: Ella was confronted by her new beau for flirting with Pete yet again on The Only Way is Essex, which aired on 25th April 2021 She replied: 'We were flirting, I'm not gonna lie because that's just the relationship we have. If you were to come into the question of me and you to be serious, then me and Pete wouldn't even be friends.' Roman said: 'You're single so you can do what you want but from what I'm seeing, I don't know if I want to get involved in it.' 'It's completely up to you what you want to do,' Ella said. Her feud with former friend Rebekah Vardy rumbles on. And Coleen Rooney got caught in a downpour as she ran errands in Alderley Edge, Cheshire on Tuesday. The WAG, 35, cut a casual figure for the outing, donning a black long-sleeved top with matching leggings. Out and about: Coleen Rooney got caught in a downpour as she ran errands in Alderley Edge, Cheshire on Tuesday Coleen also sported a yellow and pink coat and black trainers as she made her way back to her car. The mother-of-four styled her brunette locks into an updo for the day and added to her look with a pair of gold earrings. The outing comes after it was revealed at the High Court that Coleen kept her husband Wayne Rooney, 35, in the dark when she launched her infamous sting investigation against Rebekah Vardy. Coleen had accused Rebekah's account of leaking stories about her to the press. Laid back: The WAG, 35, cut a casual figure for the outing, donning a black long-sleeved top with matching leggings Casual: Coleen also sported a yellow and pink coat and black trainers as she made her way back to her car Running errands: The mother-of-four styled her brunette locks into an updo for the day and added to her look with a pair of gold earrings Coleen's lawyer David Sherborne revealed his client's secrecy as he fought a motion from Rebekah's lawyers to have a large portion of Coleen's defence 'struck out'. It came as Rebekah's counsel said her children were abused at school as a result of Coleen's Wagatha Christie Instagram post accusing their mother of leaking stories. Rebekah, 39, launched her 1.5m claim after Coleen accused her in her October 2019 Instagram post of being the source of leaks to the media on stories about her. The court has heard how peace talks between the warring WAGs broke down during mediation and the case is now expected to go to a full trial. Claims: The outing comes after it was revealed at the High Court that Coleen kept her husband Wayne Rooney, 35, in the dark when she launched her infamous sting investigation Mrs Rooney wrote on Instagram and Twitter: 'I have saved and screenshotted all the original stories which clearly show just one person has viewed them. It's . Rebekah Vardy's account' - in a notorious post that sparked the Wagatha Christie libel battle Privacy: Coleen's lawyer David Sherborne revealed his client's secrecy as he fought a motion from Rebekah's lawyers to have a large portion of Coleen's defence 'struck out' Claim: Rebekah, 39, launched her 1.5m claim after Coleen accused her in her October 2019 Instagram post of being the source of leaks to the media on stories about her Case: Hugh Tomlinson QC for Rebekah Vardy, told the libel court that the case had been extremely serious Hugh Tomlinson QC for Rebekah Vardy, told the libel court that the case had been extremely serious, despite the 'highly entertaining stories in the media referring to the Wagatha Christie... she suffered widespread abuse and hostility as a result of the post for a long period and her children were also abused at school. It was a very serious matter for her'. The long-running feud between the high-profile WAGS erupted after Coleen revealed that she had set a trap to see who was responsible for the leaks, which earned her the nickname Wagatha Christie. Coleen famously wrote: 'I have saved and screenshotted all the original stories which clearly show just one person has viewed them. It's ................ Rebekah Vardy's account.' Rebekah's team have now launched a bid to have large parts of Coleen's defence in the ongoing libel case struck out. David Sherborne described the attempt by Rebekah's side to exclude large portions of evidence from the hearing as 'a tactical exercise to remove evidence which serves to undermine her case or embarrass her.' Cassidy McGill shared a series of raunchy photos of herself lying naked in bed on Instagram on Tuesday. The 26-year-old former Love Island star was seen lying face down in the photos, which were taken from behind. Her bare back was visible as she laid under the white bedsheets, reading a novel. Birthday suit: Cassidy McGill shared a series of raunchy photos of herself lying naked in bed on Instagram on Tuesday A second photo showed Cassidy snuggling with her beloved cat, Honey, as she held her book out in front of her. 'If it wasn't meant to be, you're not missing out,' she cryptically captioned the post, adding an angel emoji. Two days earlier, Cassidy shared a photo of herself standing in front of a garage door and wrote: 'I have absolutely no idea what's going on in my life, I'm just in charge of the outfits.' 'If it wasn't meant to be, you're not missing out,' she cryptically captioned the post, adding an angel emoji Purr-fect: A second photo showed Cassidy snuggling with her beloved cat, Honey, as she held her book out in front of her It's not the first time the former reality star has raised eyebrows with her Instagram captions. Last month, she shared a photo of her fresh blowout after a visit to the hairdresser. 'There really is nothing quite like a fresh blowy,' the former bartender wrote next to the image. Cryptic: Two days earlier, Cassidy shared a photo of herself standing in front of a garage door and wrote: 'I have absolutely no idea what's going on in my life, I'm just in charge of the outfits' While it's clear Cassidy used the term 'blowy' to refer to a 'blow dry', some fans may have mistaken her meaning for something far more risque. According to Urban Dictionary, 'blowy' is an Australian colloquial term often used to describe the act of giving oral sex - usually to a man. Cassidy rose to fame on season one of Love Island Australia, which was filmed in Spain and first aired Down Under in 2018. Emilee Hembrow recently announced her pregnancy. And on Tuesday, the 29-year-old, who is the sister of fitness mogul Tammy Hembrow, challenged her fans to guess how far along in her pregnancy she is. Emilee shared a series of photos to Instagram, showing off her growing baby bump in a long white dress and wrote: 'What beautiful weather today'. Journey: Emilee Hembrow challenged her fans to guess how far along in her pregnancy she is as she showed off her blossoming baby bump in a long dress on Tuesday She continued: 'Such a nice change wearing a dress that shows my belly instead of all the coats, scarfs and oversized jumpers to hide it from people.' 'How far along do you guys think I am? Remember this is my 4th pregnancy,' Emilee asked. Emilee revealed to her followers she is pregnant on Sunday, sharing a moving video of her bump. She's glowing! Emilee shared a series of photos to Instagram, showing off her growing baby bump and asked: 'How far along do you guys think I am? Remember this is my 4th pregnancy' She explained in the caption: 'We're expecting another baby! We have hoped and we have prayed, now we are excited to say, our little miracle is on its way.' 'I pray I get to spend forever with you and that we are blessed with another baby but I trust in God and whatever he has planned for me is meant to be.' She added: 'It has been really hard to keep it a secret but I couldn't hold it in any longer and really want to share my raw emotions with you all.' Growing family: Emilee revealed to her followers she is pregnant on Sunday 'We are so grateful for the love and support we have received throughout the years and wanted you to be apart of what's to come'. The social media star and her husband, who are believed to have married in Greece, have two children Aaliyah, five, and Gabriel, two. The influencer was pregnant with her third child, son Jamal Reign Ada, when she experienced a heartbreaking stillbirth in June last year. Michelle Keegan has given fans an insight into her lookalike extended family as she shared a rare snap of her loved ones. The former Coronation Street star, 34, took to Instagram with a photo of herself posing alongside five female members of her family, including cousin Katie and mum Jacqueline. Michelle looked delighted to be with her clan as she beamed for the snap, simply captioning the images: 'Family'. We are family! Michelle Keegan (far right) has given fans an insight into her lookalike extended family as she shared a rare snap of her loved ones including cousin Katie (second left) and mum Jacqueline (far left) The actress cut a casual figure in a khaki bomber jacket, pale jeans and white trainers as she stood at the end of the line of ladies while they posed for the camera. The group all appeared in great spirits as they leant in close for the shot, while taking shelter beneath an orange umbrella. Earlier this month, Michelle looked besotted as she cuddled her cousin Katie Fearnehough's young son, nine-months old Brody Allen, in a snap shared to Instagram. Pose: The former Coronation Street star, 34, took to Instagram with a photo of herself posing alongside five female members of her family, including cousin Katie The broody actress shared a glimpse of her maternal side as she gushed: 'he's just too much,' alongside the post, which saw her hold the baby boy in her arms and pucker up to plant a kiss on his cheek. Adorable Brody was Michelle's guest of honour at her beauty launch bash and was dressed in a sweet linen shorts and sleeveless shirt for the occasion. The Our Girl star looked radiant in a white floral dress, complete with an off-the-shoulder neckline, while shielding her eyes with Ray-Ban shades. Michelle and husband Mark regularly take to Instagram to share snaps of themselves with little Brody, who they clearly adore. And her Mark's father, Mark Snr, awkwardly begged the couple to make him a grandfather on one such post shared by the TOWIE star last year. Broody: Earlier this month, Michelle looked besotted as she cuddled her cousin Katie Fearnehough's young son, nine-months old Brody Allen, in a snap shared to Instagram Family matters: Michelle's cousin, Katie Fearnehough gave birth to little Brody last September Mark uploaded a shot of himself holding Brody, and his father was quick to lead the comments with suggestions of grandchildren. He penned: 'Lovely baby and it's about time you made me a grandad and your mum a grandma.' Last year, Michelle admitted that she felt 'frustrated' by constant questions about when she and Mark Wright will have a baby. Demands! Mark's father, Mark Snr, awkwardly begged the couple to make him a grandfather on one such post shared by the TOWIE star last year The actress, who has been married to the TOWIE star turned TV presenter, for six years, hit out at sexist double standards - admitting queries about when she is going to have a baby do 'bother' her now. In an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine, she said: 'A few years ago it didn't bother me and I answered the question. 'But now I think, "I don't need to answer that because nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors". 'I remember when I finished Our Girl people were like, "Is it because you're going off to have a baby?" Frustrated: Last year, Michelle admitted that she felt 'frustrated' by constant questions about when she and Mark Wright will have a baby (Pictured with Brody) 'I know for a fact if Mark finished a job, nobody would ask him if he was going to have a baby. It's not fair. It does make me feel frustrated.' Michelle and husband Mark have been together since late 2012 when they met while they were both on holiday in Dubai. The former TOWIE star popped the question nine months later and the pair married in a lavish ceremony at Hengrave Hall in Suffolk in May 2015. They've been enjoying each other's company for almost 40 years. And Goldie Hawn, 75, and her long-term partner Kurt Russell, 70, proved they're happier than ever as they stepped out for a shopping spree in Saint Tropez on Tuesday. The Cactus Flower actress looked effortlessly chic as she showed off her tan in a strapless floral dress and sandals after stepping out for a stroll in the sunshine. Upbeat: Goldie Hawn, 75, and her long-term partner Kurt Russell, 70, proved they're happier than ever as they stepped out for a shopping spree in Saint Tropez on Tuesday Goldie added a stylish floppy hat to her summer ready ensemble which gifted her some vital shade in the South of France sunshine. She accessorised with a chunky gold chain bracelet, a pendant necklace, a collection of large rings and a cute sea shell anklet. The star wore her blonde shoulder length tresses loose underneath her hat and added a touch of subtle blusher and eyeliner to accentuate her features. Meanwhile, Kurt cut a casual figure in a pink T-shirt, black trainers and some eye-catching black and white patterned shorts. Still got it: The Cactus Flower actress looked effortlessly chic as she showed off her tan in a strapless floral dress and sandals Summer: Goldie added a stylish floppy hat to her summer ready ensemble which gifted her some vital shade in the South of France sunshine while Kurt opted for a pink T-shirt and shorts The pair were in high spirits as they laughed and chatted while walking through town before stopping to pet an adorable white Labrador. They put on a loved-up display as they navigated the crowded St Tropez streets holding hands. Keeping covid safe, Goldie added a protective face mask to her look as they were surrounded by more people. Animal lovers: The pair were in high spirits as they laughed and chatted while walking through town before stopping to pet an adorable white Labrador Goldie and Kurt have never married but are one of Hollywood's longest-standing couples. In 2017, Goldie revealed how she fell for Kurt. 'He was so good-looking. I had no pretense about him. I could tell right away he wasn't a womanizer,' she told People. The long-term duo met in 1968 on the set of The One And Only, Genuine, Original Family Band. Sweet: They put on a loved-up display as they navigated the crowded St Tropez streets holding hands But it wasn't until they met up again on the set of their second film, 1983's Swing Shift, that they began dating. 'What really got me was when I watched my kids when they'd come to the set and how he was with them,' she said. 'He was amazing with them. He was such a natural.' The pair are parents to son Wyatt Russell, 33, with Goldie also mother to son Oliver, 43, and Kate Hudson, 41. Jodie Foster turned heads on Tuesday as she put on a leggy display at the Cannes Film Festival. The 58-year-old actress looked elegant as she arrived for a photo call at the 74th annual festival while sporting a chic and classic get-up. Jodie had been named as a special guest for the opening ceremony, which was held on Tuesday, as she is set to be awarded an honorary Palme D'Or. Radiant: Jodie Foster, 58, put on a leggy display in a black skirt and white polo shirt at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday as she prepared to receive an honorary Palme d'Or The Silence Of The Lambs actress looked radiant as she arrived at the festival wearing a crisp white polo shirt. She paired her top with a simple black skirt, showcasing her enviable legs, and black heels featuring golden clasps across the toes featuring the Louis Vuitton logo. Jodie wore little in the way of accessories, aside from a pendant necklace and a couple of rings on her fingers. She stopped to pose in a number of angles for a crowd of cameras as she arrived at the photo call. Honorary award: The actress looked elegant as she arrived for a photo call at the 74th annual festival Opening day: Jodie had been named as a special guest for the opening ceremony, which was held on Tuesday, as she is set to be awarded an honorary Palme D'Or The actress was spotted waving in one picture, while putting her hands together and closing her eyes in another. More than 40 years after making her debut at the Cannes Film Festival, Jodie will receive a lifetime achievement award from the festival. Cannes announced last month that she will receive an honorary Palme d'Or, the highest honour for a film at the festival. Foster was just 13 years old when she made her debut at the Palais Croisette in 1976 for her critically-acclaimed film Taxi Driver, which won the Palme d'Or. Classy: The Silence of the Lambs actress looked radiant as she arrived at the festival wearing a crisp white polo shirt Speaking previously, Jodie said: 'Cannes is a festival to which I owe so much, it has completely changed my life. Although I had already directed before, my first time on the Croisette was a defining moment for me. 'Showcasing one of my films here has always been a dream of mine. In fact, I have had several opportunities to fulfil my dream. Cannes is a film festival by auteur-filmakers who honour artists. And I greatly appreciate that. 'I am flattered that Cannes thought of me and I am very honored to be able to share a few words of wisdom or tell an adventure or two with a new generation of filmmakers.' Seven of Foster's films, both as an actress as a filmmaker, have been featured at the Cannes Film Festival throughout the years. Simple: Jodie wore little in the way of accessories, aside from a pendant necklace and a couple of rings on her fingers Cannes President Pierre Lescure added: 'Jodie Foster has provided us with an amazing gift by coming to celebrate the return of the Festival on the Croisette.' 'Her aura is unparalleled: she embodies modernity, the radiant intelligence of independence and the need for freedom.' In a statement, General Delegate, Thierry Fremaux said: 'Jodie never ceases to reinvent herself. 'She questions with her piercing gaze, learns from others, and is willing to step back from her beliefs in order to forge new morals. Do what is fair. Elegant: She paired her top with a simple black skirt, showcasing her enviable legs, and black heels featuring golden clasps across the toes 'An idea that she strives to convey in the decisions she makes as an actress and director, and which makes her so precious during our confusing times. We will honour her with warmth and admiration!' Others who have received the Honorary Palme d'Or include Jeanne Moreau, Bernardo Bertolucci, Jane Fonda, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Manoel de Oliveira, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Agnes Varda and Alain Delon. The Cannes Film Festival 2021 kicked off on Tuesday and is expected to run until the closing ceremony on July 17. Love Island stars Demi Jones and Shaughna Phillips sizzled as they arrived at Global Studios for an appearance on Capital Xtra. The pair put on fashionable displays as they strutted their stuff through the street in London ahead of their feature on the radio show on Tuesday. Demi, 23, set pulses racing in a skin tight white bodycon mini dress highlighting her curves, while Shaughna was showing off her waist in jeans and a crop top. Chic: Love Island stars Demi Jones and Shaughna Phillips sizzled as they arrived at Global Studios for Capital Xtra appearance in London on Tuesday Despite the showers in the capital in the morning, Demi, who is currently battling thyroid cancer, braved bare legs for the outing. To keep warm she donned a cropped beige jacket and carried a matching handbag on her shoulder. On her feet she wore a pair of black Balenciaga sock trainers which sat just above her ankle. The shoes retail for an eye-popping 595. Meanwhile, her reality TV co-star Shaughna, 27, opted for a more colourful look, donning a bright orange cropped polo shirt. She put on a busty display in the tight V-neck top and paired the garment with some blue wide leg jeans, flashing a glimpse of her stomach. Stylish: Demi, 23, who is currently battling thyroid cancer, set pulses racing in a skin tight white bodycon mini dress highlighting her famous curves Chilly! Despite the showers in the capital in the morning, she braved bare legs for the outing, covering up with a cropped beige jacket The look was finished off with a pair of white trainers and a Louis Vuitton crossbody bag, believed to retail at around 1,030. Once inside the Global Studios building, Demi shared a picture of the reception area as she waited to go on air. In addition, Shaughna shared a clip on her Instagram Stories of Demi speaking into a microphone in the radio studio. Designer: On her feet Demi, who stopped for pictures with fans, wore a pair of black Balenciaga sock trainers which sat just above her ankle Unmissable: Demi's reality TV co-star Shaughna, 27, opted for a more colourful look, donning a bright orange cropped polo shirt Her outing comes after reports arose last week stating that Demi has found love with a 'music boss' amid her thyroid cancer battle. On Wednesday, it was reported that Demi had grown close with a man who goes by the name 'Miami' on social media. A source told The Sun: 'Demi has been friends with Miami for a while and he knows the Gale twins as well. They've really enjoyed spending time with each other recently, but are trying to keep things on the quiet. 'He's super supportive and giving Demi something else to focus on at the moment.' Sizzling: Shaughna put on a busty display in the tight V-neck top and paired it with some blue wide leg jeans, flashing a glimpse of her stomach Flashy: The look was finished off with a pair of white trainers and a Louis Vuitton crossbody bag, believed to retail at around 1,030 Miami posted a snap of Demi lying on his chest as they watched the first episode of Love Island last Monday. The reality star laughed when she noticed she was being filmed with Miami captioning the snap: 'She's reminiscing when she was on Love Island!' Demi teased a new romance last week when she shared a snap of his legs but kept his identity a secret. Miami is friends with rapper Yungen and is said to have worked with him on projects in the past. MailOnline has contacted a representative for Demi Jones for comment. Cosy: Her outing comes after reports arose last week stating that Demi has found love with a 'music boss' amid her thyroid cancer battle It comes after Demi shared more insight in the side-effects of her thyroid cancer treatment on Saturday, revealing she feels like she has the 'energy levels of a 60-year-old.' The reality star recently had surgery to remove her thyroid and will have further iodine treatment, and has openly documented her battle on social media. In a video shared to Instagram Stories, Demi admitted she has 'no motivation' due to the side-effects of her tablets, but added she's unsure whether it could be due to her thyroid being removed as part of her treatment. Demi went make-up free for the candid chat and captioned the posts: 'Survivors have warned me about a drop in energy levels, but oh my don't I feel it.' 'I literally look so drained as well omg, I think I need to ask for my dosage to be upped.' Electronic duo Peking Duk have slammed the Federal Government's handling of the Covid vaccine rollout. Band mates Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles shared a post to Instagram on Tuesday, criticising the government after being forced to postpone their performance. 'It feels strange to be writing this 16 months into a worldwide pandemic, it feels strange to be writing this while the rest of the world seemingly returns to normal, holds events, travels freely and yet Australia who was leading the way with their response to COVID-10 is in another lockdown,' the pair wrote. Slammed: Electronic duo Peking Duk have slammed the Federal Government's handling of the Covid vaccine rollout. Pictured Peking Duk band mates Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles '16 months ago we locked down, it made sense, why overrun the hospitals if it was avoidable. 12 months ago, we locked down, it made sense we need to protect our loved ones, we need to protect those highest at risk of COVID-19.' 'In December 2020, 7 months ago - we locked down... Now in July 2021 with Australia firmly the worst performing country in the OECD for fully vaccinated adults the music industry is facing more uncertainty, more cancellations, more postponements.' The pair went on to say that America has 45 per cent of their population vaccinated and can host events in comparison to Australia. Peking Duk were set to take the stage at the Winter In The Domain festival in Sydney on July 9. But the event has been postponed following Sydney's Covid outbreak. Speaking out: Band mates Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles shared a post to Instagram on Tuesday, criticising the government after being forced to postpone their concert Just 5.79 per cent of Australians are now fully vaccinated four months after the country's biggest ever inoculation rollout was launched, according to a graph compiled by Our World in Data. Israel has vaccinated almost 60 per cent of its population followed by Chile with almost 55 per cent, while almost half of Britons and Americans have rolled up their sleeves. Australia is also trailing behind Latvia, Turkey, Mexico and Colombia and even New Zealand, which only uses the Pfizer jab. 'In December 2020, 7 months ago - we locked down... Now in July 2021 with Australia firmly the worst performing country in the OECD for fully vaccinated adults the music industry is facing more uncertainty, more cancellations, more postponements,' the pair wrote Australia has recorded a total of over 30,000 cases and 910 deaths in a population of about 25 million since the pandemic began. The Pfizer vaccine is in short supply in Australia and it is not yet available to people under 40. Instead, younger Australians can only get the abundant AstraZeneca vaccine via their GPs because the government is prioritising Pfizer jabs for people aged 40 to 60. AstraZeneca, which is only recommended for people over 60 because of extremely rare but serious blood clots, has a 12-week gap between doses, while Pfizer has a three-week space. Jessica Chastain put on a glamorous display as she arrived for the first day of the Cannes Film Festival 2021 on Tuesday. The 44-year-old actress looked the picture of summer as she stepped out in a brightly-coloured dress from Versace, with the plunging neckline flashing a hint of cleavage. The beauty appeared in great spirits as she waved and flashed a smile at onlookers at the star-studded event. Glamorous: Jessica Chastain flashed cleavage in a plunging summer dress on Tuesday as she arrived for the start of the Cannes Film Festival The bright colours of her patterned dress also perfectly complemented the shade of scarlet lipstick she had on. Keeping her ensemble colour-coordinated, Jessica also wore towering black heels beneath her flowing dress, which matched the top of her outfit. She accessorised her look with a pair of glamorous cat eye sunglasses and a black leather handbag. Jessica has been named the godmother of the Trophee Chopard - on the 20th anniversary of the award. Dazzling: The bright colours of her dress also perfectly complemented the shade of scarlet lipstick she had on On the move: Jessica arrives at the film festival this year having been named the godmother of the Trophee Chopard - on the 20th anniversary of the award She will be entrusted with presenting duties on July 9 ahead of a gala dinner and will hand over the award to the male and female winners. The award itself is handed out to the best emerging talent and has previously been awarded to stars such as Anya Taylor-Joy, Florence Pugh and James McAvoy. Her appearance at the festival came as Jodie Foster was turning heads as she put on a leggy display. The 58-year-old actress looked elegant as she arrived for a photo call at the 74th annual festival while sporting a chic and classic get-up. Jodie had been named as a special guest for the opening ceremony, which was held on Tuesday, as she is set to be awarded an honorary Palme D'Or. Emerging talent: She will be entrusted with presenting duties on July 9 ahead of a gala dinner and will hand over the award to the male and female winners Radiant: Jodie Foster, 58, put on a leggy display in a black skirt and white polo shirt at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday as she received an honorary Palme d'Or The Silence of the Lambs actress looked radiant as she arrived at the festival wearing a crisp white polo shirt. She paired her top with a simple black skirt, showcasing her enviable legs, and black heels featuring golden clasps across the toes. Jodie wore little in the way of accessories, aside from a pendant necklace and a couple of rings on her fingers. She stopped to pose in a number of angles for a crowd of cameras as she arrived at the photo call. Honorary award: The actress looked elegant as she arrived for a photo call at the 74th annual festival Opening day: Jodie had been named as a special guest for the opening ceremony, which was held on Tuesday, as she is set to be awarded an honorary Palme D'Or The actress was spotted waving in one picture, while putting her hands together and closing her eyes in another. More than 40 years after making her debut at the Cannes Film Festival, Jodie Foster will receive a lifetime achievement award from the festival. Cannes announced last month that she will receive an honorary Palme d'Or, the highest honour for a film at the festival. Foster was just 13-years-old when she made her debut at the Palais Croisette in 1976 for her critically-acclaimed film Taxi Driver, which won the Palme d'Or. Classy: The Silence of the Lambs actress looked radiant as she arrived at the festival wearing a crisp white polo shirt Speaking previously, Jodie said: 'Cannes is a festival to which I owe so much, it has completely changed my life. Although I had already directed before, my first time on the Croisette was a defining moment for me. 'Showcasing one of my films here has always been a dream of mine. In fact, I have had several opportunities to fulfil my dream. Cannes is a film festival by auteur-filmakers who honour artists. And I greatly appreciate that. 'I am flattered that Cannes thought of me and I am very honored to be able to share a few words of wisdom or tell an adventure or two with a new generation of filmmakers.' Seven of Foster's films, both as an actress as a filmmaker, have been featured at the Cannes Film Festival throughout the years. Simple: Jodie wore little in the way of accessories, aside from a pendant necklace and a couple of rings on her fingers Cannes President Pierre Lescure added, 'Jodie Foster has provided us with an amazing gift by coming to celebrate the return of the Festival on the Croisette.' 'Her aura is unparalleled: she embodies modernity, the radiant intelligence of independence and the need for freedom.' In a statement, General Delegate, Thierry Fremaux said: 'Jodie never ceases to reinvent herself. 'She questions with her piercing gaze, learns from others, and is willing to step back from her beliefs in order to forge new morals. Do what is fair. Elegant: She paired her top with a simple black skirt, showcasing her enviable legs, and black heels featuring golden clasps across the toes 'An idea that she strives to convey in the decisions she makes as an actress and director, and which makes her so precious during our confusing times. We will honour her with warmth and admiration!' Others who have received the Honorary Palme d'Or include Jeanne Moreau, Bernardo Bertolucci, Jane Fonda, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Manoel de Oliveira, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Agnes Varda and Alain Delon. The Cannes Film Festival 2021 kicked off on Tuesday and is expected to run until the closing ceremony on July 17. Rebel Wilson looked absolutely stunning as she sunbathed on a yacht in a swimsuit on Monday. And taking notice of her good looks was the 41-year-old star's ex-boyfriend, Jacob Busch, 29. Underneath a series of busty selfies shared to Instagram, the American businessman shared a telling message. Looking good! Rebel Wilson (pictured) looked absolutely stunning as she sunbathed on a yacht in a swimsuit on Monday. And taking notice of her good looks was the 41-year-old star's ex-boyfriend, Jacob Busch, 29 He posted a series of fire emojis - meaning she looked 'fire' or 'hot' to him - and Rebel was quick to 'like' his comment. Rebel confirmed she split from Jacob in February, after dating for less than a year. The actress made it clear in an Instagram caption at the time, writing she was a 'single girl heading to Super-Bowl!' Likes what he sees: Underneath a series of busty selfies shared to Instagram on Monday, the American businessman shared a telling message Fan! He posted a series of fire emojis - meaning she looked 'fire' or 'hot' to him She likes it! Rebel was quick to 'like' Jacob's flattering comment A source told PageSix the relationship had simply 'run its course'. Last year, Rebel shared that she had known Jacob for longer than fans had previously realised. 'He's a very private person, so I don't like to give away too much in that department,' the actress said during a Q+A session on Instagram with her fans. Over: Rebel confirmed she split from Jacob in February, after dating for less than a year Time's up: A source told PageSix the relationship had simply 'run its course' 'But I will say we dated before I started any of this health journey, as well as now. So that goes to show you, ladies: you don't have to be a certain size to get a boyfriend.' The actress met businessman Jacob through a mutual friend in 2019, and made their red carpet debut at the 2020 Monte Carlo Gala for Planetary Health last September. The media personality previously dated actor Mickey Gooch Jr and stuntman Aden Stay. Jamie Laing has revealed he suffered a panic attack shortly after he joined the cast of Made In Chelsea and went to the hospital because he 'thought he was dying'. The TV star, 32, revealed the ordeal lasted for about six hours and he was informed by doctors that it had been a panic attack. Speaking on ITV Hub's brand-new series The Full Treatment, Jamie also discussed his first heartbreak as a teen and how Ronan Keating helped him with his parents' divorce. Terrifying: Jamie Laing has revealed he suffered a panic attack shortly after he joined the cast of Made In Chelsea and went to the hospital because he 'thought he was dying' (pictured in 2020) On his panic attack, Jamie said: 'I was twenty-two years old and suddenly I was like, 'I feel a bit weird' and I had a panic attack. I'd never had one in my entire life. 'I'd just started filming Made In Chelsea. This panic attack lasted six hours, I thought I was dying for six hours. So, I went to hospital and said, "I'm dying", they said, "No you're having a panic attack". 'That was six months of hell where I didn't tell anyone, (I) didn't speak up, I just dealt with this panic within me. He added: '(One day) I was in the shower and I went, "what is wrong with me?" I said it out loud to myself and I was crying and that was the first time I said it loud. I went and told my mum and she took me to the doctors. Scary: The TV star, 32, revealed the ordeal lasted for about six hours and he was informed by doctors that it had been a panic attack (pictured on Made In Chelsea in 2012) 'Being open and honest. Speaking to your friends is key. It doesn't matter if it's a stranger, your next-door neighbor or your dog, speak out about it. Exercise for me is the winner.' Jamie also revealed how Ronan Keating helped him through his parent's divorce. He said: 'My parents got divorced when I was ten years old and I found it hard because I was always scared they were going to get divorced for some reason 'The only thing that made me feel better was listening to a particular song (Ronan Keating's When You Say Nothing At All) and it got me out of a place where I was upset and crying. He said: 'This panic attack lasted six hours, I thought I was dying for six hours. So, I went to hospital and said, 'I'm dying', they said, 'No you're having a panic attack' (pictured on Made In Chelsea in 2012) 'I used to play it all the time whenever I felt down. Still to this day if I hear this it gets me up and going.' Jamie also discussed his first heartbreak when, as a teenager, his then-girlfriend broke up with him. He said: 'At that age (14/15 years old) I was acting so confident but I was so insecure about things, I was so worried about life. 'When I was that age I was trying to date this girl. I was so in love with her and she broke up with me. 'I got down on my hands and knees and I begged her, I said "Please" and she looked down and I looked down and my teardrops had landed on her plimsolls. I was on my hands and knees thinking this is so low.' Jamie added: 'That was six months of hell where I didn't tell anyone, (I) didn't speak up, I just dealt with this panic within me' (pictured in 2020) ITV2 are to partner with charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) on a new six part series in which Kem Cetinay and Amber Rose Gill open up the conversation around mental health and wellbeing. Also appearing on the show was Love Island's Montana Brown who told Amber about learning to embrace her naturally curly hair. She said: 'I grew up in quite a white area so I was just like, 'everyone's got straight hair' and I started straightening my hair. 'I don't know if you felt like this but in the village where I grew up, no one really knew how to do black hair so whenever I used to go to the hairdressers they used to put layers in my hair, they used to feather it and they used to straighten it, so my hair was always such a mess. 'From a young age I've always had my hair straight, I've never had it curly. I'm now at a point when I see people like you, like Rochelle Humes embracing their curls.' THE FULL TREATMENT IS AVAILABLE TO VIEW ON ITV HUB. Pregnant Danielle Lloyd has said that she would have had controversial gender selection treatment if her fifth child had been another boy. The CBB star, 37, who luckily revealed she is expecting a daughter on Sunday, said that she has 'made no secret of wanting a girl'. She shares sons Archie, 10, Harry, nine, and George, seven, with ex-husband Jamie O'Hara, and Ronnie, three, with husband Michael O'Neill. Honest: Danielle Lloyd has said that she would have gone ahead with controversial gender selection treatment in the future if her fifth child had been another boy Danielle had been planning to fly to Dubai this summer for the procedure and in August 2019 revealed she had been to the Fakih IVF centre in UAE for a consultation. The practice has been condemned by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is illegal in Britain. Asked by New! magazine if she would have had the treatment had she found out she was expecting another boy this time around, she said: 'Yes we would.' She added that she would have still 'been pleased' if it had been a boy. Family: She shares sons Archie, 10, Harry, nine, and George, seven, with ex-husband Jamie O'Hara, and Ronnie, three, with husband Michael O'Neill The mother-of-four told the publication: 'As long as the baby's healthy, it's still a child and still my baby at the end of the day. 'We'd planned to go to Dubai in August for gender selection, so that was all booked to go ahead, but it looked like Covid was going to change all that. 'It must have been fate that I got pregnant and that it's a little girl, otherwise we'd be in Dubai paying for it.' Sweet: Danielle is pictured while she was pregnant with son Ronnie Danielle added that she and her husband booked a private gender scan and that she 'had such bad anxiety' in the run up due to her desire for a girl, but that she 'burst into tears' when she got the results. She also said that she had felt different during this pregnancy and had been trying to 'manifest' and 'meditate' so it would be a girl. Last year, the former glamour model revealed she'd put her plans to use controversial gender selection treatment on hold after being diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. Baby news: The CBB star, 37, who luckily revealed she is expecting a daughter on Sunday, said that she has 'made no secret of wanting a girl' (pictured with her four boys) She admitted she 'can't think about having a baby at the moment' but would 'love a little girl' during an appearance on Loose Women. Danielle also tragically suffered a miscarriage in 2019. WHAT IS POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME? Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition that affects how a woman's ovaries work. The three main features of PCOS are: Irregular periods which means the ovaries don't regularly release eggs (ovulation). This can affect a woman's ability to get pregnant. Excess androgen high levels of 'male hormones' in the body, which may cause physical signs such as excess facial or body hair. Polycystic ovaries the ovaries become enlarged and contain many fluid-filled sacs (follicles) which surround the eggs (it's important to note that, despite the name, if you have PCOS you don't actually have cysts). Source: NHS Choices Advertisement The media personality said at the time she would have to delay her hopes of having a daughter as she was set to undergo an operation to treat her conditions, which can affect a woman's fertility. She said: 'I've just found out that I've got PCOS and endometriosis so I have to have an operation for that so can't think about having another baby at the moment anyway. 'I'm in two minds, I've just got a puppy who is a little girl so she's my baby at the moment. I would love a little girl but four boys is a lot.' Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus - the endometrium - grows outside the uterus, while PCOS is a common condition that affects how a woman's ovaries work. In August 2019, Danielle revealed her sons were also keen to have a little sister and said she had been to Dubai's gender selection clinic, the Fakih IVF centre. The practice has been condemned by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is illegal in Britain. The WHO says that sex selection raises 'serious moral, legal, and social issues' and can lead to the devaluation of women and gender imbalance. Danielle learnt that the treatment is accurate in 99 per cent of the cases in which a baby is successfully born and also started to investigate the possibility of arranging for a girl in Northern Cyprus, another state where it is legal. After further questioning, however, the TV star and electrician Michael had previously settled on America, where they felt the overall safeguards would be stronger. Once there, a number of her eggs would be harvested and fertilised, and then one or two of the resulting female embryos will be reimplanted in the mother's womb. The rest will be stored for possible use in the future. Worry: Danielle added that she and her husband booked a private gender scan and that she 'had such bad anxiety' in the run up due to her desire for a girl They recently revealed they have discussed moving in together and the possibility of having children. And now, Too Hot To Handle star Cam Holmes, 24, looked every inch the doting boyfriend as he shared two loved-up pictures with Emily Miller, 27, on Instagram. Taking to the social platform on Monday, Cam shared two images of himself kissing Emily with his 1million followers. 'And it all started with a crab grab': Too Hot To Handle's Cam Holmes, 24, shared loved-up photos on Instagram on Monday as he kissed Emily Miller, 27 In the images, Emily looks stunning in a vibrant orange dress - which perfectly complemented the sky behind them. While Cam wore an olive-coloured shirt and a pendant necklace as he embraces his girlfriend. In one image, Cam and Emily faced one another as they shared a kiss. In a second picture, Emily turned round to face the camera but had her arms above her head, holding onto Cam who is kissing her cheek. Happy together: In the images, Emily looks stunning in a vibrant orange dress - which perfectly complements the sky behind them Captioning the photos, Cam wrote: 'And it all started with a crab grab.' The couple famously lost 4,000 from the 100k grand prize when Cam did this move, which means to grab a woman's genitals. Cam and Emily confirmed on Monday that they are still going strong as they discussed moving in together, their sex life and having children in the future. In their first interview since their debut on the Netflix dating series, the love birds admitted they are 'inseparable' as they discussed their blossoming romance. Speaking to The Sun, model Emily said: 'At the beginning of February he came and moved in with me, weve been inseparable.' Sweet: Cam and Emily confirmed on Monday that they are still going strong as they discussed moving in together, their sex life and having children Cam continued: 'We both love each other to bits and she is my best friend. We definitely do want marriage and kids, if we have a girl were going to call her Lana, obviously.' Emily also revealed she appreciates sex 'a lot more' since filming the show, as Too Hot To Handle calls for contestants to remain celibate and refrain from intimate contact, or forfeit part of the final prize money. She insisted that women should 'love sex' while Cam added that they are enjoying all the perks that come with being a 'normal couple'. He added: 'Before I went on the show it was just like sex was sex, thats it. But it sounds so cringey to say but relationship sex is so different. There a lot more emotions involved, so my philosophy on sex has definitely changed.' Smitten: In their first interview since their debut on the Netflix dating series, the love birds admitted they are 'inseparable' as they discussed their blossoming romance According to the couple, they are still adjusting to their new 'sex symbol' status and life in the limelight. Cam and Emily are often compared to Too Hot To Handle favourites, Francesca Farago and Harry Jowsey, who shot to stardom on series one. Emily said she felt flattered to be likened to the former lovers because they are 'hot', but Cam humorously quipped that they are an even better couple because they are 'different'. The South Wales native revealed he has written a song dedicated to Emily and hopes to follow in the footsteps of Love Island star Wes Nelson, by using his TV success to transition into the music industry. Romance: Cam continued: 'We both love each other to bits and she is my best friend. We definitely do want marriage and kids, if we have a girl were going to call her Lana, obviously' Empowered: Emily also revealed she appreciates sex 'a lot more' since filming, as Too Hot To Handle calls for contestants to refrain from intimate contact, or forfeit part of the prize money Cam said his 'dream' would be to collaborate with the reality star turned hitmaker, and that he already has several new tracks in the works. Meanwhile Emily's career aspirations are taking her down a different path as she hopes to open up an animal sanctuary because of her love for cats and dogs. The handsome couple are also considering other reality TV opportunities as they confirmed to the publication that want to star on Celebrity Great British Bake Off. Daniel Mickelson's girlfriend Maddie Haley paid emotional tribute to the rising star on Monday, hours after his tragic death. The much-loved actor - who starred in the 2019 TV series Mani and indie horror film The Killer Clown Meets the Candy Man - died on July 4, aged 23. No details surrounding the circumstances of his death have been released. In the hours following the news, Mickelson was honored by friends and family on social media, including girlfriend Maddie Haley. Memories: Daniel Mickelson's girlfriend Maddie Haley is mourning the rising star who died suddenly on Sunday aged 23 'I don't want this to be real. Words can't even describe how I'm feeling right now. Last night I lost my best friend in the whole world. I feel like my hearts been ripped out of my chest. Daniel you were the kindest person I have ever met,' she wrote. The student nurse shared a number of photos and clips from her time with the actor who she dated for about a year. 'You lit up every room with your contagious smile and never failed to make anyone happy. There wasn't one day that went by where you didn't go out of your way to make me feel special and loved. I wish I could call you right now and hear you tell me everything is going to be okay.' she added. Her love: The student nurse shared a number of photos and clips from her time with the actor who she dated for about a year 'You lit up every room with your contagious smile and never failed to make anyone happy. There wasn't one day that went by where you didn't go out of your way to make me feel special and loved.' Haley wrote Touching tribute: Haley posted multiple photos and recordings of the actor on her Instagram, which showcased their relationship over the past year D&M: In one clip Mickelson is seen smiling as the couple enjoy an anniversary picnic together Haley also wrote that she wished their 'plans to spend the rest of' their lives together 'weren't stripped away.' 'I wish I could tell you how much I love you and I wish I got the chance to say goodbye. I'm not sure how I'm going to get through this but I'm going to be strong for you because I know it's what you would have wanted,' she wrote. She concluded her tribute by stating: 'Everything I do now is for you. Now I have a guardian angel by my side for the rest of my life. I am going to make you so proud. I love you forever babe.' Daniel's sister Meredith commented on the sweet post to write, 'he loved you more than anything and i love you more than anything .' 'I miss you so much': Haley, a student nurse, shared a handful of fond memories of the actor Cuddled up: Another photo showed the couple with big smiles in bed together Meredith, a model and fashion designer, announced the rising star's death on Monday, posting a picture of them as children. Meredith said her heart was 'shattered' and that she had lost her 'brother, best friend & the other half of my heart'. On the post, Meredith wrote: 'There wasn't a person I loved more on this earth. There's no words that can do him justice that I could write. To know him was to love him. 'I don't want this to be real. Words can't even describe how I'm feeling right now. Last night I lost my best friend in the whole world. I feel like my hearts been ripped out of my chest. Daniel you were the kindest person I have ever met,' she wrote Heart-wrenching: Mickelson's younger sister, model Meredith Mickelson announced the devastating news of his passing on July 4 Kaia Gerber led celebrity homages to Mikelson with an emotional tribute to the late actor on her Instagram Tragic: In her emotional tribute shared to her Instagram Story, the model reflected on their close friendship and all the 'laughter and happiness' he brought to the world 'He was the happiest brightest smiley most sunshine human to exist and I'm so happy God chose me to be his sister for his whole amazing life.' Meredith's comment section was flooded with messages from celebrity friends who were mourning Daniel. 'I love you forever big brother,' Amelia Hamlin, 20, wrote. 'I can't believe this is real.' Patrick Schwarzenegger commented he was 'praying' for Meredith as she grieves. Cindy Crawford's daughter Kaia Gerber led celebrity homages to Mickelson with an emotional tribute to the late actor. The supermodel, 19, reflected on their close friendship and all the 'laughter and happiness' he brought to this world for the past two decades in a heartfelt Instagram Story. Sharing a screenshot from a FaceTime call, Kaia wrote: 'I remember that time we sat on the couch and spent the whole day coming up with our own secret language that we continued to speak every time we saw each other.' Gone too soon: Numerous stars paid tribute to the rising actor, after learning he tragically passed away at the age of 23 on Sunday Upsetting: Among the first stars to pay tribute to Daniel was Patrick Schwarzenegger, who said he was 'praying' for his devastated sister Meredith Tragic: Meredith's comments was flooded with messages from celebrities including Paris Hilton and Madison Beer, who were mourning Daniel She added: 'I wish we could go back there. I wish we were still talking in sentences that probably annoyed everyone else but made us crack up every time.' Gerber went on to confess she wishes they could still FaceTime as she sat on the bathroom floor because it's 'the only place' she has Wi-Fi and she 'never wanted to miss a call from' him. 'Thank you for being the reason for so much laughter and happiness in the world. It won't be the same without you here. I love you Daniel,' she concluded on Monday night. The rising star, who was born in Atlanta, Georgia, also starred in indie horror film The Killer Clown Meets the Candy Man (pictured) She was born into Hollywood royalty. And Jamie Lee Curtis honored her late actress mother, Janet Leigh, with a heartfelt post celebrating what would have been her 94th birthday. The 62-year-old actress shared a sweet black-and-white snap with her legendary mom from when she was just a child to mark the memory. Tribute: Jamie Lee Curtis honored her late actress mother, Janet Leigh, with a heartfelt post celebrating what would have been her 94th birthday 'Happy Birthday Janet Leigh. You had a BIG life and gave me one too. Love and misses,' she captioned the post. Janet died at her home in Beverly Hills in 2004 at the age of 77 following a year-long battle with vasculitis, a disorder that destroys blood vessels by inflammation. Leigh was known for her award-winning role as Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 thriller, Psycho. Mom and Dad Curtis grew up with her birth father Tony Curtis and Janet's fourth (and final) husband, stockbroker Robert Brandt; seen with Tony and Janet in 1991 A star is born: Leigh was known for her award-winning role as Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 thriller, Psycho She went on to star in The Manchurian Candidate, Bye Bye Birdie, Wives and Lovers and An American Dream. Jamie and Janet acted together in a 1978 episode of ABC's The Love Boat, John Carpenter's 1980 horror flick The Fog, and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later in 1998. Curtis grew up with her birth father Tony Curtis and Janet's fourth (and final) husband, stockbroker Robert Brandt. Famous family: Jamie and Janet acted together in a 1978 episode of ABC's The Love Boat, John Carpenter's 1980 horror flick The Fog, and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later in 1998 'I'm the child of movie stars. I watched my parents get face lifts and neck lifts,' she told PEOPLE last month. 'I watched their work diminish, I watched their fame not diminish. And the contradiction of a lot of fame, but not a lot of work, is really hard to navigate for people. Very hard to be famous but not be doing the thing that made you famous. And that for the rest of your life, you're famous for something you did a long time ago, and you chase that attention.' Her breakout role in 1978's Halloween cemented her status as a scream queen and she'll soon star in the latest sequel from the franchise, Halloween Kills, when the flick hits theaters on Oct. 15. 'I wanted to be mindful, as the daughter of stars,' Curtis said. 'And so, I was hedging my bets, 'cause I don't want to be the person pining away for work and not getting it. It's humiliating and it's a hard business. It's all about what you look like.' Curtis has two adult children daughter Annie, 33; and son Thomas, 24 from her 36-year marriage to Christopher Guest. She has providing her social media followers with sunny holiday updates. And in her latest installment, which she posted on Instagram on Tuesday, Strictly's Nadiya Bychkova showcased her incredible figure once again. The professional dancer, 31, looked sizzling in a skimpy blue bikini as she soaked up the rays in Croatia before showing off her frame in a series of sexy swimwear looks. Impressive: Strictly's Nadiya Bychkova, 31, showcases her incredible figure in a skimpy blue bikini as she soaks in the rays in Croatia Posing on rocks beside the water in Hvar Island, Nadiya left little to the imagination as she showed off her washboard abs and toned legs. The blonde beauty shielded her face from the sun with a black cap and accessorised with bracelets but little else. Captioning the racy picture, she wrote: 'She is the risk you want to take.' The dancer has posted a variety of shots of her wearing bikinis and swimsuits on Instagram over the past week. Sizzling: The dancer has posted a variety of shots of her wearing bikinis and swimsuits in the sunshine on Instagram this week In one photo, Nadiya was seen wearing a tiny green bikini as she perched on top of a large wooden swing in the sea. With her hair tied back tightly into a bun, she kept accessories to a minimum, only opting for a pair of sunglasses. Captioning her picture, Nadiya wrote: 'La douceur de lete', which translates into English to say 'the sweetness of summer'. Croatia is currently on the Government's amber travel list, meaning Nadiya will need to quarantine for ten days when she arrives back in the UK. Wow: Earlier in June, Nadiya shared a series of photos of her luxury mother-daughter getaway at Slovenia's four star Bled Rose Hotel, wearing a variety of bikinis With amber list countries, anybody that travels back to the UK must take a Covid test before leaving, book and pay for day 2 and day 8 COVID-19 travel tests, and complete a passenger locator form. After arriving back in the UK from the amber list country, the individual must then quarantine themselves for 10 days. Nadiya's sizzling snaps comes after she also shared a series of stunning photos of her luxury mother-daughter getaway at Slovenia's four star Bled Rose Hotel earlier this month. She put her impressively toned physique on display while lounging next to a jacuzzi, before enjoying a dip with her little girl, Mila. Sizzling: The Strictly Come Dancing professional put her impressively toned physique on display while lounging next to a jacuzzi earlier this month The blonde beauty first donned a striking olive green two-piece while sipping on a glass of wine, before changing into a one-shoulder, cut-out black bikini that made sure Nadiya's rock hard abs were centre of attention. Nadiya revealed that she had whisked Mila away to celebrate her birthday, posting a snap of the pair hugging while sitting on the edge of an enormous bed that had been decorated with gold and pink balloons. Nadiya captioned her snap: 'The best feeling ever is when she is happy. @bled_rose_hotel Thank you for making the best birthday surprise for Mila. You made this day very special for her and for me.' [sic] The pair enjoyed a splash around in one of the hotel's jacuzzies, with doting mother Nadiya looking sensational in her black two-piece. Birthday trip: Nadiya revealed that she had whisked Mila away to celebrate her birthday, posting a snap of the pair hugging while sitting on the edge of an enormous bed Wearing her bright blonde hair loose, the Strictly star kept the sunshine at bay in a pair of chic oversized sunglasses while enjoying some quality time with Mila. The professional dancer also made sure to squeeze in some time to herself, tucking into a luxury cup of coffee while sprawled across her hotel bed in lace lingerie. Nadiya is a multiple-time Slovenian Ballroom and Latin Champion and previously has taken part in the Bosnian version of Strictly. Aside from dancing, the Ukrainian has also done some professional modelling, starring on the front cover of Slovenia's Playboy magazine in April 2015. Dawson's Creek alum Katie Holmes showcased her eccentric style while chatting on her phone in Manhattan on Monday. The Ohio-born 42-year-old wore a seventies-inspired floral short-sleeved blouse with matching long shorts and patent leather loafers for her outing. Katie's hair was wet and she wore shades as well as a surgical face mask, perhaps paranoid about the fast-spreading coronavirus 'Delta' variant. Wet hair! Dawson's Creek alum Katie Holmes showcased her eccentric style while chatting on her phone in Manhattan on Monday Co-ords: The Ohio-born 42-year-old wore a seventies-inspired floral short-sleeved blouse with matching long shorts and patent leather loafers for her outing Later that day, Holmes got glam to model for a photoshoot with photographer David Alexander Flinn and stylist Brie Welch. At one point, the Almost A Year producer-writer demonstrated a backbend with one leg up while clad in a strapless pleather jumpsuit and heels. Katie's Instagram post caught the eye of her ex-boyfriend Emilio Vitolo Jr., who commented with five bicep emojis and exclaimed: 'Yazzz!' She and the 33-year-old actor-chef split in April - seven months after he dumped his live-in fiancee Rachel Emmons via text to be with Holmes. Strike a pose! Later that day, Katie got glam to model for a photoshoot with photographer David Alexander Flinn and stylist Brie Welch At one point, Holmes demonstrated a backbend with one leg up while clad in a strapless pleather jumpsuit and heels The Almost A Year producer-writer's Instagram post caught the eye of her ex-boyfriend Emilio Vitolo Jr., who commented with five bicep emojis and exclaimed: 'Yazzz!' 'I love you!' She and the 33-year-old actor-chef split in April - seven months after he dumped his live-in fiancee Rachel Emmons via text to be with Katie (pictured on December 18) The Secret: Dare to Dream actress has primary custody of her 15-year-old daughter Suri from her six-year marriage to Oscar nominee Tom Cruise, which ended in 2012. Katie recently produced and starred as former Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks in a big-screen adaptation of her 2020 memoir, The Watergate Girl. On May 3, Holmes announced she wrapped her second directorial feature about 'two strangers embroiled in bad relationships, who wind up in the same upstate New York Airbnb.' Action! Holmes recently produced and starred as former Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks in a big-screen adaptation of her 2020 memoir, The Watergate Girl (pictured May 3) 'This has been the best experience of my career!' On May 3, The Boy II star announced she wrapped her second directorial feature - a Connecticut-set romance co-starring Jim Sturgess, Melissa Leo, and Zosia Mamet The Boy II star wrote, produced, and starred in the Connecticut-set romance alongside Jim Sturgess, Melissa Leo, Zosia Mamet, Luke Kirby, Derek Luke, and Becky Ann Baker. 'This has been the best experience of my career,' Katie - who boasts 2.3M Instagram followers - gushed. 'I am so grateful to my wonderful partners @martimvian and @michaelfitzpd I have never been so inspired. Thank u for teaching me and supporting me and to my wonderful cast.' Kim Kardashian has been enjoying a luxury vacation in Rome, Italy this month. And during her time in the ancient city, the 40-year-old reality TV sensation has been sharing photos to Instagram for her 233M followers. On Tuesday the estranged wife of rapper Kanye West was seen in a plunging dress and Sci-Fi Fantasy cap as she dug into a plate of cheese pasta before meeting with two iconic fashion designers. Splurging: Kim Kardashian was seen in a very lowcut dress and a cap as she dug into a bowl of cheese pasta in Italy in new images shared on Tuesday The dress that works hard for Kim: The siren was showing off her hourglass curves as she had on a low-cut dark brown dress with spaghetti straps that ended below her knees. She added black strappy high heels and a maroon bolero cardigan that barely covered her shoulders as it seemed a size too small Kim was seen with Donatella Versace and Kim Jones, the Artistic Director Dior Mens Artistic Director Fendi womenswear and couture. 'LEGENDS!!!' she wrote in her caption to her followers. The siren was showing off her hourglass curves as she had on a low-cut dark brown dress with spaghetti straps that ended below her knees. She added black strappy high heels and a maroon bolero cardigan that barely covered her shoulders as it seemed a size too small. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians siren was seen walking in Rome outside a building, eating pasta then posing with Donatella and Kim in the new post. Her fashion friends: Kim was seen with Donatella Versace and Kim Jones, the Artistic Director Dior Mens Artistic Director Fendi womenswear and couture. 'LEGENDS!!!' she wrote in her caption to her followers Her pal Jonathan Cheban, who goes by FoodGod now, said in the comments section: 'Bring back some Pasta you are eating more pasta than me this week.' On Sunday she was seen dining on pasta at the Trevi restaurant. She also shared snaps outside the Trevi fountain in the Italian capitol while rocking a stylish look. 'Tortoise Shell at the Trevi' she captioned her snap while dining at the restaurant. She was wearing a strapless Dolce & Gabbana tortoise shell patterned mini-dress which showed off ample cleavage for the dinnertime look. She had her hair pulled back in a bun while rocking some strappy heels for her night on the town. Cuisine: Kim was eating plain pasta in Rome this weekend as she showed off her chest Kim's look: She was wearing a strapless Dolce & Gabbana mini-dress which showed off ample cleavage for the dinnertime look The fashionista also showed off her nails that matched her mini-dress from her Kim K Beauty line. She completed her look with a pair of skinny sunglasses as she sat near the fountain after dinner. On Saturday Kim showed off her modeling skills in a white leather skirt while visiting the Spanish Steps in Rome. When in Rome: On Saturday Kim showed off her modeling skills in a white leather skirt while visiting the Spanish Steps in Rome In a smaller city: The mogul visited the Vatican City on Thursday, with a heartfelt post about the visit on her Instagram. 'We had the most incredible experience touring Vatican City @vaticanmuseums,' Kardashian began in her post Art fan: 'It was amazing to be able to view all of the iconic art, architecture and ancient Roman sculptures in person, especially Michelangelos works,' she added The mogul visited the Vatican City on Thursday, with a heartfelt post about the visit on her Instagram. 'We had the most incredible experience touring Vatican City @vaticanmuseums,' Kardashian began in her post. 'It was amazing to be able to view all of the iconic art, architecture and ancient Roman sculptures in person, especially Michelangelos works,' she added. Her makeup men: And the daughter of Kris Jenner was also seen in a white keyhole top with blue shorts and gray heels as she took in the Colosseum with her makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic who also works with Kim's pal Jennifer Lopez 'We even had an opportunity to view their private archive of robes worn by every pope in history, dating back to the 1500s,' she said. She went on to thank OC Special, 'for arranging the visit,' adding, 'Dont worry, I adhered to the dress code and fully covered up while inside St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapels.' And the daughter of Kris Jenner was also seen in a white keyhole top with blue shorts and gray heels as she took in the Colosseum with her makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic who also works with Kim's pal Jennifer Lopez. While Kim was in Italy, West took their four kids - North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm - to Mexico. Kim is now on a lake vacation with her kids as well as sister Khloe. She is an adoring mother of two children. And Jenna Dewan was every inch the doting mom as she enjoyed a picnic in the park with her son Callum on Monday. The 40-year-old was spotted spending some quality mommy-and-me time with her one-year-old in Los Angeles. Aww! Jenna Dewan enjoyed a picnic date in the park with her son Callum on Monday Jenna arrived carrying their goodies inside of a stylish tote bag as her precious son waddled across the lawn. Callum couldn't have looked happier enjoying a day in the fresh air with his mother. The Step Up actress kept it casual with a black cap, grey T-shirt, ripped jeans and Converse, while her youngster kept cool with a white hat over his head. Once Jenna found a table for them, the actress placed Callum on her lap as the duo munched on their lunch. That's her boy! Dewan placed her son on her lap as they enjoyed lunch at their picnic table Jenna shares Callum with her fiancee, Broadway actor Steve Kazee. The actress also has daughter Everly, eight, with her ex-husband Channing Tatum. Meanwhile, Jenna is back in the U.S. after returning from Australia, where she had been filming the new season of Come Dance With Me since May. Keeping it casual! The Step Up actress kept it casual with a black cap, grey T-shirt, ripped jeans and Converse Amazing adventures! Photos on her Instagram account show the star at Werribee Open Range Zoo, Mount Egerton and many other places In between filming, the she enjoyed herself with trips to various tourist destinations. Photos on her Instagram account show the star at Werribee Open Range Zoo, Mount Egerton and many other places. Despite being filmed in Australia, Come Dance With Me is an American series that will air on CBS. The family-friendly show will feature ex-dancer Jenna as a judge, while NCIS: Los Angeles co-stars LL Cool J and Chris ODonnell will serve as executive producers. On Tuesday, Emmy winner Amy Schumer shared a snap of her husband of three years, Chris Fischer, and their two-year-old son Gene David celebrating the July 4th holiday weekend. The 40-year-old comedian - who boasts 19M social media followers - captioned her Instagram post: 'The [fourth] was lit.' Amy and the 40-year-old chef currently have three frozen embryos to eventually provide a sibling, via surrogate, for their cherubic child. 'The [fourth] was lit': On Tuesday, Emmy winner Amy Schumer shared a snap of her husband of three years, Chris Fischer, and their two-year-old son Gene David celebrating the July 4th holiday weekend Schumer reportedly met Fischer - who has Asperger's Syndrome - through her personal assistant (his sister) just five months before they wed. But a second baby will have to wait as the native New Yorker has been hard at work in the Hudson Valley writing, producing, directing, and starring in her 10-episode Hulu comedy series Life & Beth. Last Friday, Amy's Life & Beth castmate Michael Rapaport goofed around on set with Michael Cera where he pretended to mistake him for Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Jon Heder. 'F***ing awesome man, Superbad is one of my favorite movies. Yo, McLovin, yo! Killed it in Superbad, man,' the 51-year-old Grammy nominee joked. Family set visit: The comedian and the chef - both 40 - currently have three frozen embryos to eventually provide a sibling, via surrogate, for their cherubic child (pictured June 17) Action! But a second baby will have to wait as Amy has been hard at work in the Hudson Valley writing, producing, directing, and starring in her 10-episode Hulu comedy series Life & Beth (pictured May 25) '#LifeandBeth': Last Friday, Schumer's Life & Beth castmate Michael Rapaport (L) goofed around on set with Michael Cera (R) where he pretended to mistake him for Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Jon Heder The 51-year-old Grammy nominee (L) joked: 'Yo, McLovin, yo! Killed it in Superbad, man. Killed it. F***ing McLovin in the house! Yo, you know what else is good? That s*** you did, Napoleon Dynamite. That was good too man. That's my guy here. McLovin, what up?' 'Killed it. F***ing McLovin in the house! Yo, you know what else is good? That s*** you did, Napoleon Dynamite. That was good too man. That's my guy here. McLovin, what up?' But first, audiences can catch Schumer, June Squibb, and Beanie Feldstein in Stephen Karam's big-screen adaptation of his own Tony-winning 2015 play The Humans. The Thanksgiving-set A24 drama - due out later this year - also stars Steven Yeun, Richard Jenkins, and Jayne Houdyshell. And if that wasn't enough on her plate, the Expecting Amy star will also soon star in an unscripted eight-episode series Amy Learns To... for HBO Max. Double duty! But first, audiences can catch the Expecting Amy star, June Squibb (L), and Beanie Feldstein (R) in Stephen Karam's big-screen adaptation of his own Tony-winning 2015 play The Humans She rose to fame after starring opposite Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat 2. And Maria Bakalova put on a stunning display as she stepped out for Georgio Armani's Prive Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2021/2022 show at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday. The Bulgarian actress, 25, looked sensational in a black and blue co-ord ensemble that featured a quirky diamond pattern. Wow! Maria Bakalova put on a stylish display in a black and blue co-ord ensemble with a quirky print at Georgio Armani's Paris Fashion Week show on Tuesday Maria's ensemble paired a short-sleeved shirt with a maxi high-waist skirt that had a daring thigh slit to show off her slender legs. The blonde beauty wore her golden locks in a sleek, straight bob that she covered with a black beret, and she wore a slick of bright red lipstick. Boosting her height in a pair of chic heels that matched her attire, Maria completed the look by accessorising with a pair of large diamond earrings. Glamorous: The blonde beauty wore her golden locks in a sleek, straight bob that she covered with a black beret, and she wore a slick of bright red lipstick Legs for days! Maria's ensemble paired a short-sleeved shirt with a maxi high-waist skirt that had a daring thigh slit to show off her slender legs Attention to detail: Boosting her height in a pair of chic heels that matched her attire, Maria completed the look by accessorising with a pair of large diamond earrings Maria was joined by Melissa George at the event, who was sure to turn heads in her plunging black pinstripe blazer. She went braless for the outing and paired the jacket with flared velvet trousers that accentuated her slender frame. Like Maria, Melissa also donned a beret for the event and she styled her brunette locks into loose waves. Gorgeous: Maria was joined by Melissa George at the event, who was sure to turn heads in her plunging black pinstripe blazer Revealing: Melissa went braless and opted not to wear a shirt underneath the jacket Stylish: Maria paired the jacket with flared velvet trousers that accentuated her slender frame Star of the show: Melissa posed for snaps alongside Roberta Armani Ashley Park also made a stylish entrance at the event, as she slipped into a black pinstripe shirt and matching trousers. The Emily In Paris star wore her brunette locks in a chic half-back do with a stylish black bow tying it back. She added a pop of colour to her monochromatic look by wearing a blue stone earrings and carrying a chic butterfly purse. Suit up: Ashley Park also made a stylish entrance at the event, as she slipped into a black pinstripe shirt and matching trousers Refined: The Emily In Paris star wore her brunette locks in a chic half-back do with a stylish black bow tying it back Details: Ashley added a pop of colour to her monochromatic look by wearing a blue stone earrings and carrying a chic butterfly purse Maria played Borat's 15-year-old daughter Tutar in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards. At the time she said she was 'so grateful' to receive a nod for the award, after being nominated alongside Glenn Close, Olivia Colman, Amanda Seyfried, and Youn Yuh-jung - who won the prize for Minari. The film, shot in the middle of both a pandemic and a fiercely fought American presidential election, is a sequel to Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan, which came out 15 years ago. Sweet: Maria and Roberta were seen hugging each other at the event Friends: The pair also held hands while posing for pictures on the front row Rise to fame: Maria played Borat's 15-year-old daughter Tutar in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards In the sequel, Tutar stows away in a cage, and winds up in the 'U.S. and A', accompanying her hapless dad on a mission to restore his 'good' name, and she also came face-to-face with Rudy Giuliani. Speaking to Baz Bamigboye about the scene, she said: 'I was able to hear my heart racing like crazy. He was the president's lawyer; and these people are super smart, usually. 'I'm not sure I saw it the way everybody else saw it. Sacha was hiding in the closet, trying to save his daughter but he saved me, Maria! As a producer, and as a creator, he's my teacher and guardian angel.' Fashionistas: Maria was also seen posing alongside Anna Wintour Stunning display: Maria and Roberta were also joined by Ashely at the event Oscar nominee Sharon Stone revealed she was once branded as 'difficult' and it caused significant damage to her career. 'I'm just excited to see where I belong in the world, to see where my journey is going,' the 63-year-old Basic Instinct alum told WSJ. Magazine's Lane Florsheim. 'I think that when I was saying all these things - that now Kamala Harris, our fabulous vice president, and Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton are now avidly discussing - about women's rights, [it] made my film career quite difficult. 'Can this wounded warrior be accepted back into her industry?' Oscar nominee Sharon Stone revealed she was once branded as 'difficult' and it damaged her career (pictured Friday) 'People found me to be "difficult" because I was asking for those things and expecting to get those things that I felt were correct and appropriate for myself and other women.' Sharon continued: 'That hurt me and my standing with my colleagues in the business. What I [am waiting] to see at this point is now that [gender equality] is becoming the standard fare, [will] I be accepted back into my film community because I had that great thing that President Obama talked about, which was audacity? 'I was willing to bash my own head on the glass ceiling. I'm going to have to see if this wounded warrior can be accepted back into her industry or if I will have to move along somewhere else.' Stone also admitted that she felt like she had 'really awful hair' and preferred seventies-inspired hippie attire over sexy bustiers and heels. The 63-year-old Basic Instinct alum (pictured May 3) told WSJ. Magazine's Lane Florsheim: 'I was asking for those things and expecting to get those things that I felt were correct and appropriate...I was willing to bash my own head on the glass ceiling' 'I'm often bleaching it, obviously': Sharon also admitted that she felt like she had 'really awful hair' and preferred seventies-inspired hippie attire over sexy bustiers (pictured Friday) 'We do planking contests to see who can plank the longest': Stone discovered a fun way to incorporate her three sons (from L-R, pictured in 2019) - Laird, 16; Quinn, 15; and Roan, 21 - into her workout regime 'That really does get your whole body together': The brainy blonde Buddhist also regularly does squats and swimming to maintain her enviable 5ft9in figure (pictured June 26) 'I'm often bleaching [my hair], obviously,' the brainy blonde Buddhist explained. 'I don't really like to be uncomfortable, so I'm not one of those people that you're often going to see in a bustier, uncomfortable shoes - gear that's really hard to wear. I like clothes that are simple and clean and structurally, architecturally interesting. I like hippie kind of clothes.' Sharon discovered a fun way to incorporate her three sons - Laird, 16; Quinn, 15; and Roan, 21 - into her workout regime. 'We do planking contests to see who can plank the longest,' Stone said. 'They can plank for half an hour.' Creativity: On Monday, Sharon posted that she was 'getting my painting on' using blank canvases and watercolors Brush in hand: It's a hobby Stone picked up at age 15 while studying on a creative writing scholarship at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania The Beauty of Living Twice author also regularly does squats and swimming to maintain her enviable 5ft9in figure. 'I think squats are really important. If you do squats every day, that really does get your whole body together,' Sharon noted. 'I really like to swim, and I find that [the] butterfly is a really great overall workout for me, and a stroke that really works for my body overall.' On Monday, Stone posted that she was 'getting my painting on' using blank canvases and watercolors. 'You never know who's going to change your life': UK audiences can finally catch the Ratched star's cameo as herself in Billy Crystal's directorial effort Here Today starting September 3 It's a hobby the Never Before songwriter picked up at age 15 while studying on a creative writing scholarship at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. According to IMDb, Sharon's 21-year-old son Roan will make his acting debut opposite her in Klaus Menzel's long-delayed movie, What About Love, which was filmed back in 2012. The European-set romantic drama - now scheduled to hit US theaters February 11, 2022 - also stars Andy Garcia, Kamaliya, Marielle Jaffe, and Miguel Angel Munoz. Stone will also act in Andrew Dosunmu's LGBT romantic drama Beauty penned by Lena Waithe, which streams later this year on Netflix. But first, UK audiences can catch the Ratched star's cameo as herself in Billy Crystal's directorial effort Here Today starting September 3. She recently returned to Los Angeles after enjoying a lavish trip to Greece last week. And Hailey Bieber sported a post-vacation glow on Tuesday afternoon as she ran errands in Beverly Hills. Meanwhile, the 24-year-old model's husband Justin Bieber was spotted nearby taking care of some business of his own with a bodyguard by his side. Glowing: Hailey Bieber sported a post-vacation glow on Tuesday afternoon as she ran errands in Beverly Hills Hailey put her enviably taut tummy on display in a pair of plaid high-waisted trousers and a fuzzy crop top. The daughter of Stephen Baldwin's daring top, featuring a plunging neckline, was held together by an antique gold clasp. She layered two chains around her neck, including one that featured her and Justin's last initial. Hailey also had a pair of chunky gold hoops in her ears and several rings on her freshly manicured fingers. Fit: The 24-year-old model put her enviably taut tummy on display in a pair of plaid high-waisted trousers and a fuzzy crop top Represent: She layered two chains around her neck, including one that featured her and husband Justin's last initial She wore her golden blonde hair slicked back and secured into a chic bun, while appearing to wear little to no makeup. Giving her entire ensemble a sporty edge, Bieber slipped her feet into a pair of black and white Nike sneakers that poked out from beneath her cuffed trousers as she strolled. Due to the intense California sunshine, Hailey kept her eyes protected with a pair of black RayBan shades. Sporty: Giving her entire ensemble a sporty edge, Bieber slipped her feet into a pair of black and white Nike sneakers that poked out from beneath her cuffed trousers as she strolled Taking care of business: Meanwhile, the 24-year-old model's husband Justin Bieber was spotted nearby taking care of some business of his own with a bodyguard by his side She carried her cellphone in her hand, while the rest of her belongings remained stowed away in the designer bag tucked under her arm. Justin cut a casual figure for his solo errand run in Beverly Hills, with the 27-year-old pop star tossing on a white thermal top and a pair of grey sweatpants. He had a black backpack on and slipped into a pair of his trusty Nike trainers which boasted a blue, gold, and white color scheme. The Baby hitmaker carried a bottle of cold brew coffee in his hand in order to give himself an extra boost of energy. Getaway: Although they are back to their busy lifestyle, Justin and Hailey were able to get in plenty of relaxation and recharging time during their recent getaway to Greece; Justin and Hailey pictured on June 28 Luxe: The couple first splashed out nearly $1,400 a night to stay at the lavish Calilo hotel, before hiring an over $383,600-per-week yacht on the Greek island of Milos; Hailey pictured on June 29 Although they are back to their busy lifestyle, Justin and Hailey were able to get in plenty of relaxation and recharging time during their recent getaway to Greece. The couple first splashed out nearly $1,400 a night to stay at the lavish Calilo hotel, before hiring an over $383,600-per-week yacht on the Greek island of Milos. The yacht, called the Mustique, was built in 2005 has a crew of 12 members. The luxury interior styling is the work of Dee Robinson Interiors and has one VIP cabin, three double cabins and one twin cabin. All hands on deck: The yacht, called the Mustique, was built in 2005 has a crew of 12 members. The luxury interior styling is the work of Dee Robinson Interiors and has one VIP cabin, three double cabins and one twin cabin; Hailey pictured Recreation: Recreational activities include two Yamaha wave runners, paddle boards, jet-skis, kayaks, banana boats and a inflatable doughnut, which Justin and Hailey utilized during their rental period; Justin and Hailey pictured Recreational activities include two Yamaha wave runners, paddle boards, jet-skis, kayaks, banana boats and a inflatable doughnut, which Justin and Hailey utilized during their rental period. While on shore at the Calilo hotel in Greece, the couple stayed at the celebrity suite named 'Blue & You' and enjoyed the benefits of a large private outdoor marble pool. During the length of their stay, Justin and Hailey shared glimpses of their luxurious trip with their respective Instagram followings, including their gourmet meals and favorite sites. Glimpses: During the length of their stay, Justin and Hailey shared glimpses of their luxurious trip with their respective Instagram followings, including their gourmet meals and favorite sites; Justin and Hailey pictured Hailey also made sure to upload plenty of bikini snapshots that showed her soaking up the sun and spending time in the crystal clear ocean water with her husband. Justin and Hailey will celebrate their third wedding anniversary in September, with the couple having wed during a courthouse ceremony in 2018. Weeks later, the loved up (and legally married) pair held a lavish ceremony in South Carolina, which was attended by their closest family and friends. Two farm owners are mourning the death of the world's tallest horse, who died two weeks ago on their farm in Wisconsin. The 20-year-old Belgian named 'Big Jake'Big Jake,' was a 6-foot-10 and weighed 2,500 pounds. He lived on Smokey Hollow Farm in Poynette, Wisconsin with farm owner Jerry Gilbert and his wife, Valicia. In 2010, The Guinness Book of World Records certified him as the worlds tallest living horse. Two farm owners are mourning the death of the world's tallest horse, 'Big Jake,' who died two weeks ago on their farm in Wisconsin. In this picture, Jerry Gilbert brushes Big Jake at the Midwest Horse Fair in Madison, Wisconsin. Gilbert would showcase the lanky horse at shows like the Wisconsin State Fair and entered him into the Draft Horse Showing. In this picture, 'Big Jake' attends the Midwest Horse Fair in Madison, Wisconsin. Jerry Gilbert told WMTV that 'Big Jake' was a 'superstar' and a 'truly magnificent animal.' He said Big Jake was born in Nebraska and weighed 240 pounds at birth, about 100 pounds - heavier at birth than a typical Belgian foal When the Associated Press reached out to the farm owner's wife Monday via Facebook, she declined to give the precise date of the colossal horse's passing. 'We would rather not remember him by a date - it's been a traumatic event for our family,' she said. Jerry Gilbert told WMTV that 'Big Jake' was a 'superstar' and a 'truly magnificent animal.' He said Big Jake was born in Nebraska and weighed 240 pounds at birth, about 100 pounds - heavier at birth than a typical Belgian foal. 'Jake was just a special horse,' said Gilbert. 'He was truly a gentle giant. He knew he was special and whenever we would show him, people would be taken back by him by his size and everything,' In 2010, The Guinness Book of World Records certified 'Big Jake,' (pictured) as the worlds tallest living horse 'Big Jake,' (pictured) lived on Smokey Hollow Farm in Poynette, Wisconsin with farm owner Jerry Gilbert and his wife, Valicia. Gilbert said he plans to memorialize 'Big Jake' (pictured) by keeping his stall empty and inserting a brick on the outside of it with his picture and name Gilbert showcased the lanky horse at shows like the Wisconsin State Fair, and entered him into the Draft Horse Showing. But for Gilbert, 'Big Jake' was much more than a celebrity horse- he was family. 'Our relationship was special,' he told WMTV.' It is amazing what we do for these animals because they are like our children. We care for them, we protect them, we are with them every single day,' said Gilbert. Gilbert said he plans to memorialize 'Big Jake' by keeping his stall empty and inserting a brick on the outside of it with his picture and name. 'It's very quiet (at the farm),' Jerry Gilbert said. 'The other horses know. I think they have their own grieving time because Jake was the center of attention around here. There is a huge void. It feels like he's still here, but he's not.' 'Day to day, I think we will always feel that Jake is still here,' Gilbert added. 'And I don't think that will ever change.' The story has been corrected to indicate that Big Jake was certified as the worlds tallest living horse in 2010, not in 2020. Neel Bhatt, a UW assistant professor of otolaryngology, specializes in treating patients with voice problems. Through his work, he began to realize people did not like the sound of their own voices. With the transition to school over Zoom, many students can relate to the discomfort of hearin VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) The European Union promised Tuesday to help bloc member Lithuania handle an influx of migrants from the Middle East and Africa, which the Baltic nation says is encouraged by authorities in neighboring Belarus as part of their standoff with the West. During a visit to Lithuania's border village of Medininkai, European Council President Charles Michel pledged that we will do our utmost to provide more support so that the Lithuanian authorities can overcome these difficulties and find solutions. Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, accompanying Michel, accused Belarusian authorities of encouraging the flow of migrants as a hybrid attack. We are guarding not only Lithuanias, but also the EUs external border, she said. Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has announced that his country would halt cooperation with the EU on stemming illegal migration in retaliation for bruising economic sanctions the bloc slapped on Belarus over the diversion of a passenger jet to arrest a dissident journalist. Last week, Lithuania declared a state of emergency due to an influx of migrants across the 679-kilometer (422-mile) border. More than 1,200 people were detained after entering from Belarus last month twelve times more than in previous years. Another 131 were discovered walking in a border wood on Monday night. Lithuania has set up tent camps to accommodate the growing number of migrants, most of them from Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Cameroon. The Baltic country is sending delegations to Turkey and Iraq later this month to discuss the matter with local governments. Michel promised to contact the countries where migrants were coming from. But Lukashenko reaffirmed his warning that Belarus will no longer try to stem the flow of migrants. If some think that we will close our borders with Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine and become a camp for people fleeing Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Tunisia they are mistaken, Lukashenko said Tuesday during a government meeting. We won't hold anyone, they are coming not to us but to the enlightened, warm and cozy Europe, he added mockingly. The Belarusian Union of Journalists, a pro-government media organization, said in a statement that the number of migrants heading West via Belarus will top 5,000 this month and warned that flows might begin into Poland too. Belarus was rocked by months of protests fueled by Lukashenkos reelection to a sixth term in an August 2020 election that have been widely condemned including by the EU as rigged. Authorities responded with a massive crackdown that saw more than 35,000 people arrested and thousands beaten by police. Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and many other opposition figures fled to Lithuania amid the crackdown. Lithuania this week said it was granting diplomatic status to Tsikhanouskaya's office a symbolic gesture that does not envision the office acting in a consular role. That angered Belarus, whose foreign ministry on Tuesday ordered Lithuania to reduce its diplomats in the country to a minimum, without specifying the number. Giving a deliberately illegitimate structure an imaginary official status will remain an illusory attempt to form a parallel reality, a ministry statement said. Last week, Belarus said it would suspend a readmission agreement with the EU intended to stem illegal migration. They criticize our government for our refusal to fulfill the readmission agreement, Lukashenko said. They want to turn Belarus into a filtration facility for people fleeing wars and other woes, they want us to take them and place them in camps here. It's not going to happen after the policy they pursued toward Belarus and Russia. Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said the country held the door open for resuming cooperation on migration with the EU by not outright spiking the deal. Last month, the EU imposed new sanctions on Belarus over the diversion of the passenger plane. They targeted the countrys top export items, including potash a common fertilizer ingredient petroleum products and tobacco industry exports. The 27-nation bloc had previously banned the Belarusian flag carrier from EU skies and airports and ordered EU airlines to skirt Belarusian airspace over the May 23 incident when Belarus diverted a Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania and ordered it to land in Minsk where dissident journalist Raman Pratasevich and his Russian girlfriend were arrested. Pavel Latushka, a leading Belarusian opposition activist who was forced to leave the country last year under official pressure, said that Belarusian authorities have encouraged migratory flows to strike at the West. Lukashenko is taking revenge on the EU, Latushka told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Warsaw. They have developed an entire scheme to get migrants to Minsk and move them to Europe in retaliation for the sanctions. He charged that Lukashenko's decree issued last week, which offered visa-free entry for nationals of 73 countries who are willing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in Belarus, opened the door to migrants. Latushka claimed that people from Mideast countries have been flown from Iraq to Minsk aboard Iraqi Airways flights. They have allegedly been provided with temporary accommodation by Centrkurort, a company controlled by Belarus' presidential administration, and a special unit of the Belarusian border guard agency has taken them to the Lithuanian border and helped them cross it in the most vulnerable areas, he charged. The Belarusian authorities treat the movement of migrants as a special operation, Latushka said, claiming that Lukashenko's older son, Viktor, was in charge of it. Belarus' Border Guard Committee wouldn't comment on Latushka's claims. __ Karmanau reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency resigned Tuesday after it became apparent that the Republican-controlled state Senate was prepared to oust her. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said Laura Bishop resigned in order to ensure a smooth and orderly transition at the agency she had led since 2019. I am extremely disappointed in the Republicans in the Senate who are choosing to use taxpayer dollars to play partisan games and try to politicize an agency charged with protecting Minnesotans from pollution because they refuse to acknowledge the science of climate change," Walz said in a statement. Senate Republican leaders extended the special session last week after they finished a $52 billion, two-year budget, a move that lets them wield their chambers authority to conform or reject the governors appointments after a contentious several months of budget and policy battles. Republicans had been critical of the how the MPCA under Bishop bypassed the Legislature in rulemaking for the Walz administrations clean car plan, which aims to encourage drivers to switch to low- and no-emission electric vehicles, a proposal the states auto dealers consider burdensome and unnecessary. But they were unable to scrap the proposal during the budget negotiations. GOP leaders also complained about some agency stances on mining and manure regulation. It has been an honor to serve Minnesotans in this role. However, I will not allow the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to be politicized. The work is too important, Bishop said in the governors statement. I look forward to continued work to protect our states waters, air, land, and climate for future generations of Minnesotans. MPCA Deputy Commissioner Peter Tester was named temporary commissioner of the agency. The governors office announced Bishops resignation as a hearing was underway on the confirmation of Jennifer Ho, commissioner of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. Ho faced some tough questions about the implementation of the RentHelpMN pandemic rental aid program, but none that indicated any senators were building a case for firing her. And at a separate hearing before an environment committee, Sarah Strommen, commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources, got a ringing endorsement from the Republican chairwoman. Sen. Carrie Ruud, of Breezy Point. GOP Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka told reporters the special session would adjourn once and for all after the key votes Wednesday. He indicated it's possible that his members wont remove any other commissioners. But he wouldn't rule out another look in September, when lawmakers are expected to reconvene for another special session to approve plans for distributing a $250 million bonus package of federal aid for frontline workers who risked their lives in the pandemic. It's not an enjoyable experience," Gazelka said. "It is, Are they doing their job or are they not doing their job? And so we dont take it lightly, Democrats tried to force a final adjournment earlier Tuesday to block the confirmation votes and protect the appointees' jobs, but lost 31-35 after losing a similar move last Friday. Senate Minority Leader Susan Kent, of Woodbury, accused Republicans of an abuse of this process for keeping the special session going after finishing the budget instead of acting on the governor's appointments before the regular session ended in mid-May. And Sen. Melisa Franzen, of Edina, accused Republicans of planning political theater to demonize some, to say that We didnt get what we wanted in the budget negotiations so now you're out of a job.'" The Senate then confirmed two noncontroversial appointments on voice votes Mark Phillips, commissioner of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board, and Aaron Vande Linde, director of the Office of School Trust Lands. Both men got friendly receptions at committee hearings earlier Tuesday. So did Dean Compart, president of the Board of Animal Health, though the full Senate didn't vote on his nomination Tuesday. Bishop was not the first casualty of political tensions between the Walz administration and Senate Republicans. The Senate removed two Walz commissioners during special sessions last summer Commerce Commissioner Steve Kelley and Labor and Industry Commissioner Peggy Leppink in disputes, respectively, over Enbridge Energy's Line 3 oil pipeline and how the Walz administration was managing the state's pandemic response. Senate GOP leaders have chosen not to act on most of Walz's cabinet nominations in order to retain their leverage. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription and are still unable to access our content, please link your digital account to your print subscription If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. GST collection had remained above the Rs 1 lakh crore mark for eight months in a row and was Rs 1.02 lakh crore in May. (ANI File) New Delhi: GST collection slipped below Rs 1 lakh crore in June for the first time in eight months as the second wave of the Covid pandemic and the resultant lockdowns hit businesses and the economy. At Rs 92,849 crore, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection is the lowest in 10 months since August 2020, when it was Rs 86,449 crore, official numbers released Tuesday showed. The GST collections in June 2021 are primarily for supplies made in May, a month when most states were under different levels of lockdown, reducing business activity. With significant relaxations in lockdown and business supplies picking up, the collections should see a definite uptick in the coming months, experts said. The gross GST revenue collected in the month of June 2021 is Rs 92,849 crore, of which Central GST is Rs 16,424 crore, State GST is Rs 20,397, Integrated GST is Rs 49,079 crore (including Rs 25,762 crore collected on import of goods) and Cess is Rs 6,949 crore (including Rs 809 crore collected on import of goods), the finance ministry said. The mop-up in June 2021 is 2 per cent higher than Rs 90,917 crore collected in June 2020. GST collection had remained above the Rs 1 lakh crore mark for eight months in a row and was Rs 1.02 lakh crore in May. However, the collection in June 2021 dropped below Rs 1 lakh crore. "The GST collection for June 2021 is related to the business transactions made during May 2021. During May 2021, most of the states/UTs were under either complete or partial lockdown due to COVID," the ministry added. It said that e-way bill generation data for the month of June suggests that uptick in revenue is expected in the coming months. The e-way bills generated during June 2021 has gone up to 5.5 crore, indicating recovery of trade and business, up from 3.99 crore in May. As many as 5.88 crore e-way bill were generated in April. "With reduction in caseload and easing of lockdowns, the e-way bills generated during June 2021 are 5.5 crore which indicates recovery of trade and business...it is expected that while the GST revenues have dipped during the month of June, the revenues will see an increase again from July 2021 onwards," the ministry added. ICRA Chief Economist Aditi Nayar said despite declining to a 10-month low, the June 2021 GST collections provided a positive surprise. "Overall, the GST collections in Q1 FY2022 are nearly twice as high as Q1 FY2021, highlighting the narrower impact of the state-wise restrictions necessitated by the second wave of Covid-19 in India, as compared to the stringent nationwide lockdown last year. This will buffer the revenue situation of the Centre and the states, which should support a ramping up of expenditure going ahead," Nayar added. Deloitte India Senior Director M S Mani said while the collections are lower than Rs 1 lakh crore which had become the norm for the past few months, considering the fact that it relates to transactions in May 2021 which was badly impacted by the pandemic, it would be considered as a very satisfactory collection." EY Tax Partner Abhishek Jain said the collections are for the supplies made in the month of May, where several parts of the country were under the lockdown, so this dip is on the expected lines. With significant relaxations in lockdown and business supplies picking up, the collections should see a definite uptick in the coming months. After having been part of a handful of South movies, Nikki Tamboli has signed her next film with Raghava Lawrence. The actress is excited about collaborating with the director for the second time after Kanchana. I cant wait to begin to work for Lawrence sirs film. The script was so amazing that I wanted to thank him for choosing me, Nikki says, adding that she would commence shooting when things settle down with regard to the health scenario. The South is where I started my career, and the scripts I have been getting to be part of are exciting, she says. While she is tight-lipped about her role in the new movie, the actress says she has already begun prepping for it. Nikki Tamboli Challenging in more ways than one Nikki is recently back from Cape Town, after shooting for the adventure reality television series, Khatron Ke Khiladi 11. She says being part of the show was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In the show, I have done things that I do not get to do in real life. It was such an amazing experience, and was also an eye-opener for me in terms of how I see life, Nikki shares. When I was part of the Bigg Boss 14, I had to pretend; I was apprehensive about doing certain tasks but I didnt show it. But while doing Khatron, I realised that I have to be myself and not try emulating somebody else, explains the Thipparaa Meesam star, adding that she also realised the importance of being open to learning. Even though people branded me as being scared of certain things in the show, I was OK with it because I believe no one is a born genius. Everyone will acquire skills over a period of time, she says. A day before she was scheduled to leave for Cape Town in May, Nikki lost her brother Jatin Tamboli to Covid-19. The loss has hit her family hard. We couldnt process the news, says Nikki. I had to gather strength from within and move on with a heavy heart. My heart was at home Revealing that she did find it a challenge to focus on the show in the face of such a big personal tragedy, the Kanchana 3 star said she may have been physically present at the shoot, but her heart was always at her home with her parents. At times, I used to get depressed remembering my brother and feel unable to move on. She was criticised for going ahead with the show despite her brothers loss. But Nikki had realised that in life one has to move on, and be happy about the things one has, instead of going into a shell. Moreover, it was my brothers wish to see me in the show. We had discussed it a lot before he was hospitalised. He was so excited about it. I wanted to make him happy, wherever he is, the actress shares, adding that it was difficult to leave for Cape Town at that point, but her parents too encouraged her to go. Hyderabad: The OU and JNTU students JAC (joint action committee) held a demonstration in front of education minister Sabitha Indra Reddys residence on Monday seeking cancellation of physical examinations and holding of only online exams. The exams are starting on Tuesday. A delegation of the students submitted a representation to the minister. Hundreds of students from Osmania University (OU) and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) gathered at the ministers residence in Srinagar Colony on Monday morning and shouted slogans against physical examinations. The students told the minister they were worried over the prevalence of Covid-19 and the likelihood of a third wave. Most of the student community is yet to be vaccinated, they pointed out. The minister assured the students that their request will be examined. Aamer Javeed, senior vice-president of the Telangana Congress who led the students delegation to the minister, said, When the University College of Engineering and other autonomous colleges are able to hold examinations online, the government can surely do the same for affiliated colleges. This is being done in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh too. He said, The minister promised us that the interests of students from rural areas will also be considered as they may not have the same access to online resources as students from urban areas have. The minister asked the chairman of Telangana state council of higher education and commissioner of collegiate and technical education department to explore the possibility of holding online examinations for all undergraduate students of Osmania University and JNTU. "If nothing else works out, we urge the government to promote the undergraduate students as they've promoted CBSE, ICSE and SSC students. These are unprecedented times and exceptions must be made to save lives," he said. The pandemic has hurt the schooling system since this caused many students to drift away from educational pursuits. Representational Image (AFP) Adilabad: The Covid19 pandemic has started showing its negative impact on the education of adivasi students in old Adilabad and the state in general. The pandemic has hurt the schooling system. Resumption of regular classroom teaching can help re-generate interest for studies among the adivasi students and bring them back to schools. Otherwise, many adivasi students will see an abrupt end to their education before reaching the high school level. Many students are drifting away from educational pursuits. They are learning to drive tractors and four wheel vehicles to settle down as drivers. Some of them have engaged in agricultural works to support their parents after discontinuing their studies due to closure of government schools in the old Adilabad district. Some adivasi girl students ended up as babysitters in villages where their parents got busy with agricultural operations. There is no proper monitoring of the adivasi student's education during the Covid pandemic from the government as also the parents' side. Adivasi community elders and leaders of their organisations have failed to take care of their children's education during the pandemic. Many adivasi students at high school level have, on their own, not utilized the pandemic period to improve their language skills and subject awareness. They rather discontinued their studies at home too once the residential schools were closed. Instead, many of them spent their time in travel, pilgrimage and cultural activities. Adivasi parent Sidam Anil Kumar of Jainoor said the pandemic had an adverse effect on the adivasi students and it was very difficult for them now to compete with others at examinations. Educational standards are low among the adivasi students as compared to other groups. Two academic years have gone waste without much learning. Students were upgraded to higher classes and the government gave all-pass to SSC students due to the pandemic situation. Government schools and hostels have remained closed since March last year and teachers are conducting online classes for students. But, online classes have not helped adivasi students in any significant manner. Many of these students do not have cell phones and those who have face network problems. Generally, adivasi students attendance percentage in government schools and tribal ashram schools would be low during the festival season. The pandemic situation further affected their education. Adivasi children enjoy teaching with play, listening to stories and dancing in schools. Online classes will not provide or create such an atmosphere for them. People who have had either both vaccination doses, or who can demonstrate they have recovered from COVID, will not need to isolate on their return or arrival. (Representational Photo: AFP) New Delhi: Germany is lifting a ban on most travellers from five countries hit by 'Delta' variant of COVID-19, including India and the UK from Wednesday, said German envoy Walter J Lindner. "From tomorrow, Germany is removing the entry ban and easing travel rules for five countries where Delta variant is widespread, including India," tweeted German ambassador to India, Walter J Lindner on Tuesday. German public health agency the Robert Koch Institute on Monday said India, Nepal, Russia, Portugal and the UK, currently listed as so-called virus variant countries, would be reclassified from Wednesday as "high-incidence areas". The change means simpler requirements for people visiting those countries. People who have had either both vaccination doses, or who can demonstrate they have recovered from COVID, will not need to isolate on their return or arrival. India was classified as a virus variant area at the end of April, followed by Nepal and the UK in May. The EU country Portugal, as well as Russia, were added to the list on June 29. Germany banned entry for travellers from India due to an upsurge in the number of coronavirus cases. TIRUPATI: Ruling and Opposition leaders are engaged in a blame game over the massive land grabs in Pileru constituency of Chittoor district. Telugu Desam leader and former chief minister Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddys brother Kishore Kumar has accused ruling YSRC party MLAs including Pileru legislator Chinthala Ramachandra Reddy of indulging in massive land scams in the region. He said YSRC leaders are illegally occupying hundreds of acres of government land worth Rs 400 crore in areas adjacent to the highways in this constituency. The Pileru MLA denied any wrongdoing by himself and his party MLAs. He instead accused Nallari Kishores family and his associates of being involved in several land scams and buying landed properties with hundreds of crores in major cities in the southern states with money made through foul means during the Congress and TD terms in government. Two days ago, Kishore held a media meet and disclosed some survey numbers and names of the places in and around Pileru. He said YSRC leaders had encroached valuable lands in Doddipalli, Erraguntapalli, Bodumalluvaripalle, Gooda Revupalli and Mudupula Vemula villages, adjacent to national highways connecting Hyderabad, Chennai, Tirupati and Madanapalle. Kishore said some lay-outs belonging to the government are also being sold illegally at the behest of the YSRC legislators of the region. He said he would soon release survey numbers of the encroached lands in the district. The grab of government land by YSRC leaders has spread to Madanapalle and many other areas too, he said, and accused the local authorities of ignoring his complaints to them with all the details. He called for a judicial inquiry into the land scams and said that he will approach the court soon. Piler MLA Ramachandra Reddy challenged Kishore to prove the allegations. We are ready for a public debate on the alleged land scams, he said. Nallari Kishore Kumar Reddy, the in-charge of TD in Pileru, is a politician. The allegations he made are untrue. Nallari Kishore is the one who looted hundreds of crores of rupees by resorting to irregularities in Pileru and other areas when his brother Kiran Kumar Reddy was chief minister, he said. Hyderabad: The swearing-in ceremony for the new office-bearers of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) will be a show of strength of the grand old party here on Wednesday, July 7. Newly appointed TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy along with other office bearers, the election management committee, and the campaign committee will take charge at Gandhi Bhavan. After the formation of Telangana state in 2014, the Congress has been facing major setbacks. Party MLAs, MLCs and other senior leaders switched their loyalties either to the ruling TRS or the BJP. During municipal elections, the party had a bitter experience as contestants were not available for several slots. The appointment of a new TPCC led by Revanth Reddy, a member of Parliament, claims to have boosted the morale of the rank and file of the Congress. Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka PCC president D.K. Shiva Kumar, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, TS incharge Manickam Tagore and other leaders will attend the ceremony on Wednesday. A huge rally of Congress activists will be taken out in the city. District Congress units have already conducted preparatory meetings for the swearing in ceremony. Covid-19 protocol will be adhered to by the Congress leaders, activists and frontal organisations while attending the ceremony. A senior Congress leader said that due to the pandemic, all the participants will prefer SUVs instead of heavy vehicles. The cadre is in a jubilant mood as the party is now under the dynamic leadership of Revanth Reddy, he said. The route map for the rally from the Peddamma temple to Gandhi Bhavan is ready. The new chief will offer prayers at the Peddamma temple before participating in the rally. The rally will pass through Jubilee Hills Check Post, LV Prasad Eye Hospital, Nagarjuna Circle, Care Hospital, Masab Tank, Vijaynagar Colony, Bazaar Ghat, Nampally Dargah and culminate at Gandhi Bhavan. Besides Revanth Reddy, newly appointed working presidents, campaign committee chairman Madhu Yaski Goud and election management committee chairman Damodar Raja Narasimha are among those who will take charge. Congress cadres have been invigorated and energised with the appointment of a new leadership for TPCC and are raring to put an end to KCR's misrule," said AICC official spokesperson Dasoju Sravan while announcing the details of the Congress events for Wednesday. "While Sonia Gandhi has delivered Telangana, moved as she was by the sacrifices of Telangana activists and braving all odds, CM KCR has defeated the very purpose of statehood. Sonia Gandhi believed in a socially justified and empowered Telangana (Samajika Telangana) where people belonging to all sections get equal opportunities, Dr Sravan said. He said the family of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had turned Telangana state into their fiefdom and let down every household. With new leadership at the helm in TPCC, the Telangana cadres are determined to put an end to the TRS rule and fulfill the aspirations of Sonia Gandhi by bringing the Congress back to power," said Dr Sravan. Dr Sravan urged Congress cadres to follow discipline and Covid-appropriate behaviour during the rally. Lakhs of leaders and workers from all over Telangana are expected to participate in the rally, he said. Hyderabad: Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao of the Telangana High Court on Monday refused to recuse himself from a case relating to Krishna waters and took exception to the demand made by the state government. The issue arose in relation to the hearing of a petition filed by two farmers from Andhra Pradesh over the use of Srisailam waters by the Telangana state for power generation. The judge said the TS governments plea for recusal was nothing but an attempt at bench hunting. Justice Rao said, Advocate General, how could you ask the judge to recuse, without justifying the request? Why do you want me to recuse myself from hearing the petition... what is the reason? This is unreasonable and in poor taste... We dont expect the Advocate Generals office to make such an unreasonable request. You cant seek judges recusal. The division bench of the High Court comprising Justice Rao and Justice Vinod Kumar was dealing with a petition filed by the two farmers challenging Government Order 34 issued by the TS government for use of Krishna water for power generation. When the writ petition came up before the bench, Additional Advocate-General (AAG) J. Ramachandra Rao appealed to the bench that it should be heard by a bench headed by Chief Justice Hima Kohli as per the roster of sitting arrangements. Justice Rao said the bench would hear the matter during the post-lunch session. Senior counsel Vedula Venkatramana appearing for the farmers said the plea should be heard by the same bench since the petition involved issues relating to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. As per roster, such matters are allocated to this bench, he stressed. AAG Ramachandra Rao made a mention before the Chief Justice bench to hear the petition, as it was an interstate water-related issue. The CJ declined the request of the AAG and made it clear that it will be heard by the roster bench. After the lunch break, Justice Ramachandra Rao said the bench had got a clarification from the HC registry that it should hear the matter. Advocate-General B.S. Prasad immediately requested the judge to post it before the bench headed by the CJ. When the matter was clarified by the CJ office, how can it be conveyed to them to hear the matter, the judge asked. Thereon, the AG made an appeal requesting Justice Rao to recuse himself from hearing the writ petition. This was not agreed on by the judge. Finally, the AG dropped his request and the bench proceeded to hear the matter. When Vedula Venkataramana, senior counsel appearing for petitioners, tried to explain the issue of water usage, Justice Rao questioned counsel as to how the petition was maintainable. The judge said the Supreme Court had in 2008 decided that the issues related to inter-state water disputes shall not be entertained by any court. This ruling from the apex court related to the Atmalinga Reddy case that had challenged the awarding of the hydel power project at Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) to the relatives of then Chief Minister Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy. The apex court had made it clear that when the enactment was made by Parliament to deal with sensitive issues like river valley matters, such establishments are the only authority to deal with the issues. Such disputes cannot be the subject matter of petition either in High Court under Article 226 or in this court under Article 32 of the Constitution, the apex court had said. Justice Rao Ramachandra Rao directed senior counsel Venkataramana to go through the SC orders in detail and come back to court on Tuesday. AAG Ramachandra Rao tried to intervene and read the judgment of the apex court. Justice Ramachandra Rao stopped the AAG and cautioned him that when the Advocate-General was appearing in this matter, no one should try to come in or intervene, and asked the AAG to respect the office of Advocate General. As the judge was giving information pertaining to the judgment, AAG Ramachandra Rao tried to explain further details of the verdict. At this stage, Justice Ramachandra Rao repeated that it was not correct on the part of AAG to represent in the matter when the AG was already appearing in the hearing. The bench told all counsels concerned to go through the judgment and come prepared to the court on Tuesday for presenting their contentions. For Aisha, sexual slavery was something you only heard about happening to others in television reports, until she found herself locked in a living "hell" in Libya. "I had left a nightmare only to fall into hell," said the migrant from Guinea, lured to the North African country that criminal gangs have turned into a den of racketeering. Aisha fled her home country after five miscarriages: for her in-laws and the neighbourhood, she was either sterile or a witch. Read more: Digital sex crime has become a nightmare for South Korean women, HRW wants better safeguards But the young woman was simply diabetic. "I just wanted to disappear from my country," said Aisha, a graduate in hotel management. She contacted a former classmate who appeared to have made a life for herself in neighbouring Libya and who lent Aisha money to join her. "I didn't even see the country. As soon as I arrived, I was locked up, I was a slave. She brought men to me and she got the money." Locked in a room with a toilet, she only saw the "friend" who had duped her when she was brought in food, "like a dog". "The men came drunk. I'd rather not remember it," said Aisha, still trembling. "I thought my life was over." After three months, a Libyan man took pity on her, threatened her captor and put Aisha on a bus to Tunisia with 300 Libyan dinars ($65) in her pocket. After her diabetes was treated, she even gave birth to a baby girl late last year. She now dreams of Europe, but returning to Libya is out of the question. "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy." For the past two years, she has lived with other migrant women in Medenine, southern Tunisia. Read more: I'm tired, but I haven't given up: It's an everyday battle for transgender women in conservative Egypt Most of the others who'd experienced Libya had also been forced into prostitution, raped or sexually assaulted, said Mongi Slim, head of the local Red Crescent. "Some of them, if they had the protection of a man, they fared better. But for single women, it's almost systematic," said Slim. Some migrants said they had been advised to take a three-month contraception jab before departure, and some travel with morning-after pills, according to UN reports. Mariam, an Ivorian orphan, left with 1,000 euros ($1,200) to pay for the crossing from Abidjan to Libya via Mali and Algeria. She hoped to earn enough in Libya to reach Europe. But she ended up spending most of her year there in prison, where she was sexually exploited, before fleeing to Tunisia in 2018. "I worked for six months with a family, then I set off by sea from Zuwara," a port in western Libya, said Mariam, 35. "Armed men caught us, took us to prison and abused us," she said. Mariam said she had fallen into the hands of militiamen who run illegal migrant camps where extortion, rape and forced labour are common. Official centres under Libyan government control, and where the European Union-funded coastguard transfers would-be exiles it intercepts, are also riddled with corruption and violence, including sexual assault, according to the United Nations. "Every morning, a chief would make his choices and send the chosen girls to Libyans who had rented special rooms," said Mariam. "They fed me bread, sardines and salad. I stayed there a month until they moved me to another place," she recalled, her voice spiked with anger. "They were armed, they smoked drugs, they paid the chief but not me." According to rights groups, men and boys are also sexually abused. "Sexual violence continues to be perpetrated with impunity by traffickers and smugglers along migration routes, in detention centres, judicial police prisons, and against urban migrants by militants and armed groups", the United Nations said in a 2019 report. Such criminality increased with the intensification of the Libyan conflict from 2014. Three migrant detention centres in Libya were closed in mid-2019 and the establishment in March of a new UN-sponsored transitional government has raised hope of a decline in impunity and violence. The UN decided last year to deploy protection officers to combat sexual crimes. But they have yet to even be recruited, and intercepted migrants are still turned back to Libya, to the dismay of international organisations. On June 12, a record of more than 1,000 people caught at sea were sent back to Libyan jails, according to the UNHCR. India is set to receive one million barrels of Guyana crude oil. The move comes as India, which is the third largest importer of crude, seeks to diversify its sources. Sources said the deal was inked between India and Guyana last week. The move comes after India opposed a decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+), to extend production cuts which have been responsible for rise in the price of oil. The country is also seeking to diversify its purchases away from top producer Saudi Arabia. However, the price tag of the India-Guyana term contract deal has not yet been made public. The announcement will be made by the Government of Guyana later this week, explained Dr K J Srinivasa, India's High commissioner to Guyana, Antigua & Barbuda, St Kitts & Nevis and Caricom. Sources said that the production cost is about $35 per barrel at the moment, which could, in future, dip to $32. The million barrels, which was dispatched on Monday is set to arrive at Paradip Port in India on or about August 6. Dr Srinivasa specified that this first shipment is a pilot delivery intended to determine if the crude will fit Indias refinery capacity. Preliminary indications suggest that Guyana's Liza oil - light sweet crude seems to be well suited for Indian refineries. India believes that such purchase arrangements are helpful to both countries as the Governments are able to save incurring costs on commission and marketing fee to third party agencies and will also further fortify India-Guyana bilateral partnership, the High Commissioner said. The Liza Oil Reserve, discovered in 2015, is set 200 kilometres offshore in Guyanas territorial waters. Extraction began in 2019. The crude oil has about 0.51% sulphur which constitutes low sulphur content and which gives the oil a pleasant smell. The Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) could not be reached to determine if there would be cost-saving in refining this new crude. The purchase marks an important step in diversification of crude sourcing by India. It is also the beginning of a future roadmap of extended collaboration in the oil and gas sector with Guyana. This collaboration could potentially extend and include acquiring oil blocks, long-term agreement for sourcing crude from Guyana, training and capacity building in the oil and gas sector, gas to power sector... etc, Dr Srinivasa said. HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited had earlier purchased one million barrels from Guyana in March 2021. However, this is the first such purchase by the state PSU Indian Oil Company. The move comes as India has seen a 25% increase in oil demand since 2014. Guyanas attractiveness for India also lies in the fact that 40% of its population is made up of Indian-origin diaspora who were transported there in the 19th century. Three additional scholarships have been announced for the very first cohort of students to attend the Ulster University School of Medicine at Magee, when it opens its doors in August. The Honourable the Irish Society, a grant-giving charity working for the benefit of Derry/Londonderry and neighbouring areas, will provide two scholarships of 3,000 for each year of the four-year degree programme. A generous donation from an anonymous benefactor will provide one scholarship of 6,000 for each year of the degree programme. Students from Northern Ireland who are applying for the Graduate Entry Medicine programme, starting in August 2021 and who meet widening access and participation criteria* are eligible to apply for all three scholarships. These three scholarships are in addition to the seven scholarships made available by individual and corporate donors, meaning that there are now ten* in total to support students facing financial barriers to education. Applications open for all ten scholarships today for those in receipt of an offer for the Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme starting in August 2021, where they meet widening access and participation criteria*. Applications close on 16 July and scholarships will be offered to successful candidates around the week commencing 2 August 2021. Edward Montgomery, Secretary of The Honourable The Irish Society, said: Since the very foundation of Magee College in the 19th Century, the Society has been a firm supporter of higher education in Derry/Londonderry and its trustees are delighted to be able to offer these scholarships to students in need of help to further their studies at Ulster Universitys new School of Medicine. We look forward to meeting the recipients in due course when circumstances once again allow. These scholarships will widen access to the course, in supporting the education and future careers of those who are less likely to progress to Graduate Entry Medicine programmes due to financial, social and logistical barriers. The scholarships are for those how have an annual household income of 27,434 or less based on the median annual earnings (Oct. 2019) and who have caring responsibilities or receive disability living allowance or personal independence payments or other benefits or live in a social deprived area. Professor Louise Dubras, Foundation Dean of the School of Medicine, has welcomed the scholarship announcement for prospective students: We want to say thank you to The Honorable the Irish Society, the kind anonymous donor and indeed all our individual and corporate donors for pledging to support ten of our students through the new programme, beginning in August. "These scholarships break down the financial barriers that some students face and allow them to develop their vocation for a career in medicine, without having to worry about financial or social obstacles that they may face. Louise added: If you are an offer holder, or if you know an offer holder who might meet the criteria then please encourage them to apply for one of these scholarships from today but be quick as applications close on 16 July. We are so looking forward to welcoming these students, and all of our students to the brand new School in the coming months. "Described as a game-changer for the region, the School of Medicine will seek to address the ongoing medical work-force shortage across Northern Ireland. It will train new doctors and have a far-reaching impact, contributing to the future of our health system and the well-being of the people of the region." For students entering the School of Medicine in August 2021, there are 10 scholarships available, supported by individual and corporate donors, namely: Three 'Of the Community, For the Community' Scholarships, supported by Dr Susan K Whoriskey and Dr Doug Baker. Two Optum Healthcare Scholarships Two Heron Bros Scholarships Two The Honourable the Irish Society Scholarships One School of Medicine Scholarship, supported by an anonymous donor A 63-year-old Dungiven man has been convicted of several historical sex offences and told by a judge that he will be in prison by the end of the week. Brian McMacken, of Lackagh Park, Dungiven, entered a guilty plea at Laganside Crown Court in Belfast yesterday to 15 counts of indecent assault on a female and a charge of gross indecency towards a child. After hearing the guilty plea, Judge Rafferty QC adjourned sentencing until next Thursday, July 8. However, the judge told McMacken that he would be going to prison. Appearing via video link from his solicitor's office, the defendant lowered his head as details of the abuse, dating back as far as the late 1980s, were read out during yesterday's court hearing. The prosecution described how the two complainants were subject to a sustained period of abuse lasting four to five years. McMacken's abuse began when one of the complainants was around 11 or 12 years old, with the court hearing how he had groped her breasts during what was described in court as 'general horseplay'. The abuse continued as the defendant moved to different properties, and he would regularly pick up one of the complainants from school, encouraging her to touch his penis while in the car. The court heard abuse had also occurred while the complainant was babysitting for the defendant, who would enter the bed in which she was staying in his house. A diary kept by the girl was also submitted as evidence, providing the court with a contemporaneous account of the abuse, while she also made later disclosures to friends and boyfriends. The abuse went unreported until 2016, when a second complainant, also from the area, reported the abuse to police, prompting the first girl also to report it. During police interview, the defendant made no comment in answer to any of the questions put to him, and had also pleaded not guilty to the charges on arraignment. He then entered a guilty plea just before the case came to trial. Defence for McMacken said he had shown remorse for his actions and displayed an insight into the effect the abuse had had on his victims. Judge Rafferty assured the complainants that although there appeared to be a focus on the defendant, their victim impact statements had been taken into account by the court. Addressing McMacken, he said he would adjourn sentencing on the matter until Thursday to allow him to fully reflect on what length of sentence to impose. He then made it clear to the defendant that he would be taken into custody after sentencing hearing on Thursday morning. Pupils have left a County Derry primary school for the final time in its 130-year history after an Department of Education order to close the school by August 2021. Plans for the closure of Desertmartin Primary School were confirmed by the department in October 2020, with the school asked to 'discontinue' by August 31, 2021. In 2016, a mooted multi-faith merger with nearby Knoacknagin Primary School had raised hopes of the school being able to continue, but the plans never came to fruition. Pupils enjoying a trip to the beach. The collapse in the merger prompted parents at Desertmartin PS to accuse the relevant authorities Department of Education, Education Authority and the Church of Ireland of a lack of communication. There remains disappointment among the school community over the failed plan for a jointly managed faith school, with one parent telling the County Derry Post saying they felt 'ignored'. I am so disappointed that the Jointly Managed Faith School never happened and we don't know why it never happened, said the local parent. It feels as if nobody wants to give us any answers and that they are just hoping we will give up and go away without then having to answer. Even if somebody from the Church of Ireland would say 'we won't talk to you' at least we would know where we stood instead of just being ignored. It would have been a great opportunity for the community to allow people to mix more. Litter patrol in Desertmartin. Wyatt, one of the school's P7 pupils paid tribute to his experience at the school, and expressed his sadness at it having to close. It's very sad the school has to close, I am moving on to the big school but my little brother has to go to a new school now and we are going to miss everyone, he said. I will really miss my best friend. I enjoyed going to Knocknagin for Shared Education and making friends there too. I don't think it is very fair that the school has to close after 130 years. I really loved going to Desertmartin Primary School because everyone was so nice and kind. We always had so much fun. County Derry locations will feature prominently in a new TV series over the coming weeks. Joe Mahon visits beautiful Lough Beg in the second episode of brand new UTV series 'Mahons Way'. That programme will be broadcast on Monday, July 12. The following Monday, Joe will be in Bellaghy village speaking to some of the local characters. The series, which see Joe travel the highways and byways of Northern Ireland started last night with a visit to Glendun, in the Glens of Antrim. In next weeks episode Joe Mahon meets with scientist David Jewson on the banks of the Lower Bann to discover some of the fascinating properties of the diatomite which was deposited here in vast quantities by flood waters over thousands of years. When the level of Lough Neagh was reduced in the 20th century, the various drainage schemes uncovered, not only the diatomite, but also a wealth of evidence of Mesolithic habitation which made the Lower Bann a magnet for the worlds archaeologists. Local people caught the archaeological bug and Colm Scullion from Ballyscullion displays some of his own finds, and then regales Joe with some of the lore of the land, including stories of poteen-makers and boat chases. Joe also learns of the link that ties Mussenden Temple at Downhill with the steeple on Church Island, and the real reason why the steeple is bent. Mahons Way is produced by Westway Film Productions for UTV. You can watch next week's episode on Monday, July 12, at 8pm on UTV. A young Garvagh girl has won a major science competition. Abigail Scott, a Primary 7 pupil at Carhill Integrated Primary School in Garvagh, took the top prize in a schools competition delivered as part of Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week 2021 for her Supersorter Recyclobot idea. The Green Energy Innovation Competition was organised by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering, Antrim and Newtownabbey and Mid and East Antrim Councils, Manufacturing Northern Ireland and Matrix NI as part of a wider programme of events across Northern Ireland. The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Richard Holmes, was guest of honour last week at a school prize-giving to meet a future, local entrepreneur. Congratulating Abigail on her success, Cllr Holmes said: The effort and enthusiasm of the young people participating in the Innovation Challenge is inspiring. I commend the school for embracing this important opportunity in what was a very challenging year. The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Councillor Richard Holmes pictured with Gillian Gregg, Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub Senior Regional Business Development Manager (left), Carhill Integrated Primary School principal Samantha Russell and teacher Lauren McAfee along with the Primary 7 class who took part Green Energy Innovation Competition. Abigail has excelled in this competition, and she should be very proud of her achievement which I hope inspires her for the future. Gillian Gregg from Royal Academy of Engineering was also present for the special presentation. Judging the competition was difficult due to the range of creative and innovative entries, but for those very same reasons, it was also very enjoyable, he said. I particularly liked Abigails prototype model which involved a living roof and a fungi base. This was definitely an idea that the judges felt could be quite practical and developed further - exactly what we are looking for when we talk about engineering solutions for everyday problems. We look forward to Abigail and her fellow budding engineers approaching the Academys Enterprise Hub for start-up support in a few years time! The competition encouraged pupils to become entrepreneurs and engineers by exploring and developing ideas for products. Along with the overall prize of a 3D printer, the school also received an Academy certificate of achievement. All entrants will receive the Academys digital STEM badge. County Derry families are facing added stress in bringing loved ones home from a care home setting, according to a Mid Ulster MLA. Sinn Fein MLA Emma Sheerin has expressed her frustration with the current lack of availability of care packages across parts of Mid Ulster, particularly in rural South Derry. "I've been inundated in recent weeks with requests from families, desperate to get their loved ones home, but unable to care for them properly on their own," she said. "I have written to the Health Minister this week to ask just how many people from across the Northern Trust area are currently trapped in hospital, ready and desperate to get home, but unable to because their package of care cannot be delivered. "I have already asked the Department for clarity on how many people have died in hospital before their package has been delivered, statistics the Department do not record. "It is impossible to fix a problem when you do not know the full scale of it." The Draperstown representative said the difficulties around securing a care package were adding extra stress to what is already an anxious situation. "No family should have the burden of healthcare on their shoulders as an added stress when someone they love is unwell," she said. "People should be able to visit their elderly parents or other family members without that responsibility on top of their own personal commitments. "The mental health issues that ensue from extended, unnecessary, periods in hospital or care homes are extensive. "It is totally heartbreaking to hear from families who are desperate to have their loved one at home, but scared to risk their health by taking them out of a facility without the care package that they need. "During the Covid-19 pandemic, we seen that community care workers were on the front line, in many circumstances with no PPE or support, carrying the heaviest load during lockdown. "These people, as well as the local offices who are trying to deliver care, are doing their best, but the management of this service needs to be addressed," she added. Nakhrewali: Sara Ali Khan signs second film with Aanand L Rai after Atrangi Re; Sunny Kaushal roped in as male lead Sara Ali Khan made a smashing debut in Bollywood with Kedarnath in 2018. She left fans in awe of her acting chops and mesmerized us with her killer expressions. According to the actress, her next film Atrangi Re has been her most exciting project after Kedarnath. This revelation truly raised our expectations to another level! Also starring Akshay Kumar and Dhanush, the romantic drama has been helmed by Aanand L Rai. Well much to our delight, Sara has now signed her second film with the ace filmmaker, which has been titled Nakhrewali. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sara Ali Khan (@saraalikhan95) In a report shared by ETimes, a source revealed that Sara and Aanand enjoyed working together in their first project and the audience will get to see an outstanding outcome when Atrangi Re releases. The source was further quoted saying, Sara has now been approached for Rais next production film which is titled Nakhrewali. She will be seen essaying the titular role. It is definitely going to be an out-and-out entertainer. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sunny Kaushal (@sunsunnykhez) According to another report shared by Bollywood Hungama, the film will be directed by Rahul Shanklya and Vicky Kaushals talented brother Sunny Kaushal has been roped in to play the male lead opposite Sara. The film is expected to go on floors by end of 2021. Meanwhile, Sara is busy prepping for Aditya Dhars The Immortal Ashwatthama, co-starring Vicky. Priyadarshan on Kartik Aaryan, Sidharth Malhotra, Ayushmann Khurrana rejecting Hungama 2: "I don't blame them for refusing" National Award-winning filmmaker Priyadarshan says he wasnt offended when actors like Ayushmann Khurrana, Sidharth Malhotra and Kartik Aaryan refused to star in the sequel to his 2003 super hit comedy Hungama. The movie was eventually made with Meezan Jafri in the lead and is all set to release on Disney+ Hotstar later this month. The filmmaker who had in an earlier interview, revealed that Hungama 2 was narrated to Kartik, Ayushmann and Sidharth tells The Quint that maybe the actors thought hes old school. "I don't face it in the South, because they know more about me. But here, I don't blame them for refusing, because if an actor doesn't feel confident about a director, they shouldn't do the film. Because then there will not be a comfortable interaction. Maybe these boys are more comfortable working with the new school; I belong to the old-school, he told the publication. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Meezaan (@meezaanj) Having said that the filmmaker further added that there may be a notion where actors believe that the old school filmmakers are not updated but dispelled it say that it is not true. "See, it's a question of, of course, they think that we don't update. But I keep updating everything... So if you ask me, the film Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea, which won the National Award for best feature of this year, so if I can win the National Award for best film of this year, I'm still good, he said. Hungama 2 happened 18 years after the original film starring Rimi Sen, Aksheye Khanna, Aftab Shivdasani and Paresh Rawal released. The new movie has no links to the original in its narrative and will mark the comeback of Shilpa Shetty in Bollywood after 14 years. The film will release digitally on July 16. Choti Sardaarni to take a leap of 20 years, lead actor Avinesh Rekhi will be leaving the show Popular daily soap Chhoti Sardaarni is ready for a big leap once again. The show saw a five-year leap earlier in February and now reports suggest the show will take a 20 year leap which will be introduced at the end of this month. Needless to say, that this means a big casting shift as well. Actor Avinesh Rekhi who plays the protagonist Sarabjit Singh Gill will be leaving the show, while Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia who plays his wife Meher will now be seen playing the grown-up version of their daughter Seher according to an ETimes report. Actress Anita Raajs role will also be written off. The report also claims that the reason behind Avineshs exit is that he doesnt want to play the father to Nimrit who is currently his love interest. The story will shift focus from Srabjit and Mehers journey in this new chapter. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Avinesh Rekhi (@avisthename) Furthermore, actor Shehzada Dhami has been roped in to play the grown up Param Singh Gill while a new male lead is being looked for to star opposite Nimrits Seher. Vibha Chibber has apparently also been roped in to play a politician. Choti Sardaarni had only last month added a few new cast members including Puneet Issar and Rinku Dhawan whose future on the show is still unknown. https://www.desimartini.com/news/martini-shots/trending/mary-kom-actress-lin-laishram-feels-priyanka-chopras-casting-as-the-north-eastern-boxer-was-heartbreaking-article183713.htm Minister Coveney announces humanitarian assistance for Lebanon Press release The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Simon Coveney, TD, today announced an additional 1 million for the World Food Programme (WFP) to provide assistance for the poorest and most vulnerable Lebanese households. Minister Coveney made the announcement during his visit to Lebanon. Lebanon is facing enormous challenges and multiple crises from the impact of the Syrian conflict, economic difficulties and the aftermath of the devastating Beirut explosion last year and all of this is occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Everything I have seen and heard during this visit emphasises the need to provide further support to the people of Lebanon who have been so generous in hosting large numbers of refugees over many years. In announcing Irelands pledge of 1 million, he added: While the search for longer term political and economic solutions continue in Lebanon and the region, we cannot lose time in addressing the devastating consequences of multiple difficulties in the everyday lives of the Lebanese people. It is essential to provide humanitarian assistance now, and that we do so without taking away resources from the much-needed assistance to refugees in Lebanon from Syria and Palestine. ENDS Press Office 6 July 2021 Notes for Editors The humanitarian situation in Lebanon has deteriorated steeply over the past two years. Systems are disintegrating for everyone and a shift is required to address needs that cut across all population groups and to move away from looking at Lebanon only from Syria/Palestine refugee response perspective. Between April 2019 and April 2021, the consumer price index has increased by over 200% and the price of food and beverages by 670%. Over half the Lebanese population is living in poverty. There is a large and unsustainable increase in numbers accessing public services in health and education, with many private schools closing down; 1.2 million children have not attended school since October 2019. Lebanon hosts the highest number of refugees per capita in the world. Ireland has already provided 25 million in direct humanitarian grants to Lebanon since 2014 including 3.5 million to date in 2021. Direct recipients of our grants to Lebanon in 2021 are: 1.5 million to the UNs Lebanon Humanitarian Fund that provides funding for critical humanitarian activities. 7 million to UNRWA, of which 1 million to support Palestine refugees in Lebanon Over 1 million to Concern and Trocaire for their work in Lebanon, Additionally, Ireland contributes to global funds and core funding to key agencies that allocate funding to Lebanon, including WHO, UNHCR, IFRC, ICRC and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund. Irelands policy for international development, A Better World, outlines Irelands vision of a more equal, peaceful, and sustainable world. It commits Ireland to reducing humanitarian need by anticipating and responding to crises to protect the most vulnerable and those at risk. WFP aims to expand the social assistance programme to reach 350,000 people per month through the National Poverty Targeting Programme (NPTP). The NPTP provides a range of benefits to poor and vulnerable Lebanese households including e-card food vouchers, and education and health benefits. | Next Item Just a few days ago, we received new renders of the Fold 3 from OnLeaks that give us a good look at what to expect from the upcoming successor to the Fold 2. Now, there are reports emerging that Samsung is looking to unveil three new foldable phones on 11 August. These three phones will all be foldable smartphones and are names accordingly- Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and Galaxy Z Flip 3 Lite. Just going by the name of the phone, we could expect the Lite variant to be priced differently than the other two. Nothing has been officially announced as yet, so do take this news with a grain of salt. According to The Korea Herald, Samsung will host the Galaxy Unpacked event in Korea on 11 August. The event will be live-streamed from Seoul and will feature the announcement of the three new foldable phones. As we already know, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is thinner and lighter in comparison to the Fold 2. When folded, it measures 14.5 millimetres in thickness and 15.6 millimetres including the rear camera bump and when unfolded, Fold 3 has a thickness of just 6.6 millimetres which translates to 7.7 millimetres including the camera bump. The overall dimensions are 158.1 x 64.8 x 14.5mm (15.6mm including rear camera bump) when folded and roughly 158.1 x 128.1 x 6.6mm (7.7mm including rear camera bump) when unfolded. The Flip3 however will come in a flip-phone style design and as weve said before, the Lite could be priced lower than the base Flip3. The report also speculated that the Flip3s cover display could be expanded from 1.1 inches to 1.9 inches. As the year hits the midway point, were seeing Samsung take a more experimental approach to the launch of the Fold and Flip series of devices. Well only know more when the company finally announces the three phones in August.